enough is ENOUGH.
when can we start to think differently?
apparently, israel feels that a full-scale destruction of a nation (which it justifies by hizbullah's hiding among the civilian population -- a morally deplorable and yet predictable, textbook tactic in asymmetric warfare) is necessary as a deterrent against future incursions by hamas and hizbullah.
if i could speak to ehud olmert, i would ask him: how does this seem to be working for you? you say that you must show strength and resolve through decisive military action, but how will these means serve your people's ends?
what happened in iraq? american 'leadership' thought that by raining cruise missiles on iraqi cities in massive amounts, by 'shocking' and 'awing' them, we would deter the entire middle east and turn it against terrorist networks. we would dictate the course of events in the region. we would prevail in a war of ideas through a use of force. we would win hearts and minds at the point of the spear. we would eliminate terror through the spread of democracy. iraqis would be cheering for us in the streets.
we were wrong.
we bred terrorists, we fanned the flames of insurgency, we strengthened iran's presence in the region, we destroyed a nation's infrastructure and lost thousands of our own. democracy brought the people we wanted least into power, and then we stubbornly refused to work with them, sending a clear message that we will only pay attention to their violent actions, that we would not support their evolution into the political arena. our actions led to open sectarian warfare which claims 100 civilian lives a day, according to UN reports.
there is hope for a better and stronger iraq, but the means and the manner of our conduct there have made it more difficult. the prime minister Nuri al-Maliki's recent remarks read like bush administration talking points. that is another story.
Hizbullah support tops 80 percent among Lebanese factions.
you must take steps to scale down this offensive. as cynical as it sounds, even if you were to wipe hizbullah off the radar, another will rise in their place. you are playing into their hands, just as we played into bin laden's. they WANT you to do exactly what you are doing. i don't see how your aggression can serve the israeli people any further. radical changes and sacrifices must be made to solve this conflict.
america can not be the sole broker of peace. for one, we are not trusted. we supply israel with aircraft and missiles. our interests are clear. third parties, such as the arab league and the european union must bear the responsibility of coming to a cease fire agreement. perhaps we cannot agree now, but we have to keep trying.
there are times in every generation when it seems the world will come to an end, that the entire fabric of humanity is under threat of falling apart. historically, great men and women have risen to the occasion. historically, we have escaped disaster time and again. our task seems impossible, and our fate seems etched in stone. but we have always had the power to change, if not the will, which must grow in our hearts and our minds. if we believe in the value of the human race, this is our time.