Thursday, July 27, 2006
I Know I'm a Chickenhawk in a Way ...
... for advocating that wars be conducted in a way I'm too chicken to sign up for myself, but still --
Read this.
And remember that Ali and all of his brothers, cousins, etc., are very likely to become terrorists who go on to attack Israel. You cannot fight fire with fire and not expect to get burnt: when the Torah enjoins genocide against the Amelikites, it is recognizing that any vengeance against a group in which terrorists operate is likely to merely end up serving to recruit more to the terrorists' side, so short of genocide, escalating violence, well, escalates it. 'Cept I don't think that genocide is something any of us Jews should be behind -- wouldn't you agree that for us to become just like the Nazis would be wrong, somehow? (I understate -- it would be evil). What should Israel do? (or not do -- somehow the good, conservative option of not doing anything is the last thing that people, especially those who call themselves conservatives, are willing to try -- of course, Israel was founded on the principle of "we Jews are never again going to not respond to attacks against us but rather we will now have a state and army to so respond", so you cannot expect Israel to "not do") -- I'll be the first to admit I don't know. But hiding behind supposed technological superiority is a good way to convince your enemy that you really are, when it comes down to it, scared and weak -- as well as to, with the inevitable deaths of civilians whose relatives will seek revenge, drive more people to the side of your enemies.
And that's what Hezbollah wants, isn't it? Right now, since Lebanon can neither block Israeli incursions nor disarm Hezbollah, it effectively is de facto no longer a real state, nu? And who will be the defender of the land? Why Hezbollah, of course. This whole thing is effectively a Hezbollah power grab -- and Israel played right into Hezbollah's hands here.
Just a side note -- some say that diplomacy is all talk and never an option. All that matters is who can force whom to do what. But whatever happened to actually opening the Bible? "Not by might and not by power" ... and all of that, eh?
Read this.
And remember that Ali and all of his brothers, cousins, etc., are very likely to become terrorists who go on to attack Israel. You cannot fight fire with fire and not expect to get burnt: when the Torah enjoins genocide against the Amelikites, it is recognizing that any vengeance against a group in which terrorists operate is likely to merely end up serving to recruit more to the terrorists' side, so short of genocide, escalating violence, well, escalates it. 'Cept I don't think that genocide is something any of us Jews should be behind -- wouldn't you agree that for us to become just like the Nazis would be wrong, somehow? (I understate -- it would be evil). What should Israel do? (or not do -- somehow the good, conservative option of not doing anything is the last thing that people, especially those who call themselves conservatives, are willing to try -- of course, Israel was founded on the principle of "we Jews are never again going to not respond to attacks against us but rather we will now have a state and army to so respond", so you cannot expect Israel to "not do") -- I'll be the first to admit I don't know. But hiding behind supposed technological superiority is a good way to convince your enemy that you really are, when it comes down to it, scared and weak -- as well as to, with the inevitable deaths of civilians whose relatives will seek revenge, drive more people to the side of your enemies.
And that's what Hezbollah wants, isn't it? Right now, since Lebanon can neither block Israeli incursions nor disarm Hezbollah, it effectively is de facto no longer a real state, nu? And who will be the defender of the land? Why Hezbollah, of course. This whole thing is effectively a Hezbollah power grab -- and Israel played right into Hezbollah's hands here.
Just a side note -- some say that diplomacy is all talk and never an option. All that matters is who can force whom to do what. But whatever happened to actually opening the Bible? "Not by might and not by power" ... and all of that, eh?
# posted by alberich @ 2:09 PM 
