the state of the world today
Apocalpytical, isn't it? That seems the most fitting word, when neither side will rest until the other is totally eliminated.
My sympathies lie with the civilians caught in the crossfire. The penniless Lebanese refugees, the displaced children, the innocent on both sides. Although, I'm less for the Israeli government than most Americans. Perhaps because of my Middle Eastern heritage, but also because Israel is the most aggressive nation in the world today, after America. I suppose it has to be, to exist as it does in an enclave surrounded by mortal enemies. A simile I heard a few weeks ago is applicable here, I think: Israel is bombing Lebanon because of Hizbollah, which is as reasonable as the US bombing Italy because of the mafia. Or Afghanistan because of al Qaeda. Except, the latter actually happened.
And Bush's recommendation? That Israel's government try to limit force. I find that a bit awkward, coming from the world's superpower. As a columnist put it, that means using four bombs to blow up a bridge instead of five.
Israel's real conflict is with Syria and Iran, not with the weak, nascent Lebanese government; the battle with Lebanon may be resolved, but the real problem, the underlying political, economic, geographic, and religious wars, will remain, only to be rekindled in the future. No one seems keen to step in and attempt resolution of these issues.
In other news, I'm doing anything I can to avoid reading The Origins of Totalitarianism, which is an option for the Plan II reading list. In the list, it accompanies The Unbearable Lightness of Being, which I really want to discuss, but every time I pick up the three-inch tome (of biblical proportions), I get extremely sleepy.
Oh yes, I'm back in Switzerland from London.
Coming home July 27 28, apparently.
My sympathies lie with the civilians caught in the crossfire. The penniless Lebanese refugees, the displaced children, the innocent on both sides. Although, I'm less for the Israeli government than most Americans. Perhaps because of my Middle Eastern heritage, but also because Israel is the most aggressive nation in the world today, after America. I suppose it has to be, to exist as it does in an enclave surrounded by mortal enemies. A simile I heard a few weeks ago is applicable here, I think: Israel is bombing Lebanon because of Hizbollah, which is as reasonable as the US bombing Italy because of the mafia. Or Afghanistan because of al Qaeda. Except, the latter actually happened.
And Bush's recommendation? That Israel's government try to limit force. I find that a bit awkward, coming from the world's superpower. As a columnist put it, that means using four bombs to blow up a bridge instead of five.
Israel's real conflict is with Syria and Iran, not with the weak, nascent Lebanese government; the battle with Lebanon may be resolved, but the real problem, the underlying political, economic, geographic, and religious wars, will remain, only to be rekindled in the future. No one seems keen to step in and attempt resolution of these issues.
In other news, I'm doing anything I can to avoid reading The Origins of Totalitarianism, which is an option for the Plan II reading list. In the list, it accompanies The Unbearable Lightness of Being, which I really want to discuss, but every time I pick up the three-inch tome (of biblical proportions), I get extremely sleepy.
Oh yes, I'm back in Switzerland from London.
Coming home July 27 28, apparently.