The Dedly Blog

Victories and Defeats

I probably shouldn't blog when I'm in a foul mood (as exemplified by my pit bull comments on other blogs today), but I'm going to anyway.

So, did the Brits get it right this time? After missing the subway bombers last summer and mistaking an electrician for a suicide bomber a month or so later, it would appear that a plot to blow up several trans-atlantic flights bound for the US has been foiled. The details are still coming to light. Although their tickets hadn't been purchased yet, it is believed that they were planning on doing so soon. If this investigation holds up, it will prove to be a victory in the War on Terror. I'm sure that governments on both sides of the Atlantic will use this development as a means to secure current domestic surveillance programs and, perhaps, increase their powers.

Israel has failed to break Hezbollah's back and has agreed to a UN ceasefire. The Lebanese army is headed south to maintain the peace until an international peacekeeping force arrives. While the loss of life on both sides is troubling, civilian casualties should always be expected. Alot of people in the blogosphere were irate over Israel's inability to maintain a perfect civilian death toll of zero. But none of them ever complained about Hezbollah's use of human shields nor offered alternative solution to Israel getting its two kidnapped soldiers back. Tough luck I suppose.

Negotiating with Hezbollah is a joke. They're a hate group that lives for one thing: Death to Israel. All past negotiations with them have failed and UN resolutions calling for their disarmament have been useless.

For over a century, the KKK terrorized African Americans in the South. While they didn't believe in suicide bombings, lynchings and burning down homes were quite effective. It took generations before they were marginalized, and that was in a free and open society. And yes, they even had politicians on their side. Anyone recall that Strom Thurmond ran on the Segregationist platform in 1948. If the K K had control of the schools for brainwashing the young and rockets to firebomb towns and cities with large African American populations, they'd still be in power today. Unless someone used force to dislocate them of course.

While I agree with a call to ending aid to Israel, it's not out of malice. I want an end to all foreign aid until we get our financial affairs in order (yes, wishful thinking). Israel's economy is strong enough to stand on its own. It doesn't need propping up. They seem to have no problem buying our military equipment. Funny how the same vitriol that calls for the end of aid to Israel always seems to forget about the aid to the Palestinians.

Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran have been emboldened by Israel's inability to crush Hezbollah. I wouldn't be surprised if either one tries something else before the end of the year. I hope I'm wrong.

So what do we have? More regulations for air travel and more fodder for the propaganda machines for this year's elections. Osama bin Laden is still free and the Taliban still lurk in the mountains of Afghanistan. Iraq, which was an obvious diversion from the War on Terror, has become a haven and a training ground for terrorists despite the Neocon's hopes of nation building. Civil war seems imminent, if it isn't already happening, as local militias take sides and attack other ethnic groups or collaborators.

We have incompetents calling the shots. Congress has abdicated its Constitutional duty while the President does as he sees fit. The Judicial Branch is powerless to gauge the actions of the Excutive Branch, as evidenced by the end runs around the FISA court. I'm tempted to read the book, Fiasco, but I figure it'll just piss me off more than I need to be.

November seems so far away.

\_/
DED

posted by DED at 4:50 PM

 Alan P. said...

I have refrained from making comments about the Israel/Palestine situation for some time because tempers flare when the matter is brought up and so rational discourse is almost always impossible. I do agree that foreign aid in the form of money should cease to all countries. Food yes, money, no. I also think we should pull our overseas troops and bases and secure our own southern border. I would like to know who is coming and going.

8/16/2006 11:22 AM