Tejek, RE: "Pull the plug on Israel ...Israel is a small nation..... Whose interests do you think Bush has at heart...not America's that's for sure! I am thoroughly disgusted!"
Actually, Bush is involved in the middle east purely for America's self-interest, not for Israel.
I wasn't talking about his involvement in the ME. I was talking about how we are supporting a regime that is playing unfair with the Palestinians. I am also tired of paying Israel a yearly allowance of $3 billion to insure that they maintain their regional superpower status......militarily and economically.
If we cut back on their allowance, I think Sharon would be a lot more interested in negotiating with the Palestinians. As it stands now, he doesn't have to do squat. Four times as many Palestinians are dying each year from this Jihad as Israelis. I think Sharon and Likud party are willing to endure the couple hundred Israeli deaths so long as they can continue to expand in the West Bank and take the West Bank's water.
I'm not saying you're doing this, but I see people blaming Israel and making incorrect assumptions that Israel controls our Congress.
I disagree with you.......under the Bush administration, Israel has gained much more power in Congress. Tom Delay, the majority House leader, was in Israel last fall promising the Israelis the world. He told them literally, they can have whatever they need monetarily. Mr. Delay is very religious and considers Israel to be part of the heartland. Coincidently, Mr. Delay is from the TX, the president's state. His stance is reflected by others in the GOP.
When in fact, it is the USA that is acting in its own interest for oil. Our lives depend upon oil, and Bush is protecting the fuel that feeds our living. This is not Israel's fault. Our American consumption-based lifestyle is at fault here. Israel is not at fault for our own actions.
I agree with you re. Iraq. However, we are talking two different issues.
Amy, if you read the history of Palestine and Israel, Israel is not the saint often portrayed to us. I believe Israel has a right to exist but I don't think it has a right to keep the Palestinians from their independence. And that's what Sharon and the Likud party are doing.
Fall quarter, I learned a lot in a course on the ME. Americans need to wake up...........we can't continue to support Israel at the total expense of our relationship with the Muslim world.
But Bush's approach is wrong.
Bush could get us let dependent upon gasoline, by imposing a gas tax.
A gas tax would finally align customer goals with society's goals.
Yes. The relationship between supply and demand would change......to our benefit. With a gas tax in place, demand would lessen.
A gas tax will motivate customers to spend money on gasoline saving devices, which would match the need to become less dependent upon oil.
GM, Chrysler, Ford, Toyota, Honda, cannot build a wide range of products aligned to society's goals unless customer goals are aligned to society's goal, which is why a gas tax is needed to align these two goals.
The feds should also being giving a tax break or other incentives to people who buy hybrids........like the Toyota Prius. We are so far from weaning ourselves off oil, its pitiful.
ted |
