Israel
Without a television, I’m free to form my own opinions about world affairs and seek out news without having the networks feed me whatever their particular slant on current affairs and world politics may be.

Over the past year or so, reading personal blogs such as Treppenwitz has helped me finally begin to grasp the situation in Israel. It has finally become more to me than a distant place with connections to ancient history. With the war that’s going on now though, I almost wish I did have a television to tell me what to think. In the midst of all the different opinions and emotions that I hear and read (including the complaints of my not-very-Jewish Jewish friends that say they are "embarrassed" by Israel’s handling of the situation), I can’t seem to digest enough information to decide what my opinion should be.

Lebanon
I haven’t been able to process it all yet, but I just started reading this enlightening and well written blog, Reading While Falling.

China
A friend of mine here in the city won’t buy ANYTHING made in China (no matter how much work it is for her to find an alternative) because of their history of human rights abuse. Someone very important to me owns (and depends on) a business that is failing because it is losing so much work to China. Who can compete with their prices… their unfair advantage gained by mistreating their workers? And now Lachan links to a news article about the Chinese combatting rabies, not by vaccinating, but by BEATING DOGS TO DEATH.

Meanwhile in the US
Yesterday, Kevin said (in reference to his brother being in Beirut) "it all just seems like bullsh*t now." That really hit home. I remember having that exact emotion for days, weeks, MONTHS after Sept 11. For so many New Yorkers, everything that didn’t involve sorrow seemed ridiculously trivial. Life would never be the same. Laughter and lightheartedness were distant memories, never to resurface. But, five years later, I’m posting inane drivel about my dog. Lighthearted moments come easily. Life really isn’t the same, but pleasure does not necessarily bring guilt.

How the human race survives, creates art, laughs, loves and enjoys life when so much is wrong in the world is beyond me, but clearly we have an instinctive ability to put away the painful memories and move on. Now, if we could just figure out how to learn from our mistakes. <sigh>

My heart aches for everyone affected by the wars and horrors going on around the world tonight.