Readers’ Responses to Our Question (90)

hi,
I think washingpost isn't aware of the conquence of posting of these radicale comments. The influece of fundamentalisme on the world is not like some people suggest to be.

To JVD:70: 9/11 would not have happened if Mr. Cheney , as Secretary
of Defense in 1992, had not instituted policies that stripped the
US counterterror intelligence agencies of their analystical capacity.
Prior to that, the indications and warnings of Ben Laden were so
blatant, that the World Trade Center tragedy would have been aborted;
just like the incident in England today regarding the liquid bomb
plot. I do not blame the American public for that horrific crime.
Nor do I blame Iraq or most of the Muslim world. Just as Mr. Bush
needed an excuse to attack Iraq, for a dreamer's paradise, the Israeli's obviously took the same approach against Lebanon after
the two soldiers were kidnapped.
I agree with the person who recently suggested that maybe if Mr.
Bush gives up his war on terror, things might calm down around the
world and the Arabs, who have been more or less living together for
centures, will work something out. They may not like it in Houston
and Crawford, but alas, what do they know in Texas but oil and oil
and oil? The danger is that some fool will drop an atom bomb some
where in all of this, and I don't think it will be the North Koreans.
Given the response to 9/11, someone might just start shooting out
atom bombs everywhere. Let us pray for the return of reason to the
marketplace of ideas.

Escape76 I'm not immature, I have been debating here and have substantiated my views. Why don't you do the same instead of calling people names?

I am saying put what Israel is doing in perspective against what other armies are doing in Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Tibet, Congo and the outrage against Israel stands out like a sore thumb. This is a propaganda war against the Jews, not against Israel. When Hezbollah's rockets kill Arab Israelis they apologise, but when Jews are killed they celebrate. It's a war against the Jews. It is ridiculous that 500 people die because of a war every day in Sudan and we don't pay any attention. If the killing were done by Israel, the world would be allover the place.

Carole did you feel on 9/11 when you saw people jumping to their deaths that the USA only had itself to blame? Israel is facing an even worse enemy, one that time and again acts to kill Jews.

kafka: I am an American but I find the actions of the American
government in Iraq (and especially Fallujah) indefensible. For
the sake of the people of Iraq, however, I pray that they can
turn this thing around. It will take longer now for Lebanon to
turn it around, since they are under tons of rubble. But I
pray for them too. Always, always, I pray for the peace of
Jerusalem.

jvd - So what you're saying essentially is "well you did it first so now we can". How immature. God help us all.

Carole, Franz Kafka is not my real name, I use it sometimes when the world is more absurd than the one Gregor Samsa woke up in. You say my argument is obscene, but it is war that is obscene. If you are from the US or the UK you already know that your own country is engaged in the same kind of warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan because they are fighting the same enemy. So why would you so strongly try to sanction Israel when Israel is an ally and not any worse than western countries.

In 1991 a British jet intending to bomb the bridge dropped two laser guided bombs on city's (Fallujah) crowded main market. Between 50 and 150 civilians died and many more were injured. (wikipedia)

In November, 2004, the U.S military launched a massive assault on the city (Fallujah). Estimates by one Iraqi N.G.O puts the number of deaths in the assault at 4000-6000. There were reports that cluster bombs and white phosphorous, a controversial incendiary weapon, were used on the city. Initially the Pentagon denied the use of the latter weapon but later, after testimony by U.S soldiers, admitted using it.(wikipedia)

And you write "It is this Cromwellian,Hitlerian mentality that brought about such horror against the Jews for two thousand years." Don't you see your own antisemitic bias in there? The Jews have only themselves to blame? What about the horror your own people rain down on the world, do you expect your children to bear the consequences two thousand years from now?

ERRATUM: TO KAFKA: Should my comment be posted, I meant to
say "tares" not "chaff". My apologies.

To F. Kafka (any relation to the writer?) This argument that since the terrorists are embedded with civilians,
this justifies Israel's destruction of civilians is obscene. You don't kill unknown numbers of innocent civilians to get terrorists.
Let them live another day; all of them. The Hebrew Scriptures
explicity forbade the attempt to separate the wheat from the chaff;
in any attempt to bring about a final separation of good and evil.
Israel is trying to get the chaff, knowing it is burning up the
wheat too. It is this Cromwellian,Hitlerian mentality that brought about such
horror against the Jews for two thousand years. Rethink it, Isarel.

Franz - the avg muslim does not hate jews. the avg jew does not hate muslims. It is the fanatic jews in Israel against the fanatic Arabs. We are slicing 6% of the total population. Most muslims I know have issues with the ISRAELI govt not jews as a whole.

To think that all these civilians (over 300 now?!) are connected to Hezbollah only clarifies your biases. Haven't you been reading the recaps from AMERICANS who came back from Lebanon about how the common Lebanese pple think and act? (hint they do NOT side with Hezbollah just want peace).

Irans president has many issues, he does not speak for the Muslim population.

R.ASHEN, thank you for your elaborate response. It seems clear to me that Israel does not want to invade and occupy southern Lebanon again, although at this point in time it seems nobody else other than Israel can disarm Hezbollah, and they do it because they have no choice. I read the horror stories from the media everywhere and as a European I am exposed to a constant barrage of people in the media who lay the blame of all these civilian deaths squarely on the Israelis. Like your rationale, theirs is emotional. Which is why I use this pseudonym to write under.

I also saw the burned boy and the burned baby and the Hezbollah paid doctor inthe Hezbollah paid hospital who claimed they were burned by Israeli phosphorus bombs on CNN. But this family was forced to carry missiles in their car. No, they were forced to be an arsenal for Hezbollah. No! Maybe they were forced to be a launching based for missile strikes into Israel. Or wait, maybe they voted for Hezbollah and did all of this willingly. Do you profess to know the truth? You blame Israel without knowing the details of what happened and instead of suspending your judgement and trying to achieve a detached and balanced position, I feel that you play right into Irans game of blaming Israel and the Jews. If Iran can get rid of Israel or effectively assault it, they will gain ascendancy over the Muslem masses, and you can read up about President Ahamdinejad of Iran and what he has publicly said to realize that that in fact is exactly what he wants to achieve with Hezbollah, mobilize the Muslem masses against Israel. Has he mobilized you too? Can you still rationalize the situation?

How do you know that the Israelis bombed those children on purpose? So many Israelis are my friends, I know what they are like I cannot imagine they would ever as a society condone it. Israel is a democracy much like most European democracies and neither its government nor its army is going to target civilians, firstly because they simply are good and moral people but also because, when it comes down to it, it would expose them to immediate censure by the Israeli courts!

You "feel much distress" yes I do too but convince me that you haven't lost perspective. The Jews are hated with fierce passion in the Arab world and this conflict requires our utmost sobriety.

All in all I just hate the fact that the Govt of the United States of America and Govt of Israel fail to see that counter-violence and escalating into war never solves any problems (see Iraq). It only creates new so called 'terrorists'. See all those pictures of young kids in Lebanon weeping over lost brothers and sisters? You think they are going to grow up to be peace-loving individuals or anti-Israel anti-west fanatics?

It saddens me that the U.S. and Israel (and apparently some pple on this blog) can't remember the lessons they learned in elementary school. An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.

Berry...ordinarily I refrain from doing jumpbacks at these blog
sites as most often it appears pointless to do so. However with
what is unfolding these days in Lebanon I feel much distress for
those who being innocent civilians or simply children and newborns
are being punished by Israel in ways that can only be described
as brutal and pathological. I am versed well enough in history to
know that humans are fully capable of inflicting much suffering
without feelings of remorse or compassion. The New World as first
seen by the Spanish soon encountered levels of greed and malovence
that several hundred years later still shock as to the starkness
of cruelty exhibited. Of course the Americans after having won
independence from the English certainly found it easy enough to
cling to the slave trade and slavery without finding it all very
brutal or untrue to better instincts. As they went west Americans
were to enlist the creed of Manifest Destiny well enough and for
the Native Americans in the path of that convenient postulation
much suffering,loss of culture and tribal lands soon ensued over
and over. The lucky ones may well have been those killed or at times
even murdered as the survivors suffered the cruelty of having to
keep on living. The Philippines are another chapter in the saga
of American hegemony. The 20th century saw the Americans in the
thick of violence and warmaking many times over. The Americas all
felt the hand of Uncle Sam one way or the other. If lucky it was
not the other. Post WW2 found the Americans on the top of the heap
militarily wise and they had lots of money too. I am jumping right
along here as I am at 1967 now. I still recall the Arab-Israeli
1967 War. As a seventh grader it all seemed incredible to see first
hand on the television. This also being the mid-point of American
warmaking in Vietnam. I felt Nixon was a crook early on and had to
defend that conclusion several times with family and friends at
school. 1973—I graduated from High School and the Israelis and
Arabs were at it again. Soon after the Americans found out what
role oil could play as a weapon. Today I was watching CNN and saw
a news clip of some Lebanese children who had just come under air
attack from American made Israeli fighter jets. The boys face was
very burned,his eyes burned shut. His little sister,who possibly
was 6 months old — lay on the hospital bed bleeding from more
than one wound. I was not proud to be an American at that point.
Oh I know the Israelis are suffering as well and I am sure the
blood they bleed is as red. I was caused to think though that
the Israeli pilot who had just commited this despicable act had
ignored from what the CNN story related as being so— a white flag.
I know the American president is not the smartest man ever to
sit in the Oval Office but I am offended to my heart by this mans
callous and heartless lack of intervention to stop the damn Israelis
from this sort of conduct. As for that slug up there in New York
at the UN who purports to be an American Ambassador he should either
not talk or resign. This story is not going to have a nice ending.
I am trying to do what I can. I am writing this on a computer here
in Thailand. You are absolutely correct about the need to do more.
This century will present all peoples of the world with much change
and for those just born if alive long enough to get old a likely
much harder world to live in. Those small children today in that
CNN piece may not see much of the 21st century at all. It is obscene
for Americans to be condoning this sort of mayhem. Condi Rice says
it should be about another week and then Israel will be ready for a
ceasefire. Of course she and Elliot Abrams are very supportive of
Israel. These people are truly a piece of work. One is left to
wonder is it simple ignorance or a dogmatic perversion of worldview?

The internet is proving an extraordinarily effective tool for de-mobilizing people all over the world. A few years ago, under the same circumstances, people would be demonstrating. Now, with these cute forums, we just voice our disagreements in front of the screen; then sit and wait for someone to respond.

While we politely exchange our dreams about an ethereal "peacekeeping force", the US already vetoed a UN resolution calling for the immediate stop of Israel's bombing of Lebanon. The effect is clear: Israel has been given carte blanche to do whatever they want against anyone. The international community (namely the UN) will not do anything to stop Israel's atrocities.

Well, the UN was already a meaningless organization since the invasion of Iraq. Now, the UN is just an old building that could safely be demolished. The world wouldn't notice.

IF you suggest "An international force constituted for the purpose of returning the Jews to the nations from whence they came"

and then suggest you "do not support "forcing" anybody to go anywhere."

then what is that international "force" to do with the Jews? You think any of them will go voluntarily?

I would like to thank RASHEN for posting the dispassionate and
seemingly well informed analysis on his (her?) views of the
situation we are in today and how we got there. Mentioning the
debt factor of the United States government and its tie in with
the global economy is also interesting. The United States is still
such an economic giant that the nations holding the debt have
obviously extended tremendous forebearance towards the Bush
regime in this area. From a purely pragmatic view, not ethical,
it is precisely the danger of creating a major conflagration in
the Middle East which could disrupt the oil flow dramatically,
causing this forebearance to be withdrawn, which raises the most
basic question of the reality factor now in Washington and Israel.
They are taking a wild gamble and if it backfires, then what? This
is all aside from the ethical and moral issues already discussed.
The most precise guided missiles in the world cannot solve
every problem.

P.S. Mr. Kafka, I do not support "forcing" anybody to go anywhere. I simply realize that two persons cannot occupy the same footprints. Since the property rights belong to the Palestinians, the israelis must move. If they wish to go somewhere else than from "whence they came," so be it. They need to look for a vacant home, though, rather than one that is already occupied.

I still support the restoration of the state of Palestine and the disarmament of the u.s. and great britain. It is the shortest road to the end of terrorism as the u.s., great britain and israel are the most lethal terrorist organizations in the world. Furthermore, they have been the impetus behind the creation of most of the smaller terrorist organizations throughout the world. Any objective observer can clearly see that this would be the prudent course. Too many, however, are blinded by religion and nationalism.

So many years later, the world still pays for the Hitler's crimes. The world should have sent the Jews into therapy rather than somebody else's nation. They simply didn't want to deal with them, though. I guess you could call israel the land of unwanted people. Feeling, or being, unwanted gives nobody the right to steal another's homeland.

The u.s. and great britain have simply shown an inability to act responsibly in exercising their influence over the rest of the world. International forces under the direction of the U.N. General Assembly should be charged with the military role in keeping the peace. The goal should be eliminating the need for a military role in such efforts. This goal is attainable only by giving all a voice. The efforts of the u.s. and great britain have been to silence people rather than giving them a voice.

Post WW2 the return of the State of Israel also coincided with
the blooming of the Cold War between the USA,the Soviet Union and
what was called Red China which still remains a communist styled
country but evidently no longer Red. The mid 20th century Middle
East was emerging from the wreckage of WW1 and WW2 Ottoman Empire,
British Empire and other colonial era interference and meddling. With
strong nationalist movements surging thruout the region. As the reach
of change emerged several shaky old regimes/kings in the region were
soon swept aside. The United States having emerged from WW2 as the
ranking military power strode the world as an economic giant.Europe
still smoldered from the recent carnage of WW2 and the Americans
by 1960 had flowed into many areas where the declining and wilting
British Empire had held sway for many decades. The creation of by
violent means of Israel took place on a changing Middle East stage
of emerging Arab national identity and self-rule. The Suez conflict
of the mid 1950's was one of several regional confrontations that due
to this new post WW2 Arab identity renewal took place. Israel of
course having lay claim to the better half of Palestine,the seaside
portion,soon found itself having to repel repeated undermining from
neighboring Arab regimes. The Cold War played into this regional
strife by being the enabler of American and Russian arms programs
being planted in various ME countries to conduct the "chess game"
going on between the USA and the USSR. With the emergence of ME oil
as prime component of post WW2 economic life it only served to bring
more American money,political requirements and military intrusion
into the Middle East. Saudi Arabia,Iran and Iraq all felt the hand of
American meddling and influences on how events played out in those
countries. The Soviet Union surely also was involved in many ways
behind the scenes or sometimes out in the open. Israel continued but
with its demise always just a few days away if not vigilant. We
know that the Arabs who were themselves experimenting with regional
political and military arrangements were not disposed to allow Israel
much breathing space. With the Americans tending to be the source of
Israeli arms and the Russians involved with several Arab countries
the Cold War always was near the surface of ME tensions and strife.
With the dramatic 1967 and 1973 ME wars this equasion was amplified
much. These wars had provided both the USA and the USSR with some
useful posturing on the world stage. The fact that Israel was able to
rearm through the Americans and the Arabs to rearm as well through
the Soviet Union kept the region on thin and easily broken peace.
The politics changed for some Arab countries and the tide of the
Cold War receded with the decline of the USSR. Arab populations also
sought other political outlets giving rise to less traditional
militants and more charismatic leadership. This having evolved into
what could be described as legitimate political resistance or the
terrorism threat as currently often portrayed by those who see this
divergence from traditional military means as not being fairplay.
Israel has emerged with militarism as a large part of its national
identity. With American money and military support it stands alone
in the Middle East on the abiltiy to put into the air a very deadly
modern air force and bring on devastating ground war firepower. No
Arab country could mount an attack on Israel today along traditional
military lines without suffering horrible losses. That Israel alone
has atomic weapons allows it to send some very hostile signals to
all Arab countries as well as the Persians. So what has happened now
again in Lebanon should hardly come as surprise. Israel can enforce
levels of mayhem no other Middle East country is equal of. The plight
of the Palestinians remains that of having lost much and likely not
regaining much back. Israel is basically telling the Palestinians to
suck it up and take whatever Israel gives. The current conflict that
engulfs Lebanon once again also is Israel telling the Lebanese to
suck it up and take whatever we throw at you. Syria and Iran getting
the same message as well. The Americans have blundered into the mire
of civil and sectarian open conflict in Iraq that appears to make
it very difficult for them to pull out or stay. Israel can afford to
be hostile on American money and with American military backup. The
Americans however are borrowing money from others and paying interest
on that borrowed money. This holds some real risk and threat as well.
The history in the Middle East of the past 60 years is not simple or
without a range of color within its politics,religions and cultural
composition. Any "black and white" simplistic solutions or refusal
to engage all Middle East stage players will not succeed. The USA
has lost the role of mediator with its having invaded Iraq and shown
its pro Israel tilt. Sadly one of the outcomes of the Cold War having
ended is the discipline it forced on the USA to play diplomacy games
more carefully is now gone. Condi Rice is acting more like a British
Empire Viceroy than an American Secretary of State. Perhaps if Russia
or China start to tip the scales more evenly the Americans will wake
up and return to more balanced policies. It is clear that what is
taking place in Lebanon is ethically and morally wrong. Civilians
and innocents are suffering in ways that only is taking place because
Israel has become unbounded by current American War on Terror ideas.
These having been set in motion on 9/11 reaction are increasingly
showing defects of execution and outcome. Violence is not going to
lead to a way out in the Middle East. Killing innocents is not going
to lead to any real sustained peace. Militarism,global energy demand
and religous extremism all make the ME a very difficult region to
conduct diplomacy and bridge building. Condi Rice may think that by
waiting she is opening new doors but it is more likely by waiting
until Israel has wrought total mayhem on Lebanon she has unleashed
much hatred and desire for revenge. Either the Americans will get
smarter and more skilled or they will suffer most for the blunders
of their own making in the post Cold War Middle East.

You admit you were aware of the Jewish exodus from Arab countries and Persia, and so you suggest that the Mizrahi Jews must be forced back to countries like Iran, Syria, Egypt, Lybia and Israel/Palestine.

As an educated person you are aware that they will be subject to let us call it a "less than optimal treatment."

Can you still stand behind your own suggestion?

Mr. Kafka

I don't feel wanted where I live. Can I move into your home and kick you out?

My historical awareness is not lacking even though I don't rely on sites like wikipedia to enhance it (I chose options like education accompanied by those big, old history books). My knowledge of international law is also not lacking, and the creation of the state of israel violated its basic tenets. Then again, the u.s. and great britain do not seem to be bound by international law. Therefore, we should probably tolerate israel without regard to international law or the disruption it has caused because the u.s. and great britain want us to do so. Why do they want us to do so? They want us to do so because neither they or the rest of the world wanted to take in these "displaced" Jews. How's that for historical awareness?

Mr. Drebenstedt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_exodus_from_Arab_lands

You want an international force that sends Jews to countries like Aden, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, Iran? And how do you expect them to survive there? Or, perhaps, was your historical awareness lacking?

An international force constituted for the purpose of returning the Jews to the nations from whence they came and restoring the state of Palestine is only one part of a just resolution. Another force needs to be put together to disarm the world's largest terrorist organization - the u.s. goverment. Yet another is needed to disarm the world's second largest terrorist organization - the government of great britain. Seeing that some u.s government officials think it is okay for one nation to interfere in the internal politics of another nation, I am considering calling on Iran for support in my efforts to remove the current u.s. regime.

The core policy issue is - how to usher in and anchor security, personal and national, in and among the peoples and countries in the region - the region understood to be the wide Middle East, with differing views of justice and divisions among groups and States. Among the more important are, organised religion riven with schisms, wealth and deprivation, squalor and comfort, technology and production gaps, and above all an international community devoutly split. It is not just one crisis. There are several, each feeding on the other, historically bubbling close to the surface and breaking out into wide scale violence from time to time, with effects across the globe.

The US cannot deal with these crises on its lonesome.

The question is – how to solve these interlocking crises? By tackling them starting with the most urgent, the most inhumane, the easiest, the most amenable with the interests of the external actor, the closest to universally accepted standards, or some other approach?

The US can not answer this question by standards and approaches defined largely by its national security interests and with resources commanded exclusively by itself.

It is assumed that the actors those involved as well as those who would seek to influence and help find answers/solutions have a good understanding of both the history and aspirations of the people and their governments. As an illustration, it is naive and even arrogant to assume that the potentially most influential, the US (congress, executive, lobbyists, media and academics) are lacking in the requisite information on which to base its actions.

It would not be unfair to recognise that the US does not act politically, in the interest of others, except where its national interest coincides/overlaps with others. So, one may question motive and intention of the US, but not lightly its ability to marshal information and stage scenarios.

As we are all affected in some degree or other, a different approach is suggested, hopefully neither naive nor unrealistic in the present context of a ‘war on terror’ and promoting liberty and democratic representation abroad.

1. The Middle Eastern institutions must take ownership of their problems though easier said than done. This requires liberty and democracy. This will take time and upheaval, hopefully contained.

2. The ‘international community’, specifically the UN and its administrative and executive (the Secretary General’s Office, the Security Council), deliberative (the General Assembly), and the adjudicating (the International Court of Justice, International Criminal Court) bodies must be legitimised by governments as a very first step. There must be confidence that there is an understanding of the underlying causes of the problems, why they lead to instability and hence crises, and their willingness to act according to their mandates. Media have as crucial a part to play, especially the ‘western’ variety.

3. The United Kingdom and especially the United States must step back from heavy-handed pressure that intimidates into inaction or secures support for their position. This must mean plainly and clearly, that these two countries must behave according to civilised norms and are tethered to democratic decision–making and accountability. Their monopoly over the use of technologies of production and destruction must be constrained by conventions and norms.

4. This implies corresponding responsibilities by others, especially UN officials with impeccable character, willing to act impartially and in line with the Charter principles and the human rights’ conventions, and governments whether permanent Security Council members or drawn from the majority in the General Assembly. They must be ready, willing and able to make sacrifices as part of the international community’s efforts. Without these responses, the US will be obliged to act as it determines, drawing on those willing, compliant, or able or going it ‘alone’. Criticism and blame in these circumstances are understood as mere posturing or empty gestures.

5. This is a start. These taken together, if managed astutely will yield short to medium-term results. But the initial step requires a boldness that is bound to be fraught with difficulties from within and without. Yet it is needed to ‘set the stage’.

6. The US should state unequivocally, that it will work with and only through the political mid-east regional body and the UN system. This self-denying ordnance is the first decision of a US government willing to start a process that could help shorten the steps toward the UN Charter destination.

7. A clear statement from the UN, both General Assembly and Security Council, that ‘victory’ by force of arms is inadmissible, any ‘fruits’ illegitimate, with force of law consequences clearly spelt out and their processes laid out.

8. Immediate cessation, without exception, of all bombardments and military engagements in the sub region around the Mediterranean.

9. Multi-interest groups representing all parties to the crises should be located in the region with the resources to succour those in need, while working on the other aspects of the different crises, some of which are identified herein. Each must declare its interest for the record.

A solution to the problems of world Terrorist and the Arab, Israel conflict is not possible as long as there is a Jewish Nation in Arab lands. A Radical solution is needed and thinking outside the box. Close our Borders deport all Illegal Aliens and give Israel the State of Calif. as a new Jewish Nation! Return Israel as part of the Arab homeland! Israel has proven the can have a Democracy and make the desert bloom. While the Illegal Invaders pf this Nation has proven they can crated nothing but Corruption, Crime, Poverty and Misery!

An immigrant is a person who obtains an immigration visa from a U.S. Consulate, expresses a wish & a will to become a U.S. citizen, and abides by the law.

The problem Americans are facing is one of ILLEGAL INVADERS, not immigrants — brought about by total neglect of the U.S. government to protect our Borders throughout several decades, both by Democratic and Republican administrations.

They have ignored Article IV Section IV of our Constitution & our Laws that is supposed to protect this Country from Invasion!

President Bush has not only ignored our Constitution & Laws he has Aided, Abided, Encouraged and Collaborated with a foreign government to Subvert our Constitution! To ignore our Constitution is grounds for Impeachment, to engage in Subverting our Constitution is Treason!

This Policy continues today even after the Wake-Up call of 9/11!

When you have Senators that are swore to Defend the Constitution & Uphold our Laws encourage Criminals to break them then you have Criminals for Politicians! When our Politicians that think our Constitution is just a damn piece of Paper & Laws are meant to be broken then we are headed down the Slippery Slope of Anarchy!

We are already paying a terrible price for Politicians ignoring our Constitution & our Laws, in the end, if not addressed soon, it will destroy this Nation!

We have a bureaucracy that makes it difficult for legitimate people to come to this country but does little or nothing to stop the Massive Invasion across our Borders!

Illegal Aliens start by breaking the Law by Arriving Illegally using Forged Document and engaging in a wide range of Illegal Activities that would get an American Citizens Fined and in Jail.

If an American Citizen is caught driving without driver licenses or insurance they face heavy fines & possible lost of driving Privileges. Illegal Aliens on the other hand are usually released with no punishment! The same is true for identify thief and benefits using false SS cards & for a host of other Crimes that American Citizens would feel the full weight of the Law!

Our Politicians answer to these crimes is not to punish them, but to reward them!

Only someone that is Brain-dead would believe rewarding Criminals results in less Criminals or Crime!

People that start out by breaking the Laws & are Rewarded for doing so, have little respect or regard for any Laws & see this Nation and American Citizens as ripe for Plunder!

They take full advantage of every benefit they can get Legal or Illegally!

Illegal Aliens have an informal but highly effective net work to inform other Illegal Aliens where to get bogus documents & any new scams to get benefits illegally! Most Illegal Aliens works off the books & pays no taxes but still somehow gets an Earned Income tax credit ranging form 1500.00 to 3200.00 returned to them every year from American taxpayers!

Illegal Aliens arrive in this Country from Counties where rampant Crime and Corruption has been a way of life for Centuries, is it any wonder they bring those same Family Values across the Border with them?

They retain loyally to the Native Countries & Exploit the Compassion of Americans by using us & having nothing but contempt for a people & Nation that does not have the Political Will or Integrity in its Politicians to enforce our Laws & our Constitution against Invasion.

To put it bluntly & without being Politically Correct, Illegal Aliens & Many of our Politicians are Parasites & Criminals feasting on the backs of American Citizens!

Illegal Aliens seek not to build this Nation, but to use the fruits of Labor of Legal American Citizens that immigrated to this country legally & have in 230 years of Blood, Sweat, Tears, and Sacrifice built this Nation!

While the Illegal Invaders have built nothing but a Cesspool of Crime, Corruption, Poverty & Misery in their own Counties for the masses, but a Elite class of very Rich, and Corrupt for the few.

Could this be what many of our Politicians are hoping to Achieve here in the USA?

You hear our Politicians like Bush, Kennedy, Hillary, McCain, Reid, Spector, Brownback, thatÔøΩs wants to give them Amnesty, only they are so dishonest they refuse to call it Amnesty! They talk about the Rule of Law & Amnesty in the same sentence. This is an Oxymoron of the first order!

We hear the same Politicians speaking of seeking Bipartisan support for a Comprehensive solution to Illegal Aliens which are code words for Amnesty without any means or intend to enforce the Laws or our Constitution & close our Borders, just like they did with the 1986 Amnesty!

They further obscure & confuse the issue with Political Spin & Lies by saying it is only 7 or 8 million when the best independent estimates of the Illegal population was 20 million years ago & we have 5 to 10 thousand more pouring across our borders every day since then.

They conveniently forget to inform American Citizens that each Illegal Alien granted citizenship has the option to bringing in 5 family members in a never ending chain, so at the very least we are talking about 60 million or so in the next 15 to 20 years, a more realistic number is probably 200 million or more.

This Nation will be inundated with 10,s of Millions of Prolific breeders. Citizens with an average of 6 grade education and a 50 percent school drop out rate to populate the gangs & welfare rolls.

This is the same thing that happens with the last Amnesty, only this time it is on a scale large enough to destroy this Nation and turn the USA into another Mexico!

What we really have is a club of Millionaires in the Senate & the Democrat party seeking to deceive American Citizens again & pass a Law to reward other Millionaires with an unlimited supply of 21 First Century slaves.

While they reward their selves with the votes from Latinos and money they receive from Corporations for destroying this Nation!

The intent is to exploit both the Illegal Aliens for their Cheap Labor and the Poor & Middle class American Citizens as victims of the Illegal AlienÔøΩs crime, deteriorating standard of living and the 100,s of billions in welfare costs!

While the users of the Illegal Aliens Labor laugh all the way to the bank with their obscene profits! The get richer while the rest sink into Poverty! In BushÔøΩs term in office 5.4 million more American Citizens have slipped into poverty so he has been effective in his goal & if they succeed in this Amnesty their victory will be Complete! American will become an Nation of Poverty with the Rich, Elite and Corrupt ruling and the rest slaving for pennies like the Peons in Mexico!

If this Amnesty is passed is anything like the Senate version as currently written, it will result in harm to this Nation almost beyond ones imagination!

The last Amnesty resulted in the largest increase in Crime and Welfare of any bill ever passed & compared to this Amnesty it was minuscule.

Illegal Aliens as percentage of population & the ones given Citizenship by the last Amnesty contribute more too both Crime & Welfare, than any other group in the USA!

So you be the judge of what the results of next Amnesty will be & the harm it will do!
.
The press is as guilty as the Politicians in trying to foster off this massive Amnesty bill on the American Public. They continue to refer to the Mass Invasion of Illegal Aliens as Immigrants which could not be further from the truth.

They fail to point out the harmful impact of the last Amnesty in 1986.

Few report what the detrimental affects will be to our Population, Standard of living, Crime, Environment, Welfare or a host of other problems with the Senate bill!

Many Nations have tried to build a great Nation on the Back of Slaves, all have failed. If this were not so Mexico & other third world Nations would be rich instead of poor!

For anyone that has never lived in an third country & experienced the horrible conditions & do not understand what will happen to this Country if the Senate Amnesty is passed go visit the interior of Mexico, there you will see the future of this Nation!

We, as American Citizens owe & have the duty to prior generations that built this country at great personal sacrifice & to future generations, to rise up in protest from coast to coast and tell our Corrupt Politicians, No Not Again!

I made a big mistake about the structure of the peacemaking force. I should have included Bolton, most U.S. senators, and 400+ U.S. congressmen. Their votes have just reassured the world that the U.S. is not fit as a leader of the internacional community; moreover, nowadays the U.S. is not even an independent country, but a puppet of Israel's lobby.

Don't they realize that, when 10 out of 15 members of the U.N. Security Council vote to condemn Israel's bombing of Lebanon, perhaps, maybe, there would be the remote possibility that those 10 countries may be right? Nooooo, "the U.S. and Israel are always right, and everyone who disagrees is wrong", they say.

It took the international community many years to come to the conclusion that Yugoslavian ethnic cleansing was a crime against humanity, despite clear and mounting evidence. How long will it take for the international community to reach the same conclusion regarding Israel's atrocities?

"Never; what Israel does is self defense", they say. And the U.S. government nods, as every servant does when the mastes speaks.

Berry

If the is a will, there is a way. If Uncle Sam comes down hard on both sides, the real peace dividend will come from Iraq. Both the Sunnis the Shiites will cheer welcome it and Iraq will turn into a cakewalk. A tough decision but one that must be made, eventually.

Sir,
As we all know, Wars have been / are fought for 4 reasons -

The Ladies:
Well there was Helen of Troy who started a war. Then there was Archduke Franz Ferdinand who married Countess Sophie Chotek - below his Imperial rank - His wife was denied the title of an Imperial Highness and could not accompany him on official ( Royal } functions. He loved his wife and sought to attenuate the slight by using his Military rank - took the missus by his side in an open carriage on an inspection ( ie an 'entitled' Military function )of troops in Serbia on 28 June 1914 ( his wedding anniversary ). Both were, as we all know, assasinated. World War I with 8 million killed was a direct consequence.

Land / Real Estate / Lebensraum:
That is the second standard cause for conflict. Always will be. Even maybe in outer space in due course.

Wealth - the pursuit of: The third call to achieve ends by any
(violent.. ) means.

Religion: - Why that should be a cause for wars beats me. I am neither a Christian, Muslim, Hindu or Jew or Buddhist. Mostly an atheist I think. Perhaps we need to recall Ella Wheeler Wilcox :

So many Gods, so many Creeds
So many paths that wind and wind
While just the art of being kind
Is all that the sad world needs.

Don't get me wrong folks, I am not against peacemaking, peacekeeping or even a nice shooting War with minimal collateral damage. I retired with 27 years in the regular Military; Dad was 35 years in the Navy. And I still have Great Grandfather's medals in original with me - he was in a Pioneer's Infantry Battalion, joining 18 March 1858 as per the Army list in my local library. The medals were for Peking, Abyssinia and Afghanistan ( the 2nd Afghan War . )

As none of the 4 underlying causes will go away or be viewed in sensible or even a simple moral perspective there won't ever be peace
even if it is made or kept for a while.

jvd70 says: "Israelis don't hide behind women and children, they do not station their artillery amongst shops and homes. They man their tank and drive into the desert, shout out their challenge, and are willing to defend their own."

Are you seriously suggesting some sort of honorable face off in the desert is on offer to those who see themselves as fighting on behalf of Palestinians? Israeli's in tanks and Hezbollahin the open but with rockets? No Israeli airpower or other forces? If the Israeli's lose the Palestinians get their homes and olive groves back and full and equal human rights along with neighbors of other faiths and can live in peace? Because I don't see that on offer at all. In fact it doesn't look like they have any possible route to that except to fight as they do. Because Israel will arrest of kill anyone who won't agree that Israel as it is must continue, they knew they could not use any democratic path. Their only hope must be that Israel demonstrates to the world that it is a danger to the world, just as it is to Palestinians. By devastating multi-cultural, multi-faith, bridge between Europe and the Middle-East Lebanon, as it has, Israel may now have done just that.

Fallujah Peacemaking

US forces in Fallujah experienced it first hand: urban warfare against an enemy that wears civilian clothing and that uses civilians as shields and as psychological warfare units is an extremely disturbing type of warfare. Few of us can imagine how utterly devastating it is to find ones own bullets, bombs and grenades killing women, children and non combatants who have often been intentionally put in the line of fire. Not only US soldiers have lived through it and are living through it, it is a recurring theme in Israel and now for European NATO soldiers in Afghanistan as well.

If you ask any US soldier who fired the round that hit a civilian if they fired that round on purpose, they will deny it; they have their instructions on force protection and other such procedures and in executing those procedures the civilians have lost their lives. Even though they never killed intentionally, many suffer the effects in post traumatic stress disorder, they awake every night bathing in sweat seeing the same scene over and over again, the moving picture of a life lost due to their action, feeling the guilt and agony in full force.

We can't blame them for this, shall we blame the insurgents and terrorists? They are often young men who have been deluded into thinking that they and the civilians that die in battle are martyrs that will be received in heaven. They have been sent, trained and indoctrinated by a network of people that seeks to derail democracy and freedom in Iraq, Lebanon and Israel, that seeks to maintain its exclusive control over vast energy resources, that wish to gain the power over people through religious manipulation.

Over a thousand civilians died during coalition operations in Fallujah, the exact number remains unknown. Was the action in Fallujah disproportionate given the high number of civilian casulaties? Did anyone question the morality or strategy of the Americans who fought there and pushed the insurgency out of that town? If you know them personally up and down the command chain, you can't blame them for it, it's the cost of war, war isn't perfect and causes immense suffering.

The Israeli offensive is much the same thing, but the difference is that these soldiers are not Americans, not Europeans, they are Israeli, they are mostly Jews. And many people in the west no longer consider Israel and its armed forces to be part of 'their' civilization. While an American soldier in Fallujah is blameless and absolved of all sin, because we think we know his heart, the Israel soldier is easily condemned for his 'savagery' because we have forgotten that they are like us, a honorable, democratic and freedom loving people like ourselves. Israelis don't hide behind women and children, they do not station their artillery amongst shops and homes. They man their tank and drive into the desert, shout out their challenge, and are willing to defend their own.

To Nie: I am not anti-Semetic. I worship a Jew, Jesus Christ, and
I believe all the Old and New Testament prophecies that claim
that the throne of David will be re-established and will rule the
world. You can hardly call that anti-Jewish. But the rule of law
is still binding until the Jewish Messiah rules under His own
jurisdiction, ( a law, by the way, instituted by Moses in the
Ten Commandments). I still stand by my analogy, based on the
law of Moses and the laws of the civilized nations. The attempt to
destroy the concept of national sovereignty and internation law
lies behind much of this struggle on the philosophical level, and
very few understand that. This is really all about power, money and
oil. Failure to grasp that fact, is failure to grasp what is really
going on. The Jew first, and then the Gentile. This is what the
Jewish missionary Paul taught in the New Testament, and I have grown
children who will tell you they were raised on this principle.
Let us pray for the peace of Jersualem; and the world.

Escape and Ms. Cameron Shaw:

Very simply, you do not understand the law, international or domestic. And you have some points that show your own dramatic biases. I'll at least admit to my own, and at least I have some basis to say I understand the way the law works.

First, Hizbullah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, etc. etc. etc. do no attack Israel because it takes prisoners from those groups, which I readily admit they do. They attack Israel for the same reasons Israel was attacked by the armies of Arab nations in '48-'49, '67 and '73: Because they do not believe Israel has the right to exist. Israel exchanging prisoners with terrorist organizations is not a way to gain a lasting piece. It is the way to flood terrorist groups with new soldiers to fire rockets and strap bombs to their chests to indiscriminately kill Israeli civilians.

There is a major difference between the civilian casualties in Israel and the casualties in Lebanon and Gaza. In Israel, the army and it's infrastructure is kept, in large part, separate from the populace. They do not have their bases of operation in the middle of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Safed, Jaffa, Galilee, or any of their other major cities. Hizbullah and Hamas purposely intertwine, both in terms of personnel and infrastructure, with the civilian population to require any strike kills or damages civilians. Additionally, many civilians put themselves in the fray. While they may not be members of Hizbullah or Hamas, they house their members and ardently support their terrorist activities.

And while two Israeli soldiers being kidnapped may seem like no big deal to you, they aren't your brethren. They are mine. All it shows is the base sort of anti-semitism that is still rampant in the world, where two Jewish lives mean next to nothing except for representing a "stupid" gesture on the part of a terrorist organization. This is why young, fairly liberal, secular Jews like myself will continue to support Israel. Essentially, we're not dumb enough to trust our safety, or childrens' safety, their childrens' safety, to the end of time itself to anyone but ourselves.

And just to clarify, I am calling neither of you racists or anti-semites, in the context we would typically use the words in. I am merely referring to the sort of prejudice that is still, unfortunately, out in the world. The kind that makes you walk a little faster when you see three African American teenage boys walking behind you or the kind that makes you think "Jew" whenever you hear of a corruption scandal or makes you think "Muslim" when you hear about a terrorist attack. It's unfortunate that kind of prejudice still exists, but any denial of it is living in a fantasy land.

I stand by my analogy. Escape has completely shifted the grounds
of the argument and raises an entirely different issue of self
defense. If we apply this reasoning, then what should Lebanon be doing today to
defend itself against overwheming military force? Lawlessness can
be hidden behind many fine faces, but its end result is always the
same: brutality, injustice, violence and reckless retribution.

NIE: 'No problems murdering their victims'? Are we talking about Mossad (oh oops that was supposed to be a secret), Hamas or perhaps Hezbollah? All 3 seem to do this very well.
Your analogy has too many flaws for me to point out all of them. Self defense as you delightfully describe it would be for Hezbollah or whomever to launch a full scale attack on the state of Israel. Then in turn, Israel does what it is doing as we speak. Is that was happened? Hezbollah kidnapped 2 (TWO!) Israeli soldiers in retaliation for Mossad secretly kidnapping HUNDREDS of their own (oh wait media never talks about that one shhh). So Hezbollah wants an exchange. While Hezbollahs actions were stupid(for lack of a better term)granted, lets not be COMPLETELY biased in the way we view this.

Escape:

Ms. Cameron's analogy is a bit off. The better analogy would be if a gang who is known to have no problem with murdering their victims kidnaps your son, could you kill all of them without going to prison? The answer is yes. The right of self defense extends to third parties.

The way self defense works is that you are able to defend yourself in a reasonable amount as a reaction to others. So if 12 people are coming at me with knives and lead pipes, and I have a gun with 12 bullets, I can shoot all 12 of them because it would be pretty reasonable for me to fear for my life at that point. Similarly, if I saw a gang of people attacking someone else to a point that I believe his life may be in danger, or trying to kidnap him, I could use the exact same amount of force to defend him as I could to defend myself in that situation.

P.S. I love when people who don't know the law try to analogize to it.

Guns and butter,

You are right: responsible "adult states" should supervise younger ones.

The only problem being that adult states are currently run by big oil interests who have a recovering-alcoholic puppet at the most powerful place in the world.

'jkreed' and 'heard enuff' have some incomplete facts that must be clarified. Israel is NOT the only democracy in the region! Hezbollah is NOT a state army like Israel! Jkreed your thinking is EXACTLY the same as the terrorist who hit us on 9/11 - you say well you live among them, you elected them, so now bear the brunt of your actions. We elected our obviously delusional Govt, we are the 'root cause' of all the chaos in Iraq (and most of the middle east for that matter), so should a foreign country see redemption in hitting the civilians of the United States??? On the flip side just because the State of Israel has made so many calculated errors and poor judgement do we hate all jews?? Ofcourse not. You have to be careful not to generalize. We have no idea what war is because our day to day concerns revolve around the few cents extra we have to pay at the pump, how bad traffic will be when we leave work, and what plans to make on a friday night. The images we see on tv mean nothing to the majority of us. Please understand the rest of the world knows this. They know when it comes to war, Americans and much of the West is desensitized. We have so much money that it becomes 'affordable'. Yet a 3rd world country ends up in starvation. And yes, that breeds MORE hatred, more terrorism, etc.

Of ALL these blogs Carol Cameron best illustates the problem:
If my son is beat up by a gang in the
neighborhood and I decide to shoot everybody on the block to get
back at them, I would find myself in prison for murder.

It is amazing that we are all talking about and wish to have peace but we all want to take sides, pro- or anti-Israel (or so it is sold that way). Peace is about both sides, both sides must agree with the same set of rules, agreements and eventually treaties and security agreements. Israel and her neighbours (except Egypt)are young countries and less than 100 years old.

Just like ordinary laws in every country, the youth, the derenged and mentally unstable, the angy and disturbed are not allowed to buy guns, operate heavy machinery or make big decisions. The law in fact allows such persons to be punished and their liberties limited, or put some kind of supervision. This is what has to be done on all sides of this by the "adults" of this world, even-handed, until they grow up and understand what responsiblity is all about.

Time to grow up.....it is no longer a joy ride.

International peace keepers are only stopgaps, a shock treatment or an excuse to satisfy our own concious . The mandate assigned to them is just to stop hostilities and blood shed as a neuteral force.

they are never assigned to look for the permanant solution . to investigate and analyze the issues. they are alien in the region and ignorant of the customs and beliefs.

the present middle east situation is so complex that the forces which can dictate a solution instead opted to remain silent.

if still core issues need to be addressed and some body have any dream of the peace and stability in the region then a person of caliber of Mr. Clinton should be appointed as negotiater to find a respectable solution for all parties.

otherwise nature will settle the issue and the fittest will survive.

The fact is, the USA has given Israel billions and continues to give her billions in military aid every year. It's by far the largest recipient of US aid, $2-3 billion per year. If per chance the Israeli's improve on a few US tanks as one poster noted, so what, the fact is, 99% of the shell casings falling on Lebanon are all made in the USA. As for our illustrious politicians, they are all pretty much worthless. Hillary Clinton might as well join GW Bush's cabinet. Look, Israel, like it or not is a terrorist state. It's Mosaad routinely kiidnaps and tortures Arabs, thousands are held incommunicado in Israel. Israel is also an apartheid state, Palestinians have no rights there, no vote, and they are given garbage land while the Israeli's live in air conditioned new homes, subsidized by money from the USA. Mosaad, and the IDF, they are nothing more than Hezballah, in reverse, and an abomination.

Dear Southern Lebanese: if you live among terrorists, support, feed, clothe and house them, celebrate their bombings in the street and elect their leaders, well then you're no longer "innocent civilians." To expect to be spared the consequences of Hezbollah terrorist activities (in the form of Israeli retaliation) makes you nothing less than whiney hypocrites.

"Certainly nuclear weapons in the hands of Muslims do not threaten Americans unless carried to the U.S."

On an airliner into an NYC office building yes. We seem to have moved beyond 9/11 into a nazi horror world. If only we got rid of the Je.. i mean Israel then Iran won't need nuclear weapons and "certainly" a nuclear armed Iran is no threat to the US IF. Ahhhh the big if.

"Our oil greed", the greed that moves the world economy, that keeps billions of people housed, fed, employed, alive. If Iran gets nukes, does that mean cold turkey time for the world economy?

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/740444.html

can be usefull for a short period..but thinking that is a solution..it is a big mistake...the solution is a coming back of israel in the 67 borders..a palestinians state..a peace agreement with Palestinians and Siria..cutting the gras onder the feet of the fundamentalisme..it means..a strong USA policy to oblige Israel to forget a dream of the "Heretz israel"..the pro Israel lobby is too strong in washington? better forget a peacekeeping force..do you remember what is happened in beirouth 25 years ago?

The big question: Is the current leader of Iran another Adolf Hitler? I Suppose so, if you are an oil greedy American and cannot keep your nose out of the Middle East or especially if you are an Israeli. The more America is addicted to oil, the more it cannot help but search greedily worldwide for it, the more it will run up against the regimes of the Middle East and the Muslims will be painted in an ever darker light. The less dependent America becomes on oil, the more successful it is in technological innovation and alternative fuel, the less of a problem the Middle East appears to be. Certainly nuclear weapons in the hands of Muslims do not threaten Americans unless carried to the U.S. In other words, the less dependent the U.S. is on Middle Eastern oil the more the U.S. can afford to simply contain the Muslim world, and indeed be one with the rest of the world on this problem as they too will benefit from advances in energy technology. But no advances in technology, no solution to the oil problem and of course Muslims will increasingly be seen as the problem whether they are or not. Certainly with every success in becoming less dependent on oil it will be seen how distorted U.S. foreign policy has become by Israel. The problem of Israel in fact encourages us to continue using oil by playing on our worst fears, by encouraging us to identify with Israel. The identity of Israel is such that no matter what direction this Jewish state turns, the result will be dramatic. The Jews are as deeply threatened by a democratic and multicultural Middle East as they are by weapons of mass destruction in the hands of Middle Eastern players. Israel depends on Muslims being unable to acquire weapons of mass destruction or interbreed with Jews. There are so few Jews that the identity of the Jewish state is perpetually in crisis, and if this identity crisis is transferred to the U.S. it gives every excuse to just plunder the Middle East for oil. Indeed it seems U.S. foreign policy with respect to the Middle East is the reverse of the famous chariot of Plato as described (I believe) in the Phaedrus. One horse is the greedy horse of oil and the other is the pull of Israel, the identification of U.S. interests with Israel's. It remains to be seen which horse will turn first, which is the easiest to turn. Certainly it can be seen if we pull away from our use of oil we will be capable of a cool observation of Israel. The way the Jewish state is formed quite simply favors war over peace. Israel obviously does not want war to escalate to a nuclear weapon conflict, but neither can it afford the peace which brings the stranger to the door asking for sons and daughters in intermarriage. The Jewish state cannot exist but in perpetual tension with Muslims, cannot allow them to acquire WMD nor come too close to home in friendship. For the U.S. to acquire this mentality would be devastating, would undo centuries in fact of Western attempts to fuse peoples into the higher democratic state, the state beyond religion and blood and in celebration of the individual and liberty. In fact for the U.S. to wrench itself away from the mentality of Israel is more important than curbing its greed for oil. If it can wrench itself away from the Israeli mentality then it becomes simply a logical question, politics, pragmatics, utility and innovation. We simply conclude that we must move away from oil and that the Islamic world must gradually be made democratic. But by identifying with Israel our worst fears are engaged and all logic is lost. It matters little whether we are removed from oil addiction or not. We feel our survival is at stake—that all foreigners are threatening whether they acquire WMD or simply want to marry our sons and daughters. The truth is the leader of Iran is the new Adolf Hitler simply because of an identification with Israel, with our refusal to see that a removal from Israel and the threat diminishes proportionately. The U.S. should not confuse itself for Israel. Israel is bad for the U.S. and it really is sickening that we sell so many weapons to her. This of course is not to say Jews are evil. Israel is simply a mistake and the Israeli Jews should immigrate and assimilate into the U.S. or Europe. Or if they prefer to make a stand, it should not be at our expense. We should welcome them to our shores but not identify with them, not have our conception of society reduced to a psychotic fear of the neighbor. Or is it we are too in grip of this psychosis to do anything about it? Or is our greed for oil so great that it eclipses even this psychosis? Certainly a breakthrough in our addiction to oil will be a clearing of our mental skies. Then we will not be so obsessed about the Middle East. Then we will clearly see if we do have an obsession with such it will be because of the pull of Israel. But with every success of our ability to assimilate different peoples and religions—the true forward step of democracy—even the pull of Israel will not be so strong. Then Israel will be truly left alone. It will be seen how small the state truly is, how fearful, paranoid to the point of psychosis. It will be seen that Muslims can never be good in Israeli eyes except insofar as they retreat—retreat but do not acquire WMD to close range. No Muslims swamping the Jewish state nor acquiring WMD to destroy it. A perfect little world of Jews. The U.S. must totally avoid this mentality. It must make every effort to pull away from oil and increase its capacity to assimilate foreigners. Then the leader of Iran will be seen to be no Adolf Hitler. Then it will be seen he could possibly even be a friend. But for today he is completely wrong. I let it remain for the reader which is more at fault for the U.S. with respect to Iran: Our oil greed or the problem of Israel. This of course is not to say the Muslim world is completely innocent. But we thunder with our chariot of our worst fears, delusions and tendencies straight into conflict. And we hope the Muslim becomes our perfect picture of evil.

We open our newspapers and we read that Israel is once again in open conflict with the surrounding peoples (and has this conflict ever been closed?). This time it is Hezbollah from the north and a threat from Gaza to the south. But the specifics are largely irrelevent. What strikes home to the eye is that Israel is a pathological state, a state which cannot allow the Muslims to be so evil as to possess weapons of mass destruction nor to be so good as to be worth interbreeding with. In other words Israel is a Jewish state in a sea of a billion Muslims and must not allow these Muslims to possess weapons of mass destruction nor allow them to be considered equals for that would mean intermarriage and the collapse of Israel if not as a state certainly its collapse as a Jewish state. The Muslims must be precariously maintained within a framework whereby they do not become truly evil to the eye through possessing weapons of mass destruction nor good through whatever means which might make them good and worth considering for marriage. In other words Muslims can never really be considered good by Israel, they will always be second class citizens if not considered outright evil. If they acquire weapons of mass destruction they are truly evil and must be destroyed. If they become democratic and seek intercourse with Israel along the lines of any truly democratic nation (which means a melting pot) then they are...evil once again. With respect to Israel it is logically impossible for a Muslim to be good. Israel of course says it wants the Muslims to lay down arms and even embrace democracy, but of course this does not mean that then Jews will be rushing to embrace Muslims in marriage—on the contrary: There are way too few Jews with respect to Muslims and Israel would be no more a Jewish state. It is plainly obvious to all that war rather than peace is in Israel's best interests. Peace would mean democracy and the threat of intermarriage and expose Israel for what it is: A qualified democracy, democracy for Jews and with everyone else second-rate. But of course Israel does not want war to the point of a weapons of mass destruction conflict—No! Israel must always have the upper hand, keep the conflict from escalating to the point that Muslims acquire weapons of mass destruction.—But there must always be conflict—it is in Israel's interests that the Muslims never really come across as good people let alone democratic and worth considering for intermarriage. Israel quite simply is a pathological state, a state of affairs which cannot be maintained. Its alternatives are to hope Muslims acquire weapons of mass destruction so there is an excuse to annihilate them; or hope they become democratic but then Israel will gradually transform from being a Jewish state into a Muslim one; or the Jews can flee Israel—in fact dismantle it—and assimilate within the northern nations (Europe and the United States of America). But where they are now and in relation to Islam will not, cannot last. Basic logic reveals that. The bigger question though is why does the U.S. support Israel to the degree that it does? No doubt because the situation of Israel crystallizes a very deep fear that the U.S. has. The U.S. too fears on one hand people other than it acquiring weapons of mass destruction and on the other people coming to America and modifying its democracy to unrecognizability. Israel touches deep the psychological core of the U.S., is a concentrated mirror image of its fear on one hand of being totally annihilated by an enemy and on the other collapsed through immigration, interbreeding, etc. People must not be allowed to become too evil through acquiring weapons of mass destruction but neither can they be allowed to be considered truly good and readily embraced to the point of marriage. We have this uneasy and ugly middle ground, where we reluctantly grant the "other" his humanity but are ever suspicious, ever ready to take it away if he becomes dangerous through weapons or seeks simply to make friends with us too quickly. Perceptive female readers will say "My God, the U.S. and especially Israel has a fear of commitment!" And that would be a pretty damn accurate assessment of the situation. Yes, Israel is like the lifelong bachelor willing to dally yet terrified of the recurring nightmare of being stabbed in the back and wondering if this nightmare actually means a fear of being stabbed in the back or "simply" a fear of marriage. Muslims are a tasty temptress to Israel, but will Israel be stabbed in the back?—And if not stabbed in the back, what will happen through intermarriage? Yes, Israel has a little problem—a little problem which must be corrected more and more each day by a hand on the nuclear trigger. And the U.S. sympathizes with this problem: Those dirty Muslims! And the Muslims too are eager to destroy and/or rape their way to success. A tale once told (sound and fury signifying nothing, etc.). Hezbollah! Gaza! Oh, Israel! And the United States of America.

A must read for anyone even remotely interested in the situation:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/740444.html

Quote: "We are witnessing a most serious failure of our leaders. They allowed the State of Israel to fall into the Iranian trap by responding to Iran's provocation. It was intended to disrupt the discussions of the G8 that were supposed to form an international consensus against the Iranian nuclear program. A responsible leadership would have delayed the response by several weeks, and not played into the Iranian's hands."

It's not about Hezbollah, it's not about Israel, it's all about Iran. Hezbollah is an Iranian puppet, in all but name an Iranian army. And they're trying to maneuvre us into accepting them having nuclear weapons and a stranglehold on the world economy. If you don't mind that or don't see the danger please feel free to dilute the issue by keeping the spotlight focus on Israel, but if you do you are missing the geopolitical game and an opportunity to keep this planet from descending into chaos.

Are you people for real? Sofla — seeing a corrupt, human rights atrocity such as Iran and an offset for Israel's power? You're either delusional or a brainwashed Mid East studies major. I hope Israel, the only democracy in the region, destroys every last Hezbollah fighter. Let the world wring its hands about what Israel's doing now — we'll pat them on the back later. The fact is, majority Arab/Muslim countries can't get over having a non-Muslim neighbor. Israel could withdraw its borders to Brooklyn and that still wouldn't be enough. Islamists and Muslim dictators can't live in a world w/o conflict so they'll make it up at every opportunity. Plus, mid-east countries don't mind atrocities against "civilians" provided they're perpetrated by fellow Muslims— see their deafening silence regarding Dafur, or even the past actions of Jordan and Egypt against their Palestinian "brothers." That's not to say that what Israel's doing is an atrocity. Quite the contrary, they're cleaning up their backyard where, once again, the "International Community" has failed.