Chamblee54

This content was originally published July 28, 2010. … British prime minister David Cameron is on a visit to Turkey. He made a few comments about Gaza. “Let me also be clear that the situation in Gaza has to change. Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions. Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp.” Israel’s ambassador to Great Britain, Ron Prosor, replied “The people of Gaza are the prisoners of the terrorist organization Hamas. The situation in Gaza is the direct result of Hamas’ rule and priorities.” … Hamas was founded in 1987. This was just after the Iran contra affair, when Israel was helping Iran buy weapons. …
… 1987 is 39 years after the creation of the state of Israel. Many Arabs living in what became Israel left in 1948, and many settled in the Gaza Strip. The creation of Hamas was 20 years after the six day war, when Israel took control of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli soldiers were not greeted as liberators. What followed was an Israeli occupation of the territory. It was by, most accounts, a brutal affair, with Gazan resistance (“terrorism”) met by Israeli force. During this occupation, the prime “terrorist organization” was the P.L.O. They were the object of attacks by Israel, both propaganda and military. They were connected to the party Fatah, which became the primary agent of governance in Palestine. There was an election, and Hamas won. …
… There are reports that Hamas was secretly founded by Israel , to fight Fatah/PLO. Whether or not this is true, the fact is that Israel maintained a brutal occupation of Gaza. It should be no surprise that a “terrorist organization” would be popular, and win an election over yesterday’s boogieman. Both sides in this conflict have good talking points, and have suffered losses. The commentary above is oversimplified. However, to say the suffering of the Gazans “is the direct result of Hamas” constitutes an obscene piece of propaganda. HT to Juan Cole, an excellent source for news on the middle east.
This content was originally published July 29, 2010. … The fourth diva on the cd is Janis Joplin. Unlike the first three, she used her birth name as a stage name. Janis Lyn Joplin was born January 19, 1943, in Port Arthur, Texas. Janis was a legend. As the singer for Big Brother and the Holding Company, she became an overnight superstar in 1967. She soon left Big Brother, and had ups and downs as a solo performer. As most of you know, she was fond of Southern Comfort and heroin. Janis passed away October 4, 1970. Janis appeared on the Dick Cavett Show on June 25, 1967. …
… Marianne Faithfull (Marian Evelyn Faithfull) was born 29 December 1946, in London. Unlike the first four divas in this series, she is still alive, and doing rather well. This is not for lack of trying, as she has had her adventures with hard drugs. She also dated Mick Jagger. There were many wild and crazy times, including being busted while wearing only a fur rug. Eventually, Ms. Faithfull went into a decline. She made a comeback in 1979 with “Broken English”. She continues to perform. … Marianne Faithfull passed away January 30, 2025. …
Dorothy Ashby is the third performer we will discuss today. She is not as well known as the first five, and is not known for her singing. She played harp. Dorothy Jeanne Thompson was born August 6, 1932 in Detroit, Michigan. She married John Ashby, who played drums in her band. She died April 13, 1986. Youtube does not seem to have any videos of Mrs. Ashby performing. We will have to use an still picture video to include her. On the cd, she performs “Theme from Valley of the Dolls”. … Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken September 23, 1952. ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah