IT DOESN'T WORK

[Pale Blue Dot]

"Israel has a right to defend itself." "The Israeli government's main duty is to protect it's citizens."

"Hezbollah has a right to defend itself." "Someone needs to stand up and secure the rights of the Lebonese and the Palastinian people."

I have seen these arguments bandied back and forth over the past few weeks, without any acknowledgment of the truth: what both Hezbollah and Israel are doing right now to achieve the stated goals DOESN'T WORK. It NEVER HAS.

Israelis are more likely to be killed now than before this whole thing stated. The same with Lebanese and Palestinians.

EVERYONE is further from achieving their "stated" goals. NO ONE is safer. NO ONE is more secure. EVERYONE has fewer rights. And this will continue to spiral downward UNTIL THE FIGHTING STOPS.

I have posted this general message a few times over the past few weeks, and NO ONE has disputed these basic facts.

IT DOESN'T WORK.

[grannylib]

1. "There is no way to peace. Peace IS the way." Finnfan, you are right...

No one anywhere is secure or safe or free when anyone anywhere is being targeted in this fashion, whether it's American agression,Israeli agression, Palestinian agression, Hamas, Hezbollah, al Qaeda, the janjaweed...
Agression and war and violence only begets more of the same.

[TahitiNut]

10. "There is no way to peace. Peace IS the way." (Rinse. Repeat.)

This is the fundamental Truth which is being ignored and buried under a mountain of LIES.

[jonnyblitz]

2. I think it is long past blaming both sides equally any more.

To do that is to SERIOUSLY cut Israel waaay to much slack which ,sadly, many seem to want to do. Knee-jerk blind support for Israel is too ingrained in our society.

[Pale Blue Dot]

8. Hezbollah is wrong, too.

They are doing NOTHING to help the people they claim to represent.

[TahitiNut]

11. With greater power comes greater responsibility.

There's no way to escape this. The Republikuddites think power begets privilege. That's the way of tyrants.

[k_jerome]

13. more deeply ingrained than...

millenia old hatred for jews?

[TahitiNut]

16. Congratulations!

Again, after 12 posts, yours is the first to mention "jews" (without mentioning Israel) and equate the secular violence to persecution.

:eyes:

[k_jerome]

19. whoops, I should have used a codeword...

like zionists or the evil "Israeli government".

[Pale Blue Dot]

18. It doesn't matter.

Because IT DOESN'T WORK.

[k_jerome]

20. I will not dismiss your point of view....

I will withold judgement for now.

[Turbineguy]

3. Is somehow seems appropriate

that a mentally ill man in Washington State arrives at the (for him) logical solution that the answer to the problems in the Middle East is to shoot more people.

I suspect the lesson in that is lost on most of the protagonists however.

[knowbody0]

4. great sadness

immoral, ineffective, only inciting more rage and revenge. nothing is accomplished. just as in the battle of algiers. IT DOESN'T WORK. amen

[baldguy]

5. Doing the same thing again & again, expecting a different result each time

That's the definition of insanity.

[Ravenseye]

6. yeah but violence is so much easier than peace

I just mentioned this in another thread...I should try and find the actual parable.

Rabin was fond of using parables to make points. He once told this one regarding the whole cycle of violence and the peace process...
---
Two men are hunting deer in brush, and shoot one. They drag it back towards their home by it's antlers but it gets caught in the brush. The one suggests the drag it from it's hind legs so that the antlers won't catch. They do and are able to walk far more easily. The second man turns to the first and says "Yes, this is much easier to drag the deer this way, but aren't we now heading away from home?"
---

Rabin was a very smart man. Reacting angrily and violently is much easier, but it's also counterproductive. The way you phrased your statement above about everyone being further from their stated goals reminded me of this yet again. I've been thinking of this statement alot the past week.

[TahitiNut]

12. The motto from the 60s was more succinct.

"Waging war for peace is like fucking for chastity!"

:shrug: True then; true now.

[mom cat]

7. The fact that it does not work does not seem to matter with

faith/aggression based people. Logic comes with a higher level of emotional/social/moral/intellectual development.
You are right and, it does not matter to those who lash out without thonling.

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. It isn't working for the USA in regards to Iraq, and it doesn't seem

to be working for Israel. I think we got rope-a-doped.

[LSK]

14. the sick twisted WAR MONGERS are reaching their goals

ON ALL SIDES.

[TahitiNut]

15. "Cui bono!" (It's 'working' for someone - whomever are benefiting.)

The economic and political interests who benefit from the disruption, destabilization, destruction, and death are those whose actions propel these events.

[Jade Fox]

17. Thank you, Finnfan.

[TroubleMan]

21. You can't fix a broken leg by hitting it with a hammer.

K&R

[Pale Blue Dot]

22. IT STILL DOESN'T WORK

[Amonester]

23. Yes. It does not work for the people. But it sure does work for...

the arms' manufacturers, wholesellers, brokers, transporters, and all their shareholders...

Then it works for the tomb makers, their suppliers, and it also works for the cable news corporations (selling sensations full of "other poor people's blood").

But all these warprofiteers would still find other ways to make enough money for them to live pretty 'decent' lives anyway; it's just that all this absolute nonsense of ALL sides happens to give most of them (the "well-connected") some bonusses. The problem is, it seems all these by-standing profiteers will soon find themselves caught in the middle of all that nonsense they fueled for their own un-absolutely-necessary selfishness...

In the end: It sure never worked and it sure won't work this time either, nor will any future times ever work.

So why not "try" something else?

Answer: Because the war profiteers always summon for more of what they don't need. They've got plenty of what they don't need already but they can't stop wanting more (and they pay for all the lobbying contracts they can find)!

Cut the lobbying bidless first, and then "try something else" because that "something else" might work FOR THE PEOPLE (all the people)!

[magellan]

24. K&R

Well said. No, it isn't working, and it never will.