PIxies cancel Israel concert after deadly Gaza raid

[jc4prez]

Maybe this has no bearing on how different the Israeli government is from the American one, or their attitudes on war, but Israel is the only country in the world that has a mandatory military draft on all its citizens.

 

Too bad we don't have a draft in the US maybe we would have ended these wars by now. At least in Israel everyone has to take part in their governments corrupt actions, in the US we let the minorities and the poor fight our battles while the rest of us live normal lives.

 

 

And I know that the Pixies and Elvis would never boycott the US for all the deaths this country has caused in Iraq and Afganistan. It's just a shame all around.- Matt Z

 

EXACTLY. Not to mention the US is funding Israels wrong actions. I'm sure some of you are aware that we are giving them some 10 billion dollars. When it comes down to it the American government is the one you should be protesting if your angry with Israel, we give them the money to do this stuff and then protect them from the UN.

[Chinese Apple]

Cuba has compulsory military service for both sexes.

 

Cuba and Israel. Will add that to my databank, thanks.

[Synthesizer Patel]

'dog bites man' isn't a story. wake me up when israel boycotts the pixies.

[Chinese Apple]

in the US we let the minorities and the poor fight our battles while the rest of us live normal lives.

 

 

Isn't that how most countries do it though? Not that that makes it any better. So really war is when two countries send their poor and disenfranchised out to kill each other?

[Chinese Apple]

This is getting off topic and not adding to world peace. I'm going to listen to "I'll Fight" on continuous repeat for an hour.

[jff]

This is getting off topic and not adding to world peace. I'm going to listen to "I'll Fight" on continuous repeat for an hour.

 

How is driving yourself into a homicidal rage going to contribute to world peace?

[LouieB]

Sorry if anyone feels misquoted. Once again Orthodox women and men do not serve in the military unless they choose, which means not ALL men and women are drafted.

 

NO matter what the Pixes do(and they can do whatever they choose) I think we can all agree that peace in the mideast (well that little slice along the Mediteranian where the Palestinians and Israelis live) should be a world priority and everyone concerned needs to de-militarize on both sides.

 

Actually the Elton John story is more troubling than anything the Pixes do or don't do. Elton John certainly doesn't need the money and Rush Limbaugh is certianly not friendly to gay rights. Go figure!!!

 

LouieB

[tinnitus photography]

I see both sides of this. And I know that the Pixies and Elvis would never boycott the US for all the deaths this country has caused in Iraq and Afganistan. It's just a shame all around.

 

Ghost stopped touring the US until George Bush was out of office.

[Analogman]

Sorry if anyone feels misquoted. Once again Orthodox women and men do not serve in the military unless they choose, which means not ALL men and women are drafted.

 

NO matter what the Pixes do(and they can do whatever they choose) I think we can all agree that peace in the mideast (well that little slice along the Mediteranian where the Palestinians and Israelis live) should be a world priority and everyone concerned needs to de-militarize on both sides.

 

Actually the Elton John story is more troubling than anything the Pixes do or don't do. Elton John certainly doesn't need the money and Rush Limbaugh is certianly not friendly to gay rights. Go figure!!!

 

LouieB

 

I have read that Elton has had money problems for years. He spends more than he earns. There is also some speculation that he will donate the 1 million dollar fee to some sort of charity.

 

He has done such things before - singing with Axl Rose, and Eminem are two instances that come to mind.

 

A lot of these bands are probably being advised to not play there due to safety concerns.

[tinnitus photography]

Elton John certainly doesn't need the money and Rush Limbaugh is certianly not friendly to gay rights. Go figure!!!

 

LouieB

 

maybe Eminem's fee was too high?

 

Elton had filed for bankruptcy at some point, but i can't find many details about it.

[u2roolz]

Elton will play Israel because Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting.....

 

He will probably donate the $1 million to his own Elton John Aids Foundation. It's a shame though how he earned the money.

 

It's amazing how he's always on the verge of bankruptcy even when he's been playing in Vegas for the past 4 or so years. As Analogman stated he is a big spender and needs to tone it down a notch. This explains why he always seems to tour over and over again with Billy Joel and do his own (with/without his band) constant touring of the U.S., etc. and does practically the same show and songs. Although, this fall he's touring with Leon Russell and simultaneously putting out a record with him.

[Moss]

I remember reading that Elton spends over $500 Mill a year on fresh flowers for his houses. He probably has some areas he can cut back if things get tough.

[MattZ]

I dont know what Elton's motives are/were, but I would certainly derive pleasure from billing Limbaugh some obscene amount for a relatively easy task and then donating that same money to a cause that goes against everything he stands for.

[bjorn_skurj]

Maybe this has no bearing on how different the Israeli government is from the American one, or their attitudes on war, but Israel is the only country in the world that has a mandatory military draft on all its citizens.

Israel is the only country in the world whose neighbors have been trying to kill it more or less non-stop from Day 1.

[LouieB]

Whatever Elton's motivations, it is very fucked up...

 

Also....regarding Israels conscription.....Israeli Arabs are exempt too. Gays however can serve openly.

 

LouieB

[jc4prez]

Israel is the only country in the world whose neighbors have been trying to kill it more or less non-stop from Day 1.

 

Ummm, how about the native americans, we were real freindly when we dockecd our boats eh?

 

Not to mention Isarel wasn't a country prior the end of world war 2. If you kicked me off my land I'd be a little upset too.

[jc4prez]

Isn't that how most countries do it though? Not that that makes it any better. So really war is when two countries send their poor and disenfranchised out to kill each other?

 

 

Absolutly but thats my point. While I'm pissed at what happened it seems silly that bands from the evil empire would boycott their homelands best friend. Secondly I would think if they cared about the palestian people they wouldn't have booked the show in the first place, its not like this is the first time the Israelis have done wrong. This was nothing compared to the bombing that occurred last year.

[Ghost of Electricity]

I would think if they cared about the palestian people they wouldn't have booked the show in the first place,

I'll go along with this. I do think, however, that sometimes such an obviously inappropriate action such as this can serve as catalyst to change people's mind, or tip the scales.

 

And I would like to 100% wholeheartedly absof*ckinglutely agree with Louie B about the need for non-violent resistance here. Let me hear you say it: satyagraha!

[LouieB]

I'll go along with this. I do think, however, that sometimes such an obviously inappropriate action such as this can serve as catalyst to change people's mind, or tip the scales.

 

And I would like to 100% wholeheartedly absof*ckinglutely agree with Louie B about the need for non-violent resistance here. Let me hear you say it: satyagraha!

what does satyagraha mean...??

 

The problem with the Israeli/Palestinian issue is that it will always be a problem until everyone involved decides it isn't. Sure Israel was not a country before WWII, but then again alot of countries in that part of the world were not countries prior to WWII. (Also countries in lots of parts of the world...) Okay so that is a problem. And so as Helen Thomas suggested the Israelis can all go back to their original countries (Poland, Germany, other parts of the Mideast, North Africa, Ethiopia, the US, etc.) and yes the Palestinians have some grievances (but the Arab countries really haven't been all that interested in helping them either including Egypt, Syria, Lebonon, and particularly Jordan). And now it is 60 years on and NOW what do we do? Both sides and all of Israel's neighbors can go on killing each other for another few decades or even hundreds of years, or everyone can TRY and finally solve this shit and realize NO ONE is going to actually win and that the Israelis AREN'T going back to where they came from any more than the non-native inhabitants of the US of A are going back where WE came from.

 

I am dead servious about non-violent resistance. The Palestinians need to stop firing rockets into Israel and regain the high ground on their desire and their ability to be independent. Do the Israeli's rule with an iron fist? For sure, but they have experienced the long term effects of terrorisn, so what does anyone expect? Perhaps what we all excpect; the killing on both sides to go on forever.

 

LouieB

[Ghost of Electricity]

what does satyagraha mean...??

 

 

 

I am dead servious about non-violent resistance.

LouieB

 

So am I.

[u2roolz]

If you're in a war, instead of throwing a hand grenade at some guys, throw one of those little baby-type pumpkins. Maybe it'll make everyone think of how crazy war is, and while they're thinking, you can throw a real grenade.

[LouieB]

So am I.

I guess I should have known that, but you are never too old to learn something you didn't know.

 

LouieB

[bjorn_skurj]

That's true - if the Palestinians had a Gandhi among them, they might be a lot further along than they are now. Though, they are not doing so bad in their campaign to out-breed the Jews.

[Chinese Apple]

How is driving yourself into a homicidal rage going to contribute to world peace?

 

On the contrary -- listening to a song on continuous repeat for an hour has the same calming effect as saying a decade of rosaries or chanting the Lotus sutra. Why, I was able to listen to "I'll Fight" all the way to a reception at the British Ambassador's Residence this morning, where I had a very civilized glass of Pimm's with white lemonade.

 

But this just in -- the Pixies are being called cultural terrorists by the concert promoter.

 

After the announcement of the Pixies’ cancellation, Shuki Weiss, the promoter of the Pic.Nic festival, said in a statement, “I am full of both sorrow and pain in light of the fact that our repeated attempts to present quality acts and festivals in Israel have increasingly been falling victim to what I can only describe as a form of cultural terrorism which is targeting Israel and the arts worldwide.”

 

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/more-musicians-cancel-performances-in-israel/?ref=music

 

LouieB you are right that things will probably not change for a long time. Sixty years means what existed before Israel is still in living memory. Hopefully everyone will just get used to it after a couple of generations.

 

I don't believe that peaceful resistance works all the time, though. It seems to work better when there is also a faction working the "bad guy" angle. Malcolm X made MLK seem like a better choice for negotiating with.

 

Maybe in the big picture scheme of things, the compulsion for war in our species is just Mother Nature's attempt to keep human populations under control. May the fittest survive!

[Chinese Apple]

If you're in a war, instead of throwing a hand grenade at some guys, throw one of those little baby-type pumpkins. Maybe it'll make everyone think of how crazy war is, and while they're thinking, you can throw a real grenade.

 

 

LOL. This sounds like "Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey."