the best smiles are the ones you lead to
:admires giant wooden aeroplane: Its about time trees were good for something, instead of just standing their like jerks!!!
Homer rocks!!!!
Written by: stone
I think people are stuck in this viscous cycle of war because they enjoy it; they enjoy wallowing in hatred, and moaning about how unfair life is. If they were to take a good hard look at themselves, they would probably find they fear their lives would loose meaning without conflict, in a peaceful world.
Written by: andrealee
I do not hate Isreal. I do not support the Hezbolla. I do not hate, period. I am trying to learn discuss and understand. I want to explore the possibilities for a non violent or less violent solution to some of the problems in Lebanon. My motivation is compassion.
Written by: doc lightning
You concede with this that Israel has no reasonable alternative to its actions and that you cannot offer a different viable solution.
Written by: ken layne
Lower Baja California has only 420,000 residents, most in the capital city of La Paz and the booze resorts of San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. But north of La Paz, it's pretty much uninhabited desert, just like British-controlled Palestine before the Zionists arrived and made the harsh land blossom with fruits, vegetables, software companies and night clubs.
Unlike the Holy Land and all its complications, Lower Baja has never been a center of anything but piracy and tequila binging. Francis Drake was one of the many pirates to land on Baja, long thought to be an island. The Spanish Jesuits finally made a few permanent settlements. There wasn't even a paved road from the Mexican mainland until a few decades ago. And check it out, Ariel: it's said that Sephardic Jews came to Baja to escape the freakin' Inquisition back in the 15th Century. (There's a 1973 book about this, but I can't find a copy.)
Baja California Sur has 46,920 square miles. Israel has 10,840 square miles — including the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Written by: FireTom
OWD: moving Israel is an interesting concept, but would this mean they have a souvereign state? The US/ Canadians/ Mexicans/ Australians providing independance?
Written by: FireTom
On top of this, pls don't forget that the land you are talking about already belongs to someone else (Aboriginals, Indians). The gov't of Australia and the US was generous enough to donate (parts of) the deserts to the native people - now you want to take it away (again)?
"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."
--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32
Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!
Written by: the guardian
Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have agreed to stop firing rockets at Israel and to free a captured Israeli soldier in a deal brokered by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president.
The deal, agreed on Sunday, is to halt the rocket attacks in return for a cessation of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, and to release Corporal Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier captured on June 25, in exchange for the freeing of Palestinian prisoners at some point in the future.
An adviser to Mr Abbas told the Guardian that all Palestinian politicians were united on the need to free the Israeli soldier and stop all violence in Gaza, but the obstacles were the Israeli government and the Hamas leadership in Damascus.
"The problem is that both Islamic Jihad and Hamas have to seek the advice of their political bureaux in Damascus and we are waiting for their response," he said.
Ibrahim al-Naja, a Hamas minister in Ramallah, told the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz: "This initiative was presented in an attempt to alleviate Palestinian suffering, but now it depends on Israel, which is showing no indication yet of its willingness for a ceasefire."
The ceasefire has yet to take hold completely but there has been a marked reduction in the number of rockets fired at Israel. A spokeswoman for the Israeli army said 16 Qassam rockets were fired at Israel on Sunday, seven on Monday and three on Tuesday. None caused any injuries.
Qais Abu Leila, a member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said the Hizbullah rocket attacks had highlighted the futility of Palestinian attempt to build home-made rockets. "Now it is finally clear to everyone that these rockets do more damage to Palestinians than Israelis," he said.
The Israeli army has withdrawn from all areas of the Gaza Strip but is still firing shells and carrying out air attacks. Five civilians, including two children, were killed by Israeli shells on Monday. An adviser to Amir Peretz, the defence minister, said there was still no agreement but added: "There are negotiations going on."
The raid on Israeli positions by Hamas gunmen on June 25 that left two soldiers dead and one in the hands of Hamas plunged Gaza into crisis. Israel destroyed much of Gaza's infrastructure and killed about 120 Palestinians, including 26 children, without achieving its objectives of freeing the soldier or stopping rocket fire.
One Israeli soldier was killed, possibly by friendly fire, and 14 have been injured. Six Israeli civilians have been hurt by Qassam rockets over the same period. Israeli jets have destroyed bridges, Gaza's only power station and public buildings.
However, the Gaza crisis was quickly overshadowed by Hizbullah's attack on Israel's northern border. The depth of the crisis in Lebanon has reduced the pressure on Gaza and made Israel more amenable to a solution, according to Mr Abbas's aide. Earlier this month, Yuval Diskin, the head of Israel's internal security agency, Shin Bet, met Mr Abbas in Jordan.
According to the aide, Israel is willing to release Palestinian prisoners in return for Cpl Shalit but insists the exchange will not be simultaneous and its release of prisoners will be described as a "goodwill gesture" and not as a direct exchange.
This has been accepted by Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas prime minister, and the Hamas political movement but not by Khaled Meshal, the Hamas leader in Damascus. Mr Meshal wields considerable power because he controls funds donated by Iran, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. The military wing of Hamas, which is holding Cpl Shalit, is particularly dependent on the money from Mr Meshal.
Mr Meshal is susceptible to pressure from his host, Syria. "It appears that Syria's main concern is the investigation into the murder of the Lebanese prime minister, Rafiq Hariri. If Syria could be assured that the investigation does not continue, there are indications that Syria would be willing to be helpful on many issues, not just the release of Israeli soldiers," Mr Abbas's aide said.
Syrian agents are among suspects in the ongoing United Nations investigation of the murder of Mr Hariri in Beirut last year.
He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.
Nietzsche
Getting to the other side
Written by: Doc LightningWritten by: GitasGuy
Israel started it offensive on the grounds of retrieving the kidnapped soldiers.
Which was just a good excuse to flex their muscles once again, knowing no one in the region can stop then and they have the USA wrapped around their little finger
So I've gone over the evidence, if you would please care to read that:
1) Hezbollah is part of and funded by the Lebanese Government.
2) Hezbollah attacked Israel, raided, kidnapped two soldiers, and fired rockets.
3) Hezbollah hides behind citizens.
4) Hezbollah may be forcing said citizens to stay at gunpoint.
And your problem is with Israel. I don't get it. I just don't.
Explain it. Logically. So far nobody's making any sense. They keep on mumbling nonsense about "commitment to peace" and "Israel starting it" and "Israel firing on civilians." And they don't seem to want to listen to evidence that it ain't necessarily so.
Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]
Written by: sagetree
i may be a pacifist but if my neighborhood was filled with people that wanted to hurt me i would move without question. even if all of my sacred memories from childhood were at that house. even if my great great grandfather built that house. even if i could defend myself from the people wanting to harm me, i would move for my children and their children.
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
Written by: FireTom
Relocating Israel is an interesting thought, but nowhere even in range of possibilities.
Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
Written by: Doc Lightning
Because we keep getting caught in holocausts when we don't have somewhere to go. And so when in Germany in the '30's when Jews tried to flee other countries wouldn't take them.
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
Written by: FireTom
Now Jews are back and they live in this spot for 50 years - tell me a reason why they should give up their home, other than the rest of the world is tired of the region fighting all the time...
"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."
--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32
Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!
Written by: onewheeldave
As for that portion of Israelis who place more value on interpretations of religious texts. than on having a genuinely peaceful homeland and would prefer to live in a war-zone that accords with those interpretations- personally, I think those considerations should no more be taken seriously as grounds for action, than any of the other dysfunctional religious fundamentalist views that lie behind much of the violence we see in the world today.
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]
Written by: FireTom
eehaa - texas sounds suitable...
I get and syphasize with your point OWD... but it always looks more easy from the outside, than it feels from the inside... I applied the same for all the Tootsie, the Kurds, the Shiites in Iraq, the Muslim in India, not to speak of all ethnic minorities all over the planet, who happen to get caught up in a conflict... nobody wanted to listen... :cry: so I'm trying to be "realistic" (as my teachers always demanded)...
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]
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