Many of our friends on the right disagree with my post of yesterday, which noted that Israel has killed civilians in Lebanon. They insist that either Hezbollah are to blame, or the Lebanese people themselves who have not controlled Hezbollah. They're wrong.
I live in a co-op building, one that's fairly close to a part of the West Village that used to be very Italian. I didn't know it when I bought the place, but it turns out that one of the Penthouses is home to a "reputed member" of the Mafia. He's a big shot, and I never see him without a body guard. His involvement in all kinds of vicious crime, including one incident in which two cops died, is well known. Although he's been on trial a few times over the years, he's never been found guilty of anything.
He's fairly old now, and I'm not sure how active he is in business. But please imagine that he was involved in another situation in which a cop died. Imagine that the N.Y.P.D., fearing that he would get off again, decided to use a helicopter and bomb his apartment.
Assuming that my apartment were damaged in the mess, who would my insurance company sue to recover the money that they had paid to me? The City of New York, or the Mafia Big Wig? Who would be legally responsible? The City.
But then words such as repsonsibility, accountability - have been erased from the Republican lexicon. I supposed it's not fair to expect them to remember its meaning.
Take your old, connected neighbor a bottle of reserve Chianti and ask him not to kill 8 policemen and kidnap 2 others then retreat to your apartment building and hide out amongst his good and decent neighbors lest he bear responsibility for what might happen to them. And, for God's sake, ask him not to indiscriminately lob unguided ordinance in the direction of the police station. Of course, you'll probably be alright in that police forces tend to use restraint while armies use brutal, overwhelming force. So that civil suit that you ponder will likely be unnecessary.
The casual passing reader, perusing your posts, might easily conclude that you are either ardently pro terrorist or deeply anti-Semitic
Posted by: Rick | July 22, 2006 at 06:45 PM
My post is pretty much stretched to the limit; your pulling it even further snaps it.
Your first paragraph simply does not make sense. Sadly your second one makes a lot of sense, all of it wrong, bordering on evil, and typical of what your write.
If you really think I am an anti-semite who is pro-terrorist you should simply say so. To write 'that some may think' is just sleazy. It's a typical Rovian smear: "You remember Rick - everyone who visited his site recognized a member of the K.K.K.; also a member of the Aryan Nation."
I type at a desk right up against a window. The view from this window was dominated by the World Trade Center. I spent much of my career in International Trade. I did business with, and became friends with, many people who worked in the WTC. I have been to Israel about a dozen times. I have very, very good friends who are Israeli. There is a particular open air market between where I worked and where I stayed which I've been to many times in Tel Aviv. The market has been greatly reduced in size; there have been several attacks on it by suicidw bombers.
Because Ido not accept your blind ignorance of facts, and your current position that can only result in the destruction of Israel, makes me neither an anti-semite, nor pro-terrorist. The fact that you so rarely offer a substantive argument, and prefer personal slurs, only proves how silly the positions you purport to support really are.
Posted by: bbbustard | July 22, 2006 at 09:30 PM
I don't believe for one moment that you are anti-Semitic. I lob that your direction as others might toss out the word "racist". It gives you a sense of the absurdity of that accusation. Doesn't it? You see bbustard, for one to accuse you of being anti-Semitic would require them to know that which is in your heart.
I see that you finally address 1559. Good for you. That's THE problem. The good news here is that it is beginning to look like Syria is becoming isolated from the rest of the Arab world. And Iran will ALWAYS remain isolated from Arabia. It is interesting to watch this all fall out. If we could magically remove Israel from the equation, it would become instantly obvious that Arabs hate Persians (you may already know this, most of the world, sadly, is asleep) at least as much as they hate Jews.
I share your love of Israel and Lebanon.
Cheerio.
Posted by: Rick | July 22, 2006 at 10:32 PM
"It is interesting to watch this all fall out" is about as cold hearted as it gets. You say that you share my love for Lebanon and Israel, yet the death and destruction in those countries are just an amusing curiosity to you. To you, it's like watching a chess game; but these pawns are not of plastic nor stone, they are human beings.
Posted by: bbbustard | July 23, 2006 at 06:08 PM
I myself am not anti-semitic. I'm certainly anti-zionist. I was walking to my college campus, and I pass by a jewish temple, and on this perticular day, there happened to be a sign that had been posted outside of this temple. It read: WE BACK ISRAEL ALL THE WAY; and prominantly displayed BOTH the american and israeli flags together. Feeling quite sickened, verging on nausea, I promply approached the vinyl sign and ripped it to shreds, and threw it in the busy street. And so I wondered, if all those temple goers would appreciate being indiscriminantly bombed by an angry enemy that paid no heed to the terms "civillian" and "millitary" targets? Or, perhaps, could their little display be consitered a millitary statement, and therefore consitered a millitary target? Either way, a disgusting display, no doubt.
Posted by: I say No | July 27, 2006 at 08:17 PM
"Doctors and emergency services working in south Lebanon say it is extremely difficult to get access to the wounded because Israel has fired on Red Cross vehicles and civilian traffic." ~ 07/21/06 "Aljazeera"
"WE BACK ISRAEL ALL THE WAY" ~ Zionist Imbiciles
Posted by: I say No | July 27, 2006 at 08:21 PM
As I wrote today, even our lying State Deparmtent does not want to be publicly linked to Israel on this one. There are a lot of things I love about Israel, but this path will only lead to self destruction.
Posted by: bbbustard | July 28, 2006 at 10:08 AM
I find it sick to even think that some people have the least respect to this so called "State of Israel".
Wake up people and see how zionists are taking over America and the rest of the world!
You should wonder why is USA never been hated by the rest of the world as much as now! Why is Mr Bush (Butcher) the most hated american president that ever came to power!
You should know why Hezbollah captured the two Israely soldiers to free thousands of civils in the israely jails!! To free their land occupied by the Israelies! And the funniest yet sadest thing is when Israel calls Hizbollah a terrorist organization and so does Mr. Bush who calls anyone that says no to his LOGIC a terrorist!!!
Wake up people! if there was fairness in that part of the world USA would have never seen september 11!!
WHY is USA blindly supporting israel? We know that USA lied about Iraq killed more civilians in 3 years than Saddam killed in 30 years! To free the Iraqies ? Yeah right let me guess OIL ?
Ok maybe its greed! but why is it backing Israel ? The do not get any rewards from Israel!! No money .. No help what so ever! in contrary the israelies are living on occupied lands and spending the American Tax Payer's Money on building Weapons to kill and controle the planet!!
USA is being controled by the Israelies and that is an indirect occupation!!
WAKE UP PEOPLE LOOK BEYOND YOUR BRAIN WASHING MEDIA !!!
Posted by: Terrorist State | July 30, 2006 at 10:13 PM
I tend to try to stear away from mass conspiracy ideas. Israel, and it extension in the American Jewry, has such a strong influence on the U.S. because since the end of WWII it has been its only hope for a strategic foothold in the region. The British knew what they were doing when they aided the Zionist in the formation of Israel. They knew that if the entirety of the Mideast fell to Arab Nationalists then the U.S. and Brittain would be in quite a pickle.
Isreael should never have been created. With the exception of a few hundred remainders, Palestine has been occupied by Arabs sice the destruction of the Second Jewish Temple during the times of Jesus. After the Holocaust occured they then think they have the right to plant them selves in Palesine and reclaim their former home at the expense of the tens of thousands of Arabs who lived there and called it home? If that is the case then we in the U.S. need to give back ALL of North America to the Native Americans. Don't get me wrong.... such an idea is absurd, but also was the idea that the existing Arab population in Palestine needed to move over for the European Jews comming in to reclaim the Jewish State. This my friends is what all the fighting is about. How can you blame a Palestinian or a Lebanese for not wanting to stop fighting for what is theirs as rightfully as America belongs to Americans?
Posted by: The Heretical Jew | July 31, 2006 at 05:22 PM