tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10829781.post115443937621267062..comments2023-07-05T11:26:53.498+01:00Comments on A Big Stick and a Small Carrot: With Friends Like TheseGarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188217045700587288noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10829781.post-1154506196468863792006-08-02T09:09:00.000+01:002006-08-02T09:09:00.000+01:00What an excellent post with some thoughtful analys...What an excellent post with some thoughtful analysis.<BR/><BR/>I too believe that Israel has a "need" to define itself in terms of an armed struggle of conflict, a continuation of the spirit in which it was founded.<BR/><BR/>That the US, with the support of the UK, takes advantage of Israel's predeliction for its own purposes, encouraging the instinct for conflict to meet its own ends, is morally obscene. The child in the playground encouraging the fights of others is a revolting role for a country to play.<BR/><BR/>We've seen the fate of others who've asked "do you wanna be in my gang?" before.Parlicoothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09009124217415432774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10829781.post-1154460870437024522006-08-01T20:34:00.000+01:002006-08-01T20:34:00.000+01:00mGreat post, that mirrors what I'm sure many of us...mGreat post, that mirrors what I'm sure many of us feel about the Hezbollah situation (especially with regards the history of the IRA) whilst drawing some insightful conclusions as to where it will lead and how it should be (or rather: have been) tackled.<BR/><BR/>I keep coming to three possible conclusions as to the reasoning behind this Israeli onslaught:<BR/><BR/>a) They haven't learned what many countries have been painfully learning about tackling terrorism, ie. airstrikes and artillary don't work. Public pressure or outright stupidity mean that they try it anyway.<BR/><BR/>b) As you've put your finger on, the possibility of a subconsious need for a neverending cycle of conflict.<BR/><BR/>c) Pressure from 'the west' to redefine the entire middle east, which would involve more than simply taking out Hezbollah, and involve dragging other countries into the conflict (with Big Brother stepping in later, if Syria/Iran get involved).<BR/><BR/>Point A) involves one heck of a lot of stupidity, which (perhaps unfairly) I don't credit the US/UK/Israel with enough of. Point C) sounds too much like an unachievable conspiracy theory. Which leaves B) and the question why the heck we're encouraging it.<BR/><BR/>Perhaps it is simply about B) with a touch of C). A neverending cycle that 'we' (the US and UK) are hoping will do something for the good ole War on Terror without any of our troops being involved and a certain level of deniability when it comes to explaining the civilian casualties.<BR/><BR/>What a complete mess.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com