More Rubble, Less Trouble
"More rubble, less trouble", that's from Victor Davis Hanson, suggesting how Israel ought to fight the war, from the air with top of the line 21st century technology, rather than inserting ground troops. It makes sense, at least for much of the war. They are going against bandits, though bandits with rifles. It makes sense to stay away from the rifles until the bandits are penned in with no escape and have to die.
Another phrase: "Disproportionate force". A silly phrase. It means "Don't hurt our guys". I have no understanding of the moral calculus behind that statement; once things have come to the point of war, each side wants to hurt the other as much and as fast as possible. That way you have a victor, that way you have peace. To keep force "proportionate" means only to hope that the killing will go on and on and on. That seems to me immoral.
Although I should note that there is such a thing as disproportionate violence, or viscousness. In this particular instance Hamas and Hizbollah are disproportionately violent; they target the innocent, it's their only target. Israel, civilized, targets only the guilty. --The condemnations of Hamas and Hizbollah for their "disproportionate viscousness" is something I've missed.
But this could be a cleansing moment. In the past Israel has only fought the Arab world, that is nation against nations, and among nations it's not entirely unfair to expect that each should give a little. But this time it's different. This time it's clear that their opponent is not a nation but a way of thought --Islamofascism. It's clear because of recent years Islam has produced numerous pods and cells of nut-case killers and these nut killers are much given to placing bombs in public places. The whole world knows this now and while most people don't expect that it will be their pizza parlor that will be blown up next they do know that it could happen. They do know that there are people who might want to kill them while they're sipping their coffee... for whatever good reason or non reason that might be.
And to this awareness is added the boon of Iran and the splendid nut job Ahmadinajad. Iran wants the bomb and intends to get the bomb and Ahmadinejad dearly wants to use the bomb and declares himself at one with Syria in their support of Hizbollah. Is this not rather public? Does this not suggest that nut job plus nut job plus nut job adds up to something more than just "resistance" fighter in Lebanon? It seems to me that there are people who can do the addition and recognize that there seems something "global" in all of this and that whatever particular little grievance Hizbollah might have with Israel over some tiny sliver of land, that might not really be what this is all about.
At any rate, admitting the globalism or not admitting the globalism this is in fact conceptually and morally a quite clear war: Terrorists have to be stopped. In this immediate skirmish it's Hizbollah, Syria, Iran. --It's hard to know how far the war will go, but please God let it at least go through Syria.
I hope there's no cessation of hostilities until that happens. But who knows? Syria is fractious. Perhaps only a few bombing runs --given first that Hizbollah is destroyed utterly-- might be enough to see Damascus collapse to chaos. From chaos might come freedom, given that there is now a neighbor and a model of that possible freedom in Iraq. Maybe. The model might be potent. This would be a test. --And if Hizbollah is destroyed and Damascus in collapse the Lebanese army, though not much of a force, might still be able to occupy the Bekaa Valley and Lebanon could sue for peace with Israel. If Lebanon wants peace with Israel even the UN can't ruin it. They will ruin what they can.
But all this is assuming a shift in world opinion. A recognition at least by the westernized nations that in this conflict there are good guys and bad guys and that the good guys are the ones most like themselves, and the bad guys are the primitive death-cult populations of the fascists who call on Jihad.
This is not a hard recognition for anybody with an ounce of moral sense. It is, unfortunately, a hard recognition for a coward. It's always easier to side with the people who might kill you than to defend the people who are being killed. However, if it turns out that it's the other guys getting killed --and rather easily at that-- well then that might give the coward courage.
Israel is a giant stomping on termites. If this is kept purely a military exercise the stone age can not withstand the jet.
Two weeks.
Here's hoping it happens.
Another phrase: "Disproportionate force". A silly phrase. It means "Don't hurt our guys". I have no understanding of the moral calculus behind that statement; once things have come to the point of war, each side wants to hurt the other as much and as fast as possible. That way you have a victor, that way you have peace. To keep force "proportionate" means only to hope that the killing will go on and on and on. That seems to me immoral.
Although I should note that there is such a thing as disproportionate violence, or viscousness. In this particular instance Hamas and Hizbollah are disproportionately violent; they target the innocent, it's their only target. Israel, civilized, targets only the guilty. --The condemnations of Hamas and Hizbollah for their "disproportionate viscousness" is something I've missed.
But this could be a cleansing moment. In the past Israel has only fought the Arab world, that is nation against nations, and among nations it's not entirely unfair to expect that each should give a little. But this time it's different. This time it's clear that their opponent is not a nation but a way of thought --Islamofascism. It's clear because of recent years Islam has produced numerous pods and cells of nut-case killers and these nut killers are much given to placing bombs in public places. The whole world knows this now and while most people don't expect that it will be their pizza parlor that will be blown up next they do know that it could happen. They do know that there are people who might want to kill them while they're sipping their coffee... for whatever good reason or non reason that might be.
And to this awareness is added the boon of Iran and the splendid nut job Ahmadinajad. Iran wants the bomb and intends to get the bomb and Ahmadinejad dearly wants to use the bomb and declares himself at one with Syria in their support of Hizbollah. Is this not rather public? Does this not suggest that nut job plus nut job plus nut job adds up to something more than just "resistance" fighter in Lebanon? It seems to me that there are people who can do the addition and recognize that there seems something "global" in all of this and that whatever particular little grievance Hizbollah might have with Israel over some tiny sliver of land, that might not really be what this is all about.
At any rate, admitting the globalism or not admitting the globalism this is in fact conceptually and morally a quite clear war: Terrorists have to be stopped. In this immediate skirmish it's Hizbollah, Syria, Iran. --It's hard to know how far the war will go, but please God let it at least go through Syria.
I hope there's no cessation of hostilities until that happens. But who knows? Syria is fractious. Perhaps only a few bombing runs --given first that Hizbollah is destroyed utterly-- might be enough to see Damascus collapse to chaos. From chaos might come freedom, given that there is now a neighbor and a model of that possible freedom in Iraq. Maybe. The model might be potent. This would be a test. --And if Hizbollah is destroyed and Damascus in collapse the Lebanese army, though not much of a force, might still be able to occupy the Bekaa Valley and Lebanon could sue for peace with Israel. If Lebanon wants peace with Israel even the UN can't ruin it. They will ruin what they can.
But all this is assuming a shift in world opinion. A recognition at least by the westernized nations that in this conflict there are good guys and bad guys and that the good guys are the ones most like themselves, and the bad guys are the primitive death-cult populations of the fascists who call on Jihad.
This is not a hard recognition for anybody with an ounce of moral sense. It is, unfortunately, a hard recognition for a coward. It's always easier to side with the people who might kill you than to defend the people who are being killed. However, if it turns out that it's the other guys getting killed --and rather easily at that-- well then that might give the coward courage.
Israel is a giant stomping on termites. If this is kept purely a military exercise the stone age can not withstand the jet.
Two weeks.
Here's hoping it happens.
posted by mouse at 11:50 PM
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