The stories that Israel deliberately attacked the USS Liberty have been circulating for a while. This may be the first time that the Corporate Media have allowed that through their filters.

The explicit role of AIPAC is new to me, but also not that surprising. That particular organization is pretty nasty (I realize that's a bit of an understatement).

Yes, it sounds like the "stories" have been confirmed, and how. If you read not only the link at consortium news, but the linked article he references (its about six pages?) there really is tons of testimony about what a purposeful attack it was, and not only that, how intent they were on sinking the USS Liberty. They even fired upon the lifeboats! an inarguable war crime.

As far as AIPAC, well, I've been reading on it here and there in touches for years. This can't be avoided when you read a fair amount of news...but I really don't know much about it at all.

However, none of the specifics of these things I learn yet upset my overall and general view of these types of groups, and the powers they wield. Certain forces seem to work in certain ways, when guided by human hands and desires. From what I've seen so far.

Take a remarkably and profoundly, blatantly corrupt entity which would be the US Congress, add unlimited and almost unregulated lobbying, little or no ethical review, never ending and very expensive campaigning for re-election and thus a great need for cash, vast sums of corporate, international state and private money, and you get the seething stinking pile that is Washington Today. AIPAC is only a very tiny slice in the toxic pie-chart of influence that really controls the Legislative Branch. Seldom do the voters have any power there. And this has been the scenario since the late sixties.

yes, i agree on Congress. and i hardly know enough about AIPACX to comment further there.

But mostly, I was interested in posting this because I find it very important to begin highlighting the particulars of the US's relationship with Israel, given that we are always assumed to be utterly invested in their interests, to the point of giving up many lives. Now, I'm not saying "down with Israel" or anything. But I think this fact that the US govt has worked so hard to conceal is a piece that ought to be part of our collective conversations and knowledge. Given the long occupation, yet another war launched on false pretenses (if we give credence to Begin's quote above), the recent raid on Syria, and this purposeful attack on a US vessel (and for what reason?), Israel seems to me to be quite the rogue state! You know, if we want to talk about law and all that.

Agree with your analysis, but the news is not new, just the filtering to the MSM.
What about another extreme threat to the US well-being, the Bush and the Republican veto of S-Chip last week, the latest {as you do report} laugh in the face of the US Public by the ruling class? Yet another example of a very corrupt system which includes the Congress, the lobbyists, the HMOs, the Republicans and so on. How is it that the S-Chip program could not get voted in?
The Israel Lobby is what it is because the laws allow it to be and the anti-health care lobby is what it is for the same reason.
A role for bloggers perhaps, although not very exciting most of the time, is to get to the bottom of the web of sadly unethical but legal enablement that exists and allows the buying of legislation.
Legislation is bought and paid for and that is the accepted system and if the Israel Lobbies are doing that, they are doing that because it works.
We might also add that news reports are bought and paid for too by buying the network or print medium and controlling it.
Indeed, the only ray of hope I see is Bloglandia.
Back to you, Nez.

Don't forget, they went and developed a nuclear arsenal behind our back and against our wishes, which they still deny. It has an extraordinary amount of pull within the highest levels of our government. More people need to ask why we're spending billions of dollars and making tactically questionable decisions for the benefit of what is basically a European colony in the Middle East that doesn't even have oil.

RC, the only ray of hope i see is people simply doing their best to t hink for themselves, news reports are news reports, but in the end, we have to feel and find our own way. real life exists not in front of this scxreen, but when i get up and deal with people.

i agree, AIPAC in this instance would not be THE problem. it is the system that enables such influence. AIPAC, tho a focus of the linked and quoted article, is not my main focus in this post.

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it's a good question, PeteShottheDeputy.

Glad that we still see some hope. I like your focus on encouraging brain use.

Thanks for the Parry link, a treasure trove there I was unaware of. I found the Ellsberg story and the comments about it to be strangely comforting. So, there are people as upset and alarmed as I am, and they are like McGovern and Ellsberg, much more intelligent, informed and sane than myself. But yet, that leaves me even more alarmed since I realize my problem is NOT paranoia.