Israel puts Gaza civilians in the firing line (guardian.co.uk)
In this week of tremendous social and political upheaval here at home, it is easy to forget that the world is still falling apart around our ears. Case in point: Israel.
So let's say you have 155mm high-explosive artillery. The IDF generally considers these to have a kill zone of between 50-150 meters. In line with this estimate, the minimum safety range for precision strikes in civilian areas was previously 300 meters. Well, if you have to shell apartment buildings, this is at least a measured effort to reduce collateral damage.
Makes you wonder why the IDF has just changed this minimum safety range to 100 meters, well in the middle of the kill zone for the aforementioned artillery attacks.
I'm honestly not one to indulge in conspiracy theories, but is the IDF really so stupid that it doesn't realize that it has perfected the formula for the creation of terrorists? Can this possibly be? Has Israel been at war for so long that it has forgotten how not to be? Has it ever known?
Well, we'll see how they like a government no longer in the total control of people convinced the rapture is about to occur. Perhaps in a couple of years the title of "Most Disruptive Presence in the Middle East" will finally go back to its rightful owners.
4 comments:
"By becoming continuous, war has fundamentally changed its character ... In past ages, a war, almost by definition, was something that sooner or later came to an end. ... This is not to say that either the conduct of war, or the prevailing attitude towards it, has become less bloodthirsty or more chivalrous.
On the contrary, war hysteria is continuous and universal in all countries, and such acts as raping, looting, the slaughter of children, the reduction of whole populations to slavery, and reprisals against prisoners which extend even to boiling and burying alive, are looked upon as normal, and, when they are committed by one's own side and not by the enemy, meritorious."
Also, the New York times reports the sad news:
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 (Reuters) — Senator Russell D. Feingold, Democrat of Wisconsin, who has been a vocal opponent of the Iraq war, said Sunday that he would not seek the 2008 presidential nomination.
“I’m sure a campaign for president would have been a great adventure and helpful in advancing a progressive agenda,” Mr. Feingold wrote in a letter e-mailed to supporters and posted on his Senate campaign Web site.
“At this time, however, I believe I can best advance that progressive agenda as a senator with significant seniority in the new Senate serving on the Foreign Relations, Intelligence, Judiciary and Budget Committees,” he said.
Apparently I am no longer being notified by email of new comments, I hate blogger beta.
At any rate, that first quote is quite outstanding, what is it from?
Also, I have indeed heard of the demise of the Feingold dream. It saddens me, but we all knew he probably wouldn't even get the nomination. I did value his ability to spoil same for Hilary, however. And, to be honesty, he really is right about making a bigger difference in the blue senate.
The quote is a condensation of the passage on "continuous warfare" in Ninteen Eighty-Four.
War is Peace.
Would the '08 election not be a frightening thing if it were Giuliani vs Clinton?
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