the war in the Mideast (and everywhere else)
We are about to enter the fourth week of war in Lebanon, and the news websites, the blogsphere, and the traditional media are chock full of reports and analysis pieces recounting the history of the crisis and what the 'real' turning point is (or was).
This is an opinion in progress, so I will feel free to change this post as I see fit, (and have the time and inclination).
The real war is being fought in the media. All those rockets and artillery shells being exchanged amount to jack-nuthin, (and that is said with all reverent respect to the dead and wounded, as well as the displaced). The real battle is for public opinion, as it will subtly (but very significantly) shape the region for years or possibly decades to come. The death and destruction is simply fodder for the real battlefield. That horrible phenomena is likely to continue until one side completely obliterates the other, or, the affected peoples, (as opposed to the affected governments), simply decide to agree on and establish local protocols and then live with them.
Karl von Clausewitz is often quoted with the phrase that "war is the continuation of politics by other means". In this case, that bit of philosphy can serve to illustrate the need for this war to serve the needs of those political establishments that would benefit not one bit by the outbreak of peace, (or at least, coexistance).
Think I am nuts? OK, so I am medicated, but that does not invalidate my opinions.
The North Koreans are playing the same game, though one can hope that it will fizzle before it turns into a crisis like this one. The "liberal" and "conservative", (I use those terms as nouns, not adjectives), media and the major political parties pull this crap all the time. Facts come and go, but it is important to stay on message.
It has been this way for centuries, though it has come to the fore of public attention in the age of mass media, (which coincides with the politicization of the mideast---remember that Syria, Israel and Jordan were all created in the past 60 years, Lebanon is the senior of the group, it is about 80 years old). There are no significant politcal emnities at work here, no longstanding philosophical feuds save one, the hatred held for Israel and Jews by the Islamic world, and the corresponding disdain towards the Islam peoples by the Jewish population and establishment.
Nothing else matters in this conflict. Civilians and children being killed? Who cares? Israel doesn't, nor does Hezbollah, (albeit for differing reasons)---they are simply expendable in the larger ideological conflict.
The U.S. backs Israel adamantly, and much of the western world at least pays lip service to the notion, and why not? It provides a good place to deposit the Jews of the world, (who, as a class or ethnicity have never been real popular in any culture that they have lived in). A similar charade exists across the fence, where not too many countries in the Islamic world are willing to help the Palestinians except screaming at the top of their collective lungs about how abused they are. They are the outcasts of that culture, wanted by no one, and if screaming about Israel substitutes for having to actually deal with the problem, well then.....
What, you ask, should the U.S. be doing in this conflict?
Nothing, save working to facilitate a diplomatic solution to this crisis. If the two sides remain locked in conflict then we should stay out of the way. The U.N. might have a legitimate role to play, but has not the backbone required to picks it's own nose, let alone police a cease fire.
This battle, and the larger conflict, will be settled locally. The war, in the media, will be settled when it ceases to be effective, (that is, when ratings drop, or web hits decrease, or when the various talking heads cease to be given a forum to sprout off).
Look carefully at what you see. Some of it is dramatic in its portayal of the violence, others vividly illustrate the attitudes of one side or the other. Keep in mind that these are, most likely not, typical scenes, and may even be presented out of true context, for the purpose of convincing all those without a dog in this fight that one side or the other is pure evil.
Let's move on.
update 1:
the state of Israel committed itself to a 48 hour cease fire in the aftermatch of an attack in which it killed fifty or more Lebanese civilians. Following that lead, Hezbollah has continued its rocket barrage into Israel, and the Palestinians in Gaza are now following suit, launching attacks into southern Israel, (this in solidarity with their Lebanese brothers). Let us not forget that this particular episode started when an Israeli soldier was abducted, from Israel, across the border into Gaza. That soldier has not been released as yet. The attacks by Hezbollah started when a political solution to the Gaza crisis appeared on the horizon. There can be no peace with some of these elements, they live to see Israel destroyed, even if that end serves no apparent purpose. Israel, on the other hand, is adamant on defending its right to survive, and uses the rationale to justify any and all actions that it takes. It is a small country, in demographic terms, but it is the big player in the region. It needs to act more like it.
on the media front, the Washington Post has weighed in stating that the U.S. position may actually backfire. see the article here.
the Post goes as far as to imply that this incident and our position regarding the warring parties may actually affect our efforts to stop the nuclear program in Iran and spread democracy throughout the world.
really?
as if either of those two laudable goals was going to happen anyway.
this is an example of using the media to exert pressure on a nation, in order to further an agenda not specifically related to the issue at hand. they might as well have accused the U.S. of killing cute little kitties.
the sitting U.S. government is, by and large, a bunch of dorks. don't let that fact confuse this issue. The fact of this conflict gives many parties, seen and unseen, to push little points of their own agenda's while the world is horrified at the spectacle and looks for a convenient scapegoat.
Like I said, let's move on.
This is an opinion in progress, so I will feel free to change this post as I see fit, (and have the time and inclination).
The real war is being fought in the media. All those rockets and artillery shells being exchanged amount to jack-nuthin, (and that is said with all reverent respect to the dead and wounded, as well as the displaced). The real battle is for public opinion, as it will subtly (but very significantly) shape the region for years or possibly decades to come. The death and destruction is simply fodder for the real battlefield. That horrible phenomena is likely to continue until one side completely obliterates the other, or, the affected peoples, (as opposed to the affected governments), simply decide to agree on and establish local protocols and then live with them.
Karl von Clausewitz is often quoted with the phrase that "war is the continuation of politics by other means". In this case, that bit of philosphy can serve to illustrate the need for this war to serve the needs of those political establishments that would benefit not one bit by the outbreak of peace, (or at least, coexistance).
Think I am nuts? OK, so I am medicated, but that does not invalidate my opinions.
The North Koreans are playing the same game, though one can hope that it will fizzle before it turns into a crisis like this one. The "liberal" and "conservative", (I use those terms as nouns, not adjectives), media and the major political parties pull this crap all the time. Facts come and go, but it is important to stay on message.
It has been this way for centuries, though it has come to the fore of public attention in the age of mass media, (which coincides with the politicization of the mideast---remember that Syria, Israel and Jordan were all created in the past 60 years, Lebanon is the senior of the group, it is about 80 years old). There are no significant politcal emnities at work here, no longstanding philosophical feuds save one, the hatred held for Israel and Jews by the Islamic world, and the corresponding disdain towards the Islam peoples by the Jewish population and establishment.
Nothing else matters in this conflict. Civilians and children being killed? Who cares? Israel doesn't, nor does Hezbollah, (albeit for differing reasons)---they are simply expendable in the larger ideological conflict.
The U.S. backs Israel adamantly, and much of the western world at least pays lip service to the notion, and why not? It provides a good place to deposit the Jews of the world, (who, as a class or ethnicity have never been real popular in any culture that they have lived in). A similar charade exists across the fence, where not too many countries in the Islamic world are willing to help the Palestinians except screaming at the top of their collective lungs about how abused they are. They are the outcasts of that culture, wanted by no one, and if screaming about Israel substitutes for having to actually deal with the problem, well then.....
What, you ask, should the U.S. be doing in this conflict?
Nothing, save working to facilitate a diplomatic solution to this crisis. If the two sides remain locked in conflict then we should stay out of the way. The U.N. might have a legitimate role to play, but has not the backbone required to picks it's own nose, let alone police a cease fire.
This battle, and the larger conflict, will be settled locally. The war, in the media, will be settled when it ceases to be effective, (that is, when ratings drop, or web hits decrease, or when the various talking heads cease to be given a forum to sprout off).
Look carefully at what you see. Some of it is dramatic in its portayal of the violence, others vividly illustrate the attitudes of one side or the other. Keep in mind that these are, most likely not, typical scenes, and may even be presented out of true context, for the purpose of convincing all those without a dog in this fight that one side or the other is pure evil.
Let's move on.
update 1:
the state of Israel committed itself to a 48 hour cease fire in the aftermatch of an attack in which it killed fifty or more Lebanese civilians. Following that lead, Hezbollah has continued its rocket barrage into Israel, and the Palestinians in Gaza are now following suit, launching attacks into southern Israel, (this in solidarity with their Lebanese brothers). Let us not forget that this particular episode started when an Israeli soldier was abducted, from Israel, across the border into Gaza. That soldier has not been released as yet. The attacks by Hezbollah started when a political solution to the Gaza crisis appeared on the horizon. There can be no peace with some of these elements, they live to see Israel destroyed, even if that end serves no apparent purpose. Israel, on the other hand, is adamant on defending its right to survive, and uses the rationale to justify any and all actions that it takes. It is a small country, in demographic terms, but it is the big player in the region. It needs to act more like it.
on the media front, the Washington Post has weighed in stating that the U.S. position may actually backfire. see the article here.
the Post goes as far as to imply that this incident and our position regarding the warring parties may actually affect our efforts to stop the nuclear program in Iran and spread democracy throughout the world.
really?
as if either of those two laudable goals was going to happen anyway.
this is an example of using the media to exert pressure on a nation, in order to further an agenda not specifically related to the issue at hand. they might as well have accused the U.S. of killing cute little kitties.
the sitting U.S. government is, by and large, a bunch of dorks. don't let that fact confuse this issue. The fact of this conflict gives many parties, seen and unseen, to push little points of their own agenda's while the world is horrified at the spectacle and looks for a convenient scapegoat.
Like I said, let's move on.
posted by eccentric recluse at 11:45 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home