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Monday, July 24, 2006

Carpet-bombing Chicago

A desperate plea for intelligent politics from my friend Robert Arnold:

The best metaphor I've seen for what is happening in Lebanon right  now:  It is the moral equivalent of carpet-bombing Chicago because Al Capone is operating there.

Sorry to send you all this political rant, but this bill that  congress just passed (H.R.921) by a vote of 410-8 is making me crazy.  The bill expresses unconditional support of Israel in their current 
wholesale destruction of Lebanon. Despite over 350 civilians killed and 500,000 - that's half a million (about 15% of the country's population) - made refugees, it praises Israel for their 
"longstanding commitment to minimizing civilian loss".

It contains no call for restraint. It announces to the world that the US is completely out of touch with the rest of the world, who unanimously condemn Hezbollah for their provocation (they kidnapped 2 Israeli soldiers, and have killed about 35 Israelis in the course of the war), but also condemn Israel for its utterly out-of-proportion response.

Your Representative likely voted for this awful bill (Pelosi did). If you don't like that, I highly suggest you call them (I did.)

I expect this kind of thing from the administration, but couldn't the Democrats at least pretend to be an opposition party from time to time? Maybe with a little prodding? You can find their numbers here: 

http://www.peaceteam.net/cease-fire.php

The only sensible course is an immediate cease-fire, but the US has actually vetoed a UN resolution calling for one.


Um, looks like it's us and Israel against the world... (even Britain is changing its tune: http://snipurl.com/tst5)

For more information:

http://www.juancole.com/
http://snipurl.com/tsqi



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2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Being from that blue and white country which is slightly right to the middle, let me ask you this: Have it been your children, (I mean 2 soldiers) would you let them die from torture in hands of terrorists for all those pretty souls in the world, which call for Piece and Love (not in that order specifically)or would you try and bring them back in ALL MEANS NECESSARY?
They are maybe 2 soldiers for you. But they are MY family, friends, lovers, neighbours, future husbands, future fathers, etc...
We didn't start the fire.
Those so called civilians, never condemned or expressed their sorrow for kidnaping. They are not civilians in my eyes. They support terrorism. Let me remind you, Israel did not have a single soldier on Lebanese soil prior to this act of war. Hezbollah terrorist group by the way is in the list of terrorist organizations, list which is published by UN. Hezbollah group has minister in Lebanese goverment. Therefore, this is act of war and not only terrorist attack.
Also, UN forces are actually (Fact which is forgotten by the most) stationed in that same territory, where kidnapping occured. They did absolutelly NOTHING.
But that doesn't matter, we will do it on our own.
It deeply aggrieve worlds inability to understand the situation.

6:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Those so called civilians...They are not civilians in my eyes."

Those SIX HUNDRED civilians your army killed also are "SOMEONE's family, friends, lovers, neighbours, future husbands, future fathers, etc..." Every bit as much as those TWO soldiers who were captured in a military operation.

The Israeli army's response of bombing cities, blowing up vans full of civilians fleeing with phosphore bombs, bombing powerplants, airports and leveling entire neighborhoods: that is terrorism, and terrorism on a far bigger scale than Hezbola had ever done.

Shame on you.

3:39 PM  

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