What 'no country in the world' should tolerate

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

http://972mag.com/what-no-country-in-the-world-should-tolerate/93485/

Israel says that ‘no country in the world’ would agree to live under the threat of Gaza’s rockets, but ignores its own culpability in its 100-eyes-for-an eye spiral of violence.

One of the common talking points used to defend Israel’s pummeling of Gaza is that “no country in the world” would agree to live under the threat of rockets. (Robert Fisk gives at least one historic example to the contrary.) But thin as the argument may be, it begs the question: Why single out Israel for criticism?
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Another complaint of double standards that’s often leveled at advocates for Palestinian rights: “why don’t you go to Syria or Iraq where things are really bad?” This recommendation was offered to me by an Israeli soldier sent to quell a nonviolent demonstration in the West Bank. My answers to this dodge:

1) As a U.S. taxpayer, I have a special relationship with the country that receives the largest amount of my foreign aid. The soldier who asked me this question had “Property of U.S. Govt.” stamped on his rifle. The tear gas I inhaled at other demonstrations was also “Made in USA,” as are the planes dropping bombs on Gaza right now. So in one sense, I’m holding my own country accountable. More on that later.

[Warpy]

1. Neither side's violent policies have done a damned thing

except produced more hotheads and made them more entrenched and committed to slaughter.

I no longer have a dog in that fight. My only verbal and practical support is for the non fighters on both sides who are losing everything because of bad leaders clinging to bad policies which encourage vicious young people to act out their rage.

[Jefferson23]

2. +1

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

3. That may be so, but my government is complicit in the hot mess that is occupation/colonization

so I do have a dog in this fight. I agree with you WRT the non fighters, but even they are attacked, harassed, crops destroyed, buildings destroyed, land thefted, sniped from watch towers or beaten to a pulp if they are lucky...all or mostly done on the US taxpayers dime.

[Scootaloo]

4. As Daniel points out you DO have a "Dog in the fight"

Your tax dollars are being utilized by the people you elect - support is unanimous, as some love to remind us - to fund and fuel the fighting. More of those tax dolalrs and more of that political capital is used to keep any end to the fight from coming via the United nations. Your tax dollars and your politicians, when they talk of peace, clearly mean total surrender of one side to the whims and desires of the other, rather than a genuine peace.

You have a dog in this fight whether you want to or not.