Someone in comments pointed out Robert Fisk's latest article. My god, what a depressing read it is.
Fisk is a throwback to the Romantic era of English history, the Lawrence of Arabia era. It is always wise to view his pronouncements with caution. As with T.E. Lawrence, he views the Arab world from the viewpoint of the old-school Arabist. Nevertheless, the core of his argument stands. The first freedom that the Muslim world wants is not freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, or any of those other freedoms that are inscribed in Europe's charter of human rights or America's constitution. The first freedom they want is freedom from us -- from our secular liberal ideas, our greedy corporations, and, most of all, freedom from our tanks and guns and bombs.
It has become increasingly clear that the Muslim world doesn't want "our" democracy (not that we've ever had democracy in America). All that "our" democracy has accomplished, in their opinion, is bloodshed and slaughter of Muslim innocents, such as the children of Lebanon whose bodies are still being pulled out of the rubble of buildings bombed with American bombs from American planes flown by our proxies, the Israelis. They just want us to go away. They want to live in Muslim countries without us bothering them.
Fine, I say. Time to find an alternative to oil, pull our troops, pull our aid, and let them all do what they will. And oh, I think we can spare Broward County (Fla.) as the new Israel for all the European Jews currently in Palestine. It's almost as big as the current Israel, and there's more Jews in Ft. Lauderdale than there are in Jeruseleum anyhow. The Arabs view the current state of Israel as a problem of illegal immigration, a bunch of illegal immigrants from Europe invading and forcing out the original inhabitants at gunpoint. Fine. Remove said heavily armed Europeans to some place where they're more welcome (and unlike the Middle East, Florida *loves* heavily-armed Europeans, Floridians do love their guns!), and let the Arabs all rot in peace in their Islamist "utopias". They want to live in the Middle Ages? Well, that's their decision, not ours, and it's time to let them do what they will.
- Badtux the Realist Penguin
I'd personally prefer that the new Israel be somewhere in California, not Broward County.
ReplyDeleteThen again, that's just because I'm a native New Yorker now living in San Francisco.
And where could we put this New Israel. The southwest U.S. along the New Mexico, Arizona, California Border with Mexico. Let the U.S. give a 20 mile wide strip along these states, they would have plenty of land, in the desert land they love and even a coast line in California, San Diego could become the New Tel Aviv. They would have a smaller coastline, but look at all they are gaining, land and peace, you can't get any better than that. I sure we could even negotiate with Mexico to give them some of their land along the same border, and give them access to the Gulf Of California. Current residents could stay or move, the U.S. would pay for those that wished to move, and give incentives to those who want to settle the new country. We could give the new country millions or billions to keep out all those immigrants that scare the U.S. white conservatives (they don't speak english, they must be evil).
ReplyDeleteAnd then there would be World Peace.
OR, How about Utah. (he-he)
No, no. Not Utah, that is a good state. What all those folks need to realize is that the temple is where they are, no matter where they are. Honoring a birth place is just plain foolish.
ReplyDeleteI was born in Salt Lake City, and if I where to become famous it would be foolish to try to build a temple there honoring me. That would be really stupid, I've been many places since then.
I tend to agree with Tux, just go away and leave them alone. They will be more than happy to sell us their oil, for a lot less than it is costing now.
They've always sold it to us.
"The first freedom they want is freedom from us -- from our secular liberal ideas, our greedy corporations, and, most of all, freedom from our tanks and guns and bombs."
ReplyDeleteHey, Badtux, I never thought about it this way. What a novel idea - to want to be left alone to practice their religion and their politics the way they want to do it.
I do wish they could be a little more kind to women and those who are different.
And, "The Arabs view the current state of Israel as a problem of illegal immigration, a bunch of illegal immigrants from Europe invading and forcing out the original inhabitants at gunpoint."
Whoa,those with a rabid fear of Spanish speaking people should understand this. Maybe that's where we got the idea of a fence between the two countries - or was that Germany?
Of course, the Israelites have been forcing their way with violence into that area for some 3000 years or so. What's different now? They're still at it. And, they believe they have a God-given right to that particular piece of land. I've always wondered if God really did give them the land, or if they just decided that God did. But then, I wonder a lot about what the Bible says (and even more about what it doesn't say).
We could give them Mississippi - good crop land, lots of water, some coastal area (and they might love the gambling). I think the poorest Mississippi residents, and that's most of them, might be willing to give up their spot for a better life.