Comment Re:A Libertarian, you say? (Score 1, Troll) 78
Here's a different take on this story and a deep dive into Ian Freeman.
First the status bar. Now the location bar!!
If Google made cars...
Ha'aretz is solidly in Left field and is outright anti-religious.
You first said that the JPost was "far, far right." I consider Avigdor Lieberman to be moderately right. His party is almost as compromising as Shas. Try Ya'akov Katz (Ketzaleh) for "far" (i.e. true) right. Baruch Marzel for "far, far" right. Not that there's anything wrong with being right...
The Jerusalem Post hosts a range of views, but overall, it is a secular, center-left mainstream media organization, complete with a Zodiac/astrology page. Israel's "far right" never reads JPost, except with dreading curiosity.
As for "Greater Israel," I did manage to find a JPost column from April entitled Keep Dreaming: The case for a greater Israel. Maybe this is what you're thinking of. But did you read the column? About midway, it reads, "The greater Israel [19th century Zionist visionary Theodor] Herzl envisioned had nothing to do with borders; it had everything to do with morals, ideals and behavior." Moreover, the bottom of the column notes that it was written by a representative of Conservative Judaism, which is a branch of Judaism that tends to be politically center-left. (The word "Conservative" here has nothing to do with politics.)
In their view, should Stuxnet not be handily around to embellish on, they would have to fall back on to their old standby canard of "God's finger" slowing the Iranian centrifuges directly to protect his Jewish children
Trusting in God's protection, in fact, has been a sturdy standby for the State of Israel. One could begin a study of this topic with Israel's victory in the 1967 Six Day War, a modern miracle by all accounts.
Nitpick: The phrase "finger of God" usually has to with one of the following subjects: astronomy (Hubble telescope picture), God's creation of the universe, or God's etching of the Ten Commandments. I'm pretty sure it's not a common phrase in JPost articles.
What else should happen when you are descended upon while in international waters?
Dialogue? Non-violent resistance? These are peace activists, after all. A Nobel peace laureate was on board one of the ships (as well as a Hamas leader.. ha ha). They don't believe in violence, right? But it's now known that they had guns on board, which they used against the lightly-armed Israeli commandos. Other items on board: bulletproof vests, military-grade night vision equipment, a rifle scope, an assortment of knives, electric saws, metal rods and clubs.
"Direct (aid) delivery by sea is neither appropriate nor responsible under the circumstances," said U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative to the U.N. Alejandro Wolff. While European and Arab countries castigated Israel for the killing of nine Muslim extremists who attacked Navy commandos, Wolff stated, "We are working to ascertain the facts [and] we expect a credible and transparent investigation."
Hamas has smuggled hundreds of tons of explosives, arms and ammunition, as well as terrorists, by land and sea, and Israel is determined to prevent further smuggling actions. Allowing boats to reach Gaza without inspection would give Hamas free passage to bring in advanced weapons, including long-range missiles.
I hate dirty stinky hippies as much as the next guy
I don't know if I'd categorize them as hippies. At least not in the classic sense. Neo-hippies? These were terror activists. The mission was funded and supported by Islamist terrorist organizations and terror-supporting governments.
but I don't think Israel should be dressed in white either.
As to this incident, I think Israel should be dressed in white, because there is no blood stain of murder on their hands. They did not use any weapon until they had incurred casualties from the "peace activists." Furthermore, I think the IDF soldiers of this mission should be awarded honorary medals of freedom! Their actions were heroic, responsible, and ethical. They complied with all laws, domestic and international, as well as IDF guidelines, which are the strictest and most restrained of any military in the world. It seems that even most left-wing, pacifist Israeli politicians see nothing wrong with what Israel did here. The united response of support across the Israeli political spectrum has been a remarkable phenomenon.
I mean... God forbid if Gaza has some concrete.
Foreign Ministry Legal Expert Explains Gaza Blockade:
Interviewer: "So how do we make sure that our actions [i.e., the blockade] are against the [Hamas] regime, but not against the citizens?"
[Sarah Weiss Maudi, the Foreign Ministry's expert on maritime and humanitarian law]: "Well, Israel has a humanitarian obligation to make sure that certain vital humanitarian interests are met and that supplies go in. But I want to emphasize that Israel is under no obligation to supply non-vital goods or goods that could give Hamas a military or economic advantage. That is why Israel limits, for example, the supply of concrete into the Gaza Strip. Concrete could be used to mold rockets. It could be used to build reinforced bunkers which are clearly for military purposes against Israel."
She emphasizes that Israel supplies Gaza with large quantities of humanitarian supplies, including baby formula, meat, dairy products, and more. "And in the last year and a half it has supplied Gaza with over a million tons of goods. The Israel Supreme Court constantly reviews these supplies to make sure that Israel is in line with its requirements under both Israeli domestic law and international law to supply vital civilian goods that are needed. And indeed, it has confirmed that Israel has been meeting its obligations under international and domestic law."
There would be no blockade in the first place if Hamastan (occupied Gaza) would stop attacking Israel.
"Bureaucracy is the enemy of innovation." -- Mark Shepherd, former President and CEO of Texas Instruments