I honestly wonder if there are any reasons for this, there certainly are no excuses. Essentially I think there's a lot of unease in the Middle East generally because of the scale of violence. It has a long old history.
What I don't understand is why the UK and USA seems to insist in interfering where it's not our place. A while ago at uni part of one of the intro courses was about african medicine and justice systems and small tribes, basically the message was just that things are different in different places and people have their own cultures, both believe they are right. Is there really any justification for interfering in another area's beliefs - basically the more powerful people will oppress the less powerful people and noone will know who's right - it's just all stupidness.
What I want to say is get troops out and UN peacekeepers in - enough people to ensure we're not all going to get Nuked to fuck, let them come to their own conclusions.
As I understand it, Israel only exists because we (the UK) interfered in the 1940s or thereabouts... reversing that process at this point could be a bit tricky.
I suspect they serve some purpose, however vague it might seem. To be honest I'm just bored of hearing about people blowing each other up in that general area. Large areas of Africa are in a similar situation with huge massacres going on here there and everywhere but they don't have the financial potential so are left to their own devices. Just feels like it's all going a bit mad.
I suspect they serve some purpose, however vague it might seem.
No, no, they really don't.
UNIFIL was created in 1978 to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore the international peace and security, and help the Lebanese Government restore its effective authority in the area. (http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unifil/)
I think it's hard not to say that they've comprehensively failed to fulfill their mission. The sad thing is that they were formed in 1978 in reaction to people saying, "Israel keep bombing the fuck out of people, can't we just get the UN in and they'll sort everything out?".
Sadly the UN force is indeed ineffectual, and several solders died when Israel bombed one of their observation positions (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5215366.stm).
Yep, and clearly if that was deliberate then that's atrocious. I'm not a mindless proponent of the Israeli state, just trying to provide a counterpoint that might explain why when people say, "stop shooting, it's OK, we're calling in the UN to sort it all out," the Israelis laugh in frustration and carry on bombing.
For those who think Israel are right in what they are doing, that link may be sobering, but personally with both the Palestine and Lebanon issues, it seems clear to me that Israel is definitely over-reacting, and using it's superior military equipment to blow the shit out of pretty much any form of functioning society in Lebanon. When you see civilian casualties ten times higher on one side than the other, you know that it's like someone using a bazooka to kill an ant, and not caring about who else is killed at the same time. It's like the British government bombing the hell out of a Catholic street in Northern Ireland in response to the murder of one Protestant person...
The BBC's timeline for Lebanon (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/819200.stm) goes back further, and gives some more background on Lebanon and it's troubled history.
In case anyone wants to label me anti-semite - I have a Jewish friend I have known since I was at school, and have no issue with any faiths or religions (provided they aren't trying to force it down my throat). If the roles were reversed, I would be just as critical of the Lebanese, and indeed am against those that fire missiles into Israel from Palestine territories, or Lebanon. Ultimately, it's the civilians on both sides that pay the highest price...
The history stuff tends to remind me of the kids I work with "but yeah but no but she started it and came into my bedroom!". I mean regardless of what has gone on with each other before or anywhere else in the world, right here and right now, it doesn't seem ok to bomb a country to bits cos a faction in them nicked two soldiers.
Too often the situation is presentated as something like two squabbling kids, but the situation is more like one kid in kick-boxing gear wielding swords, stabbing out the eye of some other kid who stole his pencil.
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(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-07 02:16 pm (UTC)What I don't understand is why the UK and USA seems to insist in interfering where it's not our place. A while ago at uni part of one of the intro courses was about african medicine and justice systems and small tribes, basically the message was just that things are different in different places and people have their own cultures, both believe they are right. Is there really any justification for interfering in another area's beliefs - basically the more powerful people will oppress the less powerful people and noone will know who's right - it's just all stupidness.
What I want to say is get troops out and UN peacekeepers in - enough people to ensure we're not all going to get Nuked to fuck, let them come to their own conclusions.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-07 02:24 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-07 02:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-07 02:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-07 02:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-07 02:55 pm (UTC)No, no, they really don't.
I think it's hard not to say that they've comprehensively failed to fulfill their mission. The sad thing is that they were formed in 1978 in reaction to people saying, "Israel keep bombing the fuck out of people, can't we just get the UN in and they'll sort everything out?".
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-07 03:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-07 03:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-07 05:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-07 03:56 pm (UTC)The BBC's timeline for Lebanon (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/819200.stm) goes back further, and gives some more background on Lebanon and it's troubled history.
In case anyone wants to label me anti-semite - I have a Jewish friend I have known since I was at school, and have no issue with any faiths or religions (provided they aren't trying to force it down my throat). If the roles were reversed, I would be just as critical of the Lebanese, and indeed am against those that fire missiles into Israel from Palestine territories, or Lebanon. Ultimately, it's the civilians on both sides that pay the highest price...
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-07 09:55 pm (UTC)I mean regardless of what has gone on with each other before or anywhere else in the world, right here and right now, it doesn't seem ok to bomb a country to bits cos a faction in them nicked two soldiers.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-09 02:43 am (UTC)Too often the situation is presentated as something like two squabbling kids, but the situation is more like one kid in kick-boxing gear wielding swords, stabbing out the eye of some other kid who stole his pencil.