Not that I have anything in particular against Palestinians or anything; in fact I have a Palestinian friend named Arab Arabafat or something. What I would like some Palestinian to explain to me is why their life is worth .010 of an Israelis’. What did the Palestinians do to become soo sub-human? And since when did Canada become a place where the glaringly obvious was considered controversial?
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Relentlessly Progressive Political Economy 
If you want an explanation you should consult the Liberal leader, Michael Ignatieff. Using his best “let’s invade Iraq” philosophy, he’ll conjure up a way to explain it all to you.
I can’t figure out how anyone can actually take any one side in this ongoing conflict. Whether you want to support soldiers who shoot children for throwing rocks or idiots who fire rockets from school yards, the result s the same. You’re supporting childish goof balls who can’t see past their kooky religious views and see that a Jew is no different than most any Arab and I’m a Jew.
Why isn’t it the main stream opinion that this conflict should basically be ignored by the world? It’s born of ignorance, arrogance and backward thinking of the highest degree.
Zach I think you are in error when you conclude that the conflict is “born of ignorance, arrogance and backward thinking of the highest degree.”
That was a VERY GOOD comment, Travis. In my humble opinion.
If I am, you have provided me with no reason to reconsider my position.
The conflict is religious in nature and both sides are embroiled in a petty argument that has escalated into full blown war.
That’s ignorant, arrogant and backward.
Ok since you asked Zach,
I do not think 1948 can be reduced to a petty religious squabble. It took a lot of world history to create that now 60 year old conflict and their are forces beyond those internally generated in the region. It is as much a European-Arab conflict as it is a narrow conflict between Jews and Muslims. If I had to single out a petty and backwards aspect of the conflict it would be both sides desire for a mono-ethno-religious nation state. But even that desire is fueled more by insecurity than any religious edict or ethnic instinct.
I took umbrage with your explanation only because it struck me as superficial.
Heres a way a 4 year old would understand it: 750 enemies dead to your 8 means you are WINNING. Would you prefer that an additional 742 Israelis die just so the numbers are fair and equal?
Tory wrote:
“Heres a way a 4 year old would understand it: 750 enemies dead to your 8 means you are WINNING.”
Elegant really. Thanks for the un-gated vision into the Tory mind.
“750 enemies dead to your 8 means you are WINNING.”
If the Israeli goal is to kill everyone in Gaza, if the keep going like they have, they will win.
If their goal is to stop of rockets and destroy Hamas, there they are doing the opposite of what they should be doing.
Israel is getting bombed, and their response is to bomb back, yet they expect the people of Gaza to respond to getting bombed by not bombing back. It makes no sense.
I once heard the situation best put this way: If the Palestinians put down all of their weapons, in a week there would be no war. If the Israelis put down all of their weapons, in a week there would be no Israel.
Tory,
There are plenty of blogs where you can ridicule yourself. Fortunately this is not the place so please make an intelligent contribution or go. There once was a time when Tories actually thought.
Wow. Lies from a Conservative on Israel.
>yawn<
One should go easy easy on the conservatives given that until very recently–the mid eighties to early nineties–they were the bastion of antisemitism. Their new position seems to be one of those perfect mirror images of their former selves. Notice that neither position has any subtlety or merit. Extreme in thought… toujours. God save the gays when the Cons come around on that issue.
simple. ethnocentrism. any non white, non western person is simply not as important. thats why iraqi deaths are swept under the rug, while american deaths are a tragedy.
its sick.
I’d rather support a party that USED to be a “bastion of anti-semitism” than a party that IS a bastion of anti-semitism.
Yep but in this case I would argue it is a particular brand of ethnocentrism namely: Eurocentrism. Some of the best Israelis thinkers are arguing that until the Israeli intelligencia sheds its cloak of European superiority and begin to understand themselves as part of the middle least then the problem will persist. The Israeli leadership is simply incapable of implicating themselves in the causes of their own perpetual problem. To that I would add nor is the Israeli ruling class capable of grasping the degree to which they are being used as wedge on behalf of the greater American project. As an aside this is why I think any notion that Obama will change things is wishful thinking.
Which party would that be Tory? And why should I find your new found prejudices more edifying than your old prejudices?
Travis said:
“they were the bastion of antisemitism. Their new position seems to be one of those perfect mirror images of their former selves.”
Not necessarily, given the tenor of the Conservatives nowadays ie after the merging of the Tories and the CRAP:
Zionist anti-semitism
http://leninology.blogspot.com/2005/10/zionist-anti-semitism-at-jerusalem.html
Bringing capital accumulation back in: the Weapondollar-Petrodollar Coalition military
contractors, oil companies and Middle East ‘energy conflicts’ Jonathan Nitzan and Shimshon Bichler Review of International Political Economy 2:3 Summer 1995: 446-51 5
Perhaps the best the structural explanation of this affront to humanity that I’ve read. But then again it’s not really for 6 year olds.
and btw it is now 765 Palestinians murdered by Israel in Gaza (more than 230 children & 100 women) & 3100 injured.
obama doesnt have wishful thinking. he has no interest in peace in palestine. no US president has for the past 60 years. its against american interests for there to be any kind of peace there. the best situation is a status quo:
israel fights the arabs, thus needs american weapons, which fuels the american weapon industry.
simple economics.
Todd,
No argument here. I have long argued that the Cons position on Israel was fulled by a native antisemitism.
Man is his own worst enemy. He can’t see the forest for the trees. If you are someones enemy and if you really want peace :
Stop taking land and homes from the owners of that.
Stop treating someones’ father, mother, and the old with disrespect.
Stop killing innocent children in frunt of their parents.
Stop letting the people go without food, water, fuel and shelter.
If you are standing on someones neck do you expect them to just lay there and say thank you sir???!!!!
Palestine was a peaceful place for all until these things where done to them.
No one has respect for a bully.