The Christian Science Monitor says:
The Bush administration continues to cling to the fantasy that a peaceful, prosperous Middle East can be brought about through brute force and capitulation of the enemy. In this fantasy, a “new Middle East” will see the terrorists vanquished, replaced by a happy, pacified populace, embracing American-style democracy.
This should not be a partisan issue, and yet somehow it is. The Bushies and the rapid Right Wingers that call him King somehow think that there is nothing complex about this situation at all. Just send in the troops and kill people until peace develops. Fucking retarded logic that has never proven true in the Middle East.
I DO see the situation as complex and I am not solidly on one side or the other. That is the difference, to me, between partisans and non-partisans. Partisans, like the rapid Right Wingers, are told which side they are supposed to be on and then they are religiously on that side and that side only, with no real discussion or debate. We on the Left are cursed with this open mind thing where we want to understand and solve problems based on logic, personal insights and knowledge gained as new information comes in. The Right decided long ago we should enforce our will militarily in the Middle East and kill as many Muslims along the way as we can. The rapid Right Wingers have convinced Israel that peace is only a few invasions and occupations away.
So let me tell you — somtimes I agree! Sometimes I think we should obliterate Hezzbolah and Hamas and kill every fuckwit that has declared jihad on the US. You wanna kill us? Fair enough, we’ll kill you instead. This attitude, which does not win in the battle that rages in my mind, is based on the frustration of facing an “enemy” that has never truly given peace in the region a chance. They are teaching their children to hate Jews and Americans (with a lot of help from Jews and Americans) and they kill even their own people who disagree with them. How do you forge peace with such a mentality?
Unfortunately, the other side of the coin is just as bleak. We have leadership in the US and Israel which is apparently blind to the fact — I repeat, the fact — that there is not a military solution to the problems in the Middle East. You can win some battles but you’ll never, ever, ever win the war. The US and Israel suck at compromise and they are constantly making the situation worse with troops, air raids and ground offensives. The definition of stupidity is when you keep trying the same failed “solutions” over and over and never get any closer to your goals. Yet you never change tactics.
This situation is complex and simple-minded solutions based on the application of military tactics can never work. Left and Right should agree on that, if nothing else.
lolife 
My sarcasm was not entirely apparent in that comment. 😉
But, no, I don’t agree with you that “there are lots of open-minded people” who are Republicans. If that were true they could acknowledge the complexity in this Middle East thing. Every Right Winger I’ve heard address the issue addresses it from a “we gotta be tough and kick their ass” approach. I am demonstrating open-mindedness by acknowledging that is, in fact, one thing we have to contemplate. However, I think we should contemplate a lot of other stuff, too, such as diplomacy, negotiations and compromise. This is not a military problem, but you’d never know that talking to the Right Wing.
But ask John Kerry or Al Gore about it — they tried to address the subtleties and complexities of issues and they were ridiculed by the Right for it. The Right worships steadfastness, no matter how ill-conceived.
I am left of the Democrats and they barely represent me either, at times. So I will agree that Democrats are not necessarily bastions of open-mindedness. But I think any rational person would have to say that someone who describes themselves as a liberal is going to be more open minded than someone who describes themselves as a conservative. I mean, just look the words up in the dictionary.
Thanks for the comment!
LikeLike
“We on the Left are cursed with this open mind thing…”
Oh my God! You are so right, the Left is so open minded!!! Let’s see all the ways they are open minded.
They are very open minded on the subject of abortion. Hey, it’s a big tent, right to lifers are so very welcome in those lefty circles.
War in Iraq. Huge open-mindedness, any Dem who supports the war effort is welcome at the party of the open mind. Just ask Joe Lieberman.
Global warming. Those lefties welcome all points of view. Anyone who thinks that it’s a naturaly occuring phenomenon is practically celebrated by the left and their open-minded good nature.
Oh, I’m sure that the comeback would be that the lefty position on the above issues are just downright un-arguable. As Al Gore would say about global warming, “the debate is over, all the scientists agree.” So, it’s not that the left is close-minded, there just 100% right all the time! Everybody knows that!
C’mon lolife, don’t you think that’s a little disengenuous and self-congratulatory? There are lots of open-minded people in the center of both camps. There’s just as much close-mindedness at the ends of the spectrum.
LikeLike