Making the world safe for democracy

[mrph]

Is Israel really any safer after using an airstrike to kill a quadriplegic old man, who was being pushed out of a mosque in his wheelchair when the missile hit?

I don't think so. If only because those are the terms in which most of the world's going to view it - and certainly most of the middle east. It seems like a deliberate attempt to pour petrol on the flames.

Yes, he was a hateful old bastard who was in favour of terrorism and spoke against the peace process (and the existence of Israel itself). But I still don't see how this helps. The damage he did was done with words, and his words didn't die with him. If anything, they've now gained weight.

Comments

[mrph.livejournal.com]

The BBC has a theory that this particular move is so that Sharon doesn't look weak when pulling out of Gaza. They may be right, in which case he's even more of an idiot than I'd assumed.

I think a lot of it, though, comes down to leaders who are dependent on hardline minority parties for their support (such as Sharon) or just terrified that they'll lose political capital if the press and opposition can claim that they're "soft" or "weak" on terrorism (Blair)...

[deeply-spurious.livejournal.com]

definitely - has more to do with internal politics than anything else... how comforting that our wonderful democratic systems lead to such manifestly disastrous forms of behaviour...

As some bright chappie said on Question Time last night, we should be trying to isolate extremists within their own communities. Instead we are providing them will all manner of handy favours in respect of their persuasion and recruitment campaigns...

Idiots all.

[deeply-spurious.livejournal.com]

PS - not last night, obviously! I am too tired...