Another useful analogy: Israel's position is much like that of the United States in its expulsion of the Native tribes of this continent. This continent is far bigger than the Levant, so the Native peoples could be pushed "out of sight, out of mind", and the North American continent was isolated enough from the rest of the world that oth…
Another useful analogy: Israel's position is much like that of the United States in its expulsion of the Native tribes of this continent. This continent is far bigger than the Levant, so the Native peoples could be pushed "out of sight, out of mind", and the North American continent was isolated enough from the rest of the world that other world powers didn't care what happened to the Natives -- in fact, several of them were actively pursuing similar policies in other places.
It has occurred to me that if Israel wanted to get its dirty laundry out there for all to see, pursuing this war was the way to go. Of course, the fanatics don't think it is dirty.
This is true: Fanatics tend to think that whatever they do is justified. But there's something "cart pulling the horse" about all this. Netanyahu's legal and political troubles alone don't explain it. The Likud apparently mistaking itself for the vengeful Old Testament god alone doesn't explain it. I suspect chronic PTSD has something to do with it. Whatever the ultimate outcome here, historians, political scientists, humanitarians, theologians, and many others are going to be seeking the root causes in years to come.
My gut understands the call for vengeance -- I've never been physically assaulted, but some non-physical assaults have a half-life of years and, in a couple of cases, decades. That's an interesting observation about the "they" -- "without even considering who the 'they' is." Because in the case of Israel, Holocaust survivors and their descendants couldn't get back at the perpetrators, e.g., the Germans and every country, including the U.S., that stood by and watched. (Some justice was done at Nürnberg but Nürnberg didn't give them land they could live safely on.) So they did it to the Palestinians instead. And the cycle continues . . .
Another useful analogy: Israel's position is much like that of the United States in its expulsion of the Native tribes of this continent. This continent is far bigger than the Levant, so the Native peoples could be pushed "out of sight, out of mind", and the North American continent was isolated enough from the rest of the world that other world powers didn't care what happened to the Natives -- in fact, several of them were actively pursuing similar policies in other places.
It has occurred to me that if Israel wanted to get its dirty laundry out there for all to see, pursuing this war was the way to go. Of course, the fanatics don't think it is dirty.
This is true: Fanatics tend to think that whatever they do is justified. But there's something "cart pulling the horse" about all this. Netanyahu's legal and political troubles alone don't explain it. The Likud apparently mistaking itself for the vengeful Old Testament god alone doesn't explain it. I suspect chronic PTSD has something to do with it. Whatever the ultimate outcome here, historians, political scientists, humanitarians, theologians, and many others are going to be seeking the root causes in years to come.
Chronic PTSD devolving into a lust for vengeance. “They did it to us, by god we can do it to them.” Without even considering who the “they” is.
Someone close to me has chronic PTSD from an assault, and 15 years later the cry for vengeance comes out—in anguished cries, not deeds, thank god.
My gut understands the call for vengeance -- I've never been physically assaulted, but some non-physical assaults have a half-life of years and, in a couple of cases, decades. That's an interesting observation about the "they" -- "without even considering who the 'they' is." Because in the case of Israel, Holocaust survivors and their descendants couldn't get back at the perpetrators, e.g., the Germans and every country, including the U.S., that stood by and watched. (Some justice was done at Nürnberg but Nürnberg didn't give them land they could live safely on.) So they did it to the Palestinians instead. And the cycle continues . . .
it seems to be an endless human cycle. The lesser/lowest angels of our nature.