war on lebanon

unfortunately money-politics and war combine to be the most powerful religeon ever. we need to just live in peace and thats that. as jesus said (and I'm not religeous) do not do to others that which you do not want done to you.
simple thas what I observe

Let me say that the single, most prevalent issue with today's modern media coverage of war is the ability of the world to receive updated information within minutes to hours of occurence, both aurally and visually. It was one thing to hear or read newsprint of testaments of WWII soldiers and those from Vietnam and then receive delayed movie footage often filmed and released by the military. Things are very different today and we get to see the ugly realities of war - instantly, thanks to satellites and GSM cellular communications. A good delving into the fact books of past wars would reveal to us all of the attrocities that far exceed what we witness currently. Yes, beheadings are inhumane, scenes of critically injured children on stretchers, women wailing, etc. are gut wrenching, but WWII POW camps and torture sessions of past militaries and fanatical groups are a true embarrasement to the human race, even amidst the most barbaric in nature's own animal kingdom.

I'm not going to discuss my position on Hezbollah, Israel, Iran, Syria or US involvement, since nothing will get accomplished by it. What I will say is that I was recently put on the chopping block here for having a signature line that stated "Which part of the world are you from... the part that we saved or from the part whose ass we kicked?" Given that, I find it ironic that so many world countries are asking to demanding that America get involved in a number of ways, including having us influence restraint by Israel. I guess that would have us kicking Israel in the ass, while saving Hezbollah and Lebenanon, only to have to someday kick Iran's ass to save Israel etc. Kick or save, kick or save. Seems like there's lots of fodder in this world to keep the U.S. knee-deep in military actions, taxpayer funded war efforts, the grieving families of soldiers... and I haven't even mentioned N. Korea and Venezuela!!! This world is a messed up place indeed.

I don't feel that Israel have over reacted in their response to the two captured soldiers. Let's not forget that this isn't an isolated one-off incident and that tensions were already high even before those two soldiers were captured. I understand the argument that Lebanon is not involved in the dispute, but I personally don't agree with it. When your country is home to a militant group who regularly organise and execute terrorist attacks, you have to expect that neighbouring countries who are victim to these attacks, are going to retaliate. If the Lebanese government does not want to be subject to offensive retaliation anymore, then they should no longer provide home to terrorist groups like Hezbollah.

If I were a British soldier putting my life on the line for my country, and I was captured and held to ransom by a terrorist militant group, I would hope my country would come after me as well. And with regard to the civilian casualties, obviously this is extremely regretable but Israel IS at war. In war there will always be civilian casualties, but more so in this case because Hezbollah choose to hide and fight amoungst Lebanese civilians. What else is Israel to do when put in that situation? They certainly can't allow the attacks against them to go on can they, and it's obvious that diplomacy alone would not work.

Brian

well said! And until people fully realize and accept the fact that fighting terrorism is an unconventional kind of battle, we will always witness disturbing collateral damage, be it innocent civilians, religous, national, or historic monuments, and purely bogus propaganda. Accept this rationale and you find yourself more in tune with why militant terroristic factions need to be rooted out and decapitated. The world as a whole needs to also spend considerable effort in eliminating the indoctrination of future recruits for militant terrorism as it's nothing different than shark's teeth: always two to three more to replace the one that just fell out. Terrorism's most effective weapon is instilling public fear, panic, and abhoration. It's just as effective as a big-ass bomb.... more often, even better than one! Like the country Spain, once you cave in to it, you'll always be held captive in the future to it.

electros I'm in Australia and i think one outcome of this conflict that I'm seeing seems to be that many westerners who were previously ignorant of the truth about the middle east conflict are increasingly on the side of the palestinians and hezbollah, perhaps not their methods but their right to defend themselves. Personally I have studied the middle east for a couple of years now.

Many people dismiss car bombers as terrorists but one must ask the question, "what burns inside one human being so badly they are willing to trade their life and the lives of others for what they do" - I suppose the answer has to be a people that have been displaced, walled in, starved and treated like animals. There can be no resolution to this, even if all hostilities stopped on every front, palestine, gaza, israel lebanon. Until human rights issues are addressed, there can be no peace, no physical or internal or religious for anyone. While ever Israel expects the palestinians to do what they want them to do, and live the way they want them to live like peasants, there can be no solution. It is sad that a race that were so persecuted by the nazi regime, now out of fear of it happening again hits out to others as weak as they have been in the past. One would think compassion and kindness would be the order of the day. I'll get you before you get me mindset.

I am not anti israel, but as a westerner, the media reports the israeli news and not the palestinian view. So few westerners have any idea of the depth and breadth of the palestinian suffering. I believe they just want their sovereignty, to be treated humanly. Israels preoccupation with justifying its existence breeds fear and aggression. Hezbollah has already offered a ceasefire in the current melee but it is quickly glossed over in the news.

Until the rest of the world knows the truth, the historical truth and nothing but the truth, ignorance will continue. I am ashamed of governments that let innocent people die while they sit in meetings discussing it. It will be discussed until the powers that be have decided enough is enough or until they start listening to the people. Believe me many westerners day by day are increasingly angered by the situation and the lack of any of governments to intervene and save innocents on both sides. They are not so willing to continue to believe the story they are told.

Leisa

peacefulwarrior said:

I am not anti israel, but as a westerner, the media reports the israeli news and not the palestinian view. So few westerners have any idea of the depth and breadth of the palestinian suffering. I believe they just want their sovereignty, to be treated humanly. Israels preoccupation with justifying its existence breeds fear and aggression. Hezbollah has already offered a ceasefire in the current melee but it is quickly glossed over in the news.

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nice mentioning my friend, many people around the world (especially at europe ) don't know this matter...the media reports are essentially biased to israeli view more than palestinian view so couldn't name that as neutrality but biasing...

thanks for your comments and viewpoint, and if you have other good thoughts for this topic , don't hesitate please!

To balance things fairly here, in the USA we are hearing and watching many news reports and live coverage of Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian citizens being interviewed for their responses. Too much American media is liberal biased and they often portrays the bad guy as the victim. It's a daily occurrence around here that Israel is the bad guy and America is right in line behind. As in Iraq, we are fed a dominant amount of biased info, of soldiers raping women and killing them and children without just cause. In fact we never were told of the soldier's side of the story... just the information that would have the average citizen automatically pronouncing them guilty. Some soldiers come home from their tour and go public with their account of things which tells a different story. Rarely do we hear of a school that is rebuilt, now educating children that once were home bound.
The Middle East is chocked full of religously passionate people who for one reason or another seem to refuse to get along while accepting each other's differences. We have a similar situation in America : racism. However we don't war over it for umpteen years. Yes we have momentary clashes despite the continuing efforts to decrease racism. You don't see large gatherings of people clashing to the point of civil war.

Read **broken link removed** for a little more balance.

HiTech said:

To balance things fairly here, in the USA we are hearing and watching many news reports and live coverage of Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian citizens being interviewed for their responses. Too much American media is liberal biased and they often portrays the bad guy as the victim. It's a daily occurrence around here that Israel is the bad guy and America is right in line behind.

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I've been under the impression that most American news is conservative rather than liberal. Are you sure it's not liberal news irks you more and therefore sticks in your head for longer periods of time and accumulates more than the conservative stuff so that it seems the news is more liberal biased?

This link, www.freeman.org/m_online/jul04/harari.htm is rather lengthy, but it is well worth the time spent reading. Many of the questions posed in this forum and world-wide are addressed in a reasoned, knowledgable and apolitical manner.

I strongly recommend it.

Peace,
AllVol

It's well known across America and through some exposed scandals of the media's biased reporting as well as conjured up, ficticous reports (New York Times is a real culprit). CNN is likely the worst when it comes to liberal biased reporting. Often, a saavy viewer can detect when they are grandstanding or purposely slanting things. The recent bit about Israelis killing loads of innocent women and children has been misrepresented propaganda reported by sharp-eyed internet bloggers. Just yesterday it was reported by many of them who noticed the very same women and children being used by Hezbollah to make it appear as if more of them are dying by Israeli attacks. There are many clues that show clear evidence of Hezbollah using the same dead bodies to make things look worse and totally out of control. These are terrorists and they will fight in any unconventional or convient manner they see fit for the moment to accomplish their goal. People of the world need to understand that nations are fighting against a "mindset", a "warped ideology". Nations are using conventional methods to combat unconventional, below the belt, low down tricks.

dknguyen said:

I've been under the impression that most American news is conservative rather than liberal. Are you sure it's not liberal news irks you more and therefore sticks in your head for longer periods of time and accumulates more than the conservative stuff so that it seems the news is more liberal biased?

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your kidding right? The news is slanted in the liberal direction pretty bad all over. If you have ever read the New York Times, whatched CNN, NBC, CBS and so on you will know what I'm talking about. The only news network I would consider Conservative is FOX.

Rapter_F22 said:

your kidding right? The news is slanted in the liberal direction pretty bad all over. If you have ever read the New York Times, whatched CNN, NBC, CBS and so on you will know what I'm talking about. The only news network I would consider Conservative is FOX.

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I completely agree with you, but I would bet good money that you're a conservative. Media bias is reality as far as I'm concerned, but ask a liberal. Most of them would tell you that Fox is biased, while the others are "fair and balanced". It all depends on your point of view, and it is probably impossible to measure objectively. Case in point - dknguyen is in Canada. I believe most Canadians are liberal, from my point of view, so they might see the American media as conservative.

when you Americans say "Liberal" are you talking abt what the word actually means or some perverted view of it

Europe try's to be liberal (as in tries to remove as much power from the gov'n - bar UK).

I only say this because over at Gentoo::OTW a couple of Yanks throw the label of "lib/Liberal" around like it is some form of insult and actually directed it at use Europeans at the forum, we were like ?? so its good that the gov'n doesn't have complete control.

Turns out (as I understand it) a party in the US called themselves "liberal" when infact they did alot of things non-liberal, thus for some reason the term liberal has been perverted in the US

Good question. Initially, the use of the word liberal was in its purest sense, as in someone or thing 'liberal' in the giving of time, money or talent, especially in a charitable context. It was synonymous with generous.

In recent years, that definition has become passe and has become a label for the anthesis of conservative, or conservatism. Its another of those polarizations that plagues and divides this country's political system at the present time. At some point in the pendulum swing of progress we will see a centralization of ideology, but as we all know, while the length of a pendulum's displacement can change, it's period always remains the same, so it will be some time, and many ballots, I think, before we see any mid-point.

Just my opinion.

AllVol