The Cycilical Game of Politics
The previous entry by cranberriesboy prompted me to write this, and, although I could have simply let this as a comment, I believe it is different enough an entry to make it a new post.
It seems that the pro-Israel members and the pro-Palestinian members are repeating the same arguments over and over again, whether it be doc_neuro, shemchadash, cranberriesboy, me, or anyone else who has gotten into the game. Over and over again we make similar arguments and provide evidence to back up our stories, and over and over again, other people come up with some other argument that backs up their original point of view.
In the end, both of our arguments stem from self-defense, and, in many cases, revenge. One member of this community will say that the Israelis started it; yet another will say that the Palestinians started it. One will say that suicide bombings were prompted because of house demolitions; another will respond that the demolitions were prompted by suicide bombings.
The fact is, since the intifada, both sides have committed acts, whether justified or not, that have pissed off the other. Obviously, I believe that suicide bombings are not justifiable ways to show resistance against Israelis. Obviously, others do. That's what differs between the sides: the justifiability of what is done.
What we are doing, and what many in the world are doing as well, is playing the game of who-started-it. Frankly, we sound like a bunch of children on a schoolyard trying to get out of a time-out by convincing our teacher that we're innocent. The fact is that neither side is innocent. No country -- no nation of people -- is completely innocent. Both have done some pretty fucked up things.
Now, I'm anticipating that some asshole will want to respond with something to the point of "they started it, though, and here's why..." Please, don't bother. At this point it doesn't matter. At this point in the game no one in this community is going to switch sides, and nothing productive is going to happen when you continue this juvenile idiocy.
So, assuming that there is at least a small group that agrees with me, what are we going to do about it? In a previous entry from a few months ago, I questioned why both sides couldn't simply drop their guns and negotiate peace. The best response I got is that I had an "American menatilty" and could not relate to what was going on their. That is very possible. But, why can't both sides find a solution to their problem? There was a time when Israelis and Palestinians lived in peace (1967-1993, I believe). How 'bout we shoot for that instead of playing the blame game over and over and over and over and over and over again?
It seems that the pro-Israel members and the pro-Palestinian members are repeating the same arguments over and over again, whether it be doc_neuro, shemchadash, cranberriesboy, me, or anyone else who has gotten into the game. Over and over again we make similar arguments and provide evidence to back up our stories, and over and over again, other people come up with some other argument that backs up their original point of view.
In the end, both of our arguments stem from self-defense, and, in many cases, revenge. One member of this community will say that the Israelis started it; yet another will say that the Palestinians started it. One will say that suicide bombings were prompted because of house demolitions; another will respond that the demolitions were prompted by suicide bombings.
The fact is, since the intifada, both sides have committed acts, whether justified or not, that have pissed off the other. Obviously, I believe that suicide bombings are not justifiable ways to show resistance against Israelis. Obviously, others do. That's what differs between the sides: the justifiability of what is done.
What we are doing, and what many in the world are doing as well, is playing the game of who-started-it. Frankly, we sound like a bunch of children on a schoolyard trying to get out of a time-out by convincing our teacher that we're innocent. The fact is that neither side is innocent. No country -- no nation of people -- is completely innocent. Both have done some pretty fucked up things.
Now, I'm anticipating that some asshole will want to respond with something to the point of "they started it, though, and here's why..." Please, don't bother. At this point it doesn't matter. At this point in the game no one in this community is going to switch sides, and nothing productive is going to happen when you continue this juvenile idiocy.
So, assuming that there is at least a small group that agrees with me, what are we going to do about it? In a previous entry from a few months ago, I questioned why both sides couldn't simply drop their guns and negotiate peace. The best response I got is that I had an "American menatilty" and could not relate to what was going on their. That is very possible. But, why can't both sides find a solution to their problem? There was a time when Israelis and Palestinians lived in peace (1967-1993, I believe). How 'bout we shoot for that instead of playing the blame game over and over and over and over and over and over again?