The spectacle of U.S. citizens fleeing Israeli bombs is amazing

[bigtree]

even as our Secretary of State Rice urges Israel on.

[DistressedAmerican]

1. Downright Surreal!

[ShortnFiery]

2. Amazing is an understatement ...

I'm scared out of my mind! :scared:

Plus, I pray for those innocents remaining in Lebanon.

Our Blessed Higher Powers (save for Agnostics and Atheists) have deemed that ALL LIFE is SACRED.

It's up to The People of The World Community to, en massé, tell these bloated Masters of War, "We are not killing any more fellow pawns for your DAMN profit and sick entertainment. :thumbsdown: :(

Us "little people" are cannon fodder and bit players in their diseased and twisted obsession for increased power and wealth.

I know people here at DU are aware that we also must FORCE our views on The Politicians, even those with a D after their names.

WE THE PEOPLE MUST STOP THE HATE AND MINDLESS WARMONGERING.

Again, All life is sacred. :hi:

[Tom Joad]

5. Don't be scared, take action! Voices of sanity do exist.

Though i expect you are doing that, too.

http://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/

From Progressive Democrats of America
http://www.pdamerica.org/articles/news/israeli-occupation.php

PDA Reiterates Call for an End to Israeli Occupation

Around the world, people are watching in fear and horror as the Middle East sinks further into violence. We are witnessing human rights violations and civilian deaths on a massive scale in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. And now, the conflict has escalated with added violence between the Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel. All of this comes on top of the chaos in Iraq caused by the unjust and ill-considered U.S. invasion and occupation.

Progressive Democrats of America asserts that any remedy to the escalating conflicts involving Israel and its neighbors must begin by addressing the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and the consistent violence, humiliation and brutality the occupation entails. In the absence of this fundamental assertion, the violence will no doubt continue.

[Tom Joad]

3. In the news it seems the only concern is that of US citizens, and

Israelis. The fact that hundreds of people in Lebanon and Gaza are being killed seems hardly to matter.

[bigtree]

6. don't you dare include me in that

:hi:

[ShortnFiery]

7. Yes, they are trying to inoculate us with the LIE that those

who are ARAB and PERSIAN are less than human, savages, unlawful combatants and they're present day HATE BUTTON word ***TERRORISTS***.

The breeding of HATE for "the other" is no different than all the EVIL COMMIES rhetoric of the 60s and early 70s.

However, we must hold on to our humanity and realize, although we do not share in their culture, they are also precious human beings. If the armies wish to fight it out, find a battlefield, but the continued killing of innocents and targeting of their infrastructure ONLY breeds more SOLDIERS of HATE. These wars can only be won through lifting up the people and giving them hope.

We are ALL equally precious in the eyes of The Higher Power. We must stop "the few" from making us kill each other off. It's perverse ... the worst sort of evil. :cry:

[bigtree]

8. I've actually been impressed by MSNBC's coverage

They've managed to keep up with the toll on Lebanon as they follow the actions and consequences of Israel's reprisals. There's one dark haired lady . . . voicing the Lebanese plight in between the rest.

We can do something about the coverage from here:

THE FIVE-STAR ACTIVISTS' RESOURCE THREAD
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=106x8816

[Recursion]

4. *shrug* didn't they nearly sink one of our ships back in the '60s?

[Neecy]

9. what's also amazing...

Is how Chimpy asks for "restraint" (wink, wink, nudge, defend yourselves) while American citizens are cowering in basements during the bombing. It's like a bad dream in slow motion.

Of course, he's also overlooking the non-American civilian casualties, which is vile, but after all of his flapping about "protecting Americans" this is a sick and sorry joke.

[bigtree]

10. but, it's Monday . . . and the bombs are still falling

U.S. sending ship escorted by Navy destroyer to start evacuating Americans on Tuesday

July 17, 2006 8:59 AM

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - A commercial ship escorted by a U.S. destroyer will start evacuating some Americans from war-torn Lebanon on Tuesday and more military helicopters will be used to fly others direct to Cyprus, a U.S. official said Monday. Israel appeared to be allowing evacuation ships through its blockade of the country.

At the Pentagon, spokesman Bryan Whitman said the commercial ship, the Orient Queen, which can carry up to 750 people, will take evacuees to Cyprus. A U.S. Navy destroyer, the USS Gonzalez, will escort it and the USS Iwo Jima may do so as well, he said.

http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=WORLD&ID=564771556694557825

[Skidmore]

11. Much like the spectacle of the people of NO on roofs begging

to be rescued and wading waist-deep in water trying to flee desolation. Not unlike the citizens of NY trying to flee across a bridge on 9/11. Nor is it unlike the delayed response by our MBA adminstration to any of the other victimes of manmade or natural disasters this past 6 years. How many times does this Bush government need to abandon its people before they get rid of it?

[cantstandbush]

12. Even more amazing is your tax dollars will be used to increase aid

to Israel.

I wonder how many international citizens had any problems with living and working among Hezbollah until the Israeli bombs began to fall?

[Igel]

15. Groups related to Fatah and Arafat have killed

American civilians in Israel, and yet we continued to fund the PA.

Those civilians weren't incidental to the bombing; they were intentionally killed.

There's more outcry over the Americans' fleeing than I remember over the Americans' being asymmetrically targetted for lethal dismemberment by the brave, strong, valiant Palestinian "resistance."

Then again, the attitude was that the Americans brought it on themselves by being in Israel, as tourists or immigrants or visiting family, and they knew that they were potential targets.

[bigtree]

13. Lebanese evacuating homes to seek shelter

By Omar Al-Halabi BEIRUT, July 17 (KUNA) -- Thousands of Lebanese living in the southern parts of the country and the capital have evacuated their homes since the confrontations between Israeli and Hezbollah began last Wednesday.

The citizens found shelter in Schools, Public parks, social care houses in Beirut to escape the Israeli bombardment of the southern parts of the capital.

Meanwhile, the sixth day of the Israeli aggression forced more Lebanese to evacuate their homes in southern towns and villages. The evacuation resulted in traffic jams in the coastal roads despite the ongoing bombardment by the Israeli air force on roads and bridges in the area.

Statistics showed that 80,000 Lebanese were fleeing the southern part of the country. The numbers are to increase if the Israelis continued to target homes in southern Lebanon and Beirut.

http://www.kuna.net.kw/Home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=887650

[mmonk]

14. The word I think of is ironic.

That being said, in today's world, Americans could find themselves anywhere under threat from made in USA munitions.

[lonestarnot]

16. Israel doesn't fuck around. Guess the message is leave them

the fuck alone. Fuck with a porcupine and you get quilled!

[TahitiNut]

17. Well, that sure has worked well, hasn't it?

:eyes:

[lonestarnot]

18. No one commented regarding the outcome that I can see thus

far. Does war ever have a good outcome?

[bigtree]

20. Is this really 'war' on Hezbollah?

They don't seem to be affected by the Lebanese deaths.

[lonestarnot]

21. They could give a fuck about Lebanese, or anyone else in that

country. Haven't you seen the strapped suicide bombers.

[bigtree]

22. Why then, are civilian areas being targeted by Israel in their defense?

Do they care about the Lebanese civilians who have nothing to do with the rocket attacks? I've not heard anything expressed from the Israeli government. Even Bush mouthed concern for 'Iraqi citizens' before his bloody invasion.

How does killing those innocents make Israel more secure? Is this just a vengeful attack on Lebanon, or is there some strategic purpose in killing so many innocent civilians?

[lonestarnot]

23. "Collateral damage"

[bigtree]

25. "fancy term for murder"

especially when firing missiles into civilian areas.

What is gained by the killings? The attacks on Israel have continued. I heard that Hizbollah has some 30,000 rockets. This is a recipe for a prolonged, bloody conflict that will end up making Israel LESS secure because of all of the animosity that comes with the 'collateral killing.'

[lonestarnot]

26. War war war. That's all we are going to get out of this fucking bushitler

administration, unless you want to get out there and stop them.

[bigtree]

27. war, war, war

war, war, war

[lonestarnot]

28. and more war war war.

[bigtree]

19. How do the innocent Lebanese killings help make Israel more secure?

Can you tell me what the purpose is in killing innocent Lebanese civilians?

[lonestarnot]

24. Come on now, We have to make more terrorists to take the Hezbollah

targets splashed.