Hey Geoff I don't know if it was anything I said that triggered the blowout on the first page, "Ground Rules", but if it was I apologize. I have never advocated genocide or hatred against a specific group of people (except database analysts, of course), but if you take out every third word in my postings here, a la The DaVinci Code, I guess anything's possible...
I didn't mean to set you off with the 20-word challenge either. It's just gradually become a pet peeve of mine to read trite, sarcastic commentary on real world problems that are currently killing a lot of nice people. I've dated a fair number of Jewish girls (actually, a shocking number for a good RC boy), and have a fair number of Arab friends, so I get pissed off when people on the Internet, or elsewhere, appear to trivialize their attempts at solutions (aka the security fence). There are lots of people trapped in the situation over which they have no control, and it just seems ungallant to treat their predicament with anything but the most serious demeanour. It's like making fun of cancer patients.
Also remember that a country near and dear to my heart recently had what appeared to be insurmountable problems, but Ireland seems to have turned the corner. They're now much more interested in making money than war, so there's hope for other regions without resorting to armageddon of any flavour.
Anyway, the Internet wasn't made for serious political discourse. I'm going back to MSN and play some cribbage.
I'll bring Snowcrash in on Monday. Great book. Thanks.
12:10 am
Make an arrogant, sweeping and controversial statement, and get called for it, dammit that means so one is actually reading this. So the link here is to myself, and its a post I made that was pretty inflammatory, but I was pretty mad about Israel at the time. The commenter asked "So what's your solution to the Middle East problem? In 20 words or less, please."
Off the cuff, 20 words couldn't solve the problem.
Honestly, I think the solution to any problem could be solved in one word "Armageddon" I don't mean in the biblical, or Bruce Willis/Ben Afflect way, but they both have the right idea, destroy the world and everyone in it. I didn't say it was a good solution but it would get rid of the problem. Unfortunately the other extreme I don't expect to work, while I would love to see peace without the expense of human life, I'm not sure that is possible.
Also, what is the "Middle East Problem?" I bet you would find a myriad of opinions on that, probably the following statements will express some of the opinions.
"The problem is that Muslim extremists are destabilize the region and trying to convert or destroy all non Muslims.
"The problem is that decadent westerners live in laziness and hypocrisy and deserve to die."
"The problem is that westerners believe they can use there money to dictate how we chose to live"
"The problem is the disparity between the classes in middle east nations so while leaders thrive and use the money to power corrupt regime and court international power, the lower class dwells in third world conditions and resonant towards money and power fester, expressing itself in violent clashes."
"The problem with the middle east is those damn Jews they should all die"
"The problem with the middle east is military dictator type regimes who commit murder, and terror on their own people, covet oil, and commit genocide."
"The problem with the middle east is that today's terrorist were paid and trained mercenaries from the cold war, who were left in the lurch when America won"
"The problem with the middle east, is that no one can agree what the problem is and in trying to solve their problem they become someone else's problem."
So what is the solution?
20 words or less?
"Horror and violence, so terrible, to all factions, that sheer revulsion of it drives all the factions to negotiate."
Personally, I'm revolted? Aren't you?
Now I realize this is a fairly extremist stance, and that is the problem, there are too many extreme stances, there is a middle ground somewhere that can let middle east be at peace, but I don't know where it is, does any one? I'd welcome the debate.
"Solution to the Middle East Problem in 20 words or less."
1 Comment -
Hey Geoff
I don't know if it was anything I said that triggered the blowout on the first page, "Ground Rules", but if it was I apologize. I have never advocated genocide or hatred against a specific group of people (except database analysts, of course), but if you take out every third word in my postings here, a la The DaVinci Code, I guess anything's possible...
I didn't mean to set you off with the 20-word challenge either. It's just gradually become a pet peeve of mine to read trite, sarcastic commentary on real world problems that are currently killing a lot of nice people. I've dated a fair number of Jewish girls (actually, a shocking number for a good RC boy), and have a fair number of Arab friends, so I get pissed off when people on the Internet, or elsewhere, appear to trivialize their attempts at solutions (aka the security fence). There are lots of people trapped in the situation over which they have no control, and it just seems ungallant to treat their predicament with anything but the most serious demeanour. It's like making fun of cancer patients.
Also remember that a country near and dear to my heart recently had what appeared to be insurmountable problems, but Ireland seems to have turned the corner. They're now much more interested in making money than war, so there's hope for other regions without resorting to armageddon of any flavour.
Anyway, the Internet wasn't made for serious political discourse. I'm going back to MSN and play some cribbage.
I'll bring Snowcrash in on Monday. Great book. Thanks.
12:10 am