Europe’s ground zero and other news and views for Thursday 31 July

  • Europe’s Ground Zero: Fairy Tales and Fabrications in Eastern Ukraine – “There’s an eerie silence at the MH 17 crash site in eastern Ukraine, even as a civil war and propaganda battles rage around it. Few here seem concerned that the investigation into the tragedy could influence future ties with Europe.”
  • Arab Leaders, Viewing Hamas as Worse Than Israel, Stay Silent - “After the military ouster of the Islamist government in Cairo last year, Egypt has led a new coalition of Arab states — including Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — that has effectively lined up with Israel in its fight against Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls the Gaza Strip. That, in turn, may have contributed to the failure of the antagonists to reach a negotiated cease-fire even after more than three weeks of bloodshed.”
  • Gaza’s Network Of Tunnels Is A Major Hole In Israel’s Defenses - “Many Israelis [are] asking why their forces didn’t stop Hamas from building the elaborate tunnels in the first place. And in Israel, calls are mounting for an investigation into how authorities have handled the tunnel threat.”
  • Ankle tags to monitor offenders’ alcohol consumption – “Offenders convicted of alcohol-related crimes will have to wear ankle tags to monitor whether they are still drinking, under a new pilot scheme. The tags will record levels of alcohol in their sweat.The 12-month trial in four London boroughs – Croydon, Lambeth, Southwark and Sutton – gives courts the ability to ban people from drinking alcohol.”
  • What Science Says About Marijuana – “While marijuana is not harmless, it is less dangerous to human health than alcohol and tobacco.”
  • The Rich Man in his Castle – ” Few now believe that the positions of the high and the lowly are ordained by God, but the increasingly entrenched political defenders of the super-rich still maintain that massive inequality is in the nature of things and must at all costs be preserved. As Gore Vidal said and Thomas Piketty’s study confirms, it’s not enough to succeed – others must fail.”

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