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blood pressure warning
Jul. 18th, 2006 02:17 amJust a general health warning: I can strongly advise that you avoid the comments sections of any of the centre-right blogs you might read if they're posting about the current Israel/Lebanon situation. The level of disgusting amorality amongst the posters will truly truly sicken you.
Apparently Lebanon, having had a good solid 6 months or so since the major external influence (Syria) was removed from their political system, somehow should have magically disarmed a militant/terrorist group. Said group is comparable in size to the entire Lebanese army. And this is a country that's had a major civil war running for most of the past few decades, as well as being under invasion/external control of both Israel and Syria. And because Lebanon and the Lebanese didn't do this using their magic Democracy Powers, the citizens of the entire country somehow "deserve" to be bombed.
It's totally sickening, and I question the right of the people posting this sort of crap to be allowed to claim membership of the human race.
I'm loath to post on Middle East politics, because it's way, way too depressing. There are no easy answers. But I do firmly believe that bombing obviously civilian targets is wrong - whether it's Hezbollah firing rockets into Israel or Israel bombing powerplants in Beirut or Gaza. It doesn't achieve anything useful. Of course, Hezbollah don't particularly want to achieve anything useful. Groups like them thrive on chaos and despair. And Israel, for want of any better strategy, is giving them that chaos and despair.
Sometimes I completely despair of the human race's ability to learn. But then again, I can't see any obvious path for the middle east[*] other than attempting some sort of gradual improvement. Bombing people - not such a great plan for anyone. Air strikes are a retarded approach to politics - They Do Not Work. They're the lazy/desperate/cheap approach to policy - "maybe we can bomb sense into them". No, no, you can't. All you do is either stiffen the resistence (see almost every war of the last 100 years), or create a whole pile more hatred amongst the civilians you're bombing (ditto). But hey, maybe if the Americans bomb Iran, it will work this time! Really, for sure, this time. See, this time it's different! It is, really! Every time you say you don't believe in airpower, a B2 bomber DIES. They're just like fairies. Monstrously expensive fairies. And you don't want them to die, do you? Nooo. Clap your hands if you believe in air power!
Argh. Bleah. Maybe I should just stop reading any form of news for, say, the next 10 years.
[*] I obviously include Iraq here. Invading it == teh stupids. Course, now that the Americans (aided by their lackeys, including the idiots in Canberra) have done this, we've really, really helped the situation </sarcasm>. I'm still in favour of withdrawing all military from the country, but I'm extremely dubious that this will lead to a better outcome. I merely think that it will lead to a less worse outcome for everyone, including the poor bloody Iraqis.
Apparently Lebanon, having had a good solid 6 months or so since the major external influence (Syria) was removed from their political system, somehow should have magically disarmed a militant/terrorist group. Said group is comparable in size to the entire Lebanese army. And this is a country that's had a major civil war running for most of the past few decades, as well as being under invasion/external control of both Israel and Syria. And because Lebanon and the Lebanese didn't do this using their magic Democracy Powers, the citizens of the entire country somehow "deserve" to be bombed.
It's totally sickening, and I question the right of the people posting this sort of crap to be allowed to claim membership of the human race.
I'm loath to post on Middle East politics, because it's way, way too depressing. There are no easy answers. But I do firmly believe that bombing obviously civilian targets is wrong - whether it's Hezbollah firing rockets into Israel or Israel bombing powerplants in Beirut or Gaza. It doesn't achieve anything useful. Of course, Hezbollah don't particularly want to achieve anything useful. Groups like them thrive on chaos and despair. And Israel, for want of any better strategy, is giving them that chaos and despair.
Sometimes I completely despair of the human race's ability to learn. But then again, I can't see any obvious path for the middle east[*] other than attempting some sort of gradual improvement. Bombing people - not such a great plan for anyone. Air strikes are a retarded approach to politics - They Do Not Work. They're the lazy/desperate/cheap approach to policy - "maybe we can bomb sense into them". No, no, you can't. All you do is either stiffen the resistence (see almost every war of the last 100 years), or create a whole pile more hatred amongst the civilians you're bombing (ditto). But hey, maybe if the Americans bomb Iran, it will work this time! Really, for sure, this time. See, this time it's different! It is, really! Every time you say you don't believe in airpower, a B2 bomber DIES. They're just like fairies. Monstrously expensive fairies. And you don't want them to die, do you? Nooo. Clap your hands if you believe in air power!
Argh. Bleah. Maybe I should just stop reading any form of news for, say, the next 10 years.
[*] I obviously include Iraq here. Invading it == teh stupids. Course, now that the Americans (aided by their lackeys, including the idiots in Canberra) have done this, we've really, really helped the situation </sarcasm>. I'm still in favour of withdrawing all military from the country, but I'm extremely dubious that this will lead to a better outcome. I merely think that it will lead to a less worse outcome for everyone, including the poor bloody Iraqis.
