Untitled, Because I Can't Fathom One For This Topic

[hapan605]

I'm dispassionate when it comes to political events; there are causes and issues that I am obviously passionate about, but they tend to be driven more by reason of philosophy than by political analysis. My research into urban nutrition is an example of this type of distinction. Larger political events, however -- those events that are driven not by

Comments

[yamansalahi]

I'm also waiting to read homais' take on things because he always keeps a cooler head than I do (and he's also waaaaaaaaaaaaaay more knowledgable than I

[hapan605]

but to confront the American/Israeli presentation of the current Lebanon operations as being ones of self-defense.

This is a good point, or at least an example of a point that is taken to its really illogical extreme in reality.

I tend to have issues with the philosophy of "what Israeli aggression has given birth to in the past", because it falls into the trap of "they turned us into this" -- acts of violence lose significance because the act is ultimately parsed to a passive response rather than active choice. Does Israeli policy make violence more legitimate? Yes, in certain instances (there are responsible ways of carrying out terrorism, if that makes sense). But does it make it the end all? Not entirely, as someone is making the choice to resort to violence.

Same goes for me, btw.

[yamansalahi]

The whole "giving birth" concept is not a means of issuing blame or guilt, but of questioning the effectiveness of certain policies. Actions have ramifications which must be considered

[homais]

You may have to wait a bit on me. To be very honest, I've been too depressed to put together a post. The short version is: Israelis still don't understand the nature of the Arab world's 'resistance' discourse/mindset. If they did, they wouldn't be quite as optimistic as they seem. They're working against a pretty tough clock, and they shouldn't count on any help from the Lebanese, even the ones who would love to see Hizballah gone.

I've had a lot of discussions about this over the last few days (and I've become significantly more emphatic in my hatred of armed non-state actors, dur to their remarkable ability to make negotiations impossible), but truth be told, when I sit down to write about it, I just want it all to go away. Which means I'm tired. Burnt out from too many paradigms shifting too quickly. I will try again soon.

[hapan605]

Burnt out from too many paradigms shifting too quickly.

I feel you here like no other. Wishing you the best, yet again. Although if you don't mind me asking, how have you discussions in Damascus gone on that route?

[soulkhansenses]

I'm more than just a little fed up with the tolerance for Israel's response to these soldiers' capture and the backward conception of a soldier's position in a state. Soldiers, for lack of a more pleasant definition, are there to die or suffer in place of their countrymen. Israel forfeited any ethical high ground by launching an offensive that resulted in losses for itself and the other side exceeding the human cost of a few imprisoned military personnel. Granted, this is a somewhat unique scenario since people are conscripted in Israel, but for the love of God, this is ridiculous.

Furthermore, I have to give the Western foreign policy establishment several stupid points for treating those "unpredictable non-state actors" as any more wily or difficult to deal with than states. The scale might be different, but statehood doesn't necessarily equate to reliability or stability, just a mahogany desk and more business suits than flak jackets.

[hapan605]

On the first point, I would totally agree -- if these had been Israelis on the Lebanese side of the border. Yes, soldiers take up a position that distinguishes them from the average citizen, but they are also governed and protected by rules of war. Hezbollah, in holding state portfolio and acting as an agent of government, qualifies and has to abide by such actions

[soulkhansenses]

The rules of war don't ethically pardon Israel's egregious use of destructive force. I don't even feel like those two kidnapped soldiers would be so comfortable with nearly three hundred Lebanese civilians being killed on account of their capture.

States also have enough manpower to cover up their tracks to their own citizenry or the world stage, Stephen. It isn't about the organizational identity as much as it is about the raw meat of the relations between these actors. States deceive and doublecross like guerillas do, and sometimes more. Even if they're caught red-handed because they're monitored better, the dirty deeds are still done and sometimes nobody does anything about it.

This isn't to say that I'm an anti-statist. I think you know me better than that. I just feel like time is better spent dealing within the reality of the non-state actor than trying to ensure that everybody has lined up behind their government of choice. People die quicker than those kinds of ideal policy climates materialize.

[reebchan]

Thank you.

I don't like what's happening, but I'm sick of people making it out to be one-sided.

[hapan605]

Nobody likes what's happening. Nothing is ever one-sided. Save Tibet and Taiwan.

[spiroagnew73]

perhaps this energy transformer could use all available arab oil supplies... and THEN we'd see where all the western "democratizers" really stood.

ohhh, s.wade. you're like the berkeley version of what i will be.

[hapan605]

You mean a constant political pariah?

And personally, I'm all for an OPEC embargo. Let the world go to hell!