Good gosh. If there was a contest on how to best execute a tangent it would have to go Iran's President Ahmadejinad.
After writing an 18-page letter in May to his friend G.W.B. , he writes yet another letter stating again not only the obvious in the Middle East but this time he additionally mentions that many victims of Hurricane Katrina are still suffering and that there are countless more living in homelessness and poverty. Duh?
Big Duh. Coming from the same guy who says the Holocaust never happened and that Israelis should be wiped off the face of this earth, it's hardly reasonable to accept such a comment of concern for people coming from a man of harsh words. And the tangent, WOW. The gist of his letter was to point out that supposedly the U.S. governs from coercion.
Two things. First of all, compared to Iran, the U.S. is far from governing from coercion given that people can vote without fear of persecution, and that there are hardly issues where education is stifled because of radical views of religion. And if Ahmadejinad were griping about how the U.S. wants to stifle its nuclear program, it's because there are reasons to suspect its activities. Second, how does pointing out poverty and homelessness drive to the point that the U.S. runs its government with an iron fist? These are issues of neglect at best and even if it's glaringly obvious that more could have been done in the aftermath of Katrina, his comment is so far fetched that it just reflects how he's been taking cheap shots at criticizing the U.S. on anything he can find. Bush is no phenomenal speaker either so any response on our end could very well come out looking like a petty squabble between an old married couple.
29 November, 2006
26 November, 2006
Unity?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061126/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians
Even as Israel pulled out early this weekend from an exchange of fire with Palestine, militant groups still blasted attacks on Israel saying they had no intentions to cease their offense. Islamic Jihad took responsibility saying they would not relent unless military activity would stop in the West Bank. And so the fights go on...
So do the Palestinians really want peace or are they just throwing unnoble attempts to make peace with Israel until they can gather more energy and arms to retaliate once again?
Israel did hold its end of the deal by not retaliating. Regardless, the bitterness the Palestinians (and even the Lebanese) feel towards their neighbor is always going to overshadow Israel's attempts at progressing towards peace. Israel is fierce; no question. But its military structure is more united. Compare them to Lebanon whose army didnt have enough people to protect their southern border that they had to get UNIFIL involved and even their presence is being scoffed at by the Lebanese. When a country lacks legitimate military representation there's no question it speaks volumes of the absence of unity. It discredits any attempts for peace and at a minimum, a decent level of coexistence.
Even as Israel pulled out early this weekend from an exchange of fire with Palestine, militant groups still blasted attacks on Israel saying they had no intentions to cease their offense. Islamic Jihad took responsibility saying they would not relent unless military activity would stop in the West Bank. And so the fights go on...
So do the Palestinians really want peace or are they just throwing unnoble attempts to make peace with Israel until they can gather more energy and arms to retaliate once again?
Israel did hold its end of the deal by not retaliating. Regardless, the bitterness the Palestinians (and even the Lebanese) feel towards their neighbor is always going to overshadow Israel's attempts at progressing towards peace. Israel is fierce; no question. But its military structure is more united. Compare them to Lebanon whose army didnt have enough people to protect their southern border that they had to get UNIFIL involved and even their presence is being scoffed at by the Lebanese. When a country lacks legitimate military representation there's no question it speaks volumes of the absence of unity. It discredits any attempts for peace and at a minimum, a decent level of coexistence.
21 November, 2006
Land, religion, liberty
Lebanon's Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was assassinated today while driving in a Christian suburb of Beirut. Disconcerting as it is, this is yet another incident that may be foreseen taking place in succession as the coming months unfold regarding the conflicts in this country.
People here are caught in a web of confusion. No one wants to let go of the past and generations who have witnessed the war and suffering are embittered. There are hidden grievances in forms of prejudice and hypocrisy amidst a country whose capital is supposedly touted as the Paris of the Middle East and once boasted great strengths in the tourism industry. Conflicts of different origins abound such as Arabs versus Israelis, Lebanese versus Syrians, Christians versus Muslims, Sunnis versus Shiites, the Middle East versus the West lie within the core of this country's angst. Disputes about land, and people who claim to rightfully belong, and who should rule in government have been mired by hidden agendas. If a particular constituency moves towards a resolution, they get gunned down. They call themselves a democracy and yet despite the diversity of parliament, they cannot come to a agreement where no one is brutally killed.
So what now ? Does an acceptable resolution for peace really exist? Is there a direction to where all this destruction is leading?
People here are caught in a web of confusion. No one wants to let go of the past and generations who have witnessed the war and suffering are embittered. There are hidden grievances in forms of prejudice and hypocrisy amidst a country whose capital is supposedly touted as the Paris of the Middle East and once boasted great strengths in the tourism industry. Conflicts of different origins abound such as Arabs versus Israelis, Lebanese versus Syrians, Christians versus Muslims, Sunnis versus Shiites, the Middle East versus the West lie within the core of this country's angst. Disputes about land, and people who claim to rightfully belong, and who should rule in government have been mired by hidden agendas. If a particular constituency moves towards a resolution, they get gunned down. They call themselves a democracy and yet despite the diversity of parliament, they cannot come to a agreement where no one is brutally killed.
So what now ? Does an acceptable resolution for peace really exist? Is there a direction to where all this destruction is leading?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)