Regime Change Revisited
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digital man wrote:
The Palestinians in Gaza? Hardly captive:
digital man wrote:
Starved?
"the Israeli government reacted by punishing the entire civilian population. It announced that it was blockading the Gaza Strip in order to "pressure" its people to reverse the democratic process. The Israelis surrounded the Strip and refused to let anyone or anything out. They let in a small trickle of food, fuel and medicine – but not enough for survival. Weisglass quipped that the Gazans were being "put on a diet". According to Oxfam, only 137 trucks of food were allowed into Gaza last month to feed 1.5 million people. The United Nations says poverty has reached an "unprecedented level." When I was last in besieged Gaza, I saw hospitals turning away the sick because their machinery and medicine was running out. I met hungry children stumbling around the streets, scavenging for food." http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-the-true-story-behind-this-war-is-not-the-one-israel-is-telling-1214981.html[^]
digital man wrote:
Brutal slaughter?
"As Israeli warplanes continue to bomb Gaza, attention is turning to the role of American-made weapons in the deadly attacks, which have now killed over 400 and wounded 2000, including many civilians." http://rawstory.com/news/2008/CNN_U.S._weapons_create_Gaza_civilian_0102.html[^]
digital man wrote:
Apart from the fact that is not the correct quote
whos quoting?
digital man wrote:
make peace with people that don't want peace? They just want to eradicate Israel.
we should remember that last week, Hamas offered a ceasefire in return for basic and achievable comp
Your first quote/article is opinion, not reported fact. Still, you ignore the fact that they cam smuggle in weapons but not food or medicine. What a surprise. A brutal slaughter this is not. 80% of thsoe killed are Hamas fighters. 100% of the people that Hamas have killed with rockets have been civilians. And, finally, your final paragraph is, again, opinion presnetd as disjointed facts by a newspaper. The fact is that Hamas will never make peace with Israel unless forced to do so. Israel has repeatedly given the Palestinians what they want and each time have been rewarded with further demands. Just how far would you advise they go before taking any action?
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The New York Times posted an interested article[^], suggesting that the real goal of the Gaza invasion is to remove Hamas from power. I think they make a strong case. The problem is that I don't think Hamas has a clear and centralized power structure which raises the possibility that this incursion could continue on for some time. It's clear that the Israeli's don't have much support for a lengthy invasion; already there are calls for a ceasefire. Is it possible for Israel to achieve such a goal in a short period of time? And, if not, then what is the point of the ground invasion if not regime change?
73Zeppelin wrote:
he problem is that I don't think Hamas has a clear and centralized power structure
They don't, they're nothing more than armed thugs. Their hold on Gaza is also unlawful because they took it over by force and completely decimated any presence Fatah has there (another bunch of thugs but they're a bit better) and not only that, they've completely castrated the police force. There's a special circle in hades for them.
73Zeppelin wrote:
which raises the possibility that this incursion could continue on for some time.
Correct, it is my opinion that Israel is doing the exact same thing Hamas was doing, simply causing terror. Of the hundreds killed how many where militants? A pathetic percentage I can assure you. "Precision" half-ton bombs don't work on warrens that are densely populated and this is compounded by Hamas' cowardice. Then again, Israel is using a cannon to kill a mosquito, and being extremely overkill, its the poor civilians who are getting the shit end of the stick.
73Zeppelin wrote:
It's clear that the Israeli's don't have much support for a lengthy invasion; already there are calls for a ceasefire.
Completely impotent bearing in mind that not one superpower is willing to lift a finger and because of the USA's track record of protecting Israel's policies. That's not saying that Americans are bad, its just saying that their foreign policies have historically advocated their quiet support of Israel's actions by simply not demanding/ordering them to stop. There are many exceptions such as George Bush (the father not the dunce) and Clinton. A cease-fire will not happen until one of two things occur, a Super power steps in and says enough is enough or the world becomes supremely outraged at the humanitarian catastrophes and the massacres. Then Israel will seem like its bowing down to the will of the rest like a democratic nation.
73Zeppelin wrote:
Is it possible for Israel to achieve such a goal in a short period of time?
Nope. Decapitation would require a concerted effort by clandestine operatives performing surgical attacks at very specific individuals hiding out in Syria, Gaza and Ramallah. I don't see this happening nor do I think I will see this happening because the intent is to try and make the Palestinian people cower in terror
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73Zeppelin wrote:
he problem is that I don't think Hamas has a clear and centralized power structure
They don't, they're nothing more than armed thugs. Their hold on Gaza is also unlawful because they took it over by force and completely decimated any presence Fatah has there (another bunch of thugs but they're a bit better) and not only that, they've completely castrated the police force. There's a special circle in hades for them.
73Zeppelin wrote:
which raises the possibility that this incursion could continue on for some time.
Correct, it is my opinion that Israel is doing the exact same thing Hamas was doing, simply causing terror. Of the hundreds killed how many where militants? A pathetic percentage I can assure you. "Precision" half-ton bombs don't work on warrens that are densely populated and this is compounded by Hamas' cowardice. Then again, Israel is using a cannon to kill a mosquito, and being extremely overkill, its the poor civilians who are getting the shit end of the stick.
73Zeppelin wrote:
It's clear that the Israeli's don't have much support for a lengthy invasion; already there are calls for a ceasefire.
Completely impotent bearing in mind that not one superpower is willing to lift a finger and because of the USA's track record of protecting Israel's policies. That's not saying that Americans are bad, its just saying that their foreign policies have historically advocated their quiet support of Israel's actions by simply not demanding/ordering them to stop. There are many exceptions such as George Bush (the father not the dunce) and Clinton. A cease-fire will not happen until one of two things occur, a Super power steps in and says enough is enough or the world becomes supremely outraged at the humanitarian catastrophes and the massacres. Then Israel will seem like its bowing down to the will of the rest like a democratic nation.
73Zeppelin wrote:
Is it possible for Israel to achieve such a goal in a short period of time?
Nope. Decapitation would require a concerted effort by clandestine operatives performing surgical attacks at very specific individuals hiding out in Syria, Gaza and Ramallah. I don't see this happening nor do I think I will see this happening because the intent is to try and make the Palestinian people cower in terror
I agree with what you say.
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
Sure this will happen for some time, and then hate becomes rampant again and this cycle will start all over again.
I think this is exactly right and thus why I believe the Israeli invasion of Gaza is misguided. It will just serve to push the peace process that much further back. Both sides need to be soundly condemned by Arab leaders and the U.S. The people are just caught in the middle. I think it would help if Iran were to get invovled (and possibly Syria). They are to Hamas what the U.S. is to Israel.
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I agree with what you say.
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
Sure this will happen for some time, and then hate becomes rampant again and this cycle will start all over again.
I think this is exactly right and thus why I believe the Israeli invasion of Gaza is misguided. It will just serve to push the peace process that much further back. Both sides need to be soundly condemned by Arab leaders and the U.S. The people are just caught in the middle. I think it would help if Iran were to get invovled (and possibly Syria). They are to Hamas what the U.S. is to Israel.
73Zeppelin wrote:
I think it would help if Iran were to get invovled (and possibly Syria).
Actually, the only thing that would help is if Iran and Syria were rendered incapable of any involvment of any kind any where.
Chaining ourselves to the moral high ground does not make us good guys. Aside from making us easy targets, it merely makes us idiotic prisoners of our own self loathing.
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Israel has a right to exist. Palestine has a right to exist. They both cannot occupy the same real estate. As I stated, Israel has a right to exist. If only Iran and Syria could be persuaded to accept that premise then Hamas will accept that dictated position from their paymasters. So I rather think that Iran and Syria are the key to solving this problem.
Richard A. Abbott wrote:
Israel has a right to exist. Palestine has a right to exist.
Certainly.
Richard A. Abbott wrote:
If only Iran and Syria could be persuaded to accept that premise then Hamas will accept that dictated position from their paymasters.
Though I doubt that Hamas gets paid by Iran (Sunni-Shi'ite clash) if Iran (Syria being Iran's bitch which in fact does help in paying Hizbullah which is a Shi'ite militant group) where to lean on Hamas, they'd stop.
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Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote: Keep it up. Fool.
I now think of you as Mr. T! - Trollslayer
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73Zeppelin wrote:
I think it would help if Iran were to get invovled (and possibly Syria).
Actually, the only thing that would help is if Iran and Syria were rendered incapable of any involvment of any kind any where.
Chaining ourselves to the moral high ground does not make us good guys. Aside from making us easy targets, it merely makes us idiotic prisoners of our own self loathing.
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73Zeppelin wrote:
I think it would help if Iran were to get invovled (and possibly Syria).
Actually, the only thing that would help is if Iran and Syria were rendered incapable of any involvment of any kind any where.
Chaining ourselves to the moral high ground does not make us good guys. Aside from making us easy targets, it merely makes us idiotic prisoners of our own self loathing.
Stan Shannon wrote:
Actually, the only thing that would help is if Iran and Syria were rendered incapable of any involvment of any kind any where.
But that's not realistic, so the only alternative is to involve them in the process.
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73Zeppelin wrote:
I think it would help if Iran were to get invovled (and possibly Syria).
Actually, the only thing that would help is if Iran and Syria were rendered incapable of any involvment of any kind any where.
Chaining ourselves to the moral high ground does not make us good guys. Aside from making us easy targets, it merely makes us idiotic prisoners of our own self loathing.
Iran is Shi'ite and Syria's ruling faction is Alawite (spelling?) which is a denomination of the Shi'ite sect, its very doubtful if Hamas is being funded by either. Hizbullah on the other hand is.
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote: Keep it up. Fool.
I now think of you as Mr. T! - Trollslayer
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Uh, that was pretty much my point. I think you missed it. The whole point of the thread was to question Israel's tactics - the longer this goes on, the more unpopular they will be. I just wonder where the other Arab states are - the ones that should be putting pressure on Hamas to accept some kind of agreement so that the Palestinian people can stop being caught in the fighting between Israel and Hamas. I talked more about it in my reply to Richard, here[^].
73Zeppelin wrote:
the longer this goes on, the more unpopular they will be.
where? I thoroughly applaud them athough I find it curious that they waited so long.
Mike - typical white guy. The USA does have universal healthcare, but you have to pay for it. D'oh. Thomas Mann - "Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil." The NYT - my leftist brochure. Calling an illegal alien an “undocumented immigrant” is like calling a drug dealer an “unlicensed pharmacist”. God doesn't believe in atheists, therefore they don't exist.
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73Zeppelin wrote:
the longer this goes on, the more unpopular they will be.
where? I thoroughly applaud them athough I find it curious that they waited so long.
Mike - typical white guy. The USA does have universal healthcare, but you have to pay for it. D'oh. Thomas Mann - "Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil." The NYT - my leftist brochure. Calling an illegal alien an “undocumented immigrant” is like calling a drug dealer an “unlicensed pharmacist”. God doesn't believe in atheists, therefore they don't exist.
Mike Gaskey wrote:
where? I thoroughly applaud them athough I find it curious that they waited so long.
Pretty much the world. Although the U.S. still supports them, I'm not sure they can sustain support long enough for them to finish whatever the goals of their current campaign may be. The other problem is that the more civilians you kill, the more young kids grow up to continue the legacy of Hamas. So while you may have subdued the problem short-term, you just created a future generation of Hamas supporters. Not a very good way to achieve long-term peace.
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Stan Shannon wrote:
Actually, the only thing that would help is if Iran and Syria were rendered incapable of any involvment of any kind any where.
But that's not realistic, so the only alternative is to involve them in the process.
73Zeppelin wrote:
But that's not realistic, so the only alternative is to involve them in the process.
The only reason it isn't realistic is because of the inexplicable stupidity of so many in the west. Iran and Syria could both be taken down as easily as Iraq was with far less risk of insurgency simply because there would be no political entity left in the region to manage any organized and effective insurgency.
Chaining ourselves to the moral high ground does not make us good guys. Aside from making us easy targets, it merely makes us idiotic prisoners of our own self loathing.
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Stan Shannon wrote:
Iran and Syria were rendered incapable
By force or you got some other thoughts?
Force - its good for what ailes ya...
Chaining ourselves to the moral high ground does not make us good guys. Aside from making us easy targets, it merely makes us idiotic prisoners of our own self loathing.
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I agree with what you say.
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
Sure this will happen for some time, and then hate becomes rampant again and this cycle will start all over again.
I think this is exactly right and thus why I believe the Israeli invasion of Gaza is misguided. It will just serve to push the peace process that much further back. Both sides need to be soundly condemned by Arab leaders and the U.S. The people are just caught in the middle. I think it would help if Iran were to get invovled (and possibly Syria). They are to Hamas what the U.S. is to Israel.
73Zeppelin wrote:
peace process
what the fuck is that?
Mike - typical white guy. The USA does have universal healthcare, but you have to pay for it. D'oh. Thomas Mann - "Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil." The NYT - my leftist brochure. Calling an illegal alien an “undocumented immigrant” is like calling a drug dealer an “unlicensed pharmacist”. God doesn't believe in atheists, therefore they don't exist.
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I agree with what you say.
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
Sure this will happen for some time, and then hate becomes rampant again and this cycle will start all over again.
I think this is exactly right and thus why I believe the Israeli invasion of Gaza is misguided. It will just serve to push the peace process that much further back. Both sides need to be soundly condemned by Arab leaders and the U.S. The people are just caught in the middle. I think it would help if Iran were to get invovled (and possibly Syria). They are to Hamas what the U.S. is to Israel.
73Zeppelin wrote:
It will just serve to push the peace process that much further back.
To the starting point or even before. You can't have peace or peace-talks until both sides have calmed down and I don't mean calmed down to the point they're not throwing everything short of nukes at each other; I mean calm as in willing to listen.
73Zeppelin wrote:
Both sides need to be soundly condemned by Arab leaders and the U.S.
Israel would simply shrug off any condemnation by any Arab state because even though it has peace with two of them, it effectively considers "Arabs" as enemy. The US on the other hand can easily lean on Israel, but I doubt the current administration, yes Dubya, I'm talking about you, will lift a finger to do anything because in my opinion it has proved its incompetence and impotence a thousandfold particularly when it come to foreign policy and especially the Middle East.
73Zeppelin wrote:
I think it would help if Iran were to get invovled (and possibly Syria). They are to Hamas what the U.S. is to Israel.
Again, Though Iran uses vernacular that supports the Palestinian militant groups and yes it does occasionally send aid to the Palestinians, it won't actively fund a Sunni group like Hamas (Syria in extension as well since the ruling party is Alawite (spelling) which is a Shi'ite denomination) unlike Hizbollah which is actively funded with millions from both Syria and Iran.
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote: Keep it up. Fool.
I now think of you as Mr. T! - Trollslayer
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Mike Gaskey wrote:
where? I thoroughly applaud them athough I find it curious that they waited so long.
Pretty much the world. Although the U.S. still supports them, I'm not sure they can sustain support long enough for them to finish whatever the goals of their current campaign may be. The other problem is that the more civilians you kill, the more young kids grow up to continue the legacy of Hamas. So while you may have subdued the problem short-term, you just created a future generation of Hamas supporters. Not a very good way to achieve long-term peace.
73Zeppelin wrote:
I'm not sure they can sustain support long enough for them to finish whatever the goals of their current campaign may be.
Not sure about the rest of the world but they'll not lose US support as long as the rest of the world is pulling for their demise.
Mike - typical white guy. The USA does have universal healthcare, but you have to pay for it. D'oh. Thomas Mann - "Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil." The NYT - my leftist brochure. Calling an illegal alien an “undocumented immigrant” is like calling a drug dealer an “unlicensed pharmacist”. God doesn't believe in atheists, therefore they don't exist.
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73Zeppelin wrote:
But that's not realistic, so the only alternative is to involve them in the process.
The only reason it isn't realistic is because of the inexplicable stupidity of so many in the west. Iran and Syria could both be taken down as easily as Iraq was with far less risk of insurgency simply because there would be no political entity left in the region to manage any organized and effective insurgency.
Chaining ourselves to the moral high ground does not make us good guys. Aside from making us easy targets, it merely makes us idiotic prisoners of our own self loathing.
Stan Shannon wrote:
Iran and Syria could both be taken down as easily as Iraq was with far less risk of insurgency simply because there would be no political entity left in the region to manage any organized and effective insurgency.
Honestly, Stan, I credited you with more insight than that. Sure we spar on many issues, but this shows me you don't know much about the region and the Religio-Politico movements in both. You can add Afghanistan, Lebanon to that pile as well.
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote: Keep it up. Fool.
I now think of you as Mr. T! - Trollslayer
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73Zeppelin wrote:
But that's not realistic, so the only alternative is to involve them in the process.
The only reason it isn't realistic is because of the inexplicable stupidity of so many in the west. Iran and Syria could both be taken down as easily as Iraq was with far less risk of insurgency simply because there would be no political entity left in the region to manage any organized and effective insurgency.
Chaining ourselves to the moral high ground does not make us good guys. Aside from making us easy targets, it merely makes us idiotic prisoners of our own self loathing.
Stan Shannon wrote:
taken down as easily as Iraq
Yeah, we all know how well that worked out... :rolleyes: When a country lacks a centralized and clearly-defined leadership you get anarchy: Iraq, Palestine, etc... Deposing the governments of Iran and/or Syria will result in the same thing. It will also result in the people of two more countries hating the western world. I fail to see the logic in your "plan". Alternatively, you could engage them politically and economically and probably improve relations, Middle-east stability and cooperation on Iraeal-Palestine and Iraq.
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Iran is Shi'ite and Syria's ruling faction is Alawite (spelling?) which is a denomination of the Shi'ite sect, its very doubtful if Hamas is being funded by either. Hizbullah on the other hand is.
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote: Keep it up. Fool.
I now think of you as Mr. T! - Trollslayer
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote:
Iran is Shi'ite and Syria's ruling faction is Alawite (spelling?) which is a denomination of the Shi'ite sect, its very doubtful if Hamas is being funded by either. Hizbullah on the other hand is.
Than removing them would help resolve who is doing the funding. If you remove all possible middle eastern sources of funding, than you are left with an indisputable internatoinal, non-Islamic source of funding, which could be handled without involving the people of the middle east at all.
Chaining ourselves to the moral high ground does not make us good guys. Aside from making us easy targets, it merely makes us idiotic prisoners of our own self loathing.
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73Zeppelin wrote:
peace process
what the fuck is that?
Mike - typical white guy. The USA does have universal healthcare, but you have to pay for it. D'oh. Thomas Mann - "Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil." The NYT - my leftist brochure. Calling an illegal alien an “undocumented immigrant” is like calling a drug dealer an “unlicensed pharmacist”. God doesn't believe in atheists, therefore they don't exist.
Mike Gaskey wrote:
what the f*** is that?
The thing that goes on in between the rocket firing and Gaza invasions.
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Stan Shannon wrote:
taken down as easily as Iraq
Yeah, we all know how well that worked out... :rolleyes: When a country lacks a centralized and clearly-defined leadership you get anarchy: Iraq, Palestine, etc... Deposing the governments of Iran and/or Syria will result in the same thing. It will also result in the people of two more countries hating the western world. I fail to see the logic in your "plan". Alternatively, you could engage them politically and economically and probably improve relations, Middle-east stability and cooperation on Iraeal-Palestine and Iraq.
73Zeppelin wrote:
Yeah, we all know how well that worked out...
Sometimes I wonder if the number of dead soldiers is being reported correctly. I really do.
Don't forget to vote if the response was helpful
Sig history "dad" Ishmail-Samuel Mustafa "There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance" Ali Ibn Abi Talib
Mustafa Ismail Mustafa wrote: Keep it up. Fool.
I now think of you as Mr. T! - Trollslayer