Politics
I rarely comment on international politics because I’m invariably ignorant of the details, but this morning I thought I’d say a few things that might be total nonsense or actually have some validity — you be the judge.
Nothing is more complicated than the Israeli-Palestinian situation. From afar, it appears both sides are intractable and drowning in bad blood. The Palestinian people elected a government led by a party whose sole reason for existence is to bring about the extermination of Israel. Now this latest incident involving the murder of two Israeli soldiers and the kidnapping of another threatens to destroy a shaky 16-month long peace. Both sides have had their points and justifications for this excess and that over the years and, yes, there have been injustices and raw deals each can point to.
But for crying out loud, can’t Hamas declare a jihad against corruption in their own government? Can’t aspiring suicide bombers instead sacrifice time and energy, rather than lives, promoting municipal projects? I’d love to see a group of Palestinian youths charge toward irrigation ditches with fanatical expressions on their faces and shovels held high shouting, “Allahu Akbar!” If they need to blow themselves up, why can’t they do it on a hillside to clear the way for a new road to be built?
But of course there’s always the possibility that the next time a poor, deluded, 19-year-old Palestinian lad — with his whole life ahead of him — is convinced into detonating himself in a Tel Aviv marketplace, it will prove the final straw to break the will of Israel. “That’s enough, you win!” the Knesset just might say. “Give us 30 days to move out of the country. We’ll leave the keys on the counter.”
Nothing is more complicated than the Israeli-Palestinian situation. From afar, it appears both sides are intractable and drowning in bad blood. The Palestinian people elected a government led by a party whose sole reason for existence is to bring about the extermination of Israel. Now this latest incident involving the murder of two Israeli soldiers and the kidnapping of another threatens to destroy a shaky 16-month long peace. Both sides have had their points and justifications for this excess and that over the years and, yes, there have been injustices and raw deals each can point to.
But for crying out loud, can’t Hamas declare a jihad against corruption in their own government? Can’t aspiring suicide bombers instead sacrifice time and energy, rather than lives, promoting municipal projects? I’d love to see a group of Palestinian youths charge toward irrigation ditches with fanatical expressions on their faces and shovels held high shouting, “Allahu Akbar!” If they need to blow themselves up, why can’t they do it on a hillside to clear the way for a new road to be built?
But of course there’s always the possibility that the next time a poor, deluded, 19-year-old Palestinian lad — with his whole life ahead of him — is convinced into detonating himself in a Tel Aviv marketplace, it will prove the final straw to break the will of Israel. “That’s enough, you win!” the Knesset just might say. “Give us 30 days to move out of the country. We’ll leave the keys on the counter.”
posted by mr. schprock at 5:46 AM
9 Comments:
Boy, no kidding. What possible positive outcome can occur with all the violence.
I loved this line: "If they need to blow themselves up, why can’t they do it on a hillside to clear the way for a new road to be built?"
Exactly.
Mr S - Nail.On.Head.
The whole mid-east situation is a tinderbox, with the match a few inches from setting it completely ablaze, and I'm ignorant as to why it's so bloody important that one side gets all the sand and the other can't play in the box.
But hey, I'm an ugly american, so why should I care anyhow....
that last bit of comment is meant to be stupid, y'all.
Of COURSE we should care.
I don't think you give yourself quite enough credit, Mr. Schprock.
I do not understand why they can live next to each other peacefully in the Middle East when they do it quite well here in my neighborhood.
It reminds me, partially, of the Catholic/Protestant Troubles in Ireland. WTF???
And I can't believe anybody's God advocates killing others.
Oops, CAN'T ... dammit, proofread, woman!
Even when you rant, you have a way with words. I completely agree. I feel like my parents because I just keep saying, "What's happening to the world?"
I don't get it. Well, I get what your saying but not the whole war thing they got going on, no matter how many times it's explained to me, I can't figure out who's who and who wants what etc etc...
mcblogger - If you are really interested, then you have to dig in, really dig in. There are books at the library that explain in excrutiating detail what is going on between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and in the rest of the middle east for that matter. I haven't given it the thought and study that I should, but I think all of us need to take a much closer look. Ignorance of world events, especially in that region, are responsible for the free hand government enjoys.
Was that just me talking?
Come check out my good news!
The part that terrifies me is that Israel has nukes. And now, it seems, Iran is well on the way to matching them. As more and more countries with fundamentalist governments get hold of the nuclear option I just don't see how the firestorm can't ignite, someday, somewhere.
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