A Funhouse Mirror?

New York turning to Mormonland:
In reference to Gaza and the holocaust Israel is inflicting upon the Palestinians, this sarcastic analogy by Caitlin Johnstone about giving New York to the Mormons really hit the spot with me. Depending upon the time we are looking at in history, most any religious group could replace Mormons in her piece, we would just have to change the location as necessary.

Artwork for Johnstone's article from SoundCloud, where you can listen to a reading of the article.

The Current Antisemitism Bill:
Another recent article by RJ Eskow, goes into why the current Antisemitism Bill (which just passed the house) is wrong, dangerous and needs to be stopped. Eskow's Jewish, he is not against the Jewish religion at all, but he is against the Antisemitism Bill. For examples of why he is against the Bill he highlights five obviously true statements this new law would prohibit, which would reduce or eliminate free speech and learning/teaching.
1. "Gaza is a concentration camp."
2. “The creation of Israel involved considerations of race and ethnicity.”
3. “The right of self-determination doesn’t (or shouldn’t) permit the displacement of local populations in favor of people who currently live elsewhere.”
4. “Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East.”
5. “Israel is conducting a genocidal campaign in Gaza.”

He goes into detail explaining why each statement is true, and why it would suddenly be illegal to say it, check out the article, it's worth the time!

Eskow finishes his piece with this:

When we studied this (a return to Jerusalem) in Hebrew school, it seemed clear to some of us that the return to Jerusalem was meant to come with the appearance of the Messiah, not through a political declaration. But those of us who raised this question were waved off. Today, many of the world’s most traditional Jews hold the belief that the state of Israel violates scripture and Halakhic law. They, too, could be considered “antisemitic” under this law. These absurdities highlight the bill’s real purpose, which is the state suppression of certain speech.

Despite its name, the “Antisemitism Awareness Act” doesn’t do much to address real antisemitism. And it’s designed to stifle, not promote, “awareness.” It turns the USA’s much-celebrated sense of liberty into a funhouse mirror, a grotesque and distorted reflection of everything this country claims to see in itself. Its passage would make a travesty of everything America's leaders claim to believe in.

A funhouse mirror. That sure seems like modern 'reality' doesn't it?

Some Swing:
This is not quite Zydeco, but it is pretty good blues and swing by a very good band. I kinda wish I was walking the streets of New Orleans too!

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Save my Soul:

Thanks for reading and here's the open thread, along with a needed puppy lick - remember, everything is interesting if you dive deep enough, so tell us about where you're diving!