Watching the news can sometimes be so unbearable

[BOBS DAD]

I cannot help but feel that if these victims were 'someone else', or if Israel was 'someone else', the global response would have been completely different

There is some truth to that but I believe it stems from a total feeling of exasperation and lack of any new ideas - as well as some some long held bigotted beliefs.

I also agree with KYS' response in that atrocities are happening everywhere around the globe and that nothing is being done to help or prevent the loss of innocent life elsewhere (as well as in Lebanon). Often we see the world, it's events and happenings through our own "religious, cultural or historical" EYES!

When the BALTIC STATES WERE AT WAR - Serbia and Croatia a few years back - remember Milosevich?

A lot of horrible atrocities and ethnic cleansing was taking place. Being of Croatian ethnicity (2nd Generation) I knew a little more about the troubled past and old feuds between these two "VERY SIMILAR", yet different peoples. My parents are children of Croatian Immigrants... and of course, "Let me tell you", there was "NO" telling them "WHO" was at fault and who was doing what... It was undeniably "CLEAR" to them that it was the SERBIANS "who were at it AGAIN"!!!

I tried to keep an open mind and not harp on past "wrongdoings, old he saids, she saids, he started its". I was hoping for a fresh start... a new beginning and an end to the long standing feuds and senseless violence. Heck, before the war, Serbs and Croats had been living together for generations now and intermarrying, etc.

If you do not know much about these people, let me tell you. It is hard to tell them apart. Same genetic gene pool, SAME EXACT LANGUAGE, same culture, foods, dress, dance and both Christian (for the most part). Differences and feuds began a "LONG" time ago and are still held onto by many (someone mentioned how HATE is LEARNED and passed on through generations). I don't want to into because it is so convoluted and complex and STUPID.

POINT IS... my parents had already decided who's side they were on and had a totally different perspective than perhaps someone else who was watching "the same news coverage". An interesting point is that one day I was casually discussing recent events with an associate who has a very Serbian/Croatian sounding name - like mine is. He is the same age as me - 47 and "totally Americanized". We are Americans and really have "no current attachment" to our former countries. Well... as I said, it is hard to tell a Serb from a Croat and the names sound exactly the same. We were talking in Serbo-Hrvatski (same language) and he must have just assumed I was a Serb, when he went into a tirade of allegations, accusations and comdemnations of the "damn" Croats!!! LOL!!! - not really, but nothing to begin a "new feud over". Point is, we are both Americans, have no stake in the outcome of this war and both desparately would like to see an end to the age old violence and WAR, but he "sees things" very differently and through "his culturally and historically 'learned' eyes"!!!

[RICHARD]

In Iraq, a punk drives a truck loaded with explosives into a market loaded with people,

The explosion kills and wounds 50-60 people.....

Outrage?

None.

It becomes news when someone of a different religion/background kills the same amount of people, wth a bomb lobbed from a distance.

I guess killing people, while making eye contact, makes the difference.

[sasvermont]

Survival of the fittest. Survival of the lucky, the fortunate. I will never understand why humans cannot get along. We ARE animals.

I would like to believe that if the world was run by women, the outcome/problems would be entirely different, with much less violence and hatred. I think its a Testosterone Problem!. I am sorry if this offends anyone, especially the men. My comment is not based on anything I have read - just my feelings about wars/war games and violence.

I am anti-war. I am a flower child.

My heart goes out to all of the families involved in the horrid events around the world. Africa is undoubtedly the most impoverished area of the world filled with every kind of tragic circumstance possible.

When will it end? Never. Not in my life time, anyway.

We can all help by being nice to our neighbors, friends and family...including our own animals.

[RICHARD]

I think its a Testosterone Problem!.

Great, first war and then the Tour de France.....

[Lady's Human]

As to the problem being men in charge, let's look at a little history.......

Queen Elizabeth
Boudica
Golde Meir
Indira Ghandi
Tsarinas Catherine (I and the great)
Isabella of Spain
Joan of Arc
Queen Victoria
Margaret Thatcher
Janet Reno

There is also a long list of female regents (place holders for underage monarchs to be) who were absolutely brutal in ensuring that their child made it to the throne.


Hardly a batch of peaceable rulers. It has NOTHING to do with testosterone.

[sasvermont]

Although it is not realistic, I meant that women only would be in charge/ruling! No men in the cabinets, senate etc. Just women. Totally unlikely, I know. These women just listed in the above post, including Janet Reno (??/what the heck????) did not rule the world. I meant women as a group, not as individuals. Collectively.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Hardly a batch of peaceable rulers. It has NOTHING to do with testosterone.

Oh please. Testosterone makes for aggression and strength. Women with more testoserone are more aggressive. Men with higher levels of testosterone are more aggressive.

Don't be so think-skinned. What did Janet Reno ever do to you? And Queen Victoria...alright she wasn't very nice sometimes.... especially to her children, but you put her on a scale with Hitler, Stalin, Saddam Hussien, Pol Pot, etc., etc.

Which of those women murdered, raped, pillaged and plundered to ACHIEVE power, vs. those who found themselves through marrigae, birth, or election IN power?

[Lady's Human]

Sara,

Peter the Great's mother was ruthless in her pursuit of power. Because of her maneuvering, thousands of Russians died.

As for the Tsarinas, every time the Russian crown tranferred up until the latter part of the 19th century there was incredible bloodshed and maneuvering. The succession was laid out on paper, but there was always a fight for the crown.

Boudica was a warrior who took power and launched a revolution against the romans.

Queen Victoria was every bit as ruthless as her male (and female) contemporaries. For 75 years the sun never set on the British Empire, regardless of the body count (which was never kept)

Queen Elizabeth guarded her power ruthlessly as well, directing the execution of those who disagreed with her rule.

Isabella directed the conquest of the New World while in power in Spain.

Joan of Arc makes a nice story, but while she was leading the French army she gave no quarter.

The only difference between modern rulers and rulers from earlier times is the fact that weapons have gotten more efficient. If Sophia (Peter's regent) had had modern weapons in her arsenal the body count would have been just as high as Herr schickelgruber's.

(BTW, I just threw in Janet Reno as a tweek, I knew it would get a rise out of you)

[RICHARD]

Men with higher levels of testosterone are more aggressive.


Which of those women murdered, raped, pillaged and plundered to ACHIEVE power, vs. those who found themselves through marrigae, birth, or election IN power?

True, men with more testosterone kick arse in bicycle races!


Which women?

Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi!

Sara,

we are seeing eye to eye way too much lately....DROP THE KNIFE!




MC,
Thank you for your service.

Mugs,

Everyone love the underdog in a fight.

I do happen to remember a story about an IDF soldier that was wounded in a homicide bombing.

A bone fragment from that idiot went thru the soldier's body, severly wounding him....

Now he has to be tested for HIV for a while to make sure the killer wasn't infected.

Nice,
friggin scars and the thought that you still may die from some poor AH that was brainwashed to blow himself up.

And I do remember the wedding that was interrupted by another idiot who blew himself up at the ceremony.


How soon we forget.

[MajesticCollies]

OK lets all take this in to perspective on the innocent. I am an ex US Marine. I was in 1st Battalion 8th Marines in Beruit in October 1983. I was there to watch Hezballah blow up the HQ's Facility. 241 Marines and hospital personel, men and women alike died for being there to help. What about all those innocent sons and daughters of parents in the U.S. Remember we were there for a Peace Keeping mission. I lost some good friends that day!!!! Isreal has a right to defend against these terrorists. They have been getting bombed for years and just taking it. All the civilians were worned with leaflets dropped in the areas that were going to be invaded. Perhaps the ones that didn't flee to the refugee camps were Hazbollah followers. Its a shame these people didn't protect thier families and leave! Not trying to upset anyone with my personal thoughts but they are what they are. Semper Fi

[mugsy]

Here, here Richard! No mention that Hezboullah (sp?) struck first and kidnapped the Israeli soldiers...nope...just make the Israelis into monsters because they defend themselves and then make a big deal about the weapons that they use being from the U.S. That's it...the big bad U.S. The country that can't win for losing because if we don't go in then we're being selfish and unwilling to help and if we do go in then we are imperialistic bastards for going into stop the violence.

Then our illustrious leader decides that we need to send troops to Lebanon and doesn't realize that he is playing directly into the terrorists' hands by spreading our military too thin. ACK!!!

There always has to be 2 diametrically opposed sides and I don't understand it sometimes....it would be nice if we could just get along, but, even on here people can't agree, so why should we think that we could ever globally agree?

Oh well, there's my soapbox and I'll be stepping down now!