Friday, March 6, 2009
Germany slammed for not boycotting Durban II; Britain recognizes Hizballah as a political party
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Peace, Debate, and Dialogue
I was thinking about this the other day...
I am offended by the word "peace." Why should the VICTIM have to worry about 'peace'? Groups such as "Peace Now", and "Jewish Voice for Peace" claim to be even handed and claim to want peace... but by their very focus on ISRAEL as the source of problems guarantees there will NOT be peace. If you look at the history of the Mideast conflict, almost every time, Israel acted either defensively or in retaliation for slaughter of its citizens. Whether it acted in the right way is debateable, what is not debateable from a historical REALITY perspective is WHY Israel has acted. Many people do not actually live in reality and prefer to deny history; we both know that historical reality is not a friend to Arabs as well as Arab apologists. But still, the facts are the facts.
Those who advocate for 'peace' would really ONLY be advocating it from the perspective of putting the onus on Palestinians to stop their low-grade constant conflict and stop teaching hate to their children. The checkpoints did not exist until the Intifada; people forget that. The 'wall' did not exist until the Intifada; again, people forget that. The entire 'occupation' (what a loaded word!) exists solely due to Israel's defensive Six Day War.
'Peaceniks' who really are peaceful would realize Israel has a right to defend itself and stop pretending that settlers are per se evil and the reason for the problems. They would see the root of the problem and demand an end to it. The 'peace' groups I cited, in their failure to do this, necessarily promote war. They make 'peace' an offensive word. Don't sell that 'peace' to ME or to Israel - sell it to those who are preventing peace.
This brings me to a question of dialogue and debate. I believe that dialogue and debate will be counterproductive. I thought about it, as a result of dialogue and debate over the course of a year and a half online, I have become actually more set in my political opinions, and more convinced than ever that the other side are either brainwashed or antisemites, and basically not reachable. Let me put it this way; the other side is not merely claiming "Israel, you overreacted in this situation/that situation." They say "Israel, you are rotten to the core and have no right to exist!" So what "dialogue" is there with them? What "debate" is there with them? How do you "debate" your own existence?
And so I believe that the topic of Israel should simply not even be debated with these cretins, thugs, and brainwashed masses. We will NOT change them, and if anything, make them worse. Instead, I believe the best AND ONLY topic to discuss with Arabs is Lebanon. A secondary topic is possibly Iran. Lebanon is a country on the brink; anyone who actually believes in a future for the Lebanese is against a common (and existential) enemy of Israel's: Hezbollah and Syria. There are banners all over Lebanon that say "I love life." So, promote THAT. Promote an anti-Hezbollah culture of Lebanon, promote love of life and anti-hate; do not even discuss Israel as it will simply enflame passions and lead to nothing. Then maybe have a debate about the way to bring about peace in Lebanon. Bring together a broad spectrum of Lebanese and Arab society that is devoted against the hate. Then, maybe once they are anti-Hezbollah hate, they will start to be pro-Israel. But it has to be side-strike. The same goes with Iran; the Iranian mullahs are anti-Israel, but more than that, they are anti-Iranian. So bring together a broad spectrum of people who again love life and are devoted against the mullahs.
If you do a survey of the Mideast, other than Israelis, the only other countries filled with sophisticated people who love life are Lebanon (at least Sunni/Druze/Maronites, and a minority of Shia) and Iran. They can be reached, and should be reached. And the debate should not be Israel's existence or whether Israel leads a vast cabal controlling world foreign policy, as that debate will lead to nowhere. It should be over the future of a free, just, and pluralistic Lebanon and Iran.
Thoughts?
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Winograd to address alleged war crimes during last year's Hizballah war
Read more about another aspect of Winograd right here.
Personally, I think this is great idea. I think Israel should honestly look at whether it committed 'war crimes' or not. But in turn, let's see the press publicize the fact that Israel is such a strong democracy, that it is willing to have a commission examine this issue. I also would love to see a commission examine Hizballah's war crimes. Maybe Winograd will do that?
Predictions...(and you do not need to be a swami to figure this out)...
- The report will find at least some 'war crimes' committed by Israel as war is hell and there are always war crimes committed during war. You cannot win a war without committing war crimes.
- The report will also address Hizballah's war crimes (which are much more serious, as they, unlike Israel, purposely aimed for civilians and in fact started the conflict).
- The media will ONLY highlight Israel's 'war crimes.'
- Olmert and cronies will remain in power, after all, Olmert said recently that Kadima will remain in power and he will be PM - despite his 0% approval rating. He will remain in power, no matter what Winograd says.
- Israel will not be praised for being such a strong democracy, that it even is willing to be this critical of itself.
These are my predictions, but I assure you that one does not have to be gifted with supersensory perception in order to figure these things out.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Zionazis continue to target UNIFIL
A bomb hit UNIFIL - the UN Interrim Force in Lebanon, yesterday. The AP does not mention who planted the bomb, and so it must be Israel and the damned Zionazis, right? False flag, false flag!!!
/Zionist conspiracy theorist hat off
It is so obvious this was a Hizballah bomb, and they are rearming and making life miserable again for the Lebanese, a people who simply want to live their lives in peace. Anyone who is pro-Lebanese would see this and hate Hizballah for their attempts to destroy Lebanon. But sadly, far too many people out there are so blinded by their hatred of Israel, they do not realize they are Lebanon's worst enemies when they advocate in favor of Hizballah.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Lisa Goldman Travels to Lebanon
I have read of Lisa Goldman's amazing adventures in Lebanon, and I must say, please take a look! She wrote it about here and here. This is an independent blogger who is connected to Sandmonkey, a personal friend of mine. I am rather positive she is no "Mossad agent," but of course that was Hezby's spin on this.
Speaking of Hezby...France, under Sarkozy, is acting rather France-like towards them. They want to have direct talks with Hizballah. Somehow this escaped the radar of the news AND the blogs...but it is distressing. I was so excited about Sarkozy, but then this.
With that said...can you blame France? Olmert wants to have direct talks with Syria (ostensibly to give away the Golan Heights), and announced it on the same day that Syria invaded Lebanon!
It seems there is simply a general tenor of defeat and surrender. People just do not seem to care that Hizballah is an organization designed to destroy Lebanon. It hopes to turn it into an Islamic fundie state! Moreover, Hizballah/Syria are behind the murders of any and all politicians who actually seek to better the lives of the Lebanese. Just in the last few years, Rafik Harriri was killed. Pierre Gemayyel was killed. Walid Eido was killed just a few weeks ago. Walid Jumblatt lives with round the clock bodyguards, fully aware of the assassination plots on his life.
And what is this for? To those who support Hizballah, I ask you...what do you hope to accomplish? Do you really believe your problems will be solved if Lebanon becomes a Judenrein state? (yes, Lebanon has Jews, yes a goal of Hizballah is to kill EVERY SINGLE LAST JEW IN LEBANON!) Why do you believe the Lebanese should be held hostage to a brutal dictatorship (Syria - the nation that ultimately calls Hizballah's shots) that is totally cool with mass butchery OF THEIR OWN PEOPLE? Do you just enjoy savagery? Do you enjoy blood letting? Do you believe human life is worthless? Or are you going to tell me that this is really the work of the Zionazis? Are you really going to sell that bill of goods to me, someone who has a Lebanese Jew as a friend, and whose friend witnessed Syrian agents torturing his cousin to death? Who personally had to flee Lebanon because he is on Nasrallah's death list?
Is this your grand vision of Lebanon? Totalitarian Islamic dictatorship, Judenrein, women in burqas, constant prayer, no human rights, and no joy.
Seems pretty grim to me.
EDIT: I would like to add that Bush's stance on this is rather hypocritical. His administration castigated Pelosi's trip to Syria, and rightly so. But I ask: Why is there a U.S. Embassy in Damascus, and none in Jerusalem? Bush has had more than six years to correct this, and has done nothing. This stasis has gone on long enough. Bush is part of the problem...
...But with Olmert seeking direct talks with Assad...can you blame him? Shouldn't Jews take the lead in vigilance against monsters such as Assad? And when Jews DON'T take the lead (and decide defeat and surrender is the ideal policy)...it seems natural to me that others would agree and follow suit.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Nasrallah needs a big hug!
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
News roundup!!
Okay, I want to start by speaking briefly of non-Israeli news items resuming my discussion of my amazing Israeli adventure.
1) GWB had his state of the union, and I was asleep and have no idea what he said, nor do I really care. That said, feel free to read the transcript.
2) Hillary Clinton announced she is running for prez. I predict she will get the nom, and Obama will be her running mate. I also have no intention of voting for her. If it is Hillary versus a typical Republican, given I live in a non-swing state, I am considering voting Libertarian simply in protest. I predict she will win, because this will go along with my general prediction I made in the year 2000 that Hillary will win in 2008, thereby creating at minimum 24 years straight of presidents related to each other. (Bush Sr (4), Clinton (8), GWB (8), Hillary (4) = 24 years) Who says there are no royal families in America?
3) Lebanon is in chaos. There was a nationwide strike and general mayhem yesterday. It seems that this was basically called off today, in order to avert another civil war that might possibly drag on another 25 years. It seems hundreds of people were injured, many with gunshot wounds, and three were killed. I wrote the following about it on Sandmonkey's blog:
I wish I was surprised, but I am not. This is a long time in the making.You are right, SM, the ideology is one of destruction, not creation.
The good Lebanese people want to create a functioning government and society, and they are hated for it. It is heartbreaking to watch. I do not know what the answer to this is…it seems like the destruction of what was a beautiful possibility in Lebanon is inevitable.
I want to say that I wish I had the chance to visit Lebanon while I was in Israel (I should say I wish that the Israeli-Lebanese border allowed for that!), but alas, I did see the antennae from Lebanon! It breaks my heart to see a nation with such promise and with people who really have a *zest for life* slowly cracking under the strain of extremism. Of course, the following abomination breaks my heart most of all: the Aoun Hizballah supporter.
This woman is the epitome of Lenin's 'useful idiot.' Actually, in many ways she reminds me of Rachel Corrie.
4) Iran is not letting nuclear inspectors into their country. In a related item, Wesley Clark, former NATO commander and candidate for prez, blamed the JOOOOOOZ for pushing the nation into war. I am horrified that such a mainstream politician, and not just some nutjob extremist (such as David Duke or Cynthia McKinney) is actually blaming the JOOOOZ for controlling foreign policy. The New Republic wrote an excellent response to Wes Clark's antisemitism. In more related news, Newt Gingrich wrote a great response to the Iranian crisis on Ynet news. (thanks to Raccoon)
Despite this all, I maintain my optimism that good will triumph over evil. I maintain my belief that, in the long run, Iran's suicidal ideology will not win out, cannot win out. Let me quote what I wrote earlier, which I feel is especially true in light of Iran's recent developments.
I believe this now more than ever. Perhaps I have to believe it, to get through each day.There will always be horrors in the world. There will always be genocide in every generation.
But there also will be goodness, kindness, and love. And perhaps it's not possible to
take one without the other. Perhaps it is all part of the crazy, seemingly incomprehensible world that we live in, and the only way to exist and not go mad is to focus on what each individual can change in their own lives to shine just that little candle of light into the unfathomable darkness.
This is what is on my mind at the moment. I know there are other news items, but these are the ones jumping out at me at present. What do you think about it all?