Quote of the Day

But Hamas is not just a terrorist organization. Hamas is an idea, a desperate and fanatical idea that grew out of the desolation and frustration of many Palestinians. No idea has ever been defeated by force — not by siege, not by bombardment, not by being flattened with tank treads and not by marine commandos. To defeat an idea, you have to offer a better idea, a more attractive and acceptable one. - Amos Oz

The typical right wing meme is that "diplomacy" never works because the other side will always resort to violence to achieve their aims.. typically characterizing the other side as something other than a human being. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

It's just the nature of men.. to be as savage as possible because of the assumption that the other guy is going to be a savage. It has been that way since men first figured out what a big stick could be used for.

I've thought that the way the world is made much smaller by technology would help change that. It doesn't seem to be the case, as evidenced by the 2 US wars and actions of Israel. Even if one side knows who the other are.. sees their humanity.. their lives.. their children.. they can still bomb the fuck out of them without reservation under this assumption that they'll bomb the fuck out of us if we don't.

It's a rather severe indictment of humanity.. or at least a very large segment of it.