The General's Son, by Miko Peled

I'm reading Miko Peled's The General's Son and finding the book quite interesting and heart felt. I always get feelings of sadness when I read about others and their close families, the one thing I always needed and never had nor acquired. Not many people can keep up with truth.
 There are many things about the book I want to mention, one of which; On page 43 it discusses the Egyptians being fed Misinfo by the Soviet Gov, claiming that Israel was planning a surprise attack against Syria. Soviets claimed "Israel had amassed troops on the border with Syria". "Syria and Egypt had a mutual security pact, and President Nassar had to act in defense of his Syrian allies". "May 26, 1967 Russian prime Minister sent the Israeli prime minister, Levi Eshkol, a letter through the Soviet ambassador in Tel Aviv, calling for a peaceful resolution", according to documents Miko Peled found in the IDF, Israel Defense Forces archives and other sources. The Russian ambassador presented PM Eshkol with the letter, Eshkol invited the ambassador to see with his own eyes that the claim of amassing troops towards Syria bore no merit.
 "Things came to a head" in a stormy meeting of the IDF General Staff and the Israeli cabinet, June 2, 1967. Peled's father Matti told the cabinet, "the Egyptians needed a year and a half to 2 yrs to be ready for a full-scale war". Ariel Sharon, later to become PM, said that Israel must engage in a preemptive strike against the Egyptian army and "destroy it entirely without delay".
 What I don't understand is Why  would Egypt attack Israel if the it was misinformation by the Russian Gov that Israel was amassing troops at Syria?
 The next topic in his book I wanted to bring up was Miko's love of Martial Arts, particularly Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-Do, the art he practices. I was so glad to read this part because its exactly how I feel about Yoga, weight training and Meditation that I learned back in the early 80's.
 Miko Peled says, the intensity of the karate was similar to what I had later experienced in the Israeli army. "I became fascinated by the severe demands of both karate and military combat training. But as I found out, CONTRARY (caps mine) to military training, karate possesses a strong, uncompromising MORAL foundation".
 "Unlike military training, where the aim is to BREAK you down and then turn you into a KILLER, Sensei Dan wanted to BUILD us up and develop us as CONFIDENT and COMPASSIONATE people". "Okinawan and Japanese martial arts traditions are established on firm MORAL principles". "The martial arts student is taught to NEVER misuse or ABUSE his power".
The sign of TRUE power! Real authority builds and raises confidence! It DOESN'T expect to USE people and get them to BLINDLY Follow "orders".
Miko says, "while pop culture often confuses karate with violence, the truth is that Karate, like ALL traditional martial arts, espouses a philosophy of Compassion and NON violence" !! Exclamation mine.
   Exactly! Why are Military and Police forces Not teaching the Principles of Martial Arts, Meditation or Yoga into their training of their recruits??!! This is a NO Brainer!
 I became So disillusioned myself in the early 90's after moving back to NYC from the Bay area. I restarted my job as a Personal Trainer and felt disappointed when most businesses were only in it for the $$ and didn't have the Love for it that I had.  I was So passionate about fitness, weight training and the philosophies of Yoga and Meditation that I began in the early 80's to help channel my anger at the total illegitimate "authority" that seemed so prevalent. For me, weight training and Fitness gave me the True feedback I could not get at home. Weights and Yoga poses don't LIE! Very much unlike people and my very own "parents" who were more like the illegitimate "authority" of the military, Might makes right attitude! That most of the population must have been and are being weaned on if they're accepting the FAKE authority of the military and police. People are seeking TRUE leadership, REAL parents who can lift them up and not tear them down and turn them into Killers!
 Even many Yoga studios, gyms with Yoga classes today are Void of the True principles and are there for the Capital aspect of it more.
 These true practices of the traditional Martial Arts and Yoga need to be accessible to everyone and Not for Capitalistic purposes. Yoga in NYC got So expensive! I couldn't teach at a certain studio if I didn't have Their particular certification. Every Yoga studio in NYC was having their own Yoga Teacher training to make $$ and turning out not the best quality teachers.
 I went for a Yoga teacher position at the NY Sports Club 15 yrs ago, its hard to remember when it was, the girl who interviewed me was half my age and said I needed to complete a course of "Yoga Fit" before they would give me a job. I said to the girl, "I've been practicing Yoga and Mediation since the early 80's and Not in a Gym. I'm am NOT going to take some Yoga fit that "I" have to pay You for that's only going to SUCK the Philosophy and Tradition right out of the 6,000 year old practice!
I told her to "Go to hell", nicely.
  I got disgusted and turned away from teaching it for a while.
Nothing is off limits to Capitalism. Even practices which are supposed to be the CURE for it.