A MAP IS JUST A MAP......

This is a commentary on a recent article by Uri Avnery...

A map is just a map...

That is, unless certain countries do not appear on it.
Growing up in the post WW2 era in the United States, the 'list' of nations we did not recognise was unbelievable.... 'Red' China did NOT exist, North Korea did NOT exist, almost all of Eastern Europe did NOT exist. Countries were added to this 'list' as time went on.... Cuba did NOT exist (still doesn't), North Vietnam did NOT exist. For students it lessened the burdon of studying geography, how could one learn about such non entities?
As the world slowly changed, blank spaces were filled in on these maps, curriculums changed as the world did... prejudices remained against certain political systems, but denial of nations was not as great.
This held true in the United States, but not so in the Middle East. Palestinian schoolchildren look at a map in their textbooks void of a 'green line', void of a pre 1967 border between Israel and Palestine.
Israeli schoolchildren study a map in their textbooks completely void of Palestine. It does NOT exist. Yet, we hear talks of peace on both sides. How confusing this must be to the younger generation.... peace with whom? There is no Israel to negotiate with, there is no Palestine to negotiate with..... so who are we making peace with?
Ironic that despite the non recognition, it is easy to have a war with a non existing entity... surely we could conceive of a just and lasting peace as well. This might even lead to the realisation that recognition is key to that process.
Uri Avnery hits it right on the head in his most recent essay in Counterpunch... it's a must read.
Avnery's essay can be found here... http://counterpunch.com/...

•  And so goes History. We learn in America that

  Native Peoples attacked us and burned our homes and killed our children. We never learn the real truth, only what our Gov. wants us to know. As an adult I learned more about Native Americans and was shocked and sad that I had believed for so long  a lie spread by my own Country. Maybe what we need in schools World wide is a begining course in skeptical thought. Start early, like 1st grade. It would help develop a thought process of thinking for yourself.

  by Owllwoman on Wed Mar 28, 2007 at 03:51:55 AM PDT

  •  Complex into nothing

    Native Peoples attacked us and burned our homes and killed our children. We never learn the real truth, only what our Gov. wants us to know.

    You reduce a complex issue into a few sentences, distorting it with Roveish competency.

    There were atrocities on both sides, and the American government did generally treat the native Americans bad, I'm afraid that this is standard practice for humans and has always been.

    Warfare and displacement was a set action when millions of Europeans poured onto North America.

    by AmoralAmerican on Wed Mar 28, 2007 at 03:55:48 AM PDT

    •  wow

      There were atrocities on both sides

      So, Indians sailed to England and killed some peasants in a pub and the English retaliated?

      by Euroliberal on Wed Mar 28, 2007 at 06:02:27 AM PDT

      •   Pulling out fingernails is nasty

        no matter what ethnic group does it.  Being worried about what the other side is up to doesn't justify holding burning coals against someone's bare skin, turning them into addicts, using their body parts as trophies or setting fire to villages. "You don't belong here" is a lousy excuse for torturing anybody.

        by Timbuk the Second on Wed Mar 28, 2007 at 07:52:17 AM PDT

•  And, of course, Palestininan

  kids get maps with no Israel.

  by plf515 on Wed Mar 28, 2007 at 03:57:05 AM PDT

  •  Ha

    And Israeli kids get maps with no West Bank.  So do American kids, by the way.  I was in the Jewish Center down here last week and I was looking at the map on the wall while waiting for a meeting.

    Funny thing:  the map of Israel had Gaza clearly separated, but no West Bank.  It was allllllll Israel between the Jordan and the sea.  But whereas a Palestinian map would be proof of evilness, I'm sure this was just a misprint, right?

    by weasel on Wed Mar 28, 2007 at 07:30:24 AM PDT

•  You've got to go with the map you have....

  /snark

  by Big Nit Attack on Wed Mar 28, 2007 at 04:08:31 AM PDT