Disproportionate response?
I keep hearing in the MSM that the entire world seems to be against Israel in their prosecution of the conflict in Gaza. People are screaming about how bad Israel is and how Israel is the problem in the whole mess that is the Middle East. What really gets me is the fact that everyone seems to think that Israel is a bully in this current conflict in Gaza and they are using a sledge hammer to swat a fly. They call how Israel is fighting a “disproportionate” response to Hamas’ firing rockets into southern Israel. I think they’re right. Instead of Israel making phone calls to the buildings they are going to bomb or shell and the neighboring homes as well, I think, to be fair, Israel should just launch unguided missiles into the Gaza strip. That would be an equal response, right? That’d be better. Yeah. So, instead of making those calls or dropping leaflets informing of the impending destruction of a specific target, they should just indiscriminately lob some ordnance in there. Brilliant. Who cares about the Palestinian men, women and children who are not Hamas, but will be blown to bits anyway. By the way, if the rockets stop flying out of Gaza, the Israelis say there can be some measure of cease fire, maybe even a peace accord somewhere down the line. But I’m thinking that it would be better to buckle to international pressure and take the Israeli soldiers out of harm’s way. That way Israel can provide that equal and appropriate response and fire off some unguided missiles. That will help stop this conflict, right?
Never let it cease to amaze you how much your government knows and what it will not to do to act upon ANY atrocity it already KNOWS is in place. Human trafficking in any form has been around for centuries. We cannot police the world.
Now, having said that, we must, as a Power nation, take stance and hold our own nationals (be it civilian or military) to the high standards of the agreements we have in place with other nations. They are there for a reason and if we, the USA, is to set any kind of example, we must hold this system true to heart. We cannot stoop to the same level as those who attack our beliefs, it makes us just like them. If they go against the treaty/agreement, then punishment is just. If no treaty/agreement is in place, then they get what they get, no holds barred.
Our big government already needs to be reigned in and put under control itself, so I am not sure how it plans to “police” the nations of the world on the various acts we may deem illegal or against the rules (however you want to phrase it.)
In a nutshell, people, individuals, should hold themselves accountable for their actions because one day you will answer for them, one way or another. Whether you believe in God, Buddha, or whatever, the truth is that we get exactly what we deserve! In the end, what we deserve is absolutely defined by what we have given in the first place.
You cannot rationalize with someone, anyone who has been raised to believe that we, the USA, are the evil ones. In a perfect society you could argue that point with someone, sure, but that will never happen on this planet in this lifetime or the next or the next or the next…..
Everyone on the planet has their own personal belief system and that is what they are entitled to. THAT is what Americans are all about. We do not and will never appreciate someone telling us what we can or cannot believe.
Therein lies the rub, no? The radicals do think they can dictate to us. Well, truth is, physically they can, but we do NOT have to listen. They believe we should just give up and convert, otherwise, it means death. No ifs, ands, or buts, or any other kind of discussion. Done. How lame would America be if we did that to each nation in turn? We would be no better than the radicals themselves.
And we don’t do that for the very simple reason that: we (the USA) are more than happy to leave you (the world) alone to believe what you want. We only want you to give us the same option. That very truth will never happen, as evidenced by every day news that whatshislamename encourages all jihadist to kill us.
I can only hope beyond hope that our president does not “dis” our country any further by trying to “talk sense” to any of these radicals. They do not hear us and what’s more, they DO NOT CARE!
We need our president to pay very close attention to us, here, on our own soil and that he makes us (the USA) his priority first and foremost every day.
Right now, as I write this, I do not believe that is the case. I can only pray.
“Thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges.” ~William Shakespeare
I had a list of links, before IE crashed and took it away from me.
Copy and paste this exactly into google:
“Middle East” “DynCorp” “human traffick”
You can also replace DynCorp with Halliburton. Those two have the major scandals, but First Kuwaiti has been under investigation, as well as others….
When citizens join the fight, they are no longer civilians. They are combatents and may be killed under the rules of war.
Are you suggesting that private contractors in the Middle East are trafficing in sex slaves? I’d like to see your factual data on that claim.
So treaties should be ignored and abused so we can prosecute other nations for their war crimes, but the US and our buddies are ok to torture and commit war crimes?
This always confuses me.
The ultimate goal is no war at all. This, of course, is unrealistic.
However, the idea behind treaties forbidding war crimes and allowing the prosecution thereof by international institutions is a good one, that promotoes diplomacy first, war second, and absolute ungodly horror not at all.
Torture, incendiary bombs, etc, are not acceptable. Not for anybody. When we decided to torture and commit war crimes, we told Israel it was ok for them to do so, as well.
I agree that we should take out threats to safety. That is the point of war. However, civilian casualties should ultimately be avoided, because, in the end THEY ONLY CREATE MORE TERRORISTS/SOLDIERS. The public does not pressure their government to stop. They join the fight!
The fact that people are “ok” with the atrocities that are war crimes is completely disgusting to me. War may not be pretty, but it certainly doesn’t have to be as ugly as we and our buddy Israel are making it.
Not to mention simple humanitarian crimes like sex-slave trafficking, which have sky-rocketed since the start of our wars in the Middle East, especially with the private contractors that have been sent there.
It’s pathetic, really, that some people think that these horrific things are ok and even to be promoted… Shows a true bully mentality.
When Hamas decides that human life is worth something and stops hiding behind innocent people, mostly children, I think the world will take them more seriously. The Fatah wing of the PLO has decided that they should lay down arms and have discussions. This is why there are no military clashes occurring in the West Bank. Fatah is in the West Bank, Hamas is in Gaza. Fatah has even tried to bring Hamas into the fold. They refuse. They don’t want to recognize Israel. So, I guess Hamas can’t figure out who just walked in and kicked the crap out of them, since they don’t recognize them.
I agree with MChat. War is supposed to be ugly. The way we won WW2 is we hit enemy cities with not only HE bombs, but incindiary bombs. We burned entire cities to the ground. This was not to kill civilians (admittedly, it did), but to coerce the civilians into telling their government to STOP. I fear that Isreal will have to go into Gaza again. I think they’ll have to go after Hezbollah in Lebanon in the future as well. Until the fully crush them, they will not capitulate.
And, thus, it continues. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7843465.stm
But why should we support unconditionally a country that has repeatedly and unabashedly bullied the small territories within it AND their democratically-elected governments?
Hamas was willing to renew the cease-fire agreement that expiredin December. They approached the Egyptian government in mid-December with the intent of renewing the cease-fire.
This is like a man putting down his gun, putting his hands up, and asking you to do the same, but you shoot him anyway!
Israel was NEVER forced to use force in Gaza. NEVER
Also, isn’t it funny now how Israel has ended their little conflict just in time for our new president’s inauguration? Seems like maybe they know he wouldn’t be friendly to it, and they wanted to get in a final kick or two to Hamas’s face before Dubya, “the cowboy” who also refused to the UN agreement that there be a complete cease-fire in Israel, got out of office.
Also, may I remind you, that historically, when a terrorist organization has been pressured by the international community to use more suitable methods to achieve their goals, it HAS WORKED. (Look up things like the Irgun and Northern Ireland). Terrorists have gone from being, well, terrorists, to being respectable statesmen who are achieving their goals!
The bottom lines is this: By attempting to wipe out Hamas entirely, Israel is creating MORE extremists, more terrorists. we ahve seen the same thing with the war in Iraq: Al-Qaeda (contrary to the revisionist history this outgoing administration is trying to sell) had NO presence in Iraq prior to the war. Intelligence reports state this clearly. Now, they have an increasingly strong presence. We brought it upon ourselves, not necessarily by our invasion, occupation, and overthrowing of Saddam Hussein, (I think we ALL can agree that that is a good thing!) but by our mismanagement of a country that is broken in two by riots, bombings, and war.
Israel is doing this same thing. I am still trying to decide whether I think they are HOPING to create more extremists in a long, drawn-out conspiracy to take back the Gaza strip and eventually all Palestinian lands, or whether they are really stupid enough to not have seen this coming.
And let’s not forget our own part in this. Instead of taking the time to figure out what would work in the Middle East, and wokring towards it, WE, the USA, and the UN, both, started this whole “mess” by simply plopping the Jewish people down on the plot of land they wanted, drawing a line in the sand for the Arab people not to cross, and promptly leaving. Yeah, that one sure worked, alright.
It is not a matter of black and white. This is not as simple as it looks, on the surface.
The Israelis knowingly targeted and bombed a SCHOOL and over 20 CHILDREN WERE KILLED. They are knowingly committing war crimes according to treaties that both they, and we, have signed, and are now treating like trash.
When do we decide that such atrocities are too much? When do we decide that human life and the quality thereof is worth something?
When did war become so civilized? What is the “appropriate” response to being attacked by another nation? Should Israel just continue to allow itself to be attacked without defending itself. I guess the United Nations (the collective of whom hate only Israel more than the United States) thinks so. The appropriate response to an attack by another nation is fight them until they are utterly and completely defeated (unconditional surrender) or until you lose (and you unconditionally surrender). History has proven time and time again that diplomatic solutions only serve to allow the “weaker” side to re-arm, build up and/or gain allies. Israel cannot afford to allow this to happen anymore.
I’ve heard people say that Israel doesn’t care about “innocent” Palestinians. Hmmm, if they don’t care then why do they drop leaflets warning the “innocent” (along with the combatants) of impending attack. And just how “innocent” are these Palestinians anyway? These Palestinians who overwhelmingly voted HAMAS into power; these Palestinians who willingly hide and aid HAMAS militants. These Palestinians who willingly provide HAMAS with food, shelter and replacement troops (even in the form of their own “underage” children). If people want to point fingers and say that “some group” doesn’t care about “innocent” Palestinians, then those fingers need to be pointed at HAMAS. Its pretty clear HAMAS has no regard for Palestinians. The bottom line is war is war; and when one side hides behind “innocents” then the “innocents” get wiped out right along side the combatants. And you know what, it’s the combatants that purposely hid behind the “innocents” at fault, not the ones doing the killing.
When I read the Bible (the Old Testament in particular) it always amazes me how the nation of Israel never learns from it’s mistakes. Back when God first gave Israel the land He warned Israel to drive the current inhabitants from the land and He told them what would happen if they didn’t. They didn’t listen then, and they didn’t listen this time around either; and in both instances God was 100% right:
Numbers 33:55
But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.