‘What Sets Us Apart’
"We believe in the fundamental dignity of every human life," Joe Biden declared on Wednesday, while in Israel meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu. That belief, Biden said, is what "sets us apart from the terrorists."
The US president was in an impossible situation. Even the most skilled of orators would've been at pains to avoid offending delicate sensibilities on both sides of a highly-charged situation in the Mideast. Biden isn't a skilled orator.
Gaza was still reeling from Tuesday's horrific b
It seems futile to try to eliminate a group tied by ideology. We were less than successful in that effort to eliminate Al Qaeda. You can’t kill the problems that drive people to want to join terrorist organizations. In fact the killing probably grows their reach more than it shrinks it.
Israel should propose that they will cease hostilities providing all the hostages are returned safely. That will place the ongoing tragedy squarely in the hands of Hamas.
“Stupidity has a knack of getting its way.” – Albert Camus, The Plague
I’ve believed for a long time Hamas would massacre Israelis if given the opportunity. I also believe for anyone paying attention, seeing this didn’t require special insight. Which makes the intelligence and defense failures by the Israelis all the more stunning to me.
Netanyahu has struck me throughout his career as someone who does not value the dignity of every human life. I also think seeing this doesn’t require special insight. That the Security failures lying at his feet place him in a position of extreme political peril is undeniable.
As well stated in the article, Biden knows that it’s a “political death sentence” not to support Israel after the horrors inflicted on it by Hamas. And he knows that his death politically could open the door for Trump’s second term which in his view would be catastrophic.
I have a strong belief that a full scale invasion of Gaza will be disastrous for all involved. I believe it’s what Hamas wants, and that they will indeed get several things they want out of an invasion, including the opportunity to kill more Israelis and generating intense rage in the Muslim world as the death toll of innocent civilians, a huge percentage of which will be children, mounts and mounts. As for the Israelis, they’ll get to kill many of those responsible for the murderous rampage in Israel. But at what cost? The surviving Palestinian’s lives will be shattered, and the repercussions of the death and destruction that will be unleashed will increase their precarity. I believe if this happens, Hamas and the Netanyahu government will each be getting what they want, and all will be much worse off for it.
I have been involved with education since 1949, first as a student, then as a professor for 40 years, and recently as a pro-bono brain for hire. I have witnessed and tried to rectify stupid in all its myriad forms. Stupid is far more stubborn that smart is. Stupid also has a partner, irrational principles. Together, the two of them are responsible for most of the human misery created in the world for many thousands of years. Diogenes was said to have wandered in the night with a lamp, searching ancient Athens in vain for an honest man. As for stupid, Camus was correct.
Thanks for the colorful response Mr. Lucky. Diogenes indeed seems to have seen through many things to the folly underneath.
Are we to believe that Hamas has the capacity to “ launch a global media campaign”?
It’s pretty obvious the Kremlin engaged their well trained and well place communications operatives globally into service for these efforts. It’s also pretty obvious that the Kremlin is funding the effort via Iran.