Imagine

(A tribute to Ron Paul’s 2009 radio address “imagine”)

Imagine that someone one day showed up at your doorstep and claimed the house in which you have been living with your family for generations as his own because he believed that his ancestors had lived in it 2000 years ago.

Imagine that he beat you up and kicked you and your family out of the house so you were forced to move to the shed in the backyard.

Imagine that this person surrounded the house with barbed wire and put well armed guards all around the house to prevent you from trying to move back into the house.

Imagine that when your tried to regain your house he would portray himself as a victim and appeal to his wealthy relatives to send him money and arms to “protect himself against your aggression”.

Imagine that this person beat you up routinely, abused you and made your living conditions unbearable.

Imagine that when you complained, he’d laugh and say “don’t like it? You can always leave”.

Imagine that each year that person narrowed the patch of land around the shed and surrounded it with 20 ft concrete walls with machine gun towers.

Imagine that you had to burrow tunnels under the wall to bring food to feed your children.

Imagine that when you fought back, he’d call you a terrorist and portray himself to the world as a victim.

Imagine that the person who dispossessed you had a wealthy and powerful uncle across the sea who sends him weapons and money and encourages him to continue to oppress you.

Imagine that the entire world was sympathetic to your plight but was powerless to help because of fear of his powerful uncle.

Imagine that the person claimed that he’d agree to let you live in the shed if you forgo your rights to the house and invited you to negotiate over the small patch of land around the shed.

Imagine that while you are negotiating that person narrows the tiny patch of land, cuts your water pipeline and sends his guards to abuse you and your family.

Imagine that you are an American taxpayer and your money goes to support, arm and finance the Apartheid State of Israel and to oppress Palestinians.

Imagine that American media were complicit in obfuscating and hiding the truth from mainstream viewers. That they helped propagate a false image of Israel as a victim of violence from “terrorists” whereas in fact the natives of Palestine have been dispossessed, expelled, their land and property confiscated and are now living in refugee camps or under an indefinite military rule and Apartheid without basic human rights.

Imagine that American politicians enabled Israel to continue oppressing, dispossessing and shielded Israel from any international sanctions as a result of Israel’s defiance and violation of UN Resolutions and the Geneva Convention.

Imagine that your Congressman supported this evil and gave 27 standing ovations when the Prime Minster of Apartheid Israel spoke before Congress.

Just imagine.