A Blog about Life, Politics, Linux and Animal Rights

Well, many things have changed since I last updated this blog, and all are interesting to some degree.

First of all - I don’t have to do the army! I went to the army psychologist, and after a short talk with her, she has decided I’m not suitable for the army, and let me off.

Secondly, the activism part of my life has grown considerably, and now I’m also working for pay with an animal rights business. I’m doing all kinds of work for it, all of it from home.

As I’m already talking about work - I have opened a business! I’m doing web development, hosting services, technical support and private lessons on internet-related subjects. So if you know anyone who needs a website - refer them to me!

Other than that, the big news is our new campaign to close down the Mazor Farm, which breeds primates for vivisection labs around the world - for full details about the campaign visit our website - http://www.mazor-cruelty.org.il

Mother: Our son is doing the right thing
Guarding the country and state
Father: Such pride that I have a son in the special forces
I love it when they shoot arabs

Not that he has a brain..
Father: That doesn’t matter
You don’t care that he won’t come back
You ignore that to be of aid
to a crime he agrees
Well done I.D.F.
Well done I.D.F.

Now I’m going to guard duty
Now I’m going to guard duty
Now I’m going to the Kaban…

http://www.pigle.com/21/downloadables/5-%20Kol%20Ha-kavod%20Le-tzha-hal.mp3

—–

In other words - you may imprison me, you may take away my freedom, but you will never take away the spirit, you cannot imprison my mind, you cannot take that away.

For the last 2 years, we have been living in tiny, quarter flats. It starts with a landlord who decides to make some profit, and separates his one big flat, into 4 small flats. The result being half of Israel made up by tiny hellholes, for which some people charge outrageous prices.

So we put up with it, because it’s the cheapest option. We put up with it and pay £95/week, for a bedroom and half a kitchen.

That’s how most young people in Israel live at the moment - students, young couples, or anyone else with a low income. Even though for only 10 more pounds a week one can find a much better flat.

So imagine how happy I was, when a week ago, on Sunday, our landlord told me that because of his troubles with the city council, he is required to tear down the walls and undo the changes he did, since he did them illegally. 20 minutes later we have already found a flat on the internet, spoke to the landlord, and were on our way to see it.

So we saw the flat, decided that we liked it, and on that same evening already signed a contract and paid rent until the end of January.

A day later we’ve already finished packing everything, and on Tuesday morning we moved it all to our new flat, and unpacked.

Later that evening, we emptied the old flat, and on Wednesday we were done with cleaning it. Thursday morning we gave our keys back, and were done with it.

Finally, we have a flat which isn’t a fraction of a once-bigger flat, we have a garden (although small), two bedrooms, a living room and a proper kitchen.

And we’re only paying £95 per week, instead of £83, big deal.

You will be remembered.

I was on my way to work this morning, and for the first time I’ve read the name “Ivan Demyanyuk”, in a nice, long article explaining why the case made by his lawyer is laughable.

I was under the impression that newspapers, except editorials, are supposed to be at least somewhat objective. But never mind now, that’s not the point of this post.
If I gathered correctly, Ivan Demyanyuk is standing trial for being a guard in a Nazi death camp. So far - fine.

My problem is with the response to the case made by his attorney - that he was “just following orders”.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it’s a legitimate defence either, no one is entitled to disregard other people’s rights for their own interests, no matter how important those interests might be.

My point is that the whole world is saying what I just said - it’s not an excuse - and yet, most of the world still uses it, in one form or the other.
How many times have I heard that phrase about Israeli soldiers in the occupied territories?
How many times do workers in slaughterhouses saying the same thing?

The important part is to realize what we could categorize as the same excuse. Orders are one form of pressure from society - mainly that if one doesn’t follow them, one receives punishment. There are many other forms:

• Friends - the desire to fit in at school, college, and at work
• Parents - can also apply pressure to their children to do their bidding
• The boss - in fear of losing their job, employees will do a lot of things they wouldn’t otherwise
• Laws - although laws may be unethical, one is still pressurized to follow them

Those are just some of the forms of pressure society can apply to one in order to keep him in line, to make sure he is doing what society wants him to do.

So, in essence, “just following orders” is similar to doing things as a result of the desire to be a mainstream citizen, not be different, and follow the codes of our environment.

Then what is so different about Demyanyuk? Nothing.

Most of the people in our society abuse others, harm innocents, and oppress others - if we convict Ivan Demyanyuk, everyone should be convicted of those crimes, no matter how socially accepted they are.

Following months of waiting, waiting, and then some more waiting - it seems I will not be able to get out of the army.

Recently I had a meeting with the commander of the recruitment department I “belong to”, and despite my efforts, he didn’t let me off. It’s strange, that I don’t really know whether I want this or not.

One one hand, there is the fact that the Israeli Army.. well.. sucks. There are so many reasons to oppose it, and each one better than the other. From animal experiments, through the occupation, and up until sexual discrimination and chauvinism.

One the other hand, there is the fact that at present, Israel does need an army, and nothing will change that, not in the near future anyway. There are some sectors in the Palestinian public that opposes Israel for religious reasons, and about them nothing will help but armed forces.
Yes, I know the army is unethical, I agree that the army is unethical - but not having an army isn’t best solution for that matter. The existence of an army here is a necessity, and until we find a better solution to ensure our defense, refusing to go to the army is just letting others risk their lives for you - that’s just wrong.

Of course, the thing that matters most to me is the question of whether or not I can technically live as a soldier. Will I manage to secure enough money from the army to make a living? Will the cats have enough food? Will Feli manage with the rent and the bills? How can I just leave this all to her?

I don’t know, and it feels shit. Until my next meeting with them, in about two weeks, there is nothing I can do.

Well, I will have to wait and see, and hope for the best.

The Israeli army - do I really want to be a part of this?

Lately, the animal rights organization i have attempted to bring to life - Time For Change, was disbanded.

Unfortunately, despite my efforts, I couldn’t work with the people involved, and as there are no other people in the animal rights community, which can invest enough time and resources to our fight - I felt I was alone in the whole thing.

So what I did was disband the organization, and move back to A.L.I - taking the projects that were most important to me with me. That includes the animal rights magazine which I am editing which will still be called “Time For Change”, and our interior events, such as the vegan camping weekends we’ve organized, and our upcoming vegan christmas.

So stay tuned, there’s much to wait for!

Some will say veganism is only a dietary habit, maybe a kind of a lifestyle, but nothing more.
Those people will find it very hard to understand the solidarity and the bonds vegans share with each other.

I have non-vegan friends, I’ll hang out with them, I’ll have fun with them, but if it comes to a choice between someone who is vegan and someone who isn’t, I’ll always prefer the vegan one.
If I’m in another country, in some crappy squat, going to some gig, and I meet a vegan there, I will already feel a connection to him.

It’s got nothing to do with “having the same interests” or “having something to talk about”, it’s the fact that I know the person standing next to me is a good enough person to realise being vegan is the only ethical choice and does something about it.

You can say I’m arrogant, that WE are arrogat, you can say whatever you want, I couldn’t care less.

Have a nice day

Recently I’ve heard a lecture from a guy named Shay, about strategy in the animal rights movement. The entire lecture is available for online viewing here.

I’ve learned one important fact from this lecture, which I knew before, but never paid much attention to.

Not all animal rights activism is good.

Yes, not every time we go and organize a demo, or hold a stall, is essentially a good thing. There are many times when at the best scenario it’s just a waste of resources and time, and with the worst scenario it’s plainly damaging the movement.

What? What the fuck are you on about? How can a demo damage the movement?

Easy, while the demo in itself may be a positive thing, it has to come as part of a bigger strategy, a bigger plan. Just doing random protests isn’t going to help anyone. We have to think about why we’re doing that protest, what we want to achieve with it, and how we think the protest will help us achieve that goal.

If we can’t answer those three simple questions, then something may be wrong with our strategic thinking, if there even exists some strategic thinking.

The second important issue we need to realize is that without a proper plan, with goals for the foreseeable future, we will never know if we are getting anywhere, and won’t know how to determine weather or not our tactical decisions were the right ones or not.

These principles and others that were voiced at said lecture, are the principles guiding me when I founded the new animal rights organization Time For Change - I’ve tried to create some short term goals that we can achieve, and propose a way in which we can achieve those goals.

This leads me to my second new favorite new line ;

Without clever role assignment any organization will fail.

That is a real problem with the Israeli animal rights organization, and especially the organization I was part of in the last few years, A.L.I (Animal Liberation Israel).

There is no proper organizational structure. In fact, there isn’t really any organization structure. Everyone does whatever he thinks is for the best, as long as he doesn’t violate the organization’s core principles.

The result of this is that activists which could be of much better use are “wasted” in activities that do not use up all their potential.

Another problem is that since there is no hierarchy, there is no one to report to on progress and issues, and as such many people allow themselves to work much slower than if there was someone above them who waited and demanded results, not just talk.

These two issues are some of the issues that we are trying to solve when founding Time For Change.

So what is “Time For Change”?

We are an animal rights organization. We will do our best in order to free all animals from human use and abuse. To achieve those goals we are divided into the following departments:

1. Projects Department - we have 2 main campaigns, one in order to get vegan products into supermarkets and restaurants, and the other to have the ministry of health to produce a statement the veganism isn’t unhealthy.

2. Interior Department - organizing meetings, lectures, and all that kind of stuff for activists. Recruiting new activists and finding them a suitable position in the movement (not necessary in our organization).

3. Internet and Web - we’re producing a weekly magazine, advertising AR on the web, etc.

4. Exterior Department - that’s the press office, the spokesman, and all that kind of stuff

At the moment you can find us on our website - www.veganblog.net

I hope I have given you something to think about.

Think. Before you do anything.

You just were.
You are not anymore.

The last lock has been locked.
The last door has been shut.
The last seal has been sealed.
The last nail has been fixed, into the coffin of what thee were.

They who kill others.
They who cherish their comfort above life.
They who are cruel.

May thy life be as painful and cruel as the one of the animals thee kills.

———————-

In other words, you are a fucking bastard, I hope all the things you do to the animals will be done to you.