Military History | How To Make War | Wars Around the World Rules of Use How to Behave on an Internet Forum
Israel Discussion Board
   Return to Topic Page
Subject: There is no military solution
Sambation    8/17/2007 7:01:20 AM
This is a common theme in the discussion regarding "the conflict." It is, in my opinion, patently absurd. When two sides are fighting a war, of course there is a military solution. The statement is tantamount to saying to a Peace Now activist or State Department hack that, "There is just no diplomatic solution." There is also and always, of course, a diplomatic solution. In this case, a "diplomatic solution" would almost certainly be disastrous for Israel. This talks to the real point: these terms are themselves political. They badly approximate the divisions of government. A "diplomatic solution" is one that is spearheaded by State Dept (or ministry). A "military" one belongs to DOD. As any fool can see, these two different groups are not just labor dividing agencies. They are political themselves in the sense that they compete amongst each other to implement their own policies which are formed on the basis of their own values. The problem is when there is no overarching value system coming from the top, which permeates the entire of American society. This is even more true in Israel, and so the crises that take place between Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry are more intense, more fractious and more destructive. Here is a perfect example: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1186557462672&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Min. of Transport and Min. of Finance just can't seem to get along. What is the solution? Cancel bus protection service since there hasn't been a bus bombing in a few months. Whew, everyone in Israel can rest easy. They're in the clear, since one of the ministries thinks, given the cost-benefit of running the bus security service, that all will be well. Never mind that there hasn't been a bus bombing. A slackening of security invites threat. It's a simple equation that any criminologist is aware of: make a hole in the fence and someone climbs through; stumble through the streets late at night and watch the muggers mob. Perhaps a minor decision, the bus thing, perhaps not. The problem-- the shocking horror-- is that this kind of decision-making is systemic. It pervades. It includes the (non-)distribution of gas masks; the (non-)retrieval of kidnapped soldiers; the (non-)defense of the country; and, tragically, the (lack of) knowledge (not belief, knowledge) of the country's right to exist as a sovereign nation not just as a UN territory or Next Arab State. So, don't take the bus, don't breathe the air during war, don't be a soldier-- hell, don't be in Israel at all-- and you should be just fine. And, of course, don't forget to cast your vote for Meretz.
 
Quote    Reply

Show Only Poster Name and Title     Newest to Oldest
Shirrush    The grassroots   8/18/2007 6:01:19 PM
Sambation, are you an Izzy, or another likudnik American like Ezekiel?
What do you think are the chances that the Israeli public's indifference/paralysis will come to an end before the next disaster?
Or, rather, what is, in your opinion, the likeliness that a grassroots Zionist upheaval will brush aside Olmert and his kleptocrats, the 18 Families, the Bibi, and the MoF boys that serve them, as well as the rotten and venal, parasitic religious establishment?
Do or die, shall I say?

On a lighter note, what do you think of this Ehud Banai song?

...Minehar Yarqon 'ad haSambation
MiGalil 'ad leRosh Satan
Lo timtza thama, kmo otha 'alma
Hee hakochav shel mekhoz Gush Dan...
 
 
Quote    Reply

Sambation    The 4% Kid   8/22/2007 6:21:58 AM
First things first, Shirrush: love the song. Good catch.

Your question is, sadly, a no-brainer: will Israel, the polity, the people, get down on hands and knees and scrub away political scum that's been accumulating for the better part of 50 years? Of course not. They love their scum. Each segment of Israeli society embraces a variety of the scum as their own: the pathetic socialist-peacenik maniacs think Peres is just the cutest little Stalin-looking labor leader there is. The faux right-wing hangs on to Bibi's coattails because he was in "HaSayeret" (and never mind that he tongue-kissed Arafat at Wye). The religious wear religious blinders so everything that Shas does to enable land giveaways to terrorists is A-OK, so long as haredim continue to receive their $50 payout per extra kid.

And Olmert. Olmert gets his own category because he does more than merely represent. He symbolizes. Olmert embodies. He "stands for." He is the political malaise that best defines Israel's polity. He is the "4% Kid" who still rules the town. Israelis are waiting for Clint Eastwood (i.e. Bill Clinton, in their warped view) to walk into the saloon and out the baddies. They forget, despite constant nagging, touting, and bitching, that Israel is a democracy, and they must grow and choose their own leaders.

So, to be less snarky for a second: No, nothing will change in the short term. My prediction is that there will be one or two real leaders who pop up and show themselves willing to lead. Their demise will be familiar: an ousting by the voters in favor of someone with a better mustache or military background, or a disgust on the part of the leader-politician that drives him or her back to the moshav (think Landau).

What am I? Neither Israeli nor American Likudnik. I've had 4 different passports (so far) in my life. I joke with my family that we are 'citizens of the world.' Maybe you can make some informed deductions from that.
 
Quote    Reply

Sambation    The 4% Kid   8/22/2007 6:48:08 AM
First things first, Shirrush: love the song. Good catch.

Your question is, sadly, a no-brainer: will Israel, the polity, the people, get down on hands and knees and scrub away political scum that's been accumulating for the better part of 50 years? Of course not. They love their scum. Each segment of Israeli society embraces a variety of the scum as their own: the pathetic socialist-peacenik maniacs think Peres is just the cutest little Stalin-looking labor leader there is. The faux right-wing hangs on to Bibi's coattails because he was in "HaSayeret" (and never mind that he tongue-kissed Arafat at Wye). The religious wear religious blinders so everything that Shas does to enable land giveaways to terrorists is A-OK, so long as haredim continue to receive their $50 payout per extra kid.

And Olmert. Olmert gets his own category because he does more than merely represent. He symbolizes. Olmert embodies. He "stands for." He is the political malaise that best defines Israel's polity. He is the "4% Kid" who still rules the town. Israelis are waiting for Clint Eastwood (i.e. Bill Clinton, in their warped view) to walk into the saloon and out the baddies. They forget, despite constant nagging, touting, and bitching, that Israel is a democracy, and they must grow and choose their own leaders.

So, to be less snarky for a second: No, nothing will change in the short term. My prediction is that there will be one or two real leaders who pop up and show themselves willing to lead. Their demise will be familiar: an ousting by the voters in favor of someone with a better mustache or military background, or a disgust on the part of the leader-politician that drives him or her back to the moshav (think Landau).

What am I? Neither Israeli nor American Likudnik. I've had 4 different passports (so far) in my life. I joke with my family that we are 'citizens of the world.' Maybe you can make some informed deductions from that.
 
Quote    Reply

FJV       8/22/2007 1:19:52 PM
There's also no solution when you're dead.



 
Quote    Reply



 Latest
 News
 
 Most
 Read
 
 Most
 Commented
 Hot
 Topics