OTG WE 2 Mar 25

Why is there no peace between Israel and the Palestinians?

Given that the conflict between Israel and some Palestinian groups and Israel's neighbours has been going for some 7 decades, it is hard to maintain perspective. Like an old inter-clan feud, the causes may be lost in the mist of time. In a recent interview Bibi was asked this question and, in his inimitable style addressed it directly with simple clarity. 

No spoiler alert this time; watch the video first, only 5 minutes.

Bibi has summarized it in one sentence;-

"The core of the conflicts (in the Middle East) is the battle between modernity and early primitive medievalism"

It is a perceptive summary, and explains while this has spread throughout the world. The medievalists have been spread throughout the western world. As a result we have imported this problem into the West and must deal with it. 

Do we want to keep out modernity or do we accept a fall back into primitive medievalism?

Is this News or Propaganda

Yes, you have seen this headline before. I will post them when I see them. This time from an unusual source. Certainly not 'Main-stream', but a specialist magazine called Medpage Today. As the name implies it is about all things medical. However I have noticed that since Trump was elected there seems to be a singular focus on his policies all from a negative point of view. Ie It seems the editorial crew of Medpage Today are suffering from TDS. Who would've thunk it!

See for yourself.

Aussie Greens are yellow

The Australian Greens party has strayed far from its name. Once identified as a party for the environment, today its major issues seem to be to magnify division within the Australian community. They sow division via advocating an extreme version of identity politics. They want to divide by race, indigenous versus, non -indigenous, Muslim versus Jew, and non-binary vs binary. 

They exploit the small number holding extreme views to generate a constant roughly 10% support in the Australian voting public. Inexplicably this results in the non-binary group supporting the Islamists who would never tolerate them in any society they could control. Then again you have pro-Palestinians marching for Indigenous rights claiming the Israelis are colonialists in Israel. Alas, it is a sad indictment of the Australian education system or just a sad indictment of the doublethink individuals can maintain.

This commentary is an introduction to a recent event covered by Rebel News. The event was a demonstration advertised by the Greens as one of their regular pro-Palestinian events. However, a small number of Jewish community members decided they would attend and protest the Greens. So what happened? The Greens did not show up. They were afraid of the negative exposure they would have faced in the media. The Greens were yellow.

Here is Rebel News' summary of the event.

ARC inspiration

The ARC conference has been notable for its many top-notch presentations. If you haven't seen them yet, they are all worthwhile. I was impressed by Konstantin Kisin who once again delivered a masterpiece. Entertaining informative and inspiring. You can see it here ; - 

The Tide is turning!

Britain and Germany are the patsies of Nett Zero

Paul Marshall veritably demolished all arguments for Nett Zero. While it was addressed specifically to the UK and Germany, it is an immeasurably, stronger argument against Australia's Nett Zero stance. After all Australia represents no more than 1% of global emissions, so it can do zilch to reduce world GHG. Yet Australia's Labor government has gone all in on renewables. They have committed Australia to an expensive, high-risk all-renewable (Wind and Solar) electricity grid. After just four years they have initiated major projects to transform the grid, sacrificing farmland and scenery for wind farms and solar panels. Yet despite committing billions, electricity costs have kept rising, the grid has become unstable and the manufacturing industry has been moving offshore. All the arguments Marshall has addressed towards the UK are already being experienced in Australia. The only light on the horizon is an election in the next few months that will likely see Labor lose its ability to govern in its own right.

But I digress, Marshall's presentation is a must-see!

Moral clarity!

Sometimes the words spoken by leaders do not age well. Circumstances change and not only are the words no longer relevant but history has made them shrill and out of kilter. 

Yet I happened to come across a short clip from years ago that rings as true to day as it did when it was delivered. The clip is taken from a much longer speech Trump delivered in Saudi Arabia to the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council in 2017. 

Perhaps it is even more meaningful given it was delivered to Muslim leaders whose co-religionists include the Islamists terrorists who are and have been the major source of religious terrorism for decades. But listen to the words, they apply equally to all religion-motivated terrorism. And they ring true today, especially given the wide support given to Hamas terrorists by many who should know better.

The Doomsayer's paradox

TrialSite News recently published a short but poignant poem under the title The Prophet's Paradox .

I have taken the liberty to adjust it, as italicised, in a few places to make it a more general critique of the many experts who have been predicting doom and gloom that fails to materialise. Alas, I felt it necessary to change the name as well. Follow the link to read the original

The DoomSayer's Paradox

He spoke with conviction, a voice of certainty in a world of chaos.
He warned of the storm, the reckoning, the inevitable tide of suffering.
The threat, he said, would unleash a plague more terrible than hell itself.
And yet, the great surge of death he foretold never came, but alas, could be around the corner.

But still, the expert stands, unshaken, unbowed.
The failure of his prediction is not a failure of his wisdom—
No, it is proof of mankind’s arrogance, proof that we do not listen,
Proof that Nature waits with patient fury,
And someday, she will collect her debt.


After all, are not the circumstances for such a reckoning undeniably stacking up?
Irony whispers between the lines,
For in claiming we are nothing compared to Nature,
He assumes the power to predict Her will.
In condemning the hubris of scientists and policymakers,
He makes himself their mirror image
A man certain of the unknowable,
A mind so sharp it bends back on itself.

And yet, there is brilliance in the madness,
For even the wrong expert sees truths others ignore.
But to predict the end is nigh, or
to name the hour when Nature will take back her dominion.
That is not science. That is not humility.
That is hubris masquerading as revelation.

The tragedy of the doomsayer is not that the world may ignore him.
It is that he must always believe the end is just beyond the horizon,
Even when the sun continues to rise.

(Read the original at https://www.trialsitenews.com/a/the-prophets-paradox-98aa7047)

OTG WE 23 Feb 25

More media misrepresentation

Have a look at the page from the online version of today's Sydney Morning Herald. Can you see the leaning of each of these headlines and leads? Yes, you could call it clickbait, but it is biased clickbait. It baits just those who want to minimise the unprecedented outbreak of blatant antisemitism in Australia or those who take an anti-Israel stance in its war against Hamas.

Given the only way to fight such racial hate is to call it out wherever it occurs, the SMH is failing its duty to report accurately without fear or favour.

 

Calling out Australian Arab antisemitism Apologists

Like many countries, Australia has experienced an unprecedented rise in anti-Semitism following Hamas' terrorist attack on Israeli civilians. An extreme form of this anti-Semitism has been in full view following a video between an Israeli influencer and two Muslim nurses working at a Sydney Hospital.

See the video here 

It was a very confronting video of blatant hate speech. It was widely reported and action has been taken. The nurses have lost their jobs and police are investigating. Charges are expected.

Given this flagrant hate speech, one would have expected the Muslim community to condemn the two perpetrators, and commit to expose these people as being unrepresentative of all peace-loving Muslims. 

But no! Some fifty Muslim community leaders published a letter not to distance themselves but to accuse the Israeli of incitement and accuse the Australian community of overreaction! Mind-boggling.

Fortunately, I don't have to put my own reaction to this into writing, it would hardly be printable, because Ben Harvey has done a pretty good job.  He has spoken for most Australians who are affronted by the reaction of these so-called Arab leaders. 

See Ben Harvey's words here

We cannot continue to accept the antisemites or their apologists. Muslim organisations must speak up against hate speech especially when it comes from their own communities. Australians will not accept any group that speaks up against hate speech when it affects them directly but fails to apply the same standards when the offenders are their own.
 

Calling out the anti-Israel lies 

In this recent YouTube video, Ben Shapiro exposes 4 fundamental myths about Israel. Together these myths are used to justify moral relativism excusing the most obscene atrocities by Hamas and other Islamist groups. Especially in today's outbreak of rampant anti-Semitism, it is increasingly crucial to expose the lies and to educate those who are victims of their ignorance in their support of the Jihadists. There are however many who only use these myths as a "trap for fools".

Spoiler alert, here are the four myths; -

Myth 1: Israel is historically Muslim

Myth 2:Israel is the cause of the failure of the division of land following the British mandate

Myth 3:Israel expelled all the Arabs from British Mandate Palestine

Myth 4:Israel is an apartheid state

Now listen to the true history, in this short video.  If you have doubsa bout this history, just read a few history books.

Defending the West

I have been a keen follower of Konstantin Kisin, as an articulate perceptive commentator on our problematic culture.  He presents his arguments with such simple logic and clarity that one cannot help but agree. His most recent essay is part of "The Best of Our Inheritance: Restoring Our Foundations" a collection of essays on the foundations of our civilisation, published by the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC). It is well worth a view.

New World fights for the Old World

Europe, the mother of Western civilization, the culture that has driven global freedom and prosperity for hundreds of years, is failing. It has lost its self-confidence and seems to be constantly distancing itself from the very principles that were the source of its success. This has happened slowly over the past two decades, then suddenly and unexpectedly over the most recent 5 years. The foundations of Western civilisation, respect for the law, free speech, equality under the law, and free enterprise are all being debased. It has been happening throughout the Western World most noticeably in Western Europe. Many countries no longer enforce laws, they censor free speech and limit the free enterprise that has brought prosperity.  Socialist governments and weak Conservative governments have failed to stop the decline. We are at a precipice with reasonable fears that the very freedoms and prosperity the world enjoys will not only be eroded but replaced by a dystopian lawless world. Crime at all levels has been increasing, especially terrorism and rape. 

But there is hope. In multiple European countries, real conservative parties are gaining popularity, and slowing the rot. France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and Italy all have growing conservative parties And of course, there is Trump.  He perhaps more than any has stood up for the values of the Western World. He has not only shaken up the political culture in the US but he is having an impact in Europe. Most recently JD Vance, Trump's VP addressed the 61st Munich Security Conference and delivered some home truths.  Not welcome truths but certainly truths.

Here is the full speech, well worth the 20 minutes.

Thank you JD! 

Another study exposes risks of COVID vaccines

While the mainstream media has consistently ignored it, many studies have shown risks associated with the COVID mRNA vaccines. It is astonishing that our health professionals ignore these warnings and continue to advocate CVID vaccine boosters. I have voiced this often enough, so won't hapr on it again, but I will continue to post linkst ot he studies, for those who are interested.

The most recent study was reported in TrialSite News at "Massive 2.3M Real-World Evidence Study Uncovers Troubling Link Between mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines and Thyroid Dysfunction"

Trialsite's abstract reads ; - 

"A major new study led by Kai-Lun Cheng, Hsiang-Lin Lee, both with Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, and James Cheng-Chung Wei, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Taiyuan, China, and colleagues raises urgent questions about the long-term effects of COVID-19 vaccines on thyroid health. Using the TriNetX federated data platform, which aggregates real-world electronic medical records, the researchers analyzed a staggering 2,333,496 patients—half vaccinated, half unvaccinated—through a retrospective cohort study spanning two years. They hypothesize that COVID-19 vaccination may influence the incidence of thyroid dysfunction, including subacute thyroiditis, hyperthyroidism, and hypothyroidism."

OTG WE 16 Feb 25

Musk-a-geddon

Trump has lobbed multiple missiles into the Swamp, in the form of Hegseth, RFK Jr, Gabbard, Bondi, Radcliffe, and Leavitt. With no doubt, Patel to come. He has a formidable team of mini-me's all aligned to the MAGA agenda. 

But the most stunning, at least so far, is the impact of Musk and DOGE. Singlehandedly, Musk has exposed the waste, and blatant 'fraud' perpetrated on the US budget by politicians and the Woke public service. And he has only started. Indeed the very first curtain of what will turn out to be a series focused on USAID, the US government's International Aid programs. By simply reviewing the flow of money Musk exposed programs that would never have been approved by anyone had they been visible to the electorate. Funding Climate Change measures in Sri Lanka, sending Condoms to Afghanistan, and sending funding to Left Wing media organisations like Politico.  

USAID's budget is relatively small bikkies compared to the many other departments that DOGE is yet to target. But already USAID has been suspended and no doubt any future US Aid will be better targeted. 

Have a look at this video of Rand Paul listing many of the blatant abuses of USAID. Mind-boggling!

Future reviews will cover Education, Defense, Health and even the IRS. These will not doubt raise far more significant expenditure savings.

So how have the Democrats reacted? Not well. Heads are exploding everywhere! The rhetoric is loud and shrill. One has to ask is this the hill they want to die on? It seems by their reaction the Democrats are exposing their ownership of these fraudulent payments. I would have thought that if you were in a hole you would stop digging, but no it seems the Democrats have not yet learned that lesson.

What's next? Well, some Democrat and Republican politicians are about to receive inconvenient scrutiny. Musk and Trump have asked the heretofore forbidden question "How have some politicians accumulated large nett worth inconsistent with their parliamentary salaries?" This is a two-edged sword as it will strike at Republican members too. But it is popular. The average Joe will want answers to this one. 

Gaza's inconvenient history

We hear so many claims by so many 'experts' that we tend to turn a deaf ear, at least I do. Every  now and then it is good to hear some people willing to call out the lies. 

The most recent example I happened upon is about claims that Gaza was a sovereign state, at some time in the past. This video calls out this claim as false, and at the same time addresses many ofthe other false claims about the existence of a Paletinians state, the desire of peaceful palestinians for a so called two state solution, etc.  It is not long, but worth a reminder.

Democrats pound the table

Trump's 200 odd executive orders have landed on the Democrats like a ton of bricks. He has gone a long way in unwinding Biden's Woke political culture in just three weeks. Elections certainly have consequences. With the political capital gained by winning the popular vote, the substantial majority in electoral colleges, the majority in Congress, the Senate, and the Supreme Court, Trump has the wind at his back. 

The Democrats have indeed been in shock and had remained silent, at least for a week. But they are now starting to fight back. Several judges have put temporary holds on the executive orders, multiple state attorneys general have started litigation against Trumps edicts, and parliamentarians have taken to the streets in protest.  It was to be expected. I expect every single one of Trump's executive orders to be tested mostly in court. Some will proceed through the court system ending up at the Supreme Court. While I am no expert, I have heard commentary from experts like Alan Dershowitz stating that most if not all will survive this protest.

There is a saying in the legal fraternity widely attributed to different people that goes 

"If the facts are on your side pound the facts into the table. If the law is on your side, pound the law into the table. If neither the facts nor the law are on your side, pound the table."

It seems the Democrats amplified by their media allies will be pounding the proverbial table for the next four years. 

How to protect Western culture.

This is a rather confronting and direct short TikTok video. Confronting as it addresses a topic made taboo by many governments who are still trying to sell the advantages of multiculturalism and immigration. Douglass Murray puts the case for the citizens of the country that has accepted immigrants who do not assimilate, do not want to assimilate but want to convert their newly adopted country into the society they had left. Needless to say, I think this is one of the most serious challenges to Western civilization and one which up to this point the West has been turning a blind eye. There are signs in many countries, the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the US, that the average bloke is sick of it. They are turning to the ballot box to elect politicians who will protect their Western Culture. We will see.

In the meantime here is the video. Murray is one of the few commentators who is articulate and gutsy to call it out.

Excess mortality still high!

Dr John Campbell, a popular YouTuber who regularly presents his analyses of medical research papers, has recently posted a video. Like many of his videos, it is on the impact of COVID on the population, in this case, the change in mortality for young adults in the US over the period 2019-2023. Excess all cause mortality increased dramatically over the period by up to 70%, and equally significant, has hardly recovered. So for some reason for the increase is not speculated in the paper, and while John believes the COVID mRNA vaccine is a contributing factor , he is not explicit in stating it. Past history has taught him that mentioning vaccine issues will lead to YouTube dropping the video. He does allude to that not too subtly.

In any case it is worth a view.

Given the change in political orientation in the US, I expect there will be much more open research on vaccine efficacy, and "the truth will out."

Is Microsoft Misleading us?

I don't recall how I came across this short YouTube video, but it is interesting. As a Microsoft's Office365 subscriber, I now feel I may have been misled into accepting the recent subscription price increase. So, I thought I should share this with you, as you may well be in the same position. 

The author, Atomic Shrimp, claims Microsoft has misrepresented the recent annual subscription price increase. It was indeed a rather large increase, in my case, it was from A$100 to A$170. Rather steep, I think. It was presented as a price increase with no qualification. The author however presents a cogent case claiming that the price increase is to pay for the introduction of Copilot which is now a part of the Office365 suite. That would in itself not be a misrepresentation, but for the fact that there is a lower cost Office365 available that does not include the new Copilot. So like the author, many of us have been 'tricked' into paying a price increase for some additional software that we may or may not have wanted.

That Mr Microsoft is not right! You should not treat your customers as mugs.

Watch the video, the Atomic Shrimp presents his case with panache!

Trump watch

The Trump whirlwind continues at pace. It is hard to keep up. So I will include this Trumpwatch section while this pace continues, both to keep you updated and myself too.

This last week has seen; -

• executive order to prevent biological men from competing in women's sports
• government workers have been ordered back to their offices
• USAID has been suspended pending a review of projects
• more than 20,000 public servants have accepted the offer of a generous termination package
• Universities have been told that they will not receive any funding if they fail to stamp out antisemitism on their campuses
• Sanctuary cities have been advised that they too will have funding restricted if they fail to enforce federal immigration laws
• recruitment to the US military has suddenly jumped with some 20,000 new enquiries
• sanctioned the International Criminal Court for its actions against Israeli PM and Defence Minister
• withdrew US funding of UNRWA 
• withdrew the US from the UNHRC
• Released water from Dams in California
• announced a task force to address anti-Christian bias
• removed Climate Change mentions from government websites
•  elimination of paper straws

Phew, and it continues apace!

OTG WE 9 Feb 2025

Red Cross Ride-Share

 Here is a humorous take on the Red Cross in its role in transporting hostages to their release while having been missing in action for the past 16 months. 

From the satirical sketch comedy show ‘Eretz Nehederet’:

Introducing the Red Cross Ride Share App. pic.twitter.com/97QUXoJQcl

— Karen Ievers (@karenievers) February 6, 2025

Sunday toons

Its Sunday , so let us take a more relaxed view of the hectic pace of change. 

Some political toons, no comments required; -

EV charging innovations!

Given the intense R&D into EV batteries, it is not surprising to see new ideas. This week I came across two, yes two, that could help to make EVs viable. Both address the long charging times for EVs making distance travel risky and time-consuming. Given a charge can take up to an hour imagine arriving at a charging station with all stations full and waiting for just two cars ahead of you.  While charging stations are being built, the number of EVs is also growing so EV ownership is already questionable.

So here are the two ideas, the first is a rapid charge technology that can achieve an 80% charge in just 9 minutes! Read more details here: 80% in 9 minutes: Zeekr’s ‘Golden Battery’ sets record for fastest EV charging.  

The second and more outside-the-box solution is to allow EVs to be charged continuously while on the road by electrifying the road surface. Read more here :EV range anxiety eliminated with US engineers’ breakthrough wireless charging roads

Both of these are novel ideas and time will see if they work. However, it is clear that the battery technology needs to improve to make EVs viable. We are not there yet!

Eliminating the need for Blood donors

Another in the "what will they think of next "file. An Israeli company is developing lab-grown red blood cells. Red C Biotech is at an advanced stage of development and expect it to reach the market in 5 years. Think of the impact, abundant universal red-blood to meet the needs of the whole world. No need to constantly canvas for blood donors, and making blood available to the poorest countries.

This is a development we all welcome. 

Gaza Riviera

A day is a long time in the new Trump era. Today, Trump suggested a novel solution to the Gaza Israel problem. He noted that there have been multiple wars between Hamas and Israel, and even today , after a 16 month war, if Israel leaves Gaza, Hamas will reform, rearm and repeat its terrorist fight against Israel. With this in mind he has proposed that Gaza's population be moved to countries willing to accept them, for a period of approx 10 years. During this time the US would invest and rebuild the area to become a vibrant, self supporting region. After this some of the removed population could return, if it wanted to , but only on condition that the region would remain peaceful to its neighbours.

Of course this has generated global outcry. Israel and Isral supporters have welcomed this solution as it meet some of Israel's needs.

It would clear the region of Hamas terrorism, guaranteeing peace for Israel and ensure Hamas does not return to power. These were two of Israel's key war aims.

Of course there are many naysayers too. The reasons given are visceral and off-the cuff but include the following; 

• Hamas loses power, so all Hamas supporters, ie those who want "River to the sea, Palestine will be free (of Jews)" , will not doubt fight it with every scream they have left
• The mass forced relocation of people breaks all current UN Human Rights rules. 
• Where will Gaza's civilians go? No one is willing to take them.

With regard to mass forced relocation of populations there have been precedents. After world war II some 3 million ethnic Germans were relocated from the Sudeten region of Czechoslovakia to Germany proper. This was done to prevent the recurrence of ethnic tensions that were used by Hitler as a pretext to invade Czechoslovakia.

Of course this is very early and Trump's though bubble may indeed be just a strategy to encourage local Arab states to take some responsibility for the Hamas/Gaza mess. 

We will see!

Trump 2.0 is effective

Like a hyperactive battery-powered pink bunny Trump has gone full throttle in re-aligning the political orientation not only of the US but the world. 

In a whirlwind 2 weeks he has; -

• expedited a hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas
• seen the confirmation of half his cabinet, Hegseth, Radcliffe, Rubio, Bondi and most look like they will be confirmed
• issued EO to close the border; crossing have reduced from 1400 per day to 500 per day and are still falling
• targeted ISIS in Somalia 'neutralizing' a whole ISIS terrorist planning team
• started deporting illegal and criminal immigrants
• called out Colombia when they rejected a plane load of immigrants then had the Columbian president pick them up in his own plane
• Stopped all DEI programs in the federal government. He has put all DEI titled staff in paid leave
• Stopped all Transgender policies declaring there are just two genders Male and Female (it is crazy to have to say this)
• Withdrawn the US from the Paris Climate Change Agreement
• Withdrawn US from WHO
• Put Tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico, 
• Soon after he postponed the Tariffs on Mexico and Canada for 30 days, pending negotiations on controlling the border to prevent illegal immigration and the smuggling of fentanyl
• Declared interest in the US gaining access to Greenland for security - discussion have been started
• Called on Panama to ensure control is removed from China and requesting a better deal for the US
• Met with Bibi Netanyahu and following the meeting has stopped all funding to UNRWA and withdrawn the US from the UN Human Rights Council
• Declassified all files on the assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK
• Saw the Laken Riley Act through Congress and Senate and signed it off

In all probability I have missed a few , as it is hard to keep up.

This is an unprecedented rate of progress, and welcomed by his many supporters. The Democrats are still bewildered, but I expect they will regroup all to soon and try to stop his momentum.

In the mean time, "Well done Donald!"

Deport the Hate

Pierre Polliviere words has gone viral a number of times in the recent past. He has the uncommon ability to talk clearly and directly at the causes of fundamental issues. In the most recent instance he was making a short speech at the 80th Anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Here is his short speech.

In his short speech he focuses on one of the major sources of antisemitism in the Western world, the immigration of large numbers of Muslims who hate Jews. He says what most leaders fear to say, if non-citizen is guilty of antisemitism he should be deported. That is the very least a country that want to protect their Jewish population should do. 

Unfortunately, most of the left leaning leaders of the democratic world are unwilling to upset their Muslim populations by taking such decisive action.  However it is not a choice between Muslim or Jewish citizen, but a choice between standing for what is right and appeasement. 

It is exactly this weak approach by Trudeau, Biden, Albanese and Starmer , that has seen the escalation in antisemitism in their countries. 

Trump's election has changed the narrative in the US, now we are awaiting the election of Dutton in Australia, Polliviere in Canada, and Farage in the UK.

Israel vs Palestine an Arab viewpoint

Oxford Union debates have been mentioned in some of my posts in the past. I use selective excerpts from especially articulate presenters with a good argument. Here is another , perhaps not the most articulate but he compensates by direct and forceful logic. The debate was titled "This House Believes Israel is an Apartheid State Responsible for Genocide ". Yes, not surprising from a typical Woke university.  The presenter is Yoseph Haddad an Israeli Arab. His perspective would be enlightening to all the mad marchers for "Palestine".  It is a must watch.