THE REAL TARGETS: CIVILIZATION, CULTURE AND MEMORY

You have probably heard of Shinar. That's because you're especially well-read and struggled for your intellectual independence in a culture hostile to free-thinking. If you haven't heard of Shinar, that is probably because you are a victim of the US programme of wiping out historical memory. In America only scholars with particular areas of expertise or those with very particular areas of interest know what Shinar is, although it should be a name much more generally known. Long before there was Baghdad there was Shinar, that is Babylon, in the Fertile Crescent - the cradle of civilization. It was there that civilization, as we know it in the Middle East and in the West, began. Despite the fact that many priceless archaeological artifacts were destroyed in the last Gulf War - many still remain. Physical archaeological artifacts provide the basis and sometimes the proof of how the history of Humankind looked. Without these priceless artifacts all historical and linguistic theories remain just that - theories. Every statement made about whom our ancestors were and how they lived must end with "IMHO", if we do not have artifacts that bear out our claims. Artifacts not only serve support theories and lend proof to beliefs; they can make short shrift of the longest-standing, most cherished beliefs as well. The discovery of the 'The Dead Sea Scrolls' is a perfect example of an archaeological discovery which is revolutionizing the way we think about the Second Temple period. The 'The Rosetta Stone' also served as the key that opened many doors of knowledge that were bolted and sealed before its discovery. The examples are many and dear to our hearts. Artifacts are priceless, then - by far dearer than gold, oil, drugs - or any other commodity that nations may go to war over. Those who control what knowledge of archaeology is available to the public control what the public is privy to knowing about where they came from, where they are and where they are going to. Whatever one's status in American society: long-time citizen, new immigrant, descendent of slaves or conquered Natives, one is stripped of their historical framework and linguistic background (unless, of course, they come from an English-speaking country, but even in this case they will be required to adopt the American ‘take’ on English, and thus be forced to adopt American thought patterns). America demands that one forget whom they were, where they came from and blend into the "melting pot". Nowadays, with the advent of means of mass communications, the process of assimilation into the American ‘melting pot’ is usually complete in one generation. Among those who retain their culture most tenaciously the process takes two generations. Paradoxically, those whose racial type is not mainstream in America have a much better chance of retaining their identity than those who ‘look white’ with few cosmetic applications. It is said, and it is true, that if one does not know where s/he is coming from, s/he cannot know where they are going to. This is the goal of those who determine American sociological policy - the creation of a mass of citizens none of whom have clear knowledge either of their own roots, and thus have a very nebulous sense of self, or a sense of the historical context of others. Dignity, honor, sense-of-self and an appreciation of the greatness of others are the most immediate casualties in the war against free thought. Public opinion is quite easily manipulated in a non-culture in which the citizens have no sense of rooted-ness, knowledge of their original languages (or the etymologies thereof) or clear sense of historicity. For example: It is the lack of knowledge of history and etymology of languages that allows the present propaganda concerning who the ‘Palestinian People’ to be believed by well meaning, but ignorant and gullible people. The less we know about history and languages the more our consciousness can be manipulated as we make a hodge-podge of the images that are fed into our brains in words whose etymological roots we have no knowledge of. I urge the readers of this post to read the material contained on the two links provided below carefully. We will see that both those who operate Bush and those who operate Sadaam Hussein are interested in revision of history. On the one hand the Western world would have the wealth of artifacts in Iraq, which could serve as plastic proof of our past destroyed so that historicity is obliterated. On the other hand the powers that be in Iraq would have the artifacts preserved in order to be used to manipulate history and create a false sense of pride and continuity from the glory of Sumer in the present-day citizens of Iraq - thus returning them to being the slaves of a leader who has declared himself a deity. This war is about YOU - who your ancestors were, who you are and who your descendants will be - rootless, mindless, unknowing and manipulated in the West or utterly helpless slaves who work in unquestioning devotion for a leader they believe to be god. There is no "good guy" and "bad guy" in this war. Control of knowledge for the sake of mass enslavement of Humanity is evil - no matter what continent it is attempted on, no matter whether the people doing it wear three-piece tailored suits or jalabias. This writer must be honest and say that the destruction of archaeological artifacts is far worse than the manipulation of their meaning, because so long as they exist there is a chance they may be understood properly. The destruction of the remains of civilization is the attempt to blot out the basis for civilization and rooted-ness - irrevocably. We will be returned to pre-Sumerian levels of civilization if this occurs, regardless of what our level of technological development is. The prospect of being pre-historic even while we are nuclear capable is beyond nightmarish. The booty in this war is control of CIVILIZATION itself. Did anyone seriously entertain the notion that the instigation of war with Iraq on the part of the US, UK and the U.S.'s lesser allies was principally about oil? Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Yisra'el

April 13, 2003

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BAGHDAD, June 20, 2005 (AFP) - Archaeological sites in southern Iraq have been systematically looted for over two years, but experts say the dig will have to go much deeper to find out where thousands of lost artifacts have ended up. "The complete lack of knowledge is devastating," says archaeologist Elizabeth Stone, who spent years excavating the Old Babylonian city of Mashkan Shapir. "One article said that a billion Iraqi dinars worth of artifacts had been smuggled to Syria, but that's absurd. We just don't know what's gone," she says. The mystery has emerged as new site protection forces finally begin to make a dent in thefts from the cradle of civilisation, rampant since the US-led invasion of March 2003, but experts say it may be years before the riddle is solved. Meanwhile, artifacts are surprisingly absent from the ever-hungry illegal market. "Artifacts aren't turning up yet," says Seth Richardson of Chicago's Oriental Institute. "The market's too hot. People don't want to trade them, for good reasons and bad." "We'll probably have to wait four or five years for this stuff to turn up. And it could be anywhere -- London, New York, Geneva, Tokyo." What is known is the shocking breadth of looting, with satellite images showing ancient sites turned into chessboards of square-shaped holes. "There's been more dirt moved after the (2003) war by looters than there ever was by archaeologists and looters combined before the war," says Stone. On the ground, archaeologist Abdal Amir Hamdani, in charge of antiquities for Dhi Qar province, home to some of Iraq's most famous archaeological sites, says his focus has shifted from looters to smugglers. "I'm not an archaeologist. I'm a policeman," he says. Hamdani uses what he calls a "hunting dog" -- a former looter turned paid informant -- who follows up on rumours and goes out with a digital camera and global positioning system (GPS) equipment to locate and mark smugglers' houses. Italian carabinieri forces disguised as Bedouin then go with Hamdani to carry out often fruitful raids. "This is the war within the war, the forgotten war," he says of his dangerous job. Last October, eight Iraqi customs officers were found dead and their recently seized cargo of antiquities disappeared on the road to Baghdad. Al-Fajir, 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Hamdani's base in Nassiriyah, is rife with smugglers and dealers, he says, and 60 suspect homes in the small town of 10,000 have already been identified. Hamdani shows photos of seized artifacts: Parthian glasswork, Sumerian statues and erotic images on temple tablets, hundreds of coins, gold jewellery and bowls inscribed in ancient Aramaic, some clumsily glued together, damaged forever. "I don't know how much they're worth to a dealer," says Hamdani. "To me, they're priceless." He laments what he says are lax sentences of two or three years handed down to smugglers. "It's not enough. They should be getting 10 years or more. I would like to kill them, but then what happens to human rights in this country?" Stone says that families in the area have been selling artifacts for generations, but the lawlessness of recent years combined with increased demand from the West, Japan and Israel has made them more daring. "You can see the purposefulness of it. People are very well-organised. They come with food and water and guns. That's different from what Iraq has always had, farmers and villagers coming to take something to sell at the local souk." "The assumption is that they won't have to hold onto it for 100 years. But some families have been doing it for generations and might think their grandchildren will sell it. There must be warehouses bursting with the stuff," she says. "It will start coming onto the market when people decide authorities can't be bothered to prosecute anymore." While the director of the Iraq Museum in Baghdad, Donny George, says that an object sold by a farmer in Baghdad for 50 dollars can fetch "200,000 to 300,000 dollars in New York," the financial loss pales in comparison to the cultural one. "The frightening thing is objects going to private collectors, where they are hidden, just for investment, like hoarding gold," says George. He says ill-informed buyers in the West, such as the man who paid 80,000 dollars for a non-descript cylinder seal, are also inflating prices and inspiring more thieves. "They've been taking out at least 3,000 tablets a week, by the truckload. That's got to be 400-500 dissertations," says Richardson, adding that some looters die when the tunnels they use collapse, becoming artifacts themselves. Iraq currently has 12,000 registered archaeological sites, but once the whole country has been surveyed, that number will jump to 100,000, says George. Hamdani says there are 800 sites around Nassiriyah alone, with 200 site protection forces to patrol them in just seven vehicles. As a result, no amount of policing is going to suffice and the museum is placing its hopes in changing people's mindsets. "Ninety percent of schoolbooks used to be dedicated to Saddam and the Baath party. If we can dedicate five percent of books to antiquities, children can learn a lot -- and they can teach their parents." Meanwhile, generous foreign aid is well-intended, but not always useful. In the corner of George's office is a box of 40 satellite phones donated for site protection forces by UNESCO. "We've had them for three months, but they didn't give us SIM cards," says George. "Now we have extra funding so we can buy the cards and use them." I told you so.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

Am I Real?

Not having been in the States for almost 24 years and not owning a television, I cannot always determine the status of that which is presented to me taped and sometimes experience feelings of unreality as a result. Actually, I am not at all sure that I would be any less confused about the reality of what I might be viewing if I was back in NY or Miami Beach and "plugged in". I suspect that quite the opposite might be the case, though I would probably be less aware that I was having difficulty separating fact from fiction or being able to mentally and emotionally assimilate semi-biographical movies; mini-series loosely based on fact; a John Nash not only endowed with preternatural mathematical genius, but also the looks of Russell Crowe who is too preoccupied with, and engrossed in, his paranoid ideation to make love to Jennifer Connolly or a Suzanne Hinn.

In the case of "The Fruitcake Lady" it was entirely clear to me that it is a show, even before knowing that the links were from a Jay Leno site. OK. No questions there.

Sometimes matters are not that straightforward, though. Not having been in the states and witnessing the development of the "entertainment" industry, and finding that Western society blows my mind and seems unreal all too often (especially when it transpires that it is all too real); I get confused about whether something implausible that has been videotaped is real or a put-on if I am not prompted beforehand as to what exactly what I'm going to be viewing.

The oxymorons in the entertainment industry confound me. They are myriad, so I find myself feeling confounded more often than I should expect to. E.g., what the hell is a "reality show"? Since when do stiff upper lipped British MPs, who were formerly renowned for their dignified reserve, get down on all fours and act like cats and cavort in red leotards with someone, one breast exposed, whose gender is indeterminate? (Since when is gender entirely independent of sex? But I digress.) Now that I think about it, why have so many ex-actors made the transition to being politicians so easily? I thought that then actor Arnold Schwarzenegger was acting in the film "The Terminator". Now, as Governor of the State of California, he refuses to stay the execution of the third convict on death row in a matter of a couple of months, this time despite the doubts of a judge that the evidence against him is credible. I am left wondering if he was acting in the movie or not.

Do you remember the film Mondo Cane? The 1962 movie was considered "shock cinema". Today, images far more shocking, perverse and utterly revolting are not supposed to shock people at all, but rather serve as light-headed and light-hearted entertainment, and one is considered peculiar if they do feel that those images assault his or her sensibilities. TV is filled with images that make Mondo Cane look tame. If one protests that they are sickened by those images and suggestions, the person is considered overly sensitive, overly religious, or just plain over the hill.

Sites like scopes.com and the search that someone on an e-list conducted in order to determine the status of the film clip bespeak the fact that I am hardly alone in this confusion. It's not at all clear even to people who have been steeped in Western culture all their lives if what they are viewing or reading on the net is real, some weird chimera of reality and staging, urban legend, a put-on...Note how often the scopes.com site will label a given story partially true, or something to that effect. Those are the buggers. Give me the truth or a damn lie anytime, but when they create pernicious, predatory species of mental picture-inducing and emotion-stirring images and suggestions by splicing and concatenating the plausible and the implausible ostensibly willy-nilly (but I'll bet dollars to donuts it's painstakingly crafted to be conflating and emotionally overexciting, thus numbing) into some indeterminate filmed production, evolution has not provided me with a mechanism for defending myself against that. There are no such images in nature and I am at a loss. I feel like the child who, emerging from a wax museum, asks: "Am I real?", only there's a far more sinister air to it all.

There is a description on the psychiatry books for that state: borderline experience. When a person has been assaulted by the unthinkable and by that which the brain is not equipped to process more times than the brain can recover from, i.e., has had more borderline experiences than the psyche can heal from, a syndrome results - Borderline Personality Syndrome. The prognosis for BPS is far more pessimistic than for Schizophrenia. The mass media are inducing Borderline Personality Disorder in the masses and I don't believe for a moment that it is unintentional or not serving someone's purpose.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy

As background to the following discussion, please see: http://tinyurl.com/k75vy

I am saddened, profoundly saddened, that Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP) has been "discredited" because of the cases of medical practitioners who allegedly misused the diagnosis.

I do not know why Sir Roy Meadow has been discredited personally and instead of being called the discoverer of this syndrome is being slurred as "the inventor of this label/diagnosis". I think he should be hailed for having given a name to a phenomenon that, without being named, is very difficult to recognize as a syndrome of child abuse.

Almost 25 years ago I befriended a woman who had one daughter at the time, or rather, she befriended me - desperately. She was a needy and dependent personality, but I was new in Israel and her obvious admiration of me and the open house she provided me with was pleasant and convenient in lieu of a real family. She seemed to need to be needed and didn't seem to care if a good deal of being used was involved.

Her daughter, whom I loved, was a "sickly" child and she was always attentively attending to the girl's various, rather obscure and oddly symptomless, illnesses. At first I thought this woman a very dedicated and concerned mother. After a while I began to see that something was amiss, but I did not know how to define what exactly. I began to joke with her that she a hypochondriac for her daughter. Her husband did not smile when I made these jokes.

After a few years she has a boy, then another child...five in all.
All of her children were "sickly". Their obviously imaginary illnesses ran the gamut from the mild cold to chronic illnesses and emergency medical conditions that required immediate attention. She was constantly running with them from one health clinic to another (perhaps as they caught on to her she moved on?) and calling ambulances in the middle of the night. There was no name for what she was doing to her children in those days and all I ever heard of was plain old vanilla hypochondria. Evidently, that was also the case with the child welfare workers too. Israel has excellent child welfare mechanisms in place for rescuing children at risk, but no one had a name for this type of personality disorder and child abuse at the time.

The last time I saw her she invited me over to her place. We were living in different cities at the time. When I got there no one was at home. I spotted a pharmacy across the street. I walked over to the pharmacy and, not at all surprisingly, there she was with the kids. "How did you know where to find me?", she laughed knowing the answer. She was always plying the kids with OTCs and getting them prescription drugs from unsuspecting doctors and administering those as well. This time she was buying Flagyl. I knew Flagyl was dangerous so I opened my mouth and said: "Flagyl is dangerous (I don't recall that we knew it is carcinogenic at the time, but we did know that it is risky to take). Why are you giving the kids Flagyl?" The little one said: "Mom says I have worms" and rolled his eyes signaling that he knew he didn't. I choked back the tears.

I never went back there. I couldn't. It hurt too much to see what the kids were going through in that house. She called me to invite me to the wedding of her oldest, my favorite of her children. I couldn't attend. Too many memories of her having been hurt as a child would have flooded my memory. My friend said something unclear about a social worker helping the family and about the little ones being in boarding schools. I understood that child welfare had intervened. I heaved a very deep sigh of relief.

My conscience bothers me to this day. Had I known the words Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, I would have reported her to the authorities. I would have demanded that they look into the case if they ignored it for lack of knowing how to handle it. If they didn't know what MSBP is, I would have sent them information. I didn't know what MSBP was and those kids suffered terribly until someone learned about the syndrome and acted on it.

I am filled with sorrow that MSBP had been "discredited". How typical of the West to throw out the baby with the bathwater on the lark of a trend. MSBP was probably the "darling" of the psychological world at one time. Now it's the ugly stepdaughter. How typical. Dammit!

I am certain that more children will suffer because of real MSBP than due to medical malpractice using MSBP as a cover.


Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

Come As You Are - Verdeutschte und Verbessert

The afflatus for the following rewrite comes, oddly, from
Shakespeare –the Yiddish rendition of Shakespeare to be accurate.

The frontispiece of the book reads: Shakespeare auf Yiddish – Verdeutschte und Verbessert

In that spirit, here you have The Vaselines – if not uebersetzt,
then surely verbessert:

First, the original, mediocre, not-quite-grungy-enough lyrics:

Come as you are, as you were,
As I want you to be
As a friend, as a friend, as an old enemy
Take your time, hurry up
The choice is yours, don't be late
Take a rest as a friend as an old memoria
Come dowsed in mud, soaked in bleach
As I want you to be
As a trend, as a friend, as an old memoria
And I swear that I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun

A few nips and tucks and it'll be the true grunge it was meant to be:

Cum as you are, as you were,
As in my fantasy
As a friend, as two friends, as an old enemia
Take your time, hurry up,
Don't cum before me. Don't be late.
Take a breast from a friend, here's an old mammary
Cum dowsed in mud, soaked in bleach
As I want you to be
As a trend, as a friend, as an old mammary
And I swear that I don't have a gun
No, I don't have a gun
But I do have a dungeon

TITS & TATS

On another message board I was called judgemental and narrow-minded by a woman in her mid-50s (that's her age, and perhaps her IQ) who starting talking about how cool tats are.

She waxed ecstatic as she described the "body suit" of the tattoo artist who did her and her husband's tats.

I once saw a young man who had a continuous spider's web tattooed on his whole body that could be seen (he was wearing shorts, no shirt) and was sickened with sadness. I wondered what will happen to him if he ever regrets what he did.

IMO, tats, particularly extensive tats are an act of aggression against one's own flesh and a sign that one harbors abysmal self-anger, if not self-hatred.

I think that anyone who has extensive tats needs psychiatric care, as would anyone who did anything to mutilate himself or herself.

I would say the same for "Prince Alberts" and ampalang.

I don't get driving a rod through one's tongue, nipples and clitoris either.

Have I become a narrow-minded aging lady? Or am I one of a minority of people who still has what used to be called common sense?

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

Lighten Up for Chrissakes!

On another list someone wrote: "The Islamics of the world like the Christians and the Jews need to be subjected to humor and critique."

That prompted me to respond:

If they could only learn to laugh at themselves, they would not need to be critiqued.

They take their religion so damn seriously is what their problem is. There is no levity in their worship at all, no fun.

One of the teachings that Judaism instills is worshipping God in joy, because only in a state of joy does one's consciousness expand to the point of being able to understand the teaching correctly. We are taught that the presence of God does not rest on someone who is not in a state of joy.

As one of my Rabbis once taught me: You've got to take it all with a great sense of humor. The Ramba"m goes so far as to say that one returning from a business trip should not engage in the study of Torah until he relaxes from it. Why? Because he is in too serious a business frame of mind to learn Torah.

There are those who say that organized religion is the problem and they call for individual "spirituality".

I say that religion without humor, particularly the ability to know that God is playing with us and to play with God in return, is the problem.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

Some of my lighter-hearted stuff is to be found on a site I've called

Miscellaneous Meanderings:

http://www.geocities.com/dordot2001/MiscellaneousMeanderings.html

THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW AGAINST SICKENING IMAGES AND MENTAL IMAGES

There ought to be a law against submitting people to the mental and emotional distress of seeing horrific pictures or exposing them to horrific descriptions that become indelible memories and often scar us emotionally for years, even for life for the express purpose of shocking them.

I remember as a child I suffered from this horribly. People would talk about all kinds of violent and traumatizing things in my presence and my young imagination would be ignited and I would get burnt - bad. TV would give me night horrors.

Why is it OK for papers to publish photos that, even if one doesn't read the paper and the eye falls on them perchance, leave one sickened?

Why is it OK for someone to write some of the stuff that Snopes refutes and send it around the net for countless millions to be sickened by and have the mental picture in one's mind forever?

I call that assault and battery.

There are sites for people who like all kind of sick stuff. Let the people who want that go there, just like people who like physical violence can go to wrestling matches.

And leave the rest of our psyches alone!

DoreenEllen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

Transgender – A Matter of Diversity?

Those who consider themselves "Transgender" (the "T" in GLT BDSM) claim that they are a perfectly normal expression of naturally-occurring Human sexual diversity.

They would have us celebrate this diversity, not merely accept its existence matter-of-factly.

The following definitions of Transgender and Transgenderist will suffice for the purpose of this discussion:
Transgender: 1) Transgender (sometimes shortened to trans or TG) people are those whose psychological self ("gender identity") differs from the social expectations for the physical sex they were born with. To understand this, one must understand the difference between biological sex, which is one’s body (genitals, chromosomes, etc.), and social gender, which refers to levels of masculinity and femininity. Often, society conflates sex and gender, viewing them as the same thing. But, gender and sex are not the same thing. Transgender people are those whose psychological self ("gender identity") differs from the social expectations for the physical sex they were born with. For example, a female with a masculine gender identity or who identifies as a man. 2) An umbrella term for transsexuals, cross-dressers (transvestites), transgenderists, gender queers, and people who identify as neither female nor male and/or as neither a man or as a woman. Transgender is not a sexual orientation; transgender people may have any sexual orientation. It is important to acknowledge that while some people may fit under this definition of transgender, they may not identify as such.
Transgenderist: A person who lives either full time, or most of the time, in a gender role different than the role associated with their biological or chromosomal sex (a gender non-conformist).
The above definitions are to be found on the following URL: http://tinyurl.com/89sxu

We see from the definition above that the understanding of Transgender is based upon the assumption that there is a difference between one's sex and one's gender. People who define themselves as Transgender not only assume that there is a difference between one's sex and one's gender, they assume that this is the natural, normal state of being for Humans and would have those who are not Transgender accept this as a natural, normal state as well. If we accept this assumption then Transgenderism, a state in which a person does not experience himself or herself as being of one and the same sex inside and out, must be accepted as a perfectly normal and natural part of the diversity of Human sexuality.

It is being demanded of us that we accept that it is normal and natural that one's perception of oneself is vastly at variance with others' perception of him or her. Demanded of us it is. It has become politically incorrect to question the normalcy of transgenderism and those who voice a doubt that it is normal are met with every bit of the verbal violence that homosexuals and transgendered people are met with by their ultra-conservative counterparts. There is no reason not to believe, given the level of verbal violence that many people who identify as transgendered allow themselves to engage in when their claims are questioned, that would they could, they might allow themselves the physical violence that the homophobic engage in as well.

Diversity amongst individuals can be advantageous to a species and/or the ecosystem in which the species exists, disadvantageous to the species and/or the ecosystem in which the species exists or neither particularly advantageous nor catastrophically disadvantageous, so long as the diversity remains within a given percentage of the population.

As a species, Humans are marked by differing Races. We are diverse in some of our physical characteristics. That diversity has aided our adaptation to our environments and is certainly advantageous within the given environment that the adaptation occurred in. Take a light-skinned Celt out of the British Isles and place him or her in a hot and sunny environment and the same physical adaptation that was advantageous in the British Isles, becomes disadvantageous. Take a Black person who carries the gene for Sickle Cell Anemia out of the malaria-ridden area in which the adaptation occurred in order to protect the species and that person's adaptation that was so necessary for his or her survival and that of the species becomes disadvantageous.

There are types of defects that are so catastrophic to the bearer that there can be no advantage to the individual or the species whatsoever. They are wholly destructive to the individual, do not perpetuate or serve the species and are often destructive to the individual's surroundings as well. Psychoses and major personality disorder fall under this category, as do the devastating physical disorders.

There are some types of differences among individuals in a species that are always disadvantageous to the individual to some extent and will become catastrophically disadvantageous to the species if those who bear them exceed a given percentage of the general population. Albinos, epileptics and dwarves are three examples of individuals who bear a disorder, defect or syndrome that affects their functioning to some extent and which, if they were to multiply in numbers unchecked in the species, would impact negatively upon the entire species. It is clearly a disadvantage to the individual to be born an albino, an epileptic or a dwarf. The individual will, no doubt, be unable to partake in many, but not in all, of the activities that further the welfare of the species, but so long as they remain within a given percentage the species can tolerate, even accept their existence with equanimity.

Neuroses and other psychological disturbances are among the disorders that impinge upon one's individual functioning to some extent, and affect society negatively to some extent, but which are not catastrophic to the individual so long as he or she can function for the most part, or to the species so long as the majority of individuals in the species are not disturbed.

As in the case of illness that are always and in all ways detrimental, the defects that fall into the category of those that make existence and survival more difficult, but not untenable, can be congenital, acquired and some can be both.

It should be needless to say that any acts of cruelty toward those who possess a defect, whether congenital or acquired or both should be punished to the full extent of the law. Certainly those who have chosen to modify their appearance because they experience themselves as a sex and gender other than they appear without modification must not be objects of ridicule for so doing and any violence perpetrated upon their persons should be punished vigorously.

While individuals born with defects are entitled to every respect, dignity, opportunity, advantage, etc. in every sphere of life that their condition allows, and it must be illegal to limit an individual who possesses a debility more than the debility itself necessitates limitation, we cannot deny the fact that those who possess a deformity, disability or illness of some kind are, in fact, afflicted to whatever the extent may be.

There is absolutely no benefit to the species in being Transgender. It is not an expression of Human diversity that serves the individual, the species and the environment, as would being unusually fertile, of above-average intelligence or strength or possessing greater empathy than do most people. Thinking of oneself as one gender, when objective reality says something else or thinking of oneself as having no gender at all, when one bears the primary and secondary characteristics of a given sex that are observed clearly by objective observers cannot be considered an expression of Human diversity that we should foster, encourage and "celebrate".

Wanting to have one's genitals changed surgically in order to be on the outside what "one is on the inside" cannot be considered a mental/emotional state that serves the furtherance of our species as a whole.

However, neither is Transgenderism a wholly catastrophic illness, deformity or defect that impacts wholly negatively on the individual, the species and his or her environment as are, for instance, Muscular Dystrophy, Spina Bifida, extreme intractable psychosis or Tay Sachs.

Neither is the state of having a perfectly healthy male or female body, while experiencing oneself as the opposite sex within to be considered a psychosis, although normally when one perceives one's own body or self in a way that does not accord with objective reality we are dealing with one who is hallucinating. This is not the case with Transgenderism. Transgenderism is a species of neurosis or personality maladjustment. As long as the person focuses the perceptual distortion on one aspect of his or her being (the person's gender) and can function otherwise normally in society, there is no reason to label Transgenderism as a psychosis.

Each case in which an individual wishes to undergo irreversible surgery that involves amputation or modification of the genitals and hormone therapy must be very carefully scrutinized by a panel of psychiatrists and other health care professionals.

Transgenderism is a catch-all term for a rather large number of disorders that are characterized by various psychological and/or physiological abnormalities. However, Transgender individuals can function as normal Human beings in most spheres of Human existence and society. The disorders, then, are of a similar order as epilepsy, albinism, dwarfism and various neuroses. We see that people who define themselves as Transgender are among those who possess illnesses, deformities and genetic abnormalities that allow them to function fairly well and not impact catastrophically on the species and the environment – so long as the number of individuals possessing them do not exceed a given percentage per capita.

While Transgenderism must be accepted in civil society, it should be seen for what it is: A disorder that causes us no harm as long as the percentage of people who define themselves as Transgender remains stable, but potentially harmful if the percentage grows.

Since it is entirely possible, if not likely, that the types of Transgendered individuals who are in possession of a normal body but perceive themselves as being other than the sex that is observed objectively are suffering from acquired neuroses, it behooves us to determine what the causes of such errant self-identification are and prevent the disorders from occurring. For all of their bravado and claims of "transgender pride" they suffer miserably for the most part.

On the physiological level, it is important that science develop ways to insure that fewer babies are hermaphrodites or pseudo-hermaphrodites. Their sexual ambiguity is very real and will, no doubt, lead to psychological and social problems in addition to the congenital defects.
The fact that some cultures, particularly some Native American tribes have been found that seem to have accepted transgenderism and incorporated them into the general culture, is not proof of their normalcy. Neither is the oft-heard claim that transgenderism is the physical expression of lofty "spirituality" that cannot be attained but by being transgendered to be taken seriously. The following is said about the "berdache":
"Since the berdache could mix characteristics of both genders, they were viewed as having a special status as if "blessed" by the gods. They were thought to be the "middle gender," and seen as prophets and visionaries having an almost mystic and psychic vision into the future. They were often consulted by tribal elders and chieftains because they were thought to have a kind of "universal knowledge" and special connection to the "great spirit." (See: http://tinyurl.com/bwuzg)
Let's compare what has been said about the "berdache" above with what has been said about epileptics, not only historically, that is that they are possessed (positively and negatively) of unusual spirituality, but which modern research bears out:
"Spirituality, but not participation in organized religion, called higher in people with epilepsy
Although most people with epilepsy do not consider themselves more religious or spiritual than other people, a recent study suggests otherwise.
The study, reported at the American Neurological Association meeting in October, was conducted by Dr. Thomas Hayton and associates, of the New York University Hospital in New York. An abstract of the study appeared in the September 1, 2002 supplement to the Annals of Neurology.
Dr. Hayton and his research team gave a standard questionnaire on religious belief and spirituality to 91 people with epilepsy. They then compared the results to standard norms for the rest of the population.
The team reports that this group of people with epilepsy were more religious and spiritual than the general population.
They scored higher than others in terms of daily, personal spiritual experiences (feeling the presence of God, love, deep inner peace, and the beauty of creation). They also scored higher in measures of the strength of their spiritual beliefs and values.
On the other hand, they were less likely than the general population to attend religious services or to participate in activities of congregations or in private prayer." (See http://tinyurl.com/aw67k)
As an epileptic, I can bear out the fact that these clinical observations are true. I am possessed of hyper-religiosity and have experienced direct contact with God during absence seizures when my consciousness was not otherwise entertained, but rather suspended. Many years of my life were spent being totally engrossed in Jewish mysticism. With all that, I am fully aware of the fact that I am also possessed of a disorder that it characterized by a rather unpleasant syndrome of symptoms that impinges on my functioning and would not wish for society to accept me as Exhibit A of perfectly normal or that which it is desirable to be. There are healthy ways of achieving God-consciousness. One need not be epileptic to experience what I have experienced during absence seizures. I am likewise aware that if people with my affliction were to proliferate, the species, as a whole, would be adversely affected. I therefore do not accept the claim of transgendered people that they are possessed of a unique "spirituality" that cannot be attained in a salubrious manner that serves the individual, the species and the environment.
The Egyptians respected dwarves and even represented some of their deities as dwarves, yet this in no wise should be interpreted that dwarfism is either normal nor desirable.
A number of cultures made eunuchs of young boys for a number of reasons, as is generally known. Some of those eunuchs held very respectable, and even important, positions in their societies, but that does not change the fact that they were mutilated.
The proof of whether a given condition is normal, healthy and a boon to the species is in the sexual pudding. In contradistinction to Bisexual females who, according to a recent British study, constitute at least 50% of the general population of females, this given the fact that they still feel inhibited by heterosexual societal norms (See: http://tinyurl.com/c83h6).

Transgendered people, like others who possess a physical defect, whether congenital or acquired that impinges upon their functioning to some extent and which can be tolerated by the species so long as they remain within a given percentage of the general population, like dwarves, the obese, albinos, etc. are not generally physically attractive to the general population. The vast majority of healthy individuals are not sexually attracted to people bearing physical or mental abnormalities. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the French Post-Impressionist painter suffered two broken legs as a child, which inhibited the growth of his legs. As a result, his stature was dwarf-like. While we cannot deny his genius and contribution to culture, neither can we deny that his physical deformity impacted only negatively on his place in society and personal love life. He was not seen as a desirable lover or mate, despite the fact that he hailed from a noble family.

It is entirely possible that individuals may fall in love with individuals who possess an abnormality of some kind despite the abnormality. However, rarely does someone find himself or herself attracted to the person because of an abnormality. In the cases where one is attracted to the abnormality, per se, we say it is a fetish or a "kink".

Humans tend, for the most part, to be attracted to those who are fit to perpetuate the species.

Bisexual women are physically and behaviorally indistinguishable from heterosexual women in the presence of men. They do not bear physical characteristics specific or peculiar to them as do transgendered women and many lesbians. Bisexual women are not only sexually attractive to heterosexual men; their Bisexuality often stirs the men to greater attraction to them. Many, men, find Bisexual women more exciting than heterosexual women. The thought of a woman making love to a woman is a very arousing and common fantasy that many men would live out if presented with the possibility to make love to more than one women, particularly if the women exhibit erotic behavior one toward the other. But a Bisexual woman need not be actively bisexual in the presence of man to excite him. The very thought that she is bisexual aroused him to exciting fantasies. Bisexuality in women, then, is a boon to the propagation of the species because Bisexual women are no less attractive to men than are heterosexual women, and often more so.

None of the sexualities under the GLT BDSM rubric, that Bisexuality has been subsumed, wholly incorrectly, under can make the claim that they serve the perpetuation of the species. They are, in fact, disadvantageous.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

WHERE HAVE ALL THE GENIUSES GONE, LONG TIME PASSING?

I have always marvelled at the genius of the brightest of the bright lights in generations gone by until not very long ago.

Up until the middle of the 20th C. not only were there stunningly brilliant people, none of whom are matched by any in our times, but they were mightily productive, particularly so since the conditions of their lives were often very difficult.

"Where have all the geniuses gone, long time passing?", I asked myself, paraphrasing a song.

Stephen Hawkings is no Einsteins, Heisenberg, even a Pauli or a Fermi.

Noam Chomsky is no Gustav Landauer, Bakunin or even a Marx.

Angela Davis is no Emma Goldman.

There is not one, but not one, female scientist today who approximates the stature of Marie Curie.

The list can go on and on.

What happened?

When I came across the information below, I received my answer in part:

"Fluoride used by Nazis to sterilize inmates and make them docile. Fluoride a key dumbing down ingredient of Prozac and Sarin nerve gas -- poisons of choice for tyrant rats."

See the whole article here:http://www.greaterthings.com/Lexicon/F/Fluoride.htm

"We are told by the fanatical ideologists who are advocating the fluoridation of the water supplies in this country that their purpose is to reduce the incidence of tooth decay in children, and it is the plausibility of this excuse, plus the gullability of the public and the cupidity of public officials that this is responsible for the present spread of artificial water fluoridation in this country. However, and I want to make this very definite and very positive: the real reason behind water fluoridation is not to benefit children's teeth. If this were the real reason, there are many ways in which it could be done that are much easier, cheaper and far more effective. The real purpose behind water fluoridation is to reduce the resistance of the masses to domination, control and loss of liberty. When the Nazis decided to go into Poland, the German General Staff and the Russian General Staff exchanged scientific and military ideas, plans and personnel, and also the sheme of mass control through water medication was seized upon by the Russian Communists because it fitted ideally into their plan to Communize the world. I say this with all earnestness and sincerity of a scientist who has spend nearly 20 years research into the chemistry, biochemistry, physiology and pathology of fluorine -- any person who drinks artificially fluoridated water for a period of one year or more will never again be the same person, mentally or physically."

See the entire article here:http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a39fc499b6a91.htm

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

Yes, Virginia, There Are Fnords

I was told by someone who considered the alternative system of mathematics that I developed that he suspects that I suffer from the same delusion that John Nash suffered from. I considered that the second greatest compliment of my life, second only being asked if I am a fairy by a little girl in a supermarket one day. I am sure that had I shared the piece below with him, the suspicions of the person who considers my delusions downright John Nashian would have been confirmed as far as he is concerned.

P.S. Nash was dead-on right and had he had gematria at his disposal, he could have proven it. But I digress. Here is the piece:

Fnords, like all theoretical matters, are inferred to exist, though we have not yet proven their existence, by observing the effects they have on that which we can perceive and empirically determine.

Observing Western culture and the behavior of people in Western societies, we may be far more certain that fnords are being utilized to control thought, emotion and behavior than we may be certain that dark matter exists. Observing Western culture and the behavior of those who live in Western societies, we may be fairly certain that fnords are being employed by very deft hands. They most certainly are imbedded in the messages we are getting from the media. We, in repeating the "lines" from the movies, TV shows and popular songs that strike a chord in us and that seem "cool" or otherwise arouse us to emulation, reinforce those messages. The fnords have been crafted such that they impact on our psyche and become ever-repeated household words. The work of reinforcement by repetition and habituation is carried on as a matter of course. We become the unwitting agents of our brainwashing. The fnord craftspeople are, then, doing a chillingly good job of influencing behavior, thought and emotion.

Not only have the fnord weavers exploited the normal Human needs for love, acceptance, shelter, belongingness and justification by making us feel that we must join one of the state-sanctioned types; they also exploited and reinforced our natural xenophobia when we encounter those outside of our group.

When we encounter the rare, indefinable, personality we have been taught to go into panic mode. The few who managed not to be pigeon-holed are perceived as raptors.

The xenophobia has been exploited and reinforced by making people totally blind to their own xenophobia. They can see it clearly enough in others. Yet, each is absolutely sure that he or she is an open-minded, accepting person, even while they revile those outside their group.

Those who think that they are living various "alternative" lifestyles and/or belong to "subcultures" may rest assured that they too belong to state-sanctioned types. States are served well, very well indeed, by people who are living any lifestyle that so obsesses them that the matter of bettering society is of no great concern to them because all of their energies are channeled into their "lifestyle".

All of the state-sanctioned lifestyles require the purchase of dress and paraphernalia typical to the group. Additionally, the indoctrinating education every group requires costs money as well. Schools, books, seminars, etc., keep the cash registers clinking. This is true of the Fundamentalist, straight-arrow members of conservative, conventional groups; members of non-mainstream, but accepted religions; those who partake in alternative lifestyles and religions, such as Wicca; and those who belong to the furthest out subcultures, such as BDSM, which I have been considering of late because I've suspected for some time that is a state-sanctioned group.

The members of all of all of the state-sanctioned groups Interpret the expression of original ideas negatively and have been programmed to react to such pronouncements viscerally. They all lack the inability to grant credence to the expression of a viewpoint that does not belong to one of the state-sanctioned groups. In other words, the members of each of the groups have been taught to accept only the pronouncements of each of the other groups as valid expressions of diversity. They have been taught to interpret any self-expressing that is not one of the accepted expressions of the other state-sanctioned groups as anti-diversity and otherwise threatening.

They have been rendered incapable of recognition of altruistic motivation for what it is and have been taught to perceive it cynically at best, as a threat at worst. Upon hearing expressions of altruism they go into extreme self-defense mode.

Each of the state-sanctioned groups has been taught to tolerate only the existence of the others. They thus lend support to one another, despite the fact that they may think they are diametrically opposed in their views to some other groups. Only upon the hearing of the standard buzz words, clicheיs and canards are they aroused to the thought of "live and let live".

(During the course of writing this paper I have been reminded of some models from the behavior of birds that I learned along the way. I know very little about ornithology and would not presume to arrive at even a tentative conclusion that ornithology has provided a basis for our own brainwashing. I hope that someone more knowledgeable than I in this matter would be interested in pursuing this possibility.)

_______________________________________________________

Not in the least bit surprisingly, in fact right on cue, someone responded that I was being "insulting", "arrogant" and "judgemental" in writing this piece.

I responded:

"Insulting". "Arrogant". "Judgemental."

BIG fnords.

How many times have you heard those words in the last month?

Compare that to the number of times you have heard words like: "wisdom", "modesty", "integrity".

When do you hear those words being used by others?

What arouses you to employ those term?

Why did you think I was exempting myself?

Why were you so sure that you knew my motivations and intentions?

Can you put your finger on what tripped your emotional wires?

I'm not defending myself. What I'm doing goes much deeper than that.

I'm trying to get people to see how they are "set off" and to be able to take a step back from the process and observe it objectively.


Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

Are BDSM and Anarchy Incongruent?

Please see my Mystical Anarchy site: http://tinyurl.com/8wugt

LOBOTOMIZED

Someone wrote the following:

"There are so few role models allowed by our society. The hope is that we can drop our own differences, and find the similarities in each other."

The author of the two statements above has been successfully lobotomized by the mentality shapers who have taught her/him to employ the jargon and buzz words that s/he did. S/He cannot so much as write two consecutive canards without contradicting herself/himself and realize that s/he has offered a suggestion for there being one role model allowed by our society even as s/he laments the dearth.

As one might expect, the author of the sentences above did not realize that I was decrying the phenomenon, and took what I said as a personal insult despite the fact that I wrote plainly that he had been a victim of social lobotomization.

I responded:

I most certainly did not wish to insult you and am pained that I hurt you.

Indeed, having also grown up in the US, I suffer from exactly the same neurobiological mutilation that all of us who grew up with TV and mass media suffered.

I'll share an anecdote with you so that you will not think that I was insulting you personally and see that I am decrying a ubiquitous phenomenon.

A Polish film maker of some notoriety in his country came to Israel as a new immigrant some years ago. He was interviewed soon after his arrival and was asked why he did not go to Hollywood. He responded: "I did not wish to exchange a political dictatorship for an economic dictatorship."

When I heard the two terms 'economic' and 'dictatorship' juxtaposed for the first time I quite literally saw a brilliant flash of light and experienced profound pleasure as two parts of my brain that had been severed from birth by American propaganda merged for the first time - this despite the fact that I am third-generation Leftist. One of my grand-uncles died volunteering in the Spanish Civil War.

Upon realizing that the facts that I am, as an individual, a fiercely independent thinker; have been a Socialist from my youth; I hail from a family some of the members of which were Leftists from the turn of the 20th C. and I emigrated from the US to Israel for the express purpose of living on kibbutz did not protect me from having US propaganda shape my ability to think, I realized that very, very few were safe from their intrusions.

I was profoundly dismayed and vexed by the fact that until that day I was not able to think the phrase "economic dictatorship". Certainly I understood the concept, but I could not call it by name, could not sum it up in one two-word phrase.

I, for one, cannot accept this state of affairs, cannot accept that my ability to think has been systematically, and frighteningly successfully, tampered with.

I demand the right to think freely, to conceptualize insofar as my innate inability allows me to.

I will not be hobbled this way. I will not accept the fact that I have been brain damaged.

If I decry female genital mutilation, if I decry children being mutilated in order to make them more pitiful-looking beggars, will I not decry the mutilation of children's brains for the sake of making them, us, malleable citizens who behave as the powers that be will us to?

I will.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

From my vantage point, it seems that Native Americans had an easier time of it in encountering the White man than we Jews did in one respect.

The White man did not understand or respect their spiritual/moral tradition at all, so they did not try to arrogate it. While Native children were taken forcibly from their parents and placed in boarding schools wherein they were taught to be Christians, often under brutal conditions; Native Americans did not have to endure seeing barbarians make their tradition into a justification for the most extreme kinds of violence and orgiastic rituals.

They certainly did see the erection of churches on land they held sacred, but they did not have to endure the indescribable misery of seeing their ceremonies stolen by the White man and distorted.

They did not have to witness their teachings tortured out of all recognition and forced down the throats of a good deal of Humanity.

The expropriation of Judaism by Christians goes on unabated. I spent a good deal of the last five years trying to undo the damage that Christian pseudo-researchers did when they went to press with claims that HaYachad (commonly known as "the Essenes") were a proto-Christian group. There is no mention of Yeshu in all of the extant fragments and no basis upon which to make such a claim. They made those claims wholly irresponsibly all the some. Luckily for us, they had to bring Jews into the research loop (they kept us out for three decades) because they could not read Hebrew well enough to continue the research and one of the worst offenders made a particularly ugly anti-Semitic slur while inebriated, so he was dismissed of his duty.

I'll be spending this week defending the Torah again - this time against someone who is misrepresenting the Torah to "prove" that the redemption will come (cum?) as a result of the rebirth of Jesus, this time with the libido of Kings David and Shlomo combined. The charlatan called himself "Christo" and has performed "reflowering" ceremonies in Israel, one of which was on the Mt. of Olives on the night of the second millennium. He's no longer young. I wonder if he realized a second cumming. He sent me a picture of himself and his "reflowering" partner when they were here in Tzfat. "Christo" was insulted in the extreme when I informed him that the Land of Israel has not been deflowered and, at any rate, it is not his place in creation to redeem us. Why does every pseudo-spiritual character looking to make a name for himself descend on Tzfat?

I envy the Natives for not having to endure the heartbreak and utter disgust that defies all description at having to witness such things.

Their spiritual teachings were so abstract that the Christians could not find an end to the thread and so left them alone. They were also transmitted orally, and so could not be seized.

What is the provenance of the spiritual/moral parasitism that drove the White man to invade others' traditions, particularly that of the Jews, take them over and mutate them into monstrosities?

To compound the matter, in our times it is not considered "politically correct" to defend one's tradition if it excludes others. That is considered being "clannish". It is interesting that exclusion from entrée is taken as a matter of fact in corporate culture and in very many other facets of society. Rules for inclusion and exclusion are understood to be necessary in life. Yet, the Jews are excoriated for our exclusion of any and all. Those who concoct interpretations of Torah that seems to integrate Judaism with the traditions of others, no matter how outrageously, inappropriately, baselessly and repugnantly to Jews who cherish our tradition, are celebrated for urging the last of the Jewish holdouts toward full assimilation (and hopefully disappearance).

Neither is one permitted to defend classical Judaism as that is being parochial, even primitive. While the non-Jew who pontificates a distorted interpretation of Torah (generally based upon a translation and always scoured for that which seems to support what the person wants the Text to say) is taken to be someone who is integrating Judaism with a number of other traditions and thus coming to a more comprehensive view of Torah than any Jew who sticks to pure Judaism ever could.

Moreover, nowadays everyone is "entitled to their own opinion" and it is not cool to call someone down for expressing an off-the-wall, totally baseless opinion about one's own culture. The person who irresponsibly likens a passage in Torah to whatever suits him or her is being universalistic. Whereas, a Jew who defends what the Torah says, as interpreted by Jews over a period of millennia, is being a hater of unity among all Humankind.

So, we Jews are now in a triple bind. The appropriating of our teachings goes on and we are considered parochial, clannish bigots if we defend our tradition against those who would distort it for their own purposes.

God of Israel! When will they leave us alone and go about the business of finding a real spiritual/moral tradition of their own?

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

More of the Genius of Gustav Landauer

If there is one lesson I learned from the 20th C. it is that revolution is not the way. I can think of no recipe for disaster more sure fire than people having more freedom and responsibility than they are prepared for. Landauer understood this and warned against it repeatedly. He was not in favor of revolution, but rather evolution. In his writings he warns against Communist or Socialist *governments* and predicts, with startling prescience, what is destined to occur if Communism or Socialism is made into a form of government. Landauer was not a Marxist. Had the Left adopted the Socialism of Landauer, rather than those of Marx, the tragic events of the 20th C. probably would not have occurred.

It is necessarily true that the state must be gradually supplanted by substituting the ways in which we now interact with one another with new and better ways. Common sense tells us why.

*Only in the actual adoption of new and better ways of interacting with one another do we demonstrate how and to what extent we are truly prepared for greater responsibility and liberty*. The state is transformed, as a matter of fact, by those acts and only insofar as we are able to tolerate the specific new freedoms and responsibilities and then only to those specific extents.

Doreen

Gustav Landauer is, for me, the quintessential anarchist.

The brilliance of his mind was exceeded only by the depth of love in his heart. His analysis of the poetry of Goethe and Walt Whitman bear witness to this.

Gustav Landauer was a mystic. He was also one of the most grounded and lucid thinkers the world has ever produced. His ability to grasp the essence of both the spiritual and the material in his mind and with his precious Soul was unique and set him apart from many of his comrades. He was able to do this because he apprehended, correctly, that both the spiritual and the material derive, ultimately, from the same source – the Moral, and exist to express moral imperatives.

Precious little remains of the writings of Gustav Landauer. Of that, little has been translated into English.

Below are two excerpts from the writings of Gustav Landauer:

"One can throw away a chair and destroy a pane of glass; but those are idle talkers and credulous idolaters of words who regard the state as such a thing or as a fetish that one can smash in order to destroy it. The State is a condition, a certain relationship between human beings, a mode of behavior; we destroy it by contracting other relationships, by behaving differently toward on another – One day it will be realized that socialism is not the invention of anything new, but the discovery of something actually present, of something that has grown…We are the state, and we shall continue to be the state until we have created the institutions that form a real community and society of men." – Gustav Landauer
"Schwache Stattsmanner, Schwacheres Volk!"
Der Sozialist, June, 1910

"…The realization of socialism is always possible if a sufficient number of people want it. The realization depends not on the technological state of things, although socialism when realized will of course look differently and develop differently according to the state of technics; it depends on people and on their spirit…Socialism is possible and impossible at all times; it is possible when the right people are there to will it and to do it; it is impossible when people either don't will it or only supposedly will it, but are not capable of doing it." – Gustav Landauer
"For Socialism", quoted in Martin Buber,
Paths in Utopia
Translated by R.F.C. Hull

I highly recommend getting to know this site and the people that are running it if you are not already acquainted with them, The Institute of Anarchist Studies:

http://www.anarchist-studies.org/

You'll need to register on the link above.

They run an annual Renewing Anarchist Tradition Conference (RAT). Tapes of some of last year's lectures can be found on this link:

http://www.anarchist-studies.org/article/articleview/111/1/2

Info about the next RAT, which will be held at Goddard College in Plainfield, VT in late Sept-Oct 1, 2006 can be found on:

http://homemadejam.org/renew/currentconference.html

There are also free articles that you can download on the site.

As with all things, take what you need and leave the rest.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel

"So I'm a damaged, incomplete human being. In other news, the sky is blue", is a heartbreaking statement that someone exquisitely articulated on a message board recently.

I responded:

That you do not, or worse, cannot, differentiate between being damaged and being imcomplete and that you take the two as both being as natural as the fact that the sky is blue is probably one of the most trenchant critiques of society that I have read.

This is precisely what the greatest Souls are engaged in life-long battles to change.

It's perfectly normal, natural, necessary and even desirable to be incomplete. It is criminal that we are all damaged as a matter of course. It is a horrific state of affairs that so many, like you, are blase about it.

Discussing this toward the end of changing the situation is a whole lot more important than the discussions of trifling matters that people who are currently living what are now considered alternative lifestyles are discussing.

Color this post dark blue.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
visualviolet@hotmail.com

Some Thoughts On Revision of the Death Penalty in Light of the Case of Stanley (Tookie) Williams

I consider the execution of Stanley (Tookie) Williams, despite the extenuating circumstances in his case, to be a horrendous breach of justice and the sending of a terrible message to the youngsters who he spent years of his life trying to save.

Perhaps, we might find some redress for this outrage by formulating a new program of rehabilitation for those sentenced to death based on his life's work.

I propose that a mandatory long sentence on death row should be required, I would say some twenty-five years, of a person sentenced to death. There would be no "sweetening" of this phase. The entire term would have to be served. During that period the prisoner would be required to become a model prisoner and undertake some kind of service that the community benefits from. Not everyone has the capability that Tookie had to initiate new programs and write books, but each would be required, to his or her own ability to undertake some sort of public service.

Near the end of that period the public would be presented with the relevant information about the case that a parole board might, to wit, the community service that the prisoner is rendering, the prisoner's progress, his or her credits and liabilities in character, behavior in prison, participation in rehabilitation and therapy, relations with other prisoners, expressions of remorse, etc.

The public would vote in a referendum whether or not to commute the execution to life imprisonment. Again, there would be no possibility for parole or release from maximum security prison. The required punishment for murders horrible enough to require the death penalty cannot be less than a life sentence of incarceration.

Alternatively, because the US is probably not prepared for so populist a social mechanism, the information about the prisoner could be presented to a parole board. This, however, has the disadvantage of the parole boards coming to decisions that are not in keeping with the will of the majority.

I realize that a referendum like this is more unwieldy than allowing a parole board to make the decision, but if we are going to have a more democratic system, the public must be more directly involved in the decision making process.

The prisoner would be required to continue serving the community in any way, shape or form that he or she can. Any marked recidivism on his or her part after the death sentence was commuted to life in prison would automatically revert the decision back to a death sentence.

Feedback is respectfully requested.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

Recommendation: The Books Published by AK PRESS

http://www.akpress.org/

I came across AK PRESS' web site "serendipitously" one night when I was searching for publications about, and hopefully by, Gustav Landauer. The contributions of Landauer, one of the greatest minds and hearts of the Anarchist Movement, were intentionally eclipsed for reasons that would constitute a digression to go into at length here. For our present purposes, suffice it to say that most of Landauer's writings are not extant or are unavailable and it is a rare privilege indeed to find those that are. I found a pamphlet containing Landauer's thoughts on Anarchism in his native Germany, in his own words, published by AK PRESS. Excited, I ordered it at once.

The pamphlet arrived today together with AK PRESS' 2005 Distribution Catalog and the New Titles for the Summer/Fall of 2005, which includes works on CDs.

I haven't spent this much time reading a catalog since my mother bought a facsimile of the first Sears & Roebuck Catalog. Neither have I wished I could buy as many items.

What can I say? I'm a stickler for excellence and authenticity when it comes to Socialism and Anarchism, being the scion of a family that were active in founding the American Socialist Party and HaShomer HaTza'ir (the furthest Left of the kibbutzim in Israel), strengthening unions, creating more humane conditions for workers and having a granduncle die fighting in the Spanish Civil War, which traveled from the US to voluntarily take part in. I know real Socialism and Anarchism from the wannabe, insincere, pseudo-hip lip service that passes itself off as Socialism and Anarchy nowadays. I have little tolerance for the latter, neither am I amused by the antics employed by various soi-disant "Anarchist" groups.

It is a delight to say that I am able to recommend the publications of AK PRESS wholeheartedly. (That is not to say that I agree with the content of every publication. Anarchism and Socialism are not monolithic. Yes, dissent is permitted!)

The publications produced by AK PRESS are the genuine article. They publish works by and about Michael Bakunin, Emma Goldman, Ben Reitman, Lucy Parsons and many other mothers and fathers of Socialism and Anarchism, as well as those of their authentic spiritual/moral and intellectual heirs.

The care taken by AK PRESS to produce a catalog that is well-written and not riddled with the orthographic and grammatical errors that are so ubiquitous nowadays that they are tacitly accepted, or worse, thought to be correct English, did not escape the notice and appreciation of this reviewer.

The number of publications they provide on the number of subjects they embrace as being part and parcel of Socialism and Anarchism is nothing less than astounding for a small cooperative that is celebrating its fifteen year in business. (Note: they call themselves a .org and not a .com). You will even find a very respectable selection of vegan recipe books.

Their publications are in the form of books, videos, DVDs and CDs. They ship by various methods to the US, Canada and the rest of the world.

With the arrival of your first purchase you will receive a chit good for a 20% discount on your next purchase.

Their lapse into silly consumerism, consisting of inane slogans and drawings of icons of the Socialist-Anarchist Movement on T-Shirts and the like, which is merchandise obviously geared for those who cannot plumb the depth of Socialist-Anarchist principles but intuit that it is somehow "kewl" to look as if they are for them, is offset by their very altruistic and sensitive policy of providing books to prisoners at a reduction of 30% from the list price, thus incurring a loss on the books. They also recommend not watching TV. That sage advice, if followed, would help to phase out the market for the T-shirts and other "gear" in the next generation immensely, thus providing proof that Socialism and Anarchism dissolves the state as new behaviors are assumed.

Whether you agree with Socialism and Anarchy, have not formed an opinion or are opposed to whatever extent, AK PRESS is the address for one-stop, on-line shopping for the best literature on the topic available.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
December 12, 2005

I'M AN IDEALIST, NOT AN EGO TRIPPER


It has happened entirely too many times that my writings have been construed as an attempt to overshadow the accomplishments of the others. I have been called "overbearing". I have been accused of trying to show others up. I never intended it that way. I am always astounded that anyone could possibly receive my writings in that vein. I'm very impressed and respectful of others' accomplishments and I tell them so.

I am not an ego tripper, but if I wasn't very sure of my ideas I wouldn't have the fortitude to disseminate them. I am an idealist. I write what I do in order to advance Human kind, not to make a name for myself. I am convinced that I have found some solutions to a great deal of suffering. My life is, was and will be dedicated to considering these matters. I have no idea how many experiences I forfeited in favor of thinking and writing the conclusions of my thoughts in order to better the lot of Human kind. I have no idea how much money I did not earn so that I may be free to help others in the only way that my abilities allow me to – to think and to write.

The desire to be of assistance to Human kind and the certainty that my ideas are liberating alone emboldens me to promulgate my ideas. My need to ameliorate Human suffering is that which gives me the strength to publicly suffer character assassination and vulgar, baseless accusations on the part of strangers again and again.

Someone called me a "hack". I have eschewed earning money from my writings all through the years in order to be free to write according to the lights of my own conscience. In fact, I have expended a good deal on the publication of my ideas.

Something terrible happened to people in the US during the intervening generation since my emigration from there. Too many Americans are filled with blind rage. This is true of people in other parts of the world as well, particularly those in the American sphere of influence. I attribute that to overall malnutrition, the using of various addictive substances, and exposure to the media.

Evidently many people think that the semi-anonymity of the internet gives them license to speak and behave in an unbridled manner. I'm sure they wouldn't dare carry on so with the people they encounter in real life.

I see being an intrepid proponent of alternative models for social mechanisms and structure as my calling.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com
October 24, 2005

BIRD FLEW, UH, FLU

I received the following message just the other day.

There is a lab in Safed that has the responsibility to check fordiseases in birds. If anyone finds any birds that are actingstrangely or are dead, please contact them. If the bird is dead theywill need to have it as soon as possible, it would be good to coverit with an upside down pail with a heavy rock on top or something sothat predators dont get it. Then call one of these numbers right awayand ask them to pick it up:_______________(numbers provided). Thanks.

In order to deal with my fear, I employed the age-old self-defense mechanism of sick humor. I made a few additions to the notification. My additions are in lilac:

LABORATORY TO CHECK BIRDS:

There is a lab in Tzfat that has the responsibility to check for diseases in birds. If anyone finds any birds that are acting strangely or are dead, or both, please contact them. Contact who? The lab or the birds? How does one make contact with birds that are acting strangely? These birds may be seriously psychotic. Are there avian psychiatrists? How do I contact dead birds? Are there mediums that do that sort of thing?

If the bird is dead they will need to have it as soon as possible. It would be good to cover it with an upside down pail. An upside down pail. Yeah, right. I always carry one in my back pocket. Put a heavy rock on top or something on top or something? What are the options? so that predators don't get it. A heavy rock. Uh huh. I always have one of those at the ready too. You never know when a predator will try to eat my pail and I'll have to protect my proprietary rights by bashing its skull in with a heavy rock. Then call one of these numbers right away, because you can't be sure that the bird will still be dead when they get there if you don't hurry and ask them to pick it up. Ask them to pick it up? That sounds pretty Jappy. Pick up what? The bird, the rock, the pail or the lab?

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

WHAT'S A SOCIETY TO DO?

What do we do when we, as a Society, are confronted with a case like this?

http://tinyurl.com/8a6xm

What does "justice being served" mean in a case like this?

My initial response is:

From the story, as it was presented in the news, it is clear that these people knew full well that according to Israeli law that what they had done is considered a sexual crime against a minor. Whether or not they themselves considered it a perversion and a violation of the child's Human rights cannot be determined from the story. It is clear, however, that they knew that this is their society's view. They did, after all, use the behavior to incriminate one another in the course of their marital disputes.

My inclination is not to punish, per se, but to correct, which is what I think all effective punishment should be. Chances are the parents are victims of sexual predators in their childhood.The parents are very sick and, as in the case with all extreme illnesses, extreme methods of cure may be called for.

If we mete out harsh measures unwisely we become a depraved and brutal society. Punishment cannot be carried out in order to release our feelings of outrage. It has to be a corrective measure that helps the persons who veered off societal norms. It would be ironic indeed if, in being unwisely brutal toward sexual predators, we become perverted morally as a society.

And who will carry out the harsh punishment? In ancient Israel the Judges themselves had to mete out the punishments they recommended. They were, therefore, extremely careful not to have innocent blood on their hands and not to be unnecessarily harsh. Today there are professional executioners, jailers, psychiatrists, etc. who do the bidding of the judges who keep their hands "clean" of meting out the actual punishment.

I would call for them serving a term in a closed psychiatric facility and having to take part in one-on-one, family and group therapy. Thereafter, when they show marked improvement, they may be released on the proviso that they agree to having their libidos chemically reduced to the point where they are incapable of repeating these acts. This agreement on their part, in writing, should be made a condition of their release. I say this because there is an unusually high rate of recidivism amongst sexual offenders. A troubling case is a Canadian one: A man, who was a serial rapist from the age of 12 (no typo), has been in jail for decades. He is a model prisoner and is due for early release. Yet, he is still more sexually excited by rape scenes than by scenes involving consensual sex. The families of his victims are livid about, and terrified of, his impending early release and are doing everything they can to petition the Canadian justice system to reconsider the decision. Certainly, it cannot be assumed from the fact that he is a model prisoner that he will be a model member of society-at-large, or even a minimally functioning one. How he responds to sex scenes, is, IMO, far more indicative of future behavior when he is set free. When asked if he thinks that he will return to raping he answered honestly, saying that he doesn't know. He recommends setting him free to determine the matter.

I know that the chemicals that reduce the libido cause side-effects. I can see no way out of the moral quandary. It seems to be that we have to "violate" the human and societal rights of sexual offenders in order to protect society. It is preferable, IMO, that paedophiles be made into semi-zombies than that innocent children be made sexually maladapted and the sexual predators of tomorrow. It is better, IMO, that convicted rapists be made sterile than that they be able to rape again. Moreover, as rape is a crime of violence, not a sexual act per se, it is desirable, methinks, that convicted rapists be so drugged as not to be able to harm another being in any way as acondition of their release from closed institutions.I'd like to throw this one out for discussion.

This is a tough case and it's been put on our plate. This is not a theoretical discussion. This is a real case pending in the District Court of Tel Aviv.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

Someone sent the following to me:

"This is a poem made up entirely of actual quotations from George W. Bush, arranged for "aesthetic" purposes, by Washington Post writer Richard Thompson. A wonderful poem like this is too good not to share.Ah, yes! A testament to literacy in the age of Every Child Left Behind!"

BUSH HAIKU

MAKE THE PIE HIGHER!

I think we all agree, the past is over.
This is still a dangerous world.
It's a world of madmen and uncertainty
And potential mental losses.

Rarely is the question asked
Is our children learning?
Will the highways of the Internet
Become more few?

How many hands have I shaked?
They misunderestimate me.
I am a pitbull on the pant leg of opportunity.
I know that the human being
And the fish can coexist.

Families is where our nation finds hope,
Where our wings take dream.
Put food on your family!

Knock down the tollbooth!
Vulcanize society!
Make the pie higher!
Make the pie higher!

The foregoing is not a demonstration of Bush's idiocy or lack of linguistic skills. This is painstakingly calculated mind muck. George Walker Bush, the President of the United States of America, does not "ad lib" or do "improv". Those who pull the strings that control this dummy's mouth are handsomely-remunerated, expert ventriloquists. That is why you do not see them working their "magic".

Every word that comes out of Bush's mouth is deliberately chosen by highly-trained specialists. They compose optimally efficacious formulations of words that create the mental images which elicit the desired psychological and emotional responses in those who listen to the speeches and comments Bush delivers.

Moreover, I contend that the quotes above were not "arranged for aesthetic reasons only". By repeating and disseminating the quotes above, the Washington Post is in collusion with the Bush administration, not in opposition to it. It will be the lampoon that will stick in people's memories, and that is their precise objective.

If you've ever read an article in one of the United States' "better" newspapers, most notably the New York Times, then you know that they say absolutely nothing. The articles are strings of incoherent sentences that produce fragmented thought. But they're written using a lot of high-falutin' language that creates the illusion of something very profound having been related by a very profound professional writer. Those who guard their reputations as intellectuals jealously do not dare admit that they didn't understand a damn thing that was written in those articles, lest they be thought not to be capable of plumbing the depths of the thought of the Times' "brilliant" journalists. They pretend not only to understand, but also agree, with the "substance" of the articles on pain of being banned from the august Society of New York intellectuals. But I tell you: he King of American Newspapers has no clothes on, and neither do the bonnie princes.

My husband, Daniel, and I were and having a grand old time reading the lines above and laughing - until we came to the "vulcanize society" line. I laughed at the obvious error and then stopped laughing, rather abruptly, realizing that I could not think of the correct word to replace the malapropism with. Turning to Daniel I said: " I know 'vulcanized' is not the correct word, but I can't remember what the correct word is." I had to rack my brain for about a minute to remember the word 'galvanize'.

In putting those lines in the President's mouth, and making people who have learned correct English laugh at them, the people who write Bush's speeches are causing the educated to remember this patois, thus wiping out and supplanting their memory of correct English with gobbledygook. They are being re-educated even as they chortle. Their minds are being washed even as they guffaw. They are being taught how not to induce coherent thought using language aptly. They willingly go along with the process because they enjoy the laugh and the feeling of hubris at laughing at the President. The pride that the intelligent take in their intelligence is that which is being used to dumb them down – and they're enjoying every minute of it.
Putting misstatements and malapropisms in the mouth of the President is tremendously effective on the less educated and the young whose vocabularies, use of language and modes of thought are in the formation stage. The President is the role model of the political conservatives and a figure whose words are oft-heard for all in the English-speaking world. His English will be emulated by those who respect him and will become the manner of self-expression even for those who do not respect him because it will become that which is most familiar to them.

This device for dumbing down of Americans , and the English-speaking world really, by placing patois in the mouth of the President of the United States of America is highly indeed.

Those properly schooled are forgetting that which they once learned, the young and the poorly-schooled accept the English of the President as the norm and the intelligentsia – who have always used reason expressed in language as their most formidable weapon against oppression, ignorance and irrationality, have been very effectively disarmed. In contrast to the degraded, and even incoherent, mode of speech and writing that is rapidly becoming the familiar norm, the intelligentsia sound increasingly incomprehensible, ridiculous even alien. Thus, even more than in generations gone by, those who need to hear the messages of the intelligentsia most are the most likely to reject them out-of-hand for seeming weird, being different and being incomprehensible. In those rare cases in which someone might be disposed to reading their writings, the laziness and inability to think cogently that thinking in patois causes, will douse the desire to consider deeply soon enough.

Bush's manner of speech is no joke, then, and certainly not impromptu. It is part of a carefully-devised program to dumb the English-speaking world down and we would be extremely foolish to allow ourselves to be led down the garden path to generalized inability to think coherently, laughing cooperatively all the way.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

B & B & B


Thuh 'Merican gum-mint has formulated and produced a powerful new weapon to add to its arsenal employed in its never-ending war against lucidity and individuality.

The USians, encouraged by the results of the mandatory administration of Ritalin to schoolchildren whose indefatigable love of life and joyous enthusiasm was so disruptive and insufferable in public schools, will now be administering a new, experimental drug, which induces extreme apathy and euphoria, to children who are bright or caring, or, in the worst of cases, both.

Starting this school year, B & B & B will be administered to children deemed, according to rigorous testing, to be in dire need of being doped, uh, that is, calmed.

The administration of the drug will be on a mandatory basis, free-of-charge, to all children who were found to have IQs of at least 120 and/or evinced compassion or empathy to any degree whatsoever, in the course of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health screening program. The screening, which is quite obviously worth every tax dollar spent in developing and implementing it, has proven scientifically that these children are extremely disturbed and potentially dangerous to society. They simply cannot be allowed to disrupt the flow of public school indoc…um, education. They must be controlled – for their own good and for the good of all decent White Christian folks.

The promising new drug will be marketed by the name of B & B & B, after the ideal personality that the drug is designed to induce in those who receive it – that of Barbara Bourbon-Bush.

The remarkable pharmacological innovation in the development of B & B & B is that preliminary testing has revealed that the efficacy of the drug is not only heightened substantially when it is taken together with pseudo-Liberal propagandistic tripe, popularly marketed as Red Bull, but that the two administered together increase suggestibility and enhance natural mimetic tendencies in the recipient.

The recommended initial starting dosage is one pony glass of B & B & B three-quarters of an hour before classes begin. According to the individual reaction of each child, the dosage may be increased to a shot glass, and, in cases of extreme incorrigibility, where the child continues to ask incisive and/or critical questions and/or evinces empathy and/or demonstrates any degree of non-acceptance of authority; a chaser of Red Bull can be recommended as well.

Um, say what? You say you have objections to your child taking an experimental soporific drug that will render him or her optimally socially malleable? Well, just try to "Just say no".

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com