Dear everyone,
In my recent posts, I have expressed the view that the world must take
powerful steps NOW to preempt future outrages like the recent terrorist
attacks on the USA. This is not to say that I unconditionally side with the
USA in its policies. The USA has led a process of increasing globalization
that has served some communities extremely well, while others have found
themselves excluded. It doesn't take a genius to figure which side of this
divide terrorists come from.
On the other hand, victims usually have a choice. They can try and
constructively play the hand dealt them even if it is a poor one.
Alternatively, they can go on playing the game of victims, and try and
destroy everything that anyone else tries to achive. Terrorism is clearly a
victims game.
The USA is rightly proud of its achievements. A few generations ago, the
"victims" of a cruel European society went to a new land and built their own
society. They have since been joined by many other of the worlds
dispossessed. Americans took the constructive path, away from being victims.
They've done this so successfully that they inspire hate and jealousy.
Sadly, America is not the only target for such hate. My own country (Israel)
suffers daily from deperados who want to destroy it. You all hear about the
biig suicide attacks with dozens killed, but you don't hear of the shootings
that claim the lives of passive civilian men, women and children on an
almost daily basis. Thus, I was extremely upset by Gerhard's sudden
unprovoked attack
GERHARD:
> I am an American, in the Marco sense, but in fact I'm also an angry
> Norwegian. Angry because in a time when most of the world have been
standing
> still in respect for the killed Americans and due to the shock that the
> terrorist attacks in America gave the western world, Israel have used the
> opportunity, when the world have been focused on the World Trade Centre,
to
> attack the Palestine's without the annoying reactions from the world. I
call
> this disrespect of the 5000 (+) American victims.
Gerhard, do you really expect Israel to sit passively and let its citizens
be targets after seeing what happened in New York? Israel cannot do that for
even one second.
[snip]
> To Jonathan: I would like to write pages and pages about the Israel /
> Palestine conflict, and why it definitely should not be a role model for
any
> other conflicts, including the America versus an unknown terrorist
conflict,
> but I'm pretty sure we would not agree.
Gerhard, for the record, you might like to know that I am a leftist, support
the idea of Palestinian statehood and long for a just and equitable peace.
However, with due respect, I suspect that you have hardly a clue about the
history of the Israel/Palestine conflict. Half a century ago, victims of an
enormous human tragedy chose a path away from being victims. Thus, they
created a productive and "rich" society that offered a better life for
millions of people. Over the same timecourse, the Palestinian leadership has
rejected taking any constructive path, not once, not even just twice. This
is truly a tragedy, but one that will not end without their cooperation.
It's not nice to be a victim, but neither is it nice to be called a bully. I
am appending a poem that I just saw today for the first time. I'm sure
you'll recognise the name of the poet.
Jonathan
***************
Neighborhood bully.
***************
By: Bob Dylan
Well, the neighborhood bully, he's just one man,
His enemies say he's on their land.
They got him outnumbered about a million to one,
He got no place to escape to, no place to run.
The neighborhood bully just lives to survive,
He's criticized and condemned for being alive.
He's not supposed to fight back, he's supposed to have thick skin,
He's supposed to lay down and die when his door is kicked in.
The neighborhood bully has been driven out of every land,
He's wandered the earth an exiled man.
Seen his family scattered, his people hounded and torn,
He's always on trial for just being born.
Well, he knocked out a lynch mob, he was criticized,
Old women condemned him, said he should apologize.
Then he destroyed a bomb factory, nobody was glad,
The bombs were meant for him,
He was supposed to feel bad.
Well, the chances are against it and the odds are slim,
That he'll live by the rules that the world makes for him.
'Cause there's a noose at his neck and a gun at his back,
And a license to kill him is given out to every maniac.
He got no allies to really speak of,
What he gets he must pay for, he don't get it out of love.
He buys obsolete weapons and he won't be denied,
But no one sends flesh and blood to fight by his side.
Well, he's surrounded by pacifists who all want peace,
They pray for it nightly that the bloodshed must cease.
Now, they wouldn't hurt a fly,
To hurt one they would weep,
They lay and they wait for this bully to fall asleep.
Every empire that's enslaved him is gone,
Egypt and Rome, even the great Babylon.
He's made a garden of paradise in the desert sand,
In bed with nobody, under no one's command.
Now his holiest books have been trampled upon,
No contract he signed was worth what it was written on.
He took the crumbs of the world and he turned it into wealth,
Took sickness and disease and he turned it into health.
What's anybody indebted to him for?
Nothin', they say,
He just likes to cause war.
Pride and prejudice and superstition indeed,
They wait for this bully like a dog waits to feed.
What has he done to wear so many scars?
Does he change the course of rivers?
Does he pollute the moon and stars?
Neighborhood bully, standing on the hill,
Running out the clock, time standing still.
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