Hopeless [David Warren]

Ottawa Citizen ^ | June 7, 2003 | David Warren

[MEG33]

I agree,with sorrow.

[MEG33]

Another voice.

[risk]

It is only through a willingness to pay any price, that we may continue to be free.

I believe Adlai Stevenson paraphrased Goethe from Faust saying:

What you have inherited from your fathers, earn over again for yourselves or it will not be yours.

Now is such a time. WW2 was not as bad as it gets; it was just another manifestation of man's inhumanity to man. It will happen again and again, and we must be prepared to meet the threat directly.

Take heart, my friends. We are born of great men and women who knew how to rise to the call of freedom. We will, too.

[LizardQueen]

I agree, too. And every time that peace has been pushed by a third party (us) the attemt has always come unraveled.

What I see as the only way of peace happening is if the cooler heads in BOTH camps join together to form a united front against the radical and terrorist elements on both sides.

But there is such distrust between them that I don't see them ever being able to get together. And even if they did, they don't have the power and tools to overcome the radical elements, and would be at significant personal risk as those who don't want peace think nothing of killing off those who do.

Peace can only come about from within the peoples of the area, but it seems to be impossible. It's very sad.

LQ

[MEG33]

Great post.

[MEG33]

But we try because we must and fail because of minds and hearts that won't be changed.

[MEG33]

Another voice on the peace plan.

[LarryM]

If Bush doesn't back off from his idiotic "road map," we are headed for major war.

[MEG33]

How would you address the security of Israel?

[RightOnline]

Unfortunately, I must agree with the writer. This situation has far too much to do with ingrained beliefs; ingrained mindsets. So-called leaders can make nice and sign papers and win Nobel Peace Prizes..............to no avail.

The Arab world needs to clean its own house. If not, they face ongoing war with the (ostensibly) Christian West, along with Jewish Israel. They will lose, of course, in a "straight up war", but they know this and will continue to fight using brainless 'suicide bombers' while fanning the flames of hatred at every opportunity. I don't see 'average Palestinians'........or 'average Arabs on the street'.........rising up in righteous indignation, taking up arms, and cleaning the vipers from their societies.

In the old days.............a power would merely conquer such annoying enemies.

[tictoc]

Your interpretation is unsupported by David Warren's article.

Quote:

Israel itself could soon face something suggestive of civil war, when it tries to remove heavily armed settlers, whether legal or illegal, from West Bank settlements; but I believe as Mr. Sharon says he does that the Israeli political order can withstand this, and deliver on very painful agreements. It won't matter, however: for the Palestinians cannot.

Perhaps you did not intend it that way, but your comment seems to paint the Israelis as equally to blame for the situation as the Arabs.

[MEG33]

Another voice on the peace plan.

[tictoc]

Take heart, my friends. We are born of great men and women who knew how to rise to the call of freedom. We will, too.

Yes we will. But is "we" the West including Israel, or is it the West minus Israel?

We already know the Euros would throw Israel to the wolves in a heartbeat if it buys them the illusion of safety. But what do the American people want? What about the Congress? Foreign policy decisions are made by the executive branch, not Congress, and not by popular referendum.

[MEG33]

I have it in my heart that America will not throw Israel to the wolves.I have trust that Bush will not.Even the wildeyed libs wouldn't be comfortable .I just heard Lieberman say no Americans unless peacekeepers with others.

[MEG33]

"Until the Palestinians decide they love their children more than they hate the Israelis,there will be violence"...Golda Mier

[LizardQueen]

I'm not trying to divvy it up 50/50 - but you can't deny that even the Israelis have radical elements that make the whole thing more difficult (remember what happened to Rabin).

But yes, the Israelis have a better chance of getting their anti-peace types to toe the line than the Palestinians do. But at what cost? The Arab world is just licking it's chops at thought of Israelis fighting fellow Israelis, and will use it to their advantage if it happens.

The whole thing is a mess.

LQ

[fporretto]

I continue to hope that Dubya was thinking the Palestinians would be sobered by his obvious determination, as demonstrated in Afghanistan and Iraq. He wanted them to have one chance to deal honestly with a man they couldn't kid themselves could be "had."

Well, they've had their one chance. It's money-shot time. The Bush Administration must demonstrate its resolve again -- and at once, before any of the world's other Islamic madmen get more funny ideas.

At the very minimum, Washington must now tell Ariel Sharon publicly that there will be no adverse American reaction to Israel doing whatever it thinks it must about the Palestinians. I'd prefer to see a joint American-Israeli strike to purge out the PA and all the terrorist groups, but I've always been a bit headlong.

We shall see.

Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Visit The Palace Of Reason:
http://palaceofreason.com

[MEG33]

There has been a threat to all foreigners to leave Israel by Hamas. There has been a new attack in Gaza against the terrorists.

[prairiebreeze]

Thanks for the ping.

As we now learn, even King Abdullah of Jordan very nearly withdrew as host of the summit between Ariel Sharon, Mr. Abbas, and Mr. Bush.

Is this true? I've been away from much of the news this week and hadn't heard this before.....

A big part of the problem is there is little accountability in the Arab world. To themselves or to each other. No assumption of personal responsibility as being either part of the problem or of the solution.

Prairie