For argument’s sake, strip away for a moment the whole question about and politics around Israel’s right to occupy the Gaza strip and consider this…
What is wrong with this picture?
For me a a couple of questions jump out of that picture.
:D Why would missile launch pads be built or deployed amidst civilian houses?
:D Why would civilians choose to live amongst missile launch pads?
There’s an underlying simplicity in this year’s Gaza Crisis that lends itself to these two simple questions.
But that’s just me.
Then there is Joma Sison. Apparently this guy now goes by the title “Chairperson, International Coordinating Committee, International League of Peoples’ Struggle”.
Whatever, comrade.
His pathetic attempts at propping up his ha-ha relevance comes across as no more than a quaint museum of Cold War Era rhetoric:
US imperialism is being consistent and true to its evil nature. [yadda yadda yadda] The US has used Israel as the bridgehead of US imperialist hegemony in the Middle East and as the platform for threatening and blackmailing countries in the region, making them military and political clients and controlling the oil resources. [yadda yadda yadda] We, the International League of Peoples’ Struggle, stand in solidarity with the Palestinian, Arab and other peoples of the world in the struggle against US imperialism and Israeli Zionism. [blah blah blah]
But then that’s just Sison being his usual deluded shell of a “revolutionary”.
Given that, I find this part particularly amusing…
Once more we call on all member-organizations and allies of the ILPS to initiate as well as join protest mass actions and other activities that express and gather militant support for the resistance of the Palestinian and Arab peoples against US imperialism and Israeli Zionism.
… which sort of implies that there are actually still quite a number of losers who still subscribe to this dinosaur’s ideas.
There are clowns, and then there are clowns.
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benigno,
there is nothing wrong with the picture. it is the way hamas conduct its war against israel; used children and civilians as human shields and situate its warheads in hospital and school zones. :)
Without passing judgment on either side but simply dwelling on the concept of total war what is wrong with that picture?
In the attempt to force the Japanese government to surrender during the last total war in history the allies did target civilians. They figured more suffering the people endured they would soon demand their government put a stop to it. However collective suicide was a part of Japenese culture.
In a war there is no moral position. The strategy is about winning..
In this case for Hamas getting back their homeland.
A weaker protagonist will obviously use any method to to fight back.
If Hamas wants top use collective suicide as a weapon just like the Japanese tried to do during the waning years of the last war that is up to them.
It leaves Israel with few options one of which would be massive killing. That is what ethnic or religious cleansing is all about.
The God of War would be very pleased.
The Palestinian Authority President spoke up recently and said that Israel was attempting to eliminate the Palestinian people.
Just like the Romans destroyed the Carthaginians completely.
Just like the Arabs in Sudan are doing to the Africans in their country.
Just like what the Serbs tried to do to the Bosnians and Croats.
Just like what the Russians did to the Chechnya.
If we do not solve the problems in Mindanao expect that kind of happenings also in your own favorite neighborhoods in Metro Manila.
It is apparent that after the end of the secular war of economic religions we are on the way once again to secular wars on nationalism.
This time the lunatics have put a theological slant on nationalism. The God equation….
Some idiots call it divine…..
I buy my DVDs from Muslim businessmen who call me ‘Kuya’. What is wrong with that place that they can’t get it together? Why must Israel be a ‘Jewish’ country, instead of just a country?
Southeast Asian Muslims are probably the most tolerant of all Muslims, willing to live in peace with their neighbors (with the possible exception of the Americans). Our Muslims should beware the import of radical ideas from the Middle East.
benigno, if i may add to your two questions: why would missiles/rockets BE FIRED after deploying them amidst civilian houses?
what does hamas expect the israelis to do, grin and be thankful for the ‘gifts’ of death and destruction to their people?
And thus illustrates the HYPOCRISY of Muslims and other individuals who condemn Israel’s military actions whilst ignoring the violent precedent Hamas has brought to the table whole sale.
How dare Muslims speak of peace when they brandish their swords at the sight of every person they term as infidel!
What’s wrong with the picture? Well for one thing the rockets/missiles (they look like ICBMs) are a little too big for Gaza. The Katyushas that Hamas uses are extremely deadly, and terroristic for being impossible to aim except at a big city or town, but they are much smaller than the houses, I would think.
Do we think this is just war? Personally I’m with Israel, but how many people can be killed justly in this situation? 1000? 10,000? 100,000? 1,000,000?
There is of course an ultimate limit at the total population size of Gaza, but I doubt even that would be a Final Solution.
To the extent that this is not any more in fact an “Israeli-Palestinian” conflict, but the radioactive core of what threatens long term peace in the Middle East and the world, I guess it is time for the United States to step in and clean up its own and everybody else’s mess. By exercising the leadership it has lost and regaining its rightful place as the engine of humanity’s ascent. We are all in a very bad way right now.
Barack Obama has a lot on his plate. I hope he enjoys the adobo as he tackles the rest of the course.
Indeed why should Israel care more about Palestinian children than the Palestinians themselves? And whys hasn’t philosophers and ethicists tackle the problem of human shields?
I know why, because it has never been a problem. When civilians get in the way of battle no one belabors the reality of collateral damage, that is, until smart bombs were invented.
“And thus illustrates the HYPOCRISY of Muslims and other individuals who condemn Israel’s military actions whilst ignoring the violent precedent Hamas has brought to the table whole sale.”
@Jon. I don’t think the problem is one of policy but of conscience. The current Israeli policy remains, whether everyone likes it or not, but there is the conscience of the West to patch up.
There is a good argument from peace experts for US to be a more aggressive peacemaker, as there always is. By all means, peace negotiations should be initiated whatever the real intentions of Hamas or Israel are, but personally this incursion if done right is the right thing.
Benigs, nothing wrong with the picture. But the war is all about GAS- Follow the gas trail.
From the legal standpoint, the Palestine owns the Gas Fields. This is a war of conquest for Israel to have direct control of the extensive gas reserves off the Gaza coastline.
Israeli wanted to pay the Palestinians in terms of goods and services and insist that no money will go to the Hamas controlled Government.
“British Gas (BG Group) and its partner, the Athens based Consolidated Contractors International Company (CCC) owned by Lebanon’s Sabbagh and Koury families, were granted oil and gas exploration rights in a 25 year agreement signed in November 1999 with the Palestinian Authority. ”
Israel’s intent was to foreclose the possibility that royalties be paid to the Palestinians. In December 2007, The BG Group withdrew from the negotiations with Israel and in January 2008 they closed their office in Israel.(BG website). “
Leytenian,
Does that mean the rockets and suicide bombers are nothing but decoys?
We can discuss about it in terms of social costs, religion, human rights and many more- those are all collateral damage.
Debate: Diplomacy enforcing military action?
Leytenian, Hamas rockets have been dropping on Israel for months. So why did Hamas provoke Israel. Don’t make any sense to me.
Conspiracy theories like yours, however, does bring a more human side and a less troubling angle to what’s happening. I believe the gas is just a consolation prize.
Besides leytenian, you’re forgetting that unlike other countries and other citizens every Israeli is valued walang dispensable. To Israeli gas isn’t worth the lives of Israeli soldiers.
BrianB, try Reading History, pipelines and who is who-support on this war. The role of egypt,Iran, US and United Nations for better understanding. Apply decision making to the bigger pciture of economics , national and international peace. Here’s an interesting article: Iran stakes Mideast role on Hamas
“A week before Israeli ground troops invaded Gaza, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a religious decree granting martyr status to anyone killed fighting the Israelis.”
Since then, groups of hard-line students and radical mullahs have launched registration drives to enlist suicide bombers to attack Israeli targets.
On Monday, while student volunteers marched through downtown Tehran wearing white funeral shrouds, the recruiters claimed to have enlisted 70,000 willing human bombs.
It’s the type of propaganda ploy Iran specializes in, along with ritualized calls of “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” after Friday prayers in Tehran’s mosques.
But it underlines the fact Iran has an awful lot at stake in the war in Gaza: it armed, trained and supported Hamas in a bid to bolster its influence in the Middle East, and has a vital strategic interest in seeing the Palestinian group survive the current Israeli onslaught.”
basta magulo :)
I’m saying, Israel’s main motives is not the gas. You made them sound like they were Americans, who sacrifice thousands of their soldiers for oil.
I’m not arguing Iran’s role or the ever-looming participation of Egypt.
With everything I’ve written here, I support peaceful protests against Israeli incursion.
i think you are not understanding the root cause of war. There’s always something about WAR, either land, gas or oil then it becomes a human right issue, poverty, terrorism- all are collateral damage. Diplomatic, Judicial and political will be the solution. Hopefully the people will get tired of fighting.:)
brianb,
this is not our battle. we cannot even solve the problems in the Philippines and you want to support the protest? wow, you must have world class thinking :) tililing….
Leytenian, in terms of international economics Israel–read my lips-Is. Not. A. Strategic. Thinker. It’s a small embattled country who get their money from US jews.
http://bigsmallepisodes.wordpress.com/2009/01/04/israeli-ground-incursion-at-gaza/
Just think Islamists need to learn the virtues of non-violent protests.
OK, I exaggerrate. Israel makes tons from tourism and there are a lot of innovative Israeli companies. I just don’t see Israel going for gas. And I don’t see them strategizing in a global scale without US initiative. The country is basically a react-only country.
brianb, as benigno said, it’s underneath politics :)
Total Warfare is the most extreme form of dialectics in political economy.
Communicating is done by all the means possible in warfare.
During this present outbreak Israel deliberately targets Hamas leaders even if they are amongst their family and friends. That includes women and children.
It sends a very clear message that you hit us indiscriminately we will also make it more painful for you and make it almost impossible for the leadership to operate. It isolates their support system from the Hamas leadership. The message is clear and pointed. You bomb the community back to the stone age. In war collective punishment is a potent weapon.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/opinion/14friedman.html
That is argumentation/debate at its finest. Since the U.N. decided in 1947 to partition Palestine the wars to determine the final borders have gone on. Eventually Hamas and Israel will sit down across a table to discuss peace. Just like Israel sat down with Fatah. Both sides will have to marginalize their religious wing nuts first.
“And this Hezbollah force, rather than confronting Israel’s Army head-on, focused on demoralizing Israeli civilians with rockets in their homes, challenging Israel to inflict massive civilian casualties in order to hit Hezbollah fighters and, when Israel did strike Hezbollah and also killed civilians, inflaming the Arab-Muslim street, making life very difficult for Arab or European leaders aligned with Israel.”
“Israel’s counterstrategy was to use its Air Force to pummel Hezbollah and, while not directly targeting the Lebanese civilians with whom Hezbollah was intertwined, to inflict substantial property damage and collateral casualties on Lebanon at large. It was not pretty, but it was logical. Israel basically said that when dealing with a nonstate actor, Hezbollah, nested among civilians, the only long-term source of deterrence was to exact enough pain on the civilians — the families and employers of the militants — to restrain Hezbollah in the future.”
Thomas L. Freidman, NY Times
http://www.muslimchannels.tv/component/option,com_seyret/Itemid,67/id,714/task,videodirectlink/