For six years, Hamas had been firing rockets aimed at civilians in Israel. These illegal rockets killed almost twenty Israelis and wounded about 440, damaging property and causing great anxiety in Israel during that six-year period.
The Israel Palestine conflict dramatically escalated on December 27, 2008; fighting has continued since then between Israel and Hamas.
Who is to blame for the escalation that started in late December? Using your best judgment, please assign a percentage of the blame for the recent escalation to each party. So you're going to write down 2 numbers. The 2 numbers must add up to 100.
Hamas is ______ to blame.
Israel is ______ to blame.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The "Dec. 26, 2008 hypothetical"
Had you known everything we now know about the various results of Israel's Gaza assault--even adding the beneficial ones--and Ehud Olmert asked you on Dec. 26, 2008 'Should we go forward with this plan, or not?'
Would you say yes or no?
Would you say yes or no?
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
*
Hyperlink by no means indicates endorsement. But have you noticed that war supporters are actively avoiding getting information from Al Jazeera? (If you're minimally serious about following this thing--you've got to follow Al Jazeera--if for no other reason than to learn what the rest of the world is watching.)
100%-0%
H. Res. 34: Recognizing Israel's right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza, reaffirming the United...which Erik Paulsen supported on January 9, 2009, includes:
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(5) calls on all nations--
(B) to lay blame both for the breaking of the ‘calm’ and for subsequent civilian casualties in Gaza precisely where blame belongs, that is, on Hamas;
Negative Effects of Israel's Assault on Gaza
Not in any particular order:
1) Thousands of Hamas fighters will be killed;
2) Hundreds of Gaza civilians will be killed;
3) Thousands of Gaza civilians will be severely maimed for life;
4) A media blackout will not prevent Al Jazeera from broadcasting factual, photographic coverage of many dead children and other civilians;
5) Global public opinion will strongly hold Israel and the USA responsible for the carnage;
6) Muslim disgust with the action will result in the widespread radicalization of currently-moderate Arab opinion leaders;
7) Hamas will become much more respected, among Palestinians and in the region;
8) Economic costs will be huge--to Israel, to the US and to Gaza's infrastructure and people.
If you think additional negative effects should be added, please email them to gavin6@gmail.com
1) Thousands of Hamas fighters will be killed;
2) Hundreds of Gaza civilians will be killed;
3) Thousands of Gaza civilians will be severely maimed for life;
4) A media blackout will not prevent Al Jazeera from broadcasting factual, photographic coverage of many dead children and other civilians;
5) Global public opinion will strongly hold Israel and the USA responsible for the carnage;
6) Muslim disgust with the action will result in the widespread radicalization of currently-moderate Arab opinion leaders;
7) Hamas will become much more respected, among Palestinians and in the region;
8) Economic costs will be huge--to Israel, to the US and to Gaza's infrastructure and people.
If you think additional negative effects should be added, please email them to gavin6@gmail.com
**
Monday, January 12, 2009
Mitchbergian Aria
http://www.shotinthedark.info/wp/?p=3952#comments
Israel isn’t “causing” the suffering in Gaza. That’s caused by:
a) Arab governments telling people to flee Israel in the forties and fifties,
b) making sure that the camps stay poor and miserable - like keeping a tight lid on a pot of boiling water - even to the point of…
c) expelling “Palestinians” from their own countries (Jordan fought a small war to eject their refugees in 1971 - and Jordanians are ethnically closer to Palestinians than anyone else), because they needed the “Palestinian” camps to serve as…
d) incubators for terrorism against…
e) Israel, whose existence all of them have historically wanted to terminate by any means necessary, including four wars - and when those failed, by…
f) relentless terrorism launched from the camps started in (b).
Given Europe’s history and, indeed, present when it comes to dealing with minorities in their own countries (to say nothing of their history from, ah, six or seven decades ago, their opinion and “outrage” is of no value whatsoever.
Israel isn’t “causing” the suffering in Gaza. That’s caused by:
a) Arab governments telling people to flee Israel in the forties and fifties,
b) making sure that the camps stay poor and miserable - like keeping a tight lid on a pot of boiling water - even to the point of…
c) expelling “Palestinians” from their own countries (Jordan fought a small war to eject their refugees in 1971 - and Jordanians are ethnically closer to Palestinians than anyone else), because they needed the “Palestinian” camps to serve as…
d) incubators for terrorism against…
e) Israel, whose existence all of them have historically wanted to terminate by any means necessary, including four wars - and when those failed, by…
f) relentless terrorism launched from the camps started in (b).
Given Europe’s history and, indeed, present when it comes to dealing with minorities in their own countries (to say nothing of their history from, ah, six or seven decades ago, their opinion and “outrage” is of no value whatsoever.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
That George Washington Thing
Patron: To the American Memory Team:
Did George Washington ever say anything remotely resembling the following 'quotation'?
“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”
Dear Patron:
Thank you for your query.
I have received this question numerous times in the past, and I have never been able to document that George Washington actually made the statement.
Yes, you can find this quotation all over the Internet, including many politicians using this quote; however, the only "citation" given is the year 1789.
Washington's papers, which are available as one of the American Memory online collections on the Library of Congress's website, do not contain this quotation. Nor do any of a number of print titles, including:
"The Quotable George Washington: The Wisdom of an American Patriot," compiled and edited by Stephen E. Lucan, Madison: WI: Madison House, 1999.
"America's Founding Fathers: Their Uncommon Wisdom and Wit," edited by Bill Adler, New York: Taylor Trade Publishing, c2003.
"Maxims of George Washington," collected and arranged by John Frederick Schroder, Mount Vernon, VA: The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, c1989.
"Washington on Washington," edited by Paul M. Zall, Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentucky, c2003.
"Respectfully Quoted: A Dictionary of Quotations from the Library of Congress," edited by Suzy Platt, Congressional Research Service (CRS), Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly, Inc., c1992.
This quotation is not found using Google Book Search, or searching the subscription electronic full-text databases JSTOR and American Periodicals Series.
The Internet has provided a means for many misattributed or false quotations to proliferate, especially with respect to the Founding Fathers.
I hope that this information is helpful.
ECH
Reference Librarian
Main Reading Room
Humanities & Social Sciences Division
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20540-4660
(202) 707-3399
Did George Washington ever say anything remotely resembling the following 'quotation'?
“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”
Dear Patron:
Thank you for your query.
I have received this question numerous times in the past, and I have never been able to document that George Washington actually made the statement.
Yes, you can find this quotation all over the Internet, including many politicians using this quote; however, the only "citation" given is the year 1789.
Washington's papers, which are available as one of the American Memory online collections on the Library of Congress's website, do not contain this quotation. Nor do any of a number of print titles, including:
"The Quotable George Washington: The Wisdom of an American Patriot," compiled and edited by Stephen E. Lucan, Madison: WI: Madison House, 1999.
"America's Founding Fathers: Their Uncommon Wisdom and Wit," edited by Bill Adler, New York: Taylor Trade Publishing, c2003.
"Maxims of George Washington," collected and arranged by John Frederick Schroder, Mount Vernon, VA: The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, c1989.
"Washington on Washington," edited by Paul M. Zall, Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentucky, c2003.
"Respectfully Quoted: A Dictionary of Quotations from the Library of Congress," edited by Suzy Platt, Congressional Research Service (CRS), Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly, Inc., c1992.
This quotation is not found using Google Book Search, or searching the subscription electronic full-text databases JSTOR and American Periodicals Series.
The Internet has provided a means for many misattributed or false quotations to proliferate, especially with respect to the Founding Fathers.
I hope that this information is helpful.
ECH
Reference Librarian
Main Reading Room
Humanities & Social Sciences Division
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20540-4660
(202) 707-3399
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