Let me be clear about something before I even start this post: Terrorism is a calamity, an unspeakable evil and there is no excuse for it. None. "They took our country, killed our children, raped our daughters, torched our homes". Fine, still not an excuse for terrorism.
That having been said, I need to utter out loud a question I've been asking myself, an alarming one. What is Israel doing exactly? Lebanon was a ravaged country, ravaged by its own inhabitants and their stubbornness (christians vs muslims), ravaged by its neighbors (both "helpful" like Syria and "evil" like Israel), ravaged by outside "allies" (the U.S. and others). Note I say was.
Lebanon made a remarkable recovery. Outside forces were kicked out (yes, the "friendly" ones too), money was spent to repair cities, Beirut blossomed like the desert flower it once was. Tourism came back. High class tourism, lots of money. Private and corporate investors started taking an interest in the most stable, most democratic country in the middle east. Property was bought and sold, the stock market soared, growth rates of 4-5% annualy were predicted. Pictures and holiday videos show happy people, beaches, clubs, youngsters indistinguishable from american teenagers - boys and girls.
And then three Israeli soldiers were kidnapped by Hezbollah. Not an official lebanese organization, but yes, apparently one taking refuge in Lebanon. The response? Israel bombs Beirut. The infrastructure. Airport? Gone. Port? Gone. Utilities? Gone. Why I wonder? Do Hezbollah have a navy? An airforce? Do they take refuge in the expensive hotels? In the vibrant marketplace? I am not asking if the response was appropriate. I am asking if the response was not a mere corporate "hostile takeover". A neighboring "corporation"/country takes a big slice of growth, tourism, money, glamor, so we bomb it to bits. Bomb the infrastructure, kill the people, terrorize foreigners, make damned sure that no one returns for the next 10-20 years...
I hope I am wrong, but I fear I am not. And of course now things have gone to hell. Hezbollah - far from being innocent - took the bait and launched a counter offensive. Now guns will do the talking and innocent civilians will die en masse. God help us all...
16 comments:
i completely agree. . .
Melusina,
You may be on to something but it certainly is not Israel's fault because I don't think tourists will be flocking there either.
Would you?
Let's look at why Israeli's Tourism future looks bleak:
1. Probably most hated country on the planet right now and for some time on....
2. Although most media not reporting it, Israel is also being bombed and destroyed in Haifa and other cities and remains very dangerous.
So, who's behind all this then?
Which country's tourism will benefit from this war?
Please follow up with speculation if you like... (anyone?)
I read on another's blog that Israel is bombing Lebenon into a parking lot - a parking lot for Israel.
I don't get it either. Two factions are waging war in completely different country. It makes no sense to me at all.
I thought Hezbollah was officially a part of the Lebanese government.
Hello,
Let me say that Hezbollah has been planning for this for six years and Iran and Syria are proud to have these terror infected Non muslim haters in their back pockets.
Israel is showing Lebanon,and the whole world that they(alone) are willing to fight against the terrorists who have been blowing their own children, sons, daughters and wives with Bombs strapped to their bodies in the name of Allah.
I feel bad for the children and civilians who have suffered from the bombings, it's so sad that they must adhere to the tennants
of these infidel haters who want to rule the world...
It wont happen...I say this to you Terrorists, "Next stop,Twilight Zone" Don't think the western world (excluding those pussy French, Italians and Germans)have many many sectert up their sleeves.
Good comments anon.. But, leave out the word for the female body part since there are ladies on this blog too.
But, your comments I agree 100%. If we don't get rid of Terrorists, they will get rid of us.
If America and Israel were eliminated, do you think Germany, France, Greece etc would have the intestinal fortitude to do anything.
I think NOT and the world would just keep becoming more and more Muslim until other religions ceased to exist.
This is the scary future.... For this reason I support Mr. Bush and his plan.
Ok, sorry to offend, but that's my opinion.
I personally blame all monotheistic religions.
Like others, my big problem is that innocents have to suffer, and that Lebanon's infrastructure is being destroyed (yet again). Yea, I know, they are to be blamed for aiding and abetting Hezbollah, but we are talking politics and politicians, not the people. The people on both sides (all sides) don't deserve this.
Thanos,
Let Palestine have it's homeland and the world can move on.
Let Israel be a country without having to worry about it's radical neighbors surrounded on all sides and the world can move on.
If this can happen, then everything will be ok.
Thanos, as a Greek, you know that the Turks are provoking Greece on a daily basis with their incursions on your airspace. What if they start abducting your soldiers. What if they start attacking your innocent civilians with suicide bombs in Athens.
How long would you (THANOS) wait as a government leader before you acted to solve this. Would you allow your Greek citizens to be terrorized and DO NOTHING just to appease the Turks and save a war?.
This is the question. I for one would not. Remember what Churchhill said. "Heroes fought like Greeks and Greeks fought like heroes." (or something like that) So, would Greeks truly act any different from Israelis in their current situation.
Thanos,
Which part is the oversimplification? Then I'll respond to your comment in one reply.
Thanos, as a Greek, you know that the Turks are provoking Greece on a daily basis with their incursions on your airspace. What if they start abducting your soldiers. What if they start attacking your innocent civilians with suicide bombs in Athens.
Not only is this an oversimplification, but also a red herring. In actuality, an analogous example would be if Greece was the dominant force in the relationship and at every turn provoke Turkey through political and military means. Then Turkey would do the fly-bys as you state as well as suicide bomb Athens. This is nowhere near reality. But it is the reality of Israel and her neighbors.
What people need to understand and commit to memory is that Israel IS a terrorist state under the guise of "victimhood". With the, now completely overt, support of the US, it is indiscriminately cleaning house. What goes around comes around is an age old adage that will surely come back to haunt Israel.
Thanos,
I think Anon has an anti-Israeli agenda so I really can't take his comments seriously.
In fact, he probably isn't in Greece or he would know that "IN REALITY" the Turks are already breaching the border on a daily basis with their fly-bys.
Sometimes simplifying things is the way to go. It's quite easy for someone to say "You are oversimplifying it". Well, many people complicate things and if things were taken simply, we wouldn't have the problems were in.
Do you know what my consolation is on this whole Middle East mess?
Knowing that ultimately it doesn’t fall under the purview of irrationals. America makes the call and WE are calm, cool and collected.
So, wave your fists in the air, burn a million American flags, but at the end of day, the USA will ensure Israel is still treated fair no matter how many Jew haters want to scream otherwise.
I think Smitty is too busy looking for "anti-semitism" to read a post and thoroughly digest its meaning. Maybe a tad more schooling is in order as opposed to simple, empty US patriotic rhetoric?
Maybe Smitty, with his pro-Israel agenda, would like to explain this statement from the Rabbinical Council? Maybe he needs to stopping watching Fox News as his primary source on what he should think about Israel?
The Yesha Rabbinical Council announced in response to an IDF attack in Kfar Qanna that "according to Jewish law, during a time of battle and war, there is no such term as 'innocents' of the enemy."
All of the discussions on Christian morality are weakening the spirit of the army and the nation and are costing us in the blood of our soldiers and civilians," the statement said. (Efrat Weiss)
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3283720,00.html
According to Jewish law, children are apparently fair game.
ANONYMOUS:
Yeah, and blowing yourself up in supermarket killing innocent children in Israel with the promise of 72 virgins awaiting must really make you proud as a terrorist proponent.
By the way, Fox News is head and shoulders above your Al Ja-SMEERA... network.
But, hey like I said, if it makes you feel better, go ahead and vent because ultimately your point of view is not supported by the people who make the rules.
The Turkish air force flybys are what amounts to asshole behavior, not war provocation behavior. Aside from one unfortunate accident, they aren't hurting anyone with these flybys, just showing how immature they are. But I don't think Greece would immediately go to war with Turkey if things came to pass in such a manner that there were suicide bombings and soldier kidnappings. Sure, Greece has had a very soft line on Turkish relations of late, but I just don't think foreign relations can work that way. And when you have a situation where the people at hand - Hezbollah, a Palestinian organization with no "home" country - and you have to invade a third party to fight the war, then I think things are going way off the mark.
I think we are long past talking about fair treatment when it comes to the situation in Lebanon right now. I realize there is an agenda against terrorism by both the U.S. and Isreal, and I understand that agenda. But I don't think either country is 100% clear on how to deal with it or able to think about how to deal with it clearly. Obviously, "bomb the hell outta them" isn't working too well.
If you want to go for oversimplifications, lets say you live in an apartment building where some known terrorists live. This apartment building is in an area where the people that want to get to the terrorists have no jurisdiction, and so, they bomb the building. For the two or three terrorists living there, they have also displaced/killed/injured countless other families. Can this kind of reaction continue? Is that the right way to go after terrorists? If so, god forbid any of us anywhere in the world live in the same building or next door to terrorists. Because who knows what might happen.
Besides, this kind of behavior just makes terrorists happy. The more innocent people that are injured in this battle, the better for the terrorists. An the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon is making Hezbollah look like a group of Easter bunnies to a lot of people. It ruins the credibility of the so-called "good guys" and makes the so-called "bad guys" look a hell of a lot better.
But, hey like I said, if it makes you feel better, go ahead and vent because ultimately your point of view is not supported by the people who make the rules.
The logic you show is quite remarkable. First, you gloss over the fact that a supposed civilized nation, like Israel, should abide by international rules of war. However you feel it is in their "right" to kill children just because the uncivilized Arabs do so. A tit for tat approach seems OK with you. How about rape and beheadings? Those OK too, just because the other side does it?
Then you make the statement above. Which if taken further, and under the current state of European affairs where Muslims will eventually overrun the Christian natives in numbers at some point in the future, you will support a dhimmi existence because the Muslims will being "making the rules" when in control. Is this what you truly believe or are you just a moron?
Well, in my world of logic, I prefer to point my finger at clearly wrong and criminal actions. Israel, the US, and the Arab world are all guilty. Especially the first two and I do not make excuses due to who's in power and who makes the rules. At one point in history, Hitler was making the rules and if you were around in the 1930s to 1945, I'm sure you would be crowing his accolades, right? LOL
The more innocent people that are injured in this battle, the better for the terrorists. An the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon is making Hezbollah look like a group of Easter bunnies to a lot of people. It ruins the credibility of the so-called "good guys" and makes the so-called "bad guys" look a hell of a lot better.
This is 100% correct.
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