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VOLUME I OCTOBER 6 MMXI
INAUGURAL EDITION
AMERICA’S CRIMES ISRAEL’S NEIGHBOR FLIPPING THE SWITCH
MAX BLOOM NOAH DAPONTE-SMITH THEO WUEST
A decade has passed since that horrific yet solitary The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been one of the Congress has shown time and again that it is unable to
attack (which requires no introduction). America has cornerstones of the diplomatic world for more than take real action on climate change. Most recently, efforts
almost enirely withdrawn from one failed war, and is in sixty years, and in the past few weeks it has entered into to pass a mild bipartisan cap and trade bill failed after
the process of withdrawing from another. There is, a new phase. Palestine—which has never been a Republicans and Democrats in oil states retracted
however, one theater of operations in which the War in country—applied for statehood at the United Nations, support. The reasons for the retractions are obvious.
Terror has only increased in intensity. That theater is an act that defied the White House and whose effects Besides the fossil fuel lobby, the mere notion of being
the American practice of targeted killings and this time, will undoubtedly be seen for years to come. The associated with what opponents called the “cap and tax”
America too is a terrorist. Palestinian delegation filed for statehood first with the bill was enough to frighten away supporters. And now, in
Beginning tentatively under the presidency Security Council; however, the United States has vowed a time when “spending” is an even more taboo word
of Bill Clinton, continuing under George W. Bush, and to use its veto, thus blocking an attempt at full than “tax”, investment in the developing industry of
increasing substantially under Barack Obama, the membership. If applying through the Security Council green tech is deemed a terrible political move. But
military of the United States has launched attacks fails, Palestine can go to the pro-Palestinian General something must be done. Green energy is the only
against humans who have never taken up arms against Assembly, but with one caveat: the General Assembly feasible way to positively combat global warming,
American soldiers. These attacks are flagrant violations cannot grant full United Nations membership to compete in the world market and eliminate our
of international law, of the US Constitution, and of Palestine. Instead, Palestine would be granted observer dependence on foreign energy.
human rights, justified only by the fallacious theme of status, putting it on the same level as the Holy See. The first obstacle is the stubborn insistence
American exceptionalism. The United States But Israel’s borders are not the same as of the most powerful people in the country that climate
government calls these “targeted killings”. A more they were in 1947, when it was made a country. Israel change is nonexistent. If one observes the field of
accurate term might be “murder”. has dramatically expanded its borders in the last sixty current Republican presidential candidates, they will find
There is a general procedure in place for years as a protection against further attack from its a shocking truth. Mitt Romney vigorously promoted
these killings. The President approves the target, at hostile neighbors—and has allowed its people to live in green jobs while he was governor of Massachusetts; he
which point the relevant agencies, including the CIA the conquered land. In 1967, Israel took the West Bank, has now given in to campaign pressure and called
and the military, begin pursuing ways to kill him. East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights spending for them “unhealthy.” Some are worse. Rick
Congress is not involved; the Judiciary may only be from its Arab neighbors. Israel proceeded to build Perry says that “a substantial number of scientists have
involved in a lawsuit after the fact. The most common settlement in the conquered land, in a violation of the manipulated data so that they will have dollars rolling
instrument for these attacks is the Predator drone, an Fourth Geneva Convention, which clearly states “The into their projects.” Ron Paul says that "the greatest hoax
unmanned aerial vehicle that can be remotely controlled Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of I think that has been around for many, many years if not
from bases hundred of miles away. These attacks are its own civilian population into the territory it hundreds of years has been this hoax on the
not precise operations and civilians are routinely killed. occupies.” The presence and the continued construction environment and global warming." To Rick Santorum,
In one botched operation, an American missile killed of Israeli settlement in Palestinian territory is a flagrant climate change is a “beautifully concocted scheme” for
eighty-two students in a madrassa, entirely missing any violation of an international treaty that Israel itself government to grow. It’s a conspiracy! According to
suspected militant, and there are many more incidents signed. Since 1967, the settler population of the four Michelle Bachmann, climate change is all “manufactured
where civilians were killed as collateral damage. The conquered areas has grown exponentially, despite the science” and carbon dioxide is merely a “natural
second means for these targeted killings is of the type illegality of the settlements and repeated calls for the byproduct of nature” (Ms. Bachmann, so is cyanide).
that killed Osama bin-Laden, with a team of soldiers construction of settlements to cease. In his 2009 speech Never mind that ninety-percent of the world’s scientists
raiding a house. This operation is more commonly used in Cairo, Barack Obama declared “The United States have come to a consensus that global warming is
against the Taliban in Afghanistan, since the US is does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli occurring and is being caused by humans; they’re all in it
reluctant to send troops into Pakistan. The targeted settlements.” In the same month, Israel authorized the together. The aforementioned comments should not be a
killings of Taliban officers leading troops in the construction of three hundred new houses in the West problem. Conspiracy theorists have existed since the
battlefield are not illegal, since the Taliban is an armed Bank. UFOs built the pyramids. The worrisome part is that
group seeking to depose the Afghan government, Israel has made some important steps in people are listening to them now. Based on a joint study
controlling territory in the south and east of the nation, drawing back on the settlements. In 2005 Israel took the by Yale and George Mason Universities, almost half of
and fighting against American and Afghan troops. highly controversial step of removing all Israelis from Americans do not recognize global warming as a
The illegality begins with American strikes the Gaza Strip—forcibly if they did not leave legitimate theory and less than forty percent of people
against Al-Qaeda and other Islamist groups often only voluntarily—and all settlements in Gaza were destroyed. actually recognize that most scientists support the theory
loosely affiliated with al-Qaeda, such as al-Shabaab in The action also applied to four settlements in the West of global warming. One of the main reasons for the
Somalia. The attack on the World Trade Center was a Bank. But the removal of the settlers had no effect on denial and ignorance is the huge influence energy
criminal act, launched by an extremist group largely the rapid overall growth of the population of settlers. companies have on our legislation. In 2010, energy
without national backing, and aimed purely at civilians. Settlements continue to be built in the West Bank, and companies spent almost four hundred fifty million
The governmental imperative after a criminal act is to in some cases Palestinian homes are being destroyed in dollars on lobbying almost a thousand clients. And the
investigate, determine responsibility, arrest and try order to make room. sum has been growing.
suspects. This responsibility, or due process, is codified Israeli policy in the West Bank has only Even if one looks at the situation from a purely
in the American legal system, the international legal made matters worse. Israelis, fearful of attakcs, have economic standpoint, as all those who disbelieve the
system, and most importantly in the common Western effectively set up two systems of roads—one for Israelis science should, we should still pursue renewable energy.
concept of human rights. A key example here is the and one for Palestinians. Israel has constructed “bypass We are overly dependent on foreign energy (over three
Unabomber, who murdered three people and wounded roads”, roads that go from Israeli settlement to Israeli hundred million dollars a day is spent on imported
dozens in a series of attacks over almost two decades. settlement and bypass Palestinian areas. Before energy), mostly because we’ve used up most of our own
When Ted Kaczynski’s location was reported by his September 2000, Palestinians were able to use these easily and legally attainable resources. As we run out of
brother, the FBI raided Kaczynski’s house, arrested roads at will. Continued on next page oil, we begin to rely on unsustainable and more
him, and tried him. Continued on next page dangerous methods to attain more. Continued on next page
AMERICA’S CRIMES contd. from previous page ISRAEL’S NEIGHBOR contd. from previous page FLIPPING THE SWITCH contd. from previous page
They did not blow his cabin into tiny bits with a When the Second Intifada—a major Palestinian We either import more from the ever-
Predator missile. The crimes of al-Qaeda are certainly uprising—broke out in the same month, a new system dwindling resources of other countries, weakening our
much larger than those of Kaczynski, but the essence of emerged. On some roads, sometimes called “sterile” diplomatic status and supporting leaders like Muammar
due process remains the same. In the case of al-Qaeda, roads, Palestinians are expressly forbidden. On others, Gaddafi and Hugo Chavez, the rulers of Libya and
however, the United States has decided to skip the trial, a permit is required for Palestinians to travel, and on Venezuela, or we make our own oil and gas from
arriving at the judgment extra-legally. Indeed, when some roads Palestinian travel is not forbidden but is polluting and dangerous sources such as fracking, deep-
Obama announced bin-Laden’s murder, he rather took controlled by frequent Israeli checkpoints. If a water drilling, shale oil extraction, and tar sands mining.
the tone that “justice had been served” than “the Palestinian is caught illegally travelling on a bypass In some cases, this oil is not even used by the US, but
American people are now safe”. The sickening fact is road, punishments are stiff: imprisonment, fines, or exported, as in the case of the new Canada oil pipeline
that many of these assassinations are revenge missions, confiscation of the vehicle are common. Not only is being widely supported in Congress. Even if we are using
designed only for the sake of killing and not to protect travelling on the roads illegal for Palestinians, but oil from these sources, they are merely short term
American lives. crossing the roads by car also is, often forcing solutions.
Besides, the question remains that al- Palestinians to illegally cross roads in order to get from One of the main criticisms of government
Qaeda officials may not actually be guilty. It is very place to place. The system—which is reminiscent of green legislature is that in previous programs, the money
possible that many of those killed were targeted South African apartheid—is unofficial and its rules has been wasted. You can find a wealth of criticism of
through faulty intelligence, or simply never did anything have never been written: it relies entirely upon verbal “sinkhole” programs. It is true that money is given to
illegal. It is not illegal to preach against American orders given to soldiers in order to function. green-related companies without much care. But the
troops, or even to say that they should be killed. In the The injustices committed by Israelis to same is true about subsidies about oil subsidies.
United States, those actions fall under free speech, yet Palestinians do not end with the West Bank. The Gaza Politicians pay back their oil lobbyists in full with four
many American targets are clerics who have been Strip has been at the receiving end of a brutal Israeli billion dollars a year spent subsidizing big oil. These
accused of not much more than inciting violence. blockade since 2007. The blockade—which the Red subsidies remained untouched while the Republicans held
Anwar al-Awlaqi was an American citizen who had Cross and the UN Human Rights Council have said is Congress hostage this summer in the debt ceiling
never been charged with a crime, when he was killed by illegal—is aerial, naval, and land-based. After the 2007 “debate”.
a Hellfire missile in northern Yemen. Although he was Battle of Gaza, in which Hamas took control of Gaza Research into improving the technologies is
almost certainly guilty of inciting terrible acts in the from Fatah, both Egypt and Israel sealed their borders booming, and is leading to true innovation. For example,
United States, it is quite possible that a court would with the area, and until 2010 no goods—civilian or one of the issues with solar panels is their inability to
have found him protected under free speech. At no military—were allowed into the area. The only way to store energy. Although unused energy from a panel can
point, however, did the Judiciary review the case, and get goods into Gaza was via smuggling, often done in just funnel back into the grid, reliable storage is necessary
Obama never made the evidence against Awlaqi public. tunnels on the Egyptian border. The blockade has been if panels are to be widely used. Unsurprisingly, scientists
The Administration decided his fate itself, a dangerous disastrous, with industry and trade having suffered and from MIT have solved this problem. The solution (using
encroachment on American liberties. only limited amounts of humanitarian aid being allowed solar energy to split hydrogen and oxygen from water,
The next problem is constitutional. The into Gaza. Israel, under intense international pressure, just like photosynthesis) is cheap, easy and can be easily
President is the Commander-in-Chief and nothing eased the blockade in June 2010, allowing strictly implemented. That type of innovation needs to be
more. He has neither the power to declare war, nor the civilian goods while continuing to ban military goods. encouraged, and it is the responsibility of the government
power to decide the fates of American citizens. Those This did not help Gazans, and the United Nations to do so. There is a problem when Germany, whose
are conferred respectively to Congress and the reported that the easing of the blockade did not GDP is one fifth of ours, is spending more on
Judiciary. Congress has only signed one bill that gives significantly improve the quality of life in Gaza. Israel subsidizing green tech.
the President action against Islamist groups, the claims that the blockade is necessary to stop rocket fire President Obama’s new jobs plan contains
Authorization for Use of Military Force Against from Hamas into Israel, and this is true to an extent. It many opportunities to create green jobs. Unfortunately, if
Terrorists. This bill only gives the Executive Branch is undeniable that the rocket fire would increase if the this bill even gets through the House, it will end up
military power over those who were involved in the blockade were to be completely ended—but the mutilated. Some have already opposed it because it once
9/11 attacks. While this sidesteps half of the issue for blockade does not need to be completely ended. Israel again tries to erase the Bush tax cuts for the rich, a clause
the killing of bin-Laden or many other al-Qaeda agents, should continue to block military goods from entering that will be undoubtedly gone if it passes. Green jobs are
it does nothing to excuse the murder of Somali and Gaza: this is justifiable and necessary so that civilian one of the fastest growing industries, and it would help
Yemeni militants. Even many al-Qaeda members who lives will not be lost. But the blocking of “dual-use” the dismal unemployment rate if we invested in them.
were uninvolved in the attacks, such as Awlaqi, who goods—which often include commonplace goods such The bill does mention job creation in renewable several
probably didn’t join al-Qaeda until 2006. In these cases, as fertilizer, ball bearings, and rock drills—is times, but with criticism already from Mitt Romney, the
the Executive Branch has essentially given itself the unnecessary and leads to a lower quality of life in Gaza. bipartisan support for that part of the bill is dubious.
power to decide the exact use of military force, violating Israel should end the blockade of dual-use goods, as it Hopefully, the useful clauses will be preserved.
both the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution, is unjustifiable, illegal, and an injustice to the people of A feasible and responsible solution would
and the power to judge American citizens for the Gaza. be to set up a grantmaking program for scientific
crimes they have committed. This is an egregious Although I have focused on just a few of innovation in the renewable energies field. It should
violation of Constitutional mandate, and of the concept the injustices committed by Israelis, Palestinians have function similarly to the many foundations that
of separation of powers. also committed myriads of crimes—the repeated successfully fund many projects, like the MIT Energy
The Obama administration claims that by bombing of civilians being most prominent. In the Initiative that created the solar storage solution. Projects
killing militants, it makes the US safer. This may be coming days, as Palestine will apply for statehood, the should be able to file applications for government grants
true, insofar as terrorist acts are concerned. So it is true conflict will move into an unknown new phase. If the for renewable research. A program like this would
that if our police forces were authorized to shoot conflict is to be resolved once and for all—which is stimulate innovation. It would have a tangible impact on
anyone suspected of murder, our homicide rates might unlikely, but still possible—Hamas will need to stop the future of our industries and, eventually, our
well drop. The damage to society and to our civil rights firing rockets and Fatah will need to regain power. environment. Funding innovative projects is even more
would be incalculable, however, and we would do well Israel will need to stop building settlements in Palestine necessary than subsidizing existing jobs, because they
to heed the words of Benjamin Franklin: “They who and begin to dismantle the old ones, as was done in provide the tools for the industry to expand and evolve.
can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary Gaza. Once that is done, and Palestine is inevitably Sooner or later, our politicians have to
safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety”. recognized as a UN observer state, both sides can start realize the immense gravity of our situation. If renewable
negotiations to create a map based on pre-1967 energy funding is treated as a political bargaining chip
borders, with mutually agreed land swaps. While along the same vein as tax cuts for the rich, then we are
negotiating, Israel must accept that it will have to be gambling with our future. And with the environmental
less secure in order for there to be lasting peace in the future of the world on the table, we have to make the
region. Only if these steps are taken will the age-old right bet.
Israeli-Palestinian conflict be brought to a nonviolent
close.