The Elephant in the Room

Should you be wondering why I'm posting a mixture of art & politics, it is because I think the arts can tell us as much about our history as anything written down in the context of any intellectual arena. History books tell us what the people writing them think of events, art gives us an alternative perspective, & often one which is counter-cultural by its very ability to challenge the status quo. I just found Banksy, later than many I am sure, via an article on Damien Hirst today. His exhibition at the Serpentine sounds interesting, & Banksy's website is definitely worth investigating.

I particularly liked these images of the checkpoint in Israel, & was moved to post them after hearing the the sickening news that the US vetoed a UN vote against Israel; the elephant in the room in the middle east. The US has vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution condemning an Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip that killed 19 Palestinian civilians. These were real people & it is hard to believe anyone can vote against such actions. Excuse my rant here, or not, but what is it with the USA? Funding the IRA for years, refusing to vote for any number of UN Sanctions which Israel only breaks without any punishment? The suicide bombers have made life a great deal more difficult for everyone, but surely it isn't rocket science to understand how some will be the reactionaries of any population, & others will just be those desperate to have their voice heard when they have not been able to find another way.

This is not the first time you will have heard man's freedom fighter is an other's terrorist, or vice versa. I don't condone their actions but neither did I think bombing Lebanon was a wise move frankly. I guess have to hold my hands up to being the most pro-Palestinian Jew I know! Maybe it is just the result of being a card carrying liberal on all counts, but maybe it also has to do with a really simplistic view of not understanding how a persecuted people can persecute. I know the history, theology & philosophy behind the State of Israel, we in the UK have a lot to answer for, & now we should broker peace. Enough already.

& just because I'd hate Banksy to be caught up in my middle eastern rant, here is something which shows you how he is quite simply a supreme surrealist.