Sioux Rose

What stands in plain sight is that persons who feed on hatred and fear create the NEED to maintain those stances because these mental emphases generate ACTUAL dangers. Policies of aggression masked as defense end up building up genuine opposition, or what then is seen as "enemies."

As persons in this forum have recognized, Israel's over-macho stance is ultimately working to destroy what's left of its integrity from within. I do feel that Bush, as world bully, provided a role model that Israel, little brother, followed. Although Obama is not backing away from overt, care-less militarism (yet), he may or may not grant cover to Israel's penchant for naked aggression. (I know he and his team have not yet done anything to rope Israel in, even via diplomatic measures; but the overall tide of tolerance for unabashed acts of war is altering.)

It amazes me how nation after nation, leader after leader falls to the same seduction of hubris, this idea that weapons make the man, that power results from how you harm or exploit others in a wish to control what is not yours TO control. Each seems to think he is an exception to the cosmic clause of Justice for all. What a painful and redundant morality play this scenario has proven for mankind.

Considering the Hamas scum bags that have come to power in Gaza, is it really surprising that a similarly tainted sleaze bucket like Avigdor Lieberman has come to the fore in Israel? Desperate times breeds desperate "leadership."

Lieberman seems a moderate next to many others who have occupied the highest political offices in Israel. The assassin and bomber, Menachem Begin—described as a "fascist" by among others Albert Einstein and Hannah Arendt—managed to get himself elected Prime Minister of Israel. Begin's successor, Yitzhak Shamir rose to prominence by assassinating senior UN diplomats. Israeli currency carries the picture of Vladimir Jabotinsky, a man approvingly called "your fascist" to a visiting delegation by Benito Mussolini.

phys4.harvard.edu/~wilson/NYTimes1948.pdf

www.washington-report.org/backissues/0995/9509083.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David_Hotel_bombing

Israel has audacity, gall, chutzpah.
That's why they appoint someone who beats children.

It isnt Israel's only shame, just the latest in a long list.
Going backwards

the t-shirts that glorify killing infants,
the picnics over battle zone prisons
the chants at soccer games making fun of dead children,
the various atrocities in Gaza including shooting caged animals in the zoo,

I could be all day at this.

The more right-wing the israeli Gov't is, the better - it makes the essntial confrontation all the more likely.

While Obama has done little of a concrete nature to forward I/P peace to this point, when he talks about the "big picture" he always mentions Miidle East peace in the same sentence with health care, energy concerns and education.

Having an intransigent and racist gov't to attempt to deal with will bring the support of the US public into play and the MSM will follow suit.

So, bring it on!!

Israel acts more like an American enemy than a friend. Who gives a shyt about them anymore. They have become the perpetrators in a holocaust. Stop all foreign aid and stop patronizing their businesses.

What the Israelis need now is an aircraft carrier (or do they already have one?) so Netanyahu and Lieberman can land a Stuka dive bomber on deck and dramatically climb out, dressed in their powder blue Luftwaffe unis, black leather jackets and high peaked white caps with swooping eagle insignia. The Mossad is still trying to find out who has the giant vinyl MISSION ACCOMPLISED banner Bush used.

t_g
In the new post-Bush world it has apparently become the norm, that elections routinely throw up these truly obnoxious parties: Hamas, Likud, Yisrael Beiteinu, etc. with leaders who are beyond obnoxious. Fascists, to say the least.
Can we imagine meetings between them? And can we believe in cool and level headed discussions?
I am not young any more, but what of the Jews in the diaspora, who have absolutely nothing to do with these clowns who are now representing Israel in the international arena? Hopefully we are not associated with these maniacs.

Avigdor Lieberman is an unfortunate but predictable outcome of the disproportionate recent immigration of Eastern European Jews to the land. They will stall progress that just 10 years seemed tantilizingly close at hand for probably another 10-15 years, but I do think that after being in the reality that is the Middle East, these newcomers will understand that there can be no real lasting relative peace in that corner of the world with absolutes and blind defiance.

The Palestinians are not going to go away, and a less destitute Gaza is far less likely to breed rocket launchers. Lieberman's followers want Israel to accept a simplistic answer: elimate the Arabs at our doorsteps and our problems are over. Kill the (fill in the blank) has always been a great rallying cry and vote getter. It proves itself an undeliverable promise when one is actually governing, and while it will be a painful and long decade before sanity returns to the Knesset, it will return. Our job as (hopefully) honest brokers will be to help minimize the damage until Israel moderates itself politically and to forge more honest and open ties with all willing Palestinians to be ready for that window in the future.

Wait just one minute.

This "guys" bio reads like a southern, christian, republican holding office some where else than Israel.

Wait, what am I talking about?

The real question is or should be, which one learned this behavior from the other.

The "chosen ones"----or the---- "chosen ones by proxy"?

and they are 'elected'-----that is the really scary part for those of us who do not 'believe'--------. These fools are very heavily armed you know?

Good luck world, we really need it.

Any relation to Joe Lieberman?