Well-Made World 29

We know what you're thinking: after all that talk about more updates, we at NE have flaked once again. But we promise, it's not our fault. We were ill. It was gross and scary.

But we're back just in time for the death of Heath Ledger, not to mention recent goings-on in Gaza, where yet another Israeli siege continues, and the wall at the Egyptian border in Rafah has been leveled, sending tens of thousands of Palestinians into Egypt in search of basic supplies. Karen Koning AbuZayd, the head of UNRWA*, writes in the Guardian that 'a new hallmark of Palestinian suffering' has been reached in Gaza. Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz's Chief US correspondent, has posted letters from John McCain and Barack Obama on the situation in Gaza, and notes that both McCain and Obama regard Israeli security as a paramount concern (both believe, for example, that Israel has been 'forced' by Hamas to invade Gaza), and a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza an afterthought. Rosner also points out the obvious, namely that, as Obama's presidential hopes have been formulating, he's been increasingly vocal in his blanket support of Israeli government policy regarding Palestine. Scroll further down the page and you'll learn that Jon Voight supports Rudy because he's good for Israel! This is almost--almost--as good as seeing Chuck Norris on the stump for Mike Huckabee.

In a more serious vein, we go to Amira Hass. While some of her phrasing is unfortunate ("amnesia, shortsightedness, disorientation and learning disabilities," she remains one of the most important and insightful Israeli voices sounding off on Gaza.

We're a bit out of our comfort zone here, but we should touch on the disaster that was this past week in the world of finance, which, according to Paul Craig Roberts has put the lie to the "free trade delusions" that have dominated American economic policy for the better part of three decades.

*Short for the clunky United Nations Relief Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East.