The repeated excuse, given by both Pentagon spokespersons and Israeli officials, for dropping bombs where ordinary people live is that terrorists hide among civilians. Therefore the killing of innocent people (in Iraq, in Lebanon) is called accidental, whereas the deaths caused by terrorists (on 9/11, by Hezbollah rockets) are deliberate.
This is a false distinction, quickly refuted with a bit of thought. If a bomb is deliberately dropped on a house or a vehicle on the grounds that a "suspected terrorist" is inside (note the frequent use of the word suspected as evidence of the uncertainty surrounding targets), the resulting deaths of women and children may not be intentional. But neither are they accidental. The proper description is "inevitable."
2006-09-04
Zinn: War Is Not a Solution for Terrorism
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3 comments:
More clever mind-bending by Zinn to support not fighting terrorists, and equating their efforts to kill civillians with counter-efforts to kill terrorists.
Yes, Howard, if terrorists hide behind civillians, then civillian death is "inevitable". But unlike terrorists, anti-terrorists judge their success by low civillian body counts, with zero representing a perfect score. Meanwhile, terrorists advance their cause not only via the hightening of the body count of the civillians that they target, but also (albeit silently) by the hightening of the body count of the civillians behind whom they hide. Consider the which headline best advances the cause of Hezbollah, and which advances the cause of Isreal:
A) 100 civillian Lebonese die from Isreali bombs; 100 civillian Isrealis die from Hezbo rockets.
B) Isrelis kill 100 armed Hezbos, no civillians harmed; another day passes without Isrelli civillian causualties.
C) Nobody dies or gets kidnapped on either side of the border; Lebonese unemployment rate plummets, GNP sours, Lebonese teens shine on SATs; women in Lebonon enjoy freedom and high wages; Lebonese and Isrellis cross borders freely, peacefully.
And yes, Howard, the Isrelli military officers are not gods, and cannot 100% accurately identify all millitary targets. But they fired a few thousand highly-accurate minitions into Lebannon against an enemy that fiercely hides amoungst civillians, and resulted in less than 1,000 civillian deaths. Thus Isreal has achieved one of the least civillian-destructive wars ever.
Perhaps, Howard, you might next pen an essay for those who want a new Islamic Empire: "War Is Not a Solution for Islam".
"But unlike terrorists, anti-terrorists judge their success by low civillian body counts, with zero representing a perfect score."
Then how did Israel and the US declare a Zionist victory in Lebanon?
Lebanon is lauded as the only real democracy in the Middle East (much more so than apartheid ruled Israel). Lebanese people enjoy many freedoms. Hezbollah exists only to protect the Lebanese people from Israeli aggressors.
If Israel released Lebanese prisoners from their jails and stopped incursions into Southern Lebanon, you would see an end to Hezbollah's attacks on Israel.
"But they fired a few thousand highly-accurate minitions into Lebannon against an enemy that fiercely hides amoungst civillians, and resulted in less than 1,000 civillian deaths. Thus Isreal has achieved one of the least civillian-destructive wars ever."
You're completely out of your mind. The war lasted less than six weeks. Most of the people who died were civilians and the enemy emerged from the conflict more powerful than when the war begin.
The only way this can be viewed is as a huge failure for Israel and the Bush administration.
========Nadir========
Then how did Israel and the US declare a Zionist victory in Lebanon?
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To the extent that any pro-Isrealis declared victory, it did not stem from a high civillian body count. The civillian body count undermined declarations of Isreali victory, while bolstering the Hezbo position. You never see the Hezbos faking low civillian body counts; they don't cover real civillian blood. Rather, the Hezbos stage fake civillian deaths, not hide them. Why? Because civillian deaths cause people like you to scream ever louder that Isreal is wrong.
=================Nadir
The only way this can be viewed is as a huge failure for Israel and the Bush administration.
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Nowhere did I declare an Isreali victory. Even 1,000 civillian deaths might be too many for a modern millitary victory. But still, it represents an amazingly low figure given the steady Isreali ordinance over 6 full weeks with highly accurate munitions against an enemy that tightly and expertly clings to civillian cover with one of its major objectives coaxing maximium civillian causualties from its enemy.
==========Nadir
Lebanese people enjoy many freedoms
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Despite the efforts of the Hezbos.
============Nadir
If Israel released Lebanese prisoners from their jails and stopped incursions into Southern Lebanon, you would see an end to Hezbollah's attacks on Israel.
==================
What? Isreal only attacks, incurs, imprisons, and kidnaps in response to Hezbo acting upon its stated goal of eliminating Isreal. Isreal has zero stated or secret designs on occupying Lebenon. If Isreal ceased counter-punching Hezbo, Hezbo's manifesto would still stipulate its goal of invading and eradicating Isreal.
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