They did not con the world!
We Con The World (WCTW) is a successful YouTube-video with 900.000 views already, that mocks the terrorists, naive apologists and rabid anti-semites, that was onboard Mavi Marmara. The video can be seen here.
Mavi Marmara was the Peace Flotilla, that the brave men and women of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) boarded a few days ago. And if you believe Mavi Marmara to be a Peace Flotilla, then I have an Antifaschistischer Schutzwall I’d like to sell you. Anyways…
Let’s get a few things clear right off the bat:
I back Israel in this conflict.
That doesn’t mean, that Israel can do no wrong. It means, that I believe that Israel only does the kind of wrong things, that highly moral people will do from time to time, when they are forced by external pressure to live entire lives in ethical gray areas.
I have yet to pass judgment on the actions of IDF following the opening of fire aboard Mavi Marmara. Footage vindicates the IDF as far as the initial opening of fire is concerned, but as for the duration and amount of live fire aboard Mavi Marmara… I’ll pass that judgment on a later date, or I may never pass that judgment at all.
With that being said…
We Con The World – what a load of crap!
The success of this video speaks volumes about… Well, actually I have no thoroughly thought through reflections on the meaning of WCTW’s success. Therefore I shall limit myself to explaining, why this friend of Israel can’t stand the latest expression of Israeli wit and wisdom.
I’ve got two minor gripes, that I’d like to move out of the way, before I proceed in the process of tearing new assholes for the the well-intentioned people behind WCTW.
Minor Gripe no. 1
There comes a time
When we need to make a show
For the world, the Web and CNN
There’s no people dying,
so the best that we can do
Is create the greatest bluff of all
No people dying – my ass!
10 people died.
I know that is 10 people, who most likely aspired to martyrdom.
I know that is 10 people, who probably showed no reluctance to yell Khaybar as they headed towards the sovereign state of Israel.
I know that it wasn’t Albert Einstein, Jonas Salk, Gandhi and seven other luminous dignitaries, that the world lost that day.
But I do know one thing; they were people. They died. It wasn’t a bluff.
Minor Gripe no. 2
We must go on pretending day by day
That in Gaza, there’s crisis, hunger and plague
Crisis in Gaza
There is a crisis in Gaza.
I know it isn’t Darfur or Afghanistan.
I know it is to a large extent a moral crisis.
I know it is primarily self-inflicted.
But there is a crisis, and it is not a pretend-crisis, like the pretend-wrestling-career I am having in my head right now. It is a real crisis. Real.
And with my minor gripes, thus being moved out of the way, it is time for our main event:
Lyricist Tal Gilad channels Bridget Jones
Bridget Jones contains an iconic scene, where Bridget goes way overboard in a ridiculously self-pitying performance of All By Myself.
Tal Gilad apparently channeled that scene, when he wrote some of the whiniest lyrics I can recall to have encountered through a long life of loving music. And that’s coming from someone who listened to a fair amount of Soul Asylum and Radiohead back in the day. Tal Gilad has them all outdone:
We’ll make the world
Abandon reason
We’ll make them all believe that the Hamas
Is Momma Theresa
The world has not abandoned reason
It is an expression of a victims mentality to take the tiny fringe, that is violently and irrationally against you, and dub it “the world”.
The vast majority of world leaders have called for investigations, or has used reasonable arguments (which you and I may not agree with) to call for the sovereign state of Israel to choose to change their policies on Gaza. An on-going dialogue is not an abandonment of reason.
Hamas is not Mother Theresa
…and practically speaking nobody believes they are. Both the US and the EU has (rightfully) designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Hamas is all over the western world (rightfully) condemned in all but a marginalized fringe within another marginalized fringe.
You really have to actively want to see yourself as a victim, if you promote the notion, that Hamas is getting popular in “the world” on the back of the Mavi Marmara-disaster.
We care a lot!
Ooooh, we’ll stab them at heart
They are soldiers, no one cares
…
We’ll make them all believe the IDF is Jack the Ripper
…and this is the bit, where Thom Yorke might as well consider retirement, because he’ll never top that bit of loathe-projecting, whining cry-baby-rhetoric.
Humans generally speaking have empathy for other humans. Humans generally speaking have empathy and understanding for young men, who are put in gray spots, where white gets you killed and too dark a shade of gray gets you vilified.
They are soldiers, and a lot of people care.
In conclusion:
I like Israel.
I like the idea of confronting the Jew-bashing, imperialist, terrorist, homophobic, racist, genocidal, misogynist douchebags, that compromise a large section of Israels enemies (and yes; Hamas was represented aboard Mavi Marmara).
I like the idea of using song, humor and parody to confront the counter-enlightenment (heck, that is one of the main-themes of this blog).
I don’t like it, when political commentators from the mainstream can’t resist the urge to position themselves as outsiders bravely taking a solitary stand in defending an unpopular decision.
Why “Me Against The World” won’t get the job done…
In politics the mainstream is a good place, that we should all reach for and be proud to settle in. Being an outsider is a bad position, that we should strive to move away from. When people who reside in the mainstream insist on designating themselves as outsiders, they are effectively abandoning the entire purpose of politics and political debate.
Politics and debate is there to change the world for the better. People in the mainstream are in a position to do just that, but they have to embrace the fact, that they reside in the mainstream to truly take advantage of the opportunities that the mainstream offers. You’ve got to be aware of and acknowledge your power, before you start using it.
Holding on to your mainstream-opinions, while taking up position on the outside of the mainstream, reduces politics to posing.






