I do not regard myself as smart.
Though, I do regard myself as knowledgeable, a condition I attribute mostly to the fact that I am old and have been around long enough to collect a lot of knowable things…
Plus, I read a lot, which enables me to collect even more knowable things.
Yeah, knowing a lot doesn’t make one smart…
Knowing what to do with the things one knows, now that’s smart.
Smart people know how to leverage knowledge in ways that benefit them, however they may define it.
Probably they define it mostly as success, money, happiness, power, etc.
Or so I suppose.
I also suppose the fact that having a lot of knowledge doesn’t necessarily equate to being smart is also why calling someone a “know it all” is usually not a good thing.
Yeah…
But, unfortunately, there are some nuts in life that are so tough to crack that even truly smart people do not know what to do about them.
Climate change.
Trump.
The problems between Israel and Palestine.
Yeah, especially that one…
A lot of smart people have been working on that tragic nut of a situation for a long, long time.
Which is why I don’t feel so bad for not having any idea what can be done to solve it.
But I certainly feel bad that it is seemingly impossible to solve.
I empathize greatly for both sides.
As a white male US citizen who does in fact feel guilty for how his English ancestors (there is a town in England called Brindley) and his country subsequent to its independence from England brutally treated North America’s indigenous people, the Native Americans, and the enslaved from Africa, my heart truly aches for the Palestinians and all they’ve lost and the suffering that they had and continue to endure since 1948.
And as a US citizen who, despite how bitter he is with its current state of violence and dysfunction is still relatively proud to be a citizen of the US, remembers as if it were yesterday the pain and fear and immense anger he felt after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and can completely understand why Israel is so determined to completely wipe out Hamas.
How I feel about the death penalty is an insufficient comparison regarding Israel’s response to 7/10 but I’ll make it nonetheless:
I feel the death penalty is wrong…
That violence in response to violence only begets more violence.
However, despite knowing that, if something happened to my family like that which happened to so many Israeli families by the Hamas terrorists…
I feel I would personally want to exact an equally, if not more so, violent and horrifying revenge with my own bare hands.
I’m reminded of the response by George Clooney’s character Governer Mike Morris in “The Ides of March” when asked his opinion of the death penalty…
Which reminds me of the hearbreaking Morrissey lyrics (are there any other kind?) from The Smiths song I Know It’s Over:
... It's so easy to laugh It's so easy to hate It takes strength to be gentle and kind Over, over, over, over It's so easy to laugh It's so easy to hate It takes guts to be gentle and kind Over, over ...
Anyway…
#prayforpeaceinthemiddleeast
#andeverywherelse
It is a sad situation for both sides, however even after 9/11 the U.S. tried to avoid retaliating on innocent civilians. As they say, an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.
Yeah, still so many were killed as so called collateral damage. Some estimates near 400,000. Our twenty-year response to 9/11 was a failure. A lesson Israel didn’t seem to learn. I think we, and Israel, would have been better off, in results and reputation and especially in civilian death count, with a precisely targeted counter-terrorism response.
But what do I know… I’ll leave that kind of thinking to the smart people.
I guess precise warring doesn’t exist. Hopeful it all stops soon.
Indeed. Which reminds me of another Smiths song – How Soon Is Now.
I’m not sure there are any smart people when it comes to war, terrorism, and retribution! Our base instincts cannot be got rid of.
Alas, we are indeed a violent and tribal species…
Maybe too much to hope for considering the history.
STOP. Think what it means: “”From the River to the Sea, Palestine must be Free””. What does this Nazi jingle declaration actually mean? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y77opSSfMG8
STOP what? And what do you “think” the “jingle” means?
STOP going through the motions of political reactionary activism and think what the enemy says about Jews.
I’m not sure what you mean by imploring me to stop going through the motion of political reactionary activism, but I am aware of the current state of world affairs and I’ve thought about it; and I’m familiar with the historical plight of the Jews and I’m appalled by it. So now what? What is your recommended solution to Israel/Palestinian dilemma?
Hamas – finished. A mass population transfer of dhimmi Arabs from E. Jerusalem and Samaria to Gaza follows the unconditional surrender of Hamas to the IDF.
I’m all for the elimination of hamas, but the rest sounds like an inhumane, politically infeasible, tough sell. That said, seems the same can be said about the dream of a two-state solution…
Kurt, the post WWII Allies made a forced population transfer of some 14 million Germans from Poland and the Czech Republic. 1/7th the size of a population transfer of dhimmi refugee Arabs moved from E. Jerusalem and Samaria to Gaza.
If israel must enlarge the borders of Gaza and Egypt refuses land for peace in the Sinai, then Israel prepared to deed a part of the Sinai to establish a PA Palestinian Gaza state.
Never happen. This is not post-WWII when carpet bombing and the mass death of civilians was acceptable and the British Empire was ended and global borders were in a flux and being redrawn indiscriminately, which is the primary reason we’re in the mess we’re in – Israel/Palestine, Iraq/Iran, India/Pakistan, etc. Not saying your solution is bad, just saying it’s not viable.
Revisionist history sucks. Kurt you want to deny historical facts? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_and_expulsion_of_Germans_(1944%E2%80%931950)
Exactly what facts have I denied, mosckerr? I don’t disagree with your post-WWII assessment. Just don’t think it’s applicable to the here and now. Like I said, this isn’t 1945 when nearly the entire global population was displaced and rearranging the pieces of the scattered British Empire puzzle was a necessity. This is the extremely integrated and shrunken and Übermensch adverse 21st century. The point of my article remains the same – fixing the Israel/Palestine problem is too hard even for smart people like you. Not sure what you’re trying to do here but whatever it is let’s agree to disagree and move on. Peace (if possible).
OK my error then. Thought you denied the German population transfer the Allies imposed post WWII.
Historic Event: 300,000 Rally
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/WhctKKZPCQBBcPlVGqJVxtVnqcvVGzKjZmstBxWGgBqxBtLRgLZxssZkqnGtXMKDBbmXXCl
Just hours ago, a historic rally took place in Washington D.C., where nearly 300,000 people gathered to support Israel, making a powerful statement for global solidarity. This “Let Our People Go” rally, aimed at demanding the release of Israeli hostages, signifies a monumental collective effort to support Israel during these challenging times.
Israel defeated Hamas, the IDF slaughter Dune Coons. Sabras, a prickly cactus that has popped the hot air of Palestinian dhimmi stateless refugee propaganda.
Israel shows alleged Hamas ‘armory’ under children’s hospital in Gaza. Local health officials dismiss the physical evidence.
Israel shows alleged Hamas ‘armory’ under children’s hospital in Gaza. Local health officials dismiss the claims | Newsdesk International (wordpress.com)
MKs from a wide spectrum of the Knesset call for mass transfer of Palestinians (rethinkingforeignpolicy.org)
Israel defeated Hamas, the IDF slaughter Dune Coons. Sabras, a prickly cactus that has popped the hot air of Palestinian-State dhimmi stateless refugee propaganda lies.
Post WWII mass population transfer of Germans from Czech Republic and Poland, to prevent the repetition of the claim that Germany demands the return of stolen “occupied territory” in Czech and Poland. Impose this post October 7th massacre of 1400 Israelis on the last day of the Chag. Make a mass population transfer of PA dhimmi Arab refugee populations in E. Jerusalem and Samaria to Gaza.
Stop with the racist epithets. Final warning.
All goes well in this war by which Israel seeks the total unconditional surrender of Hamas. Followed up by a mass population transfer of 5th column Arabs in E. Jerusalem and Samaria to Gaza. From the River to the Sea Israel shall be Arab free.
Flooding in Gaza. Northern Gaza almost Hamas free. Israel turns northern Gaza into something like British north Ireland. Whoooop
Flooding in Gaza. Northern Gaza almost Hamas free. Israel turns northern Gaza into something like British north Ireland. Whoooop
Please don’t post the same comment twice.
Torah Moshiach – the Baali T’shuva. The classic Times inspired oriented commandment Kre’a Shma. T’shuva of Moshiach – assisting the Alzheimer’s victim to maintain the human dignity of an elder citizen.
Shrek 2 – i need a hero Jennifer Saunders – YouTube
Israelis face hard and difficult times. Goyim all around us scream quit! Make a cease fire!! But the t’shuva of Israel, WE shall not quit till WE achieve the total unconditional surrender of Hamas and its allies. Just that simple.
Shrek 2 (2004) – I Need a Hero Scene (7/10) | Movieclips – YouTube
I was hoping you had moved on and forgotten about me. What’s your point here? Do you not think I keep up with current events or what? Why do I deserve such special attention of yours? Or do you make your rounds all throughout the blogosphere and post the same “updates” on any post that discusses the Israel/Hamas war?