The element of “proportionality” is a false measurement for another reason. It is Hamas’ intention to eliminate Israel, no matter what Israel did to Hamas. Israel’s stated and practiced intention these past 3.5 years since disengagement was to let Hamas rule as long as no rockets were fired. Therefore, one most involve in the mathematics of proportionality the intentions of the violence. For if Israel doesn’t respond harder and stronger and more powerful than Hamas, then Hamas will continue to be able to attempt the elimination of Israel and the death of as many of its Jewish citizens as they can. This is the real disproportionality most miss, and which, in the end, justifies Israel 100:1 actions.
Monday, January 05, 2009
My Comment Over At Contentions on Proportionality
Here, #4, at Noah Pollak's blog post where he attacks Andrew Sullivan:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
Led here from LGF recently I find myself reading many of your posts lately.
I would like to amplify your view from a different angle. In a sense, much of the left (and even many Israelis) fail to acknowledge the underlying moral issue of this conflict (and all violent conflict for that matter).
Morality is based on the simple principle that it is wrong to use violent force against someone to get what you want from them. The UN Charter was formed around that noble concept - long lost now as a result of stupidly admitting states whose societies are formed around the use of force against their own citizens as well as other states - I guess in hopes they would "mature". Richard Landes calls this "cognitive egocentrism" - the naive belief that everybody in the world thinks and acts just like we do.
But, for these immoral states it will always be "justified" for them to use violence against their enemies - because there will always be "injustices" to set right. Actually those "injustices" are the same ones they have been killing each other over for many centuries - some old insult, some religious difference, some long forgotten clan feud - it makes no difference. That's just how their societies and cultures operate. Honor is using force against others to get your way. Shame is submitting to that force. That interplay of force, coercion and submission ("Balanced Opposition" in the terms of anthropologist Philip Salzman) is what creates the only stability their societies ever know. For these states, democracy is the same as submitting to the will of others. Males in these societies, who hold all the power, have no intention of ever "shaming" themselves that way.
Until the West is willing to enforce the principles embodied in the UN Charter, especially acknowledging the extreme criminality of the initiation of violence against member states - and responding accordingly as a world body, or honoring article 51 that gives every member state the undisputed right to self-defense - and to honor the requirement that all member states that can do so must assist any member state attacked from outside - then the future for the West looks pretty depressing.
Criminal Medieval societies such as these must learn that if they attack someone they will suffer (be shamed). If they feel reasonably certain that they won't suffer any bad consequences, and will possibly gain what they want, then they will attack and kill others. Attacking others is what those societies do. And that is what causes war. Only the sure and punishing response to such attacks is what can prevent war.
If you attack someone you should suffer for it. It's a cruel world. But for the sake of peace, that's how it must be. The Palestinians have never had a state. They deserve to remain stateless - to live in misery under strict "house arrest" as any outlaw band should - until they can redeem themselves in the eyes of the peace-loving nations of the world - especially after electing Hamas to power and supporting Hamas' attacks on Israel. The last thing they should get is a state and world recognition for their violent criminal actions.
Every attempt at vilifying Israel for defending itself and trying to soundly defeat Hamas is not only sealing Israel's fate - but is taking us one step closer to that moment when Israel will have to decide whether to use its nukes to defend itself - or allow itself to be finally over-run by its Islamist enemies, probably using some WMD acquired from Iran or Russia. Either way there will be millions of innocent civilians killed - not just a few dozen.
The self-serving politics of today's morally bankrupt world leadership is leading us to a cataclysmic war where many millions will die horrible deaths. I hope the West wakes up and starts helping Israel instead of tying Israel's hands before it's too late. Israel, the first modern state in history established by peaceful negotiation instead of conquest, must survive for the sake of the free, peace-loving people everywhere.
Thanks for your frequent comments and updates.
and I thank you very much for your comment.
Post a Comment