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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: giamoncefini10 who wrote (21696)	3/19/2002 9:08:33 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Respond to of 281500

I assume that you are an Israelite, According to Felix Unger (of odd couple fame): When we assume, we make an "ass" out of "u and me".... And you if even assume that I might be Jewish, or have Jewish relatives, then that would be written in "ALL CAPS". I'm merely an analyst of politics and power, trying to peel away the emotional irrationalities, bluster, and hate, in order to better understand the influences that caused and perpetuate that conflict. There's more than enough blame to go around on all sides. But peace can not come unless the majority of people are more interested in looking into a future that can be molded and shaped, rather that a past that has already been cast in stone. I still opine that you have insulted Afghanis by your comparison to the Palestinian issue. While folks like yourself and others were spending inordinate time and thought on the Palestinians, millions of people were dying in Afghanistan. Millions were dying of starvation in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia, as a result of the internal power struggles taking place there. Hundreds of thousands died in Ruwanda from an outright genocide. Tens of thousands were dying in Algeria, muslims killing muslims, and a like number in many other Mid-East countries. Yet, you focus upon one little conflict, which could have been resolved years ago had the Arabs possessed the desire to live peacefully with the Jews. Arabs who claim that "this is our land", but who are just as much invaders and transgressors against previous "owners" as the zionists they despise. Look at Egypt, for example. Despite the name, that government or its rulers are Arabs, not ethic Egyptian of the type that built the pyramids. The Arabs and Turks have ruled Egypt for centuries, while the peasants of yesteryear remain the ancestors of the peasants of today. And even more cynical, they cast aspersions about Israel's right to exist when, had it not been for the sweat and blood of western boys sent to fight the Ottoman Turks in WWI, their own Kingdoms and nations would not exist in their present state. Let's gain some perspective here giamoncefini10... Arafat is no different than many other petty two-bit dictators and corrupt kings who have ruled Muslim countries. He has no desire for any "democracy" that doesn't guarantee his hold on power. Arafat controls the purse strings of the PA, thus making him the one primarily responsible for financing terrorist attacks. He's an organized criminal with little accountability to anyone but himself. But as he grows old and even more indecisive, his rivals see their opportunity to seize and control the reins of this "money machine" he has created. A couple of months ago the Europeans paid his security force for a month when he claimed he didn't have the money. Only later did we find out that he apparently had the money to buy a whole ship full of weapons and ammunition from the Iranians. One factor you have to recognize is that Arafat can find glory in the history books by perpetuating this struggle. It's not in his interest to solve it during his lifetime since then his memory would be about his failure to improve the economic welfare of his people due to the corruption he has fostered and created, rather than how he died fighting for Palestinian nationhood (even if by natural causes). So the struggle goes on... And if a Palestinian state is unilaterally announced by the UN and US, he will likely try to stall it, knowing that his legacy of corruption will then come back to haunt him. He certainly knows he would have nothing to gain politically since he would be forced to crack down on rival groups such as Hamas, who would no longer be able to vent their rage upon Israel. Hawk