Milk And Honey

"How did Israel benefit the United States? Its advocates point to the PLO-Jordanian faceoff in 1970, during which Israeli threats thwarted a possible Syrian intervention and perhaps saved the throne of Jordan’s King Hussein. They cite the success of American arms deliveries during the October 1973 war, which helped persuade Egypt to abandon its Soviet orientation for an American one and make a separate peace with Israel. They note the decisive victory of Israel’s American-supplied air force over Syria’s Soviet Migs in 1982, which demonstrated to the world the superiority not only of Israeli pilots, but of American technology. They point to the captured Soviet weaponry Israel turned over to the United States for examination. They note Israel’s permission for the U.S. Navy to port in Haifa, Israel’s technological advances in drone warfare, and myriad other matters. Proponents of the alliance make the broader argument that Israel has kept the peace in the region. As Martin Kramer, a former Israeli academic who is now a leading advocate for Israel in the United States, puts it, Israel “underpins the Pax Americana” in the Eastern Mediterranean. When the United States kept Israel at arms length (from 1948 to 1973), there were four wars; with the onset of the special relationship and with universal acknowledgement of Israeli regional military superiority, the wars have been small and easily contained. If only, Kramer concludes, the United States could be so fortunate as to have another Israel to protect its interests in the Gulf, its strategic position would be rosy indeed."

"If these arguments are not airtight, they shouldn’t be dismissed. As Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer — hardly staunch advocates of the special relationship — acknowledge, a strong case can be made that Israel was, on balance, a useful ally for the United States to have during the Cold War. It is not an open and shut case. How and why, one might ask, were the so-called “radical Arabs” whom Israel helped to contain and defeat radicalized to begin with? Would Arab states have sought Soviet support absent their conflict with Israel? Speaking before a private group in 1975, Henry Kissinger said that it is “difficult to claim that a strong Israel serves American interests because it prevents the spread of communism. It does not. It provides for the security of Israel.”

What is one million dollars compared to the love of eight million Cubans?

Many of the greatest boxers of the 1970's and 80's are almost unknown these days, due to the fact that the Cuban government discouraged its athletes away from professionalism. There were none so great as three times Olympic heavyweight champion Teófilo Stevenson, who in 1976 turned down a $5 million offer to fight Muhammed Ali, offered by American sports promoters.



When Stevenson stepped down in the early 80's, his place in Cuban hearts was taken by the equally awesome Félix Savón, who matched his feat of three Olympic titles. The Cuban boxers offer the possibility of a fascinating parallel history, where perhaps the greatest boxers of all could be different from the names we are so familiar with.

Masters Of The Universe

Another glimpse into the corridors of power. Who can doubt that this is how our leaders really think?

Punishment Park

holy fire.

Thank You For The Party, But I Could Never Stay

One of the greatest bands of the 70s (and 60s), with one of the greatest singles to ever hit number 1. The lyrics were once considered cryptic, but they derived from a common experience, like many in London are having right now. After a show-stealing performance at Woodstock, and superstardom assured, Sly was nevertheless dragged back to earth; face to face with 'himself' as dictated by the powers that be. An ugly encounter with the LAPD on the way to the studio directly led to these lyrics:

Looking at the devil

Grinning at his gun

Fingers start shaking

I begin to run

Bullets start chasing

I begin to stop

We begin wrestling

I was on the top

Stiff in all the collar

They slugged me in the face

Chit-chat-chit a-trying

They stuffed me into place

Legend has it that Sly came under pressure from Black Panther acquaintances to write more militant material. Yet it was his own raw experience of 'Amerika' informing this masterpiece (and the bitter, paranoid unravelling of There's A Riot Goin' On). As the gospel train ground to a halt, paranoia, disillusion or bewilderment were the order of the day. Early 70s Afro-American pop reclaimed - and modernised - the blues with a series of bleak classics, from 'Backstabbers' to Back To The World. Unlike blues tributes of white contemporaries, the above lacked much affection for the past, or indeed faith in the future. However, as with 70s American cinema, there was only so much despair mass audiences could take. The disco inferno arrived to dominate the mainstream, with many a soul or funk star attempting to jump the bandwagon (while Sly jumped off). The glittering, smiley face of disco would be caught unawares by the shock of Reaganomics, AIDS and the stark, alienated appeal of hip hop - the postindustrial blues. When he stopped taking things higher, Sly was a pioneering architect of low end theory; where Everybody Is A Star with an eye towards the gutter.