SG•OUT

Ow man, just found out that Stargate Universe (SGU) has been cancelled. As a fan of science fiction shows I'm somewhat bummed out by this news. Was a fan of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis (have the dvd boxes on a shelf). SGU started off somewhat rocky by trying to emulate Battlestar Galactica (with all its emotional baggage). That was certainly a break from the Stargate routine. I had the feeling watching more of a soap then sci-fi during the first 10 episodes of season 1 but on the other hand I can also understand why the producers of the Stargate franchise wanted to do something else after 15 seasons of a similar if not identical television format.

Season 2 of SGU largely returned to the original concept while keeping some of its drama. That balance was far more palatable for me and I suppose also to many other fans. In retrospect maybe what was also missing was a mysterious 'center-point.' Don't get me wrong, this show certainly had some of these elements but it could have been more on the forefront and running throughout the storyline. Something elusive and captivating. Watching season 2 I thought the show was picking up momentum and on the right track. Now sadly it all comes to an end. Now that SGU and Caprica have been cancelled I seriously wonder if any good sci-fi shows remain. Frak!

Your Friendly Real Estate Agent

Notorious Zeitgeist critic James Kush revealed on his blog that he is in the real estate business. He boasts that he's at the point of selling property worth $500.000, looking at the housing market in my own country and what real estate agents usually make on a deal I estimate that good old James stands to profit around $10.000 on that sale (assuming of course the percentage is the same). Such an easy market, real estate, when you really think about it. As a real estate agent you're simply the middle man, a salesman who doesn't own the property yet brokers a deal between the seller and buyer. Entirely overrated if you ask me. With a little legal knowledge everyone can sell their own property.

It's also quite easy to see what James' real motivation is for confronting the Zeitgeist Movement and it's the same with other critics such as Muertos who sells books and Paul Jones who owns a record label. Money and self interest. Pure and simple. If some organization advocates the abolition of money (like the Zeitgeist Movement), well, certain people who don't have a problem raking in the dollars or pounds themselves develop somewhat of a brainfart because that kind of ideology conflicts with their own agenda. Since normal arguments against the type altruism the Zeitgeist Movement forwards is insufficient they simply move on to the next level and that is to discredit and go for the character assassination.

I was thinking though since the motivation of the critics in some to most cases is pretty much clear cut - maybe they can incorporate the methods they employ on the internet into their respective businesses and make an extra buck. Muertos' next book titled 'Life Without Conspiracy Theorists.' Paul Jones' new record label; 'The Cult-Smear Project.' Last but not least of course, James Kush can come up with some pretty slick sale slogans. 'This house is occult-free.' Or, 'This property has never been inhabited by cult members.' 'Kush trashes and discredits anything that gets in the way of making you a profit, because I'm your friendly real estate agent.' Could work, maybe.

Miltonic

"You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs."

Milton Friedman, when asked about the wealth gap and downside of capitalism. Another eyeopener were these;

"The rich don't influence Congress."

"The one thing you can depend on everybody, is that he's going to put his interest above yours."

"If our society collapses it will be because our government has grown too big."

I saw a documentary once in which it was commented that only 2 kinds of people say, act and do everything you can imagine purely for their own self interest, one was psychopaths and the second were economists. Dr Hare explains.

Zuid-Kennemerland National Park (3)

The Shetland pony in the park.

Zuid-Kennemerland National Park (2)

Last week when driving through the park and having my digital camera with me, I took these shots of Highland Cows. Quite funny creatures and remarkably docile. Came within 2 meters of them one day (without having my camera with me) and they didn't flinch a muscle. Originally and as the name implies, this cattle comes from Scotland and has been released in the park to graze. I noticed there are two herds (folds), one consisting of bachelor bulls - those you see in the pictures - and one with the females and dominant bull.

Zuid-Kennemerland National Park (1)

"South Kennemerland is characterized by sand dunes. The park, about 38 square kilometers (15 sq mi) in size, also includes some estates, forests on the dune fringes, and coastal beaches. Most of the area in the dunes is used as a watershed for the city of Haarlem, but there is a small public swimming area open in the summer at a location called the Wed, on the road between Bloemendaal and Zandvoort. The train from Zandvoort to Amsterdam travels through the park."

From the Wikipedia article. Well, I recall swimming in 'the Wed' as a kid and winding up with a rash all over my body when I got home, so something nasty is in that water. Don't know if that's still the case but last year when I was there for a stroll I also noticed that a lot of the wildlife defecated near or on the shores of that lake. Be careful. Who knows what kind of bug is in the waters these days. When you see the pictures of the dunes in Holland you'll often get the notion that it is a very rugged place comprising of wild nature.
To some extent that's true but many items have been introduced. The shrub you see there is natural as are some trees, but many trees have been planted. Planted forests can be easily detected by their placement and general appearance. Often they're conveniently 'packed.' The dunes near the ocean are lush with a tough species of grass. Planted. This was done to counter wind erosion. The dunes are an odd place because it has a bit of everything. Dense forests, shrub, sandy plains and lakes.


These two pictures are of the Bird Lake (Vogelmeer). Stunning place. Right now the place is being 'invaded' by Egyptian Goose, a bird species that was not present in Holland 15 years ago. Other wildlife has been introduced as well in the dunes. Highland cattle, Koniks and Shetland Ponies. (I'll show some pictures of those animals in posts to come.) Deer, foxes and rabbits inhabit the space as well although they are much more camera-shy. The lakes you see are to some extent also artificial because the whole area is used as a water reservoir for the entire region. Even Amsterdam gets its water from the dunes. Pumping stations (although off -limits to the general public) can be found which control the water table. Since the dunes are rich in lime it acts like a water purifier. Just pump water over all that sand and collect it again deep underground and you have filtered, clean water.

Giant CS2

Couple of days ago I bought a new bicycle, got a Giant CS2. My old bicycle was pretty much worn out. I don't what it is but with new bicycles it almost seems they glide across the road, probably because everything is still so tuned. Giant is a first class brand and it shows. Lightweight but sturdy. I took it for a spin already and even did some climbing with it. The three gears are sufficient for that kind of work. Technology in bicycles has also progressed. Wow. No dynamo that runs against the wheel, it's installed in the axle of the front wheel. No multiple sprockets but again a gear system on the axle of the rear wheel. The lights on the bicycle can even be put on automatic for when it gets dark and they just go on. The only thing that I find a bit lacking is a suspension system. On a bumpy road with some speed you get shaken up a bit. The saddle is also a bit hard but I had operations in that area less then 18 months ago so that's probably just me. Already rode some 40 kilometers with it and I'm impressed.

Fight Market

Some interesting information surfaced here in Holland about the state and privately held companies. The 'Gasunie', the state-owned corporation that has the monopoly on gas in Holland made a slight miscalculation with supplying its clients such as Nuon and Essent, two major privatized companies and players on the Dutch and international market. Since 2006 and up until now they made some miscalculations with the transport of gas to their clients, at least that's what the VEMW (organization of energy retailers) claims. It's estimated that the companies paid around 1 billion Euro too much.

Naturally, companies such as Nuon and Essent transfer their costs unto their clients, the normal citizen. As a note to the side, you wont believe the taxes people have to pay here in Holland with their energy bill. If my memory serves me right, at least 33% of the energy bill consists of state imposed taxes. 'Environment tax', CO2 emission tax, energy tax. Then the companies themselves charge you with transport costs (which is a derivative from the Gasunie process), administration costs. To top it off there's the VAT (value added tax). One giant cluster frak if you ask me.

Next to the 'gas-cost upheaval' article in the newspaper there was another article which is worth mentioning here. The Dutch I.R.S. (state tax revenue service) conducted multiple investigations in the construction and real estate sectors. 1300 investigated cases revealed that half of them weren't in order and that an amount of 1 billion Euro's was not listed as revenue. Fraud of course. Some 600+ companies are going to be taxed and fined, which will generate 330 million Euro's once more for that state.

These 2 articles show of course the manipulation of the 'market' by both state and companies. I've heard a number of people claim on the internet that 'state interference' should be less and 'small government' should be the norm - because this would 'purify' the system and result in fair prices. (Quite often these people come from the Austrian school of economics.) I couldn't disagree with that concept more. Regardless of the fact that these people are advocating a type of 'economic survival of the fittest' which produces its own cost (socially and environmentally), both the State and private enterprise are equally corrupt when it comes to economics. Both are oriented into maximizing their income whenever and wherever possible. In a system based on competition and profit, everyone is going to bend the rules or outright break them when it suits their purpose.

Sketchzoid #32

Another Judgment Day

“I’m trying to warn people about what’s coming… People who have an understanding [of end times] have an obligation to warn everyone.”

So says 60 year-old Robert Fitzpatrick, an ex-subway worker in New York who poured his life savings of $140,000 into an ad campaign warning others about May 21, the day he believes will be Armageddon. His advertisements can now be seen on 1,000 placards and subway cars, along with numerous bus shelters around the city. Fitzpatrick became convinced the world was ending on the 21st after listening to the sermons of California evangelist Harold Camping. It is of note that Camping previously predicted the end of the world to be September 6th, 1994. Anti-religion groups have spoken out against MTA and others for profiting off of doomsday cult followers such as Fitzpatrick. Will Robert suffer a nervous breakdown on May 22 when he realizes he threw a bucketload of money away for no good reason whatsoever?

Petunia

Planted Petunia's in my garden a couple of weeks ago. Well, put them in pots because in the normal ground they don't do as well. The Petunia comes in many colors and it's just an amazing plant. It does have some requirements. Plenty of fertilizer (I use grains that give off nutrients for 6 months) and plenty of water. If it dries out and it can happen quite easily, than it's done. So water them (practically) every day and you get some amazing growth and flowers. It's also a plant that keeps on flowering throughout the summer. In these parts of Europe it doesn't survive the winter which is a shame. One last tip, periodically check for snails because because some them like to snack on the plant.

New World Re-Order

Yesterday an article appeared in the Ventura County Reporter Online about the Zeitgeist Movement. Fortunately, it's a prime example of a reporter being objective and how it should be done - without the immediate mud-throwing because it challenges a persons ideology or monetary gain. The coined phrase 'New World Re-Order' also sounds much better and has a nice ring to it if I can be that honest. Maybe Michelle Goldberg and Samuel Gilonis can take a hint.

Get Stacy

Well, after firing a couple of broadsides at Muertos for being a naughty boy I must say that the fallout was not what I expected. MarioBrotha who I threw in the mix also didn't respond while I was expecting something like this. Maybe I need to send him a copy of Scarface. James Kush also hardly reacted, oddly enough he overtly responded more like an old school Texan. Really guys, you need to work on your internet cred. Not sure though if you should do it in French.

Likewise I expected a big booboo on the Conspiracy Science forums but it transformed in something strange. Um guys, can I get a normal response? I mean jeesh, no need to step out of character when it's just plain old me. Muertos actually forgave me and admitted he's bi (eats of two plates). Well, what you do in the bedroom is no ones business. Yep, I'm like a Roman Caesar and welcome anyone in my court. But here's how it goes in my bedroom. Ole.

Bill put on a good show but has this much panache. Needs more Keyser. There was definitely something missing with Matt's replies, it missed an ignition source, a lighter. Perhaps the most scary person was Anticultist, sorry dude - no cuddles - this is the image I have of you. Muertos, I don't mind if you create a few thunderstorms with your burgundy clad friends but if I want pillow talk I'll go the Zeitgeist Movement forums. What's wrong with you guys? Next time I pull a Sandler on you guys I expect a 'Stacy reaction.'


Addendum: the atmosphere onboard a RBE Starship.

Sketchzoid #31

Zeitgeist Buttplug

After a goodnight sleep and a cup of coffee I checked the internet and of course my previous blog on Muertos was quickly found. I expected nothing less. Good thing though and I'm happy I could be of service in advertising Muertos' book(s). Selling and making a profit is still the world we live in, right? Naturally different interpretations are given on the Conspiracy Science forums about my motivation but I can reiterate once again that it was simply an exercise in guilt by association, making comparisons in order to reach a negative outcome. Such a tactic can be easily accomplished simply because dirt can be found or created on practically everyone.

I simply took Muertos' affection for hard rock / metal and made him a full-blown satanist. Maybe he is exactly that but I don't know since he never admitted it. Of course the hard rock scene is frowned upon by more traditional Christian people in our society. Judgement often depends on your point of view. Oddly enough I've met some real-life satanists. Working for a job-agency for many years I got send to many companies for temporary work and as such I met many different people. Some guys wear upside down black crosses, tattoos, pentagrams on their coats - the works. I even asked why they felt the way they do and they simply replied; "it's inside me." (Or words to that effect.) Perhaps even more striking (and what sets them apart) is that these guys had a sense of polarity. While they embrace a negative concept of spirituality they know fully well that one cannot exist without the other. Positive vs. negative.

Such philosophies I haven't detected with Muertos, so maybe he's still in the closet on the whole black art department. In another area he got out of the closet. Having said that I don't mind Muertos being gay and I haven't touched upon this subject before. I also didn't highlight that picture in the video where 2 men are sitting on a couch - one grabbing the other in the crotch or insinuating such an act. I'm from Holland and we are somewhat liberal here. If Muertos would visit Amsterdam he can have the time of his life in all the gay bars there, maybe he'll get another trophy boy toy like he did in Toronto. In short: I don't mind him being gay or possibly a satanist. He can have all the fun in the world with it for all I care.


However, I can't resist having some fun with the following so here's the Muertos methodology once again. Muertos isn't the only fierce Zeitgeist critic, there are many more. MarioBrotha has a blog here where he also lists Muertos' 'work.' This apparently angry young man also adopted the "Zeitgeist is a cult" angle probably because the information from the Zeitgeist movies conflicts with his own ideology. (Quite often it boils down to relatively simple factors.) I do hope Mario wises up because the attitude he displays on the internet will get a person in serious trouble in real life, but maybe he needs to find that out for himself. I also surmise Mario has Spanish ancestry and therefore probably has a Roman Catholic upbringing.

James Kush, a blogger from Texas also loads his virtual machine gun and aims for the Zeitgeist Movement. (On a side note, both Mario and James have named their respective blogs in almost identical names to the Zeitgeist Movement yet apparently have a problem with why the name is trademarked. It's for protection from people like you! But I digress.) The funny thing is, James is somewhat upset by the occult and information that is against God. Next to "Zeitgeist is a cult" he also accuses the movement of being into the occult. That was in fact the type of ammunition he started off with. Zeitgeist 1 sourcing information from Acharya S. and Blavatsky was some sort travesty against the good Book apparently. Kush, just like Mario enjoys using Muertos' writings.

James, Mario. If you're really are who you claim to be, willing to stick to your guns and defend the righteous Word from evil, you have to look no further than the guy you're collaborating with. And from what I've been reading you need to protect your behind in more than one way. How funny is that?

Blackpainter

One of my favorite Zeitgeist critics, Muertos, was at it again. Yesterday he wrote a blog about a (religious) group in South Africa called Destini. Muertos adopted the meme somewhat of a 'cult-hunter' and it seems he is stepping out of the confines of the Zeitgeist target zone. But don't think for a moment that is unintentional. First let me say that I don't know a thing about a Destini organization. I've heard a vlogger on YouTube comment about it a couple of months ago and remark that they were about 'equal money,' whatever that is. Maybe more interesting to note is that some people were already making connections between the Zeitgeist Movement and Destini.

From what I've read so far about Destini, and I'm taking Muertos' critique at face value, is that they adopted many strange elements. Bernard Poolman seems to be the leader of this group and [I quote from Muertos] "presents himself as some sort of bizarre horned creature...!" Ok, that's weird. The group also engages in channeling apparently, that is communicating with entities from the afterlife, of which I'm skeptical about. A number of followers shave their heads which I suppose is also somewhat disturbing. To be honest I don't know if this Destini is a cult. I simply don't know enough about them nor am I particularly interested in finding out.

What is of interest to me is the correlation(s) Muertos makes. While it seems that his blog is about this Destini group and to some extent it is, it is in fact (at least in my opinion) more about making associations. The weirdness of the Destini group is constantly compared to the Zeitgeist Movement. That is the whole motivation of the article and nothing else.

Does the Zeitgeist Movement have creepy leaders displaying horned attributes? No, not at all yet Muertos is far better candidate but I'll get to that later. Does the Zeitgeist Movement engage in channeling or New Age rhetoric? Nope, it's about applying the scientific method for social concern. So far Muertos got exactly squad. What's left is the 'conspiracy theory' angle but this subject is so diverse and widespread that Muertos has to be far more specific. Muertos' claims about the Zeitgeist Movement being a conspiracy group is also severely contested. There are also many ZG members who are not into conspiracy theories at all but Muertos has a track record of lumping everyone together so his argument is equally invalid.

The methodology here, employed by Muertos, is to paint a negative picture on that which he simply disagrees with. Honest debate and valid arguments don't cut it for his taste so he has to resort to something else. The main tactic here is simply to marginalize and discredit. Guilty by association is a constant factor in most of his writings. That's what his blog about the Destini group is really about, making the connection and subsequently painting the negative image on something else. Now, I'm going to copy Muertos' methodology for a change and see what I can come up with just for the fun of it.


All the pictures you see in this blog are taken from a video belonging to Muertos. It can be found on his YouTube channel and it's about a trip he made to Toronto 3 years ago. The video is titled "Toronto II: The Revenge!" Muertos, meaning Dead in Spanish, apparently is into hard rock and he hangs out with some weird characters but than again he fits that bill himself judging from the pictures. Mr Dead is also making some weird hand gestures in the photograph on the top of this article. The two fingers up has an occult meaning, it's a satanic sign.

Metal Muertos wears almost exclusively dark clothing, highly similar to what the Columbine shooters wore. Next to his Satanic hand signal Muertos has some Satanic friends. In the middle picture (above) one of his buddies is wearing a pentagram and when you watch the video, Muertos specifically zooms in on the pentagram, obviously deliberately highlighting that dark symbol. Enough circumstantial evidence already that Muertos is a Satanist. Yet what is printed on the clothing that Muertos wears? The text in the top picture is partly obscured by a beer bottle but does it say 'black oath?' Muertos took an oath to darkness?

His Satanic friend in the middle picture has weird text on his shirt as well. This also brings me back to the evil leader of the Destini cult Bernard Poolman who according to Muertos "presents himself as some sort of bizarre horned creature." I gotta ask Muertos, what's the problem? Your Satanic friend wears a horned creature on his shirt and you do as well in the picture below! Are you that much of a hypocrite? Apparently you like displaying horned creatures. Maybe that's what Satanists do? And what's that symbol you have for necklace. Is that a upside down cross or some other weird rune symbol? You're really into the occult!


Ok, so much for my Muertos methodology. See how easy it is to marginalize and discredit? Maybe the ultimate irony here is that Muertos is an educated man. He wrote books, worked as a lawyer and right now teaches at an American university. Even pure academia is by no means a 'get out of jail free' card. Dirt can be found on anyone if you really search for it and are willing to use it in creative ways. Maybe educating yourself goes beyond information? It's what a person does with that information? Maybe we don't ought to paint black but white?

Cheers, Muertos.

Spring

Blackbird

Took this shot on the first of May and it's amazing to see that the Blackbird already had 2 younglings rapidly reaching maturity. I grew up with the phrase "in May every bird delivers an egg," which rimes and sounds better in Dutch. We had an early spring here in Europe and the birds took full advantage of it. Chicks stay roughly 2 weeks in the nest before they fly out and the hatching itself also takes some time, meaning that the Blackbirds were already 'busy' in March. It's a highly common bird here in Western Europe who also adapted to city-life. Originally it was a very timid bird that hid in the woods here and flew away at the nearest sign of trouble. It still does that when startled in the city but in general they have become very accustomed to humans and a safety margin of lets say 5 meters is good enough for them. For their young they are willing to go the extra mile and when I took the picture I was only standing 2 meters away. This territorial bird also has an amazing song which it displays in the early morning and evening.

TZM: Response to Media; Death of Osama bin Laden

TZM: Response to Media; Death of Osama bin Laden

On May 1, 2011 Pres. Barack Obama appeared on national television with the spontaneous announcement that Osama bin Laden, the purported organizer of the tragic events of September 11th 2001, was killed by military forces in Pakistan.

Within moments, a media blitz ran across virtually all television networks in what could only be described as a grotesque celebratory display, reflective of a level of emotional immaturity that borders on cultural psychosis. Depictions of people running through the streets of New York and Washington chanting jingoistic American slogans, waving their flags like the members of some cult, praising the death of another human being, reveals yet another layer of this sickness we call modern society.

It is not the scope of this response to address the political usage of such an event or to illuminate the staged orchestration of how public perception was to be controlled by the mainstream media and the United States Government. Rather the point of this article is to express the gross irrationality apparent and how our culture becomes so easily fixed and emotionally charged with respect to surface symbology, rather than true root problems, solutions or rational considerations of circumstance.

The first and most obvious point is that the death of Osama bin Laden means nothing when it comes to the problem of international terrorism. His death simply serves as a catharsis for a culture that has a neurotic fixation on revenge and retribution. The very fact that the Government which, from a psychological standpoint, has always served as a paternal figure for it citizens, reinforces the idea that murdering people is a solution to anything should be enough for most of us to take pause and consider the quality of the values coming out of the zeitgeist itself.

However, beyond the emotional distortions and tragic, vindictive pattern of rewarding the continuation of human division and violence comes a more practical consideration regarding what the problem really is and the importance of that problem with respect to priority.

The death of any human being is of an immeasurable consequence in society. It is never just the death of the individual. It is the death of relationships, companionship, support and the integrity of familial and communal environments. The unnecessary deaths of 3000 people on September 11, 2001 is no more or no less important than the deaths of those during the World Wars, via cancer and disease, accidents or anything else.

As a society, it is safe to say that we seek a world that strategically limits all such unnecessary consequences through social approaches that allow for the greatest safety our ingenuity can create. It is in this context that the neurotic obsession with the events of September 11th, 2001 become gravely insulting and detrimental to progress. An environment has now been created where outrageous amounts of money, resources and energy is spent seeking and destroying very small subcultures of human beings that pose ideological differences and act on those differences through violence.

Yet, in the United States alone each year, roughly 30,000 people die from automobile accidents, the majority of which could be stopped by very simple structural changes. That's ten 9/11's each year... yet no one seems to pine over this epidemic. Likewise, over 1 million Americans die from heart disease and cancer annually - causes of which are now easily linked to environmental influences in the majority. Yet, regardless of the over 330 9/11's occurring each year in this context, the governmental budget
allocations for research on these illnesses is only a small fraction of the money spent on “anti-terrorism” operations.

Such a list could go on and on with regard to the perversion of priority when it comes to what it means to truly save and protect human life and I hope many out there can recognize the severe imbalance we have at hand with respect to our values.

So, coming back to the point of revenge and retribution, I will conclude this response with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., likely the most brilliant intuitive mind when it came to conflict and the power of non-violence. On September 15, 1963 a Birmingham Alabama church was bombed, killing four little girls attending Sunday school.

In a public address, Dr. King stated:

“What murdered these four girls? Look around. You will see that many people that you never thought about participated in this evil act. So tonight all of us must leave here with a new determination to struggle. God has a job for us to do. Maybe our mission is to save the soul of America. We can't save the soul of this nation throwing bricks. We can't save the soul of this nation getting our ammunitions and going out shooting physical weapons. We must know that we have something much more powerful. Just take up the ammunition of love.”

- Dr. Martin Luther King, 1963 -


~Peter Joseph

www.thezeitgeistmovement.com

O.B.L. K.I.A.

Some startling news this morning. Osama Bin Laden was killed during a raid by special forces on a compound in Abbotabad, Pakistan. It was often assumed Bin Laden was hiding out in the mountains or rural areas under the protection of tribal leaders but nothing could farther from the truth. He was hiding in a (for Pakistan) luxury house, surrounded by 3 to 5 meter walls with barbwire. An interesting bit of information, and what the intelligence services also noticed, is that garbage was burned on the grounds. Safe to assume that Bin Laden rarely if never left the grounds.

In a firefight that lasted 40 minutes (!) Bin Laden was shot in the head along with other accomplices. On the way out a special forces helicopter malfunctioned and had to be destroyed. Osama's body was taken (for identification) but will be buried at sea according to Islamic law which requires the burial within 24 hours of death. Detailed photographs and DNA samples will undoubtedly prove this was public enemy number 1, although the results of the DNA testing will take a couple of days. I'm sure footage will be forthcoming of the burial ceremony and any research done on the case minutely documented.

Personally, I'm glad they caught him but I would have rather seen him in a court of law. Right now you can bet that many Al Qaeda supporters are infuriated and planning revenge. All that martyr stuff they often advocate will surely be ignited into bigger proportions. When you have such a person like Bin Laden in a courtroom and show (the world) all the atrocities he committed, that sends a far more objective and powerful message than his quick death in a gun battle. At least, that's the way I see it.


To my amazement, a spontaneous celebration started in front of the White House and on Ground Zero. People were cheering and chanting "U.S.A." and waving the flag. Total party time. Many news channels also reported this case with an air of relief and happiness. News websites idem ditto. The death of Osama Bin Laden and his associates was presented as a good thing and everybody was 'dancing' to that tune.

Seeing that brought me back in my memory. Ten years ago just after the 9/11 attacks I watched a video segment from Al Jazeera, the Arabian television network. In it they showed Palestinians who just found out about the terrorist attacks on the United States. I was appalled to see that many Palestinians were cheering and dancing, waving flags of Hamas. At the time I was thinking; 'how on Earth can you rejoice over the deaths of so many others?' And to be totally honest, I felt somewhat of the same sentiment today watching the Americans celebrating.