United Nations Veto

The article Friday in the New York Times regarding this country’s veto of the United Nations’ resolution condemning Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory was accompanied by a photograph of a Palestinian man working on a Jewish settlement. One has to wonder at the choice of pictures as an illustration for an article regarding the illegality of those Jewish settlements that the Palestinian man is working on in his own territory.

Sort of like if when we were taking the West from the Indians, and we made them build our cities. Maybe that’s why we vetoed the resolution, come to think of it, although I doubt it. We’re not that introspective. Nonetheless, my Navaho friend in Tucson might be chuckling ironically right now. Navahos tend to understand irony.

We’re not that introspective. Ha. Is any nation in the world less introspective than we are? Or more introspective than we pretend to be with our “values,” our “exceptionalism” and what have you? Anyway.

In the middle of all of the turmoil occurring in that part of the world, and with all of the outcry that we support the Arab people, we come out in support of Israeli settlements on Arab territory in violation of international law. We say this veto “should not be construed as support.” We can do the Canute thing and tell the tide not to come in, too. Every Arab nation which did not construe this veto as support of the Israeli settlements please wave your shoe in the air. I thought so.

A “Dale Carnegie” move this was not. We are saying to the Arab people fighting for freedom that we support their bid for freedom, but we are not going to condemn the Israeli theft of their land and natural resources.

Well, actually that was a little strong. We don’t actually support their bid for freedom, we merely say that their leaders should stop using “lethal means,” should stop massively killing them that is, to prevent their bid for freedom. We don’t want to, um, take sides or anything.

We don’t “interfere in the internal affairs of other nations.” Except with CIA operations in Pakistan, apparently, and Yemen, and… And when we get caught doing it.