From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Mon Oct 01 2001 - 03:43:11 MDT
Michael LaTorra wrote:
>
>
> Of course it is about oil, but it is also about support for America's
> unofficial ally, Israel. The American State Department career officers have
> been saying since 1948 that our national interest is twofold: 1) free flow
> of oil at market prices, and 2) geopolitical influence that is as broad as
> possible. In the cold logic of nations, this analysis is flawless. However,
> in the feelings of many people in America and elsewhere, the only morally
> correct action after the Nazi holocaust against the Jews was and is to
> support Israel against the Arabs who have always opposed Israel's existence.
That isn't why we are supporting Israel. It is an excuse. To
the extent there is truth in it it is because many fine
upstanding and powerful Americans were supporting Hitler and/or
anti-semitism for far too long. And now? Now it is about oil
and about wounded pride and about face. Some chickens are
coming home to roost so we'll declare war on chickens.
>
> As a practical matter in American politics, this is also a necessity due to
> the way political campaigns are funded, and the way that many journalists
> write about the candidates and their policy positions.
>
> If the pragmatists at State had had their way, the USA would have sided with
> the Arabs in 1948 and since, which would have virtually guaranteed our
> access to oil and the friendship of the world's nearly one billion Muslims.
> But that's not the policy we pursued. Therefore, we are in the precarious
> position of still needing that oil but of not having the support of most of
> the Arabs who own it, nor of their fellow Muslims from Indonesia to Tunisia.
>
> And if you think Americans are in a tough position, just consider the
> position Israelis are in. They need oil too. But even more, they need peace,
> in pursuit of which they have made enormous concessions to the Palestinians.
> What have they got in exchange? Ever increasing demands, and no peace;
> suicide bombers instead of peaceful borders.
You are dreaming. The Israelis have broken almost every
agreement they ever made with Palestinians. The Israelis have
continually pushed for more and more Palestinian held land and
have continuously sent tanks and attack helicopters into
civilian areas. If I was Palestinian I would hate Israeli
policies as much as many of them do. They go out of their way to
blow up Palenstenian officials and to assasinate their leaders
outright. They blow up Palestinian police stations and then
wonder why the police don't catch terrorist. Israle has acted
extremely slimey toward Palestinians and then claimed any
fighting back was only fanatical terrorism which just shows what
fantatical "animals" these Palestinians are.
- samantha
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