Comments on: Obama addresses AIPAC, campaigns for re-election all at once

By: John Yorke

John Yorke — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:06:24 +0000

@Kafantaris,

An amusing story and not without a touch of optimism.
Of the options given, the best one, for all concerned, would be to get the dog to talk.
But, of the three, this must also count as the most unlikeliest of scenarios to hope for.

But, in some cases, an unlikely scenario may be the only way out of present difficulties.

http://yorketowers.blogspot.com

By: Bill Pearlman

Bill Pearlman — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 08:00:16 +0000

Israel is a small country. Netanyahu is a combat veteran. And he lost his brother at Entebbe. I think he is well aware of the costs of war.

By: kafantaris

kafantaris — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 05:26:26 +0000

Has Netanyahu talked with the fathers, mothers, wives, brothers and sisters of the soldiers who may die in the contest with Iran?
Has he visited their homes to see what emptiness will be there when they are gone? Has Netanyahu recently visited cities reduced to piles of rubble by sustained air strikes?
To be sure, Iran will sustain far worse devastation, not only from Israel, but also from the U.S. This does not change the likelihood, however, that both countries will also sustain damage in one form or another.
When Abe Lincoln advised his clients to settle whenever possible, he did so not only because it ends the dispute and uncertainty, but also because in a public trial a client often loses even when he wins the underlying case. BP understood this well last week, which is why it settled. It thus put the loss behind it and is now moving forward.
In the same way, Israel, as a modern nation should think of smart ways to deal with Iran. Indeed, keen understanding of human nature has been the great asset of the Jews, which has helped them finesse through predominately Christian or Muslim countries.
Why then has war now become the only option? Even when you become good at it, any battle entails losses.
And here is another point. Just as in time Iran might acquire nuclear weapons, it might also abandon them. Libya did, and so did South Africa. Perhaps North Korea would also, though no one is holding his breath.
Not these guys, you say. Perhaps.
But was it not in Iran where Arab Spring had its roots — in the protests that followed the 2009 disputed election. Yes, the hardliners have put out all those flames. The hot coals are still there, however, smoldering in the ashes. Such is the resiliency of the human spirit, and as we see it now in Syria.
Let’s assume, however, that Iran, as expected, becomes an insufferable bully. Surely, we have dealt with bullies before — and the Jews have dealt with them throughout the centuries. Recent history shows that bullies do not last forever, and have an unkind end lately. Thus if Iran was to become an insufferable bully with its nuclear knowledge, it will only be pushed further into isolation in an increasingly interconnected world.
If none of this convinces us to put aside our war drums, maybe we should recall the story of the captain and his mate who were about to be executed by the pirates.
“Let us live for six months,” the captain told them boldly,” and we will train your dog to talk.”
“How we’re gonna do that,” the mate whispered?
The captain replied:
“In six months we may die.
The pirates may die.
Or the dog may talk.”

By: John Yorke

John Yorke — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:11:55 +0000

‘But we agree on the big things – the things that matter. And together, we are working to build a better world – one where our people can live free from fear; one where peace is founded upon justice; one where our children can know a future that is more hopeful than the present.’
Barack Obama, 04 March 2012, (part of AIPAC address).

The present is certainly in need of assistance if it is to be transformed into anything resembling that of a hopeful future. So, let’s examine the President’s words in some detail.

1.What does matter to us?

What should matter to us is our emergence from this clash of cultures and beliefs into a far better time and place than where we are now; that we derive some benefit from the past other than regret at all that’s happened there and the confidence that tomorrow will serve to free us from some the many mistakes we’ve already made.

2.How can we build a better world free from fear?

A better world requires only that we ourselves become better, much more so than we’ve ever been before. When one considers how much room there is for improvement in each and every one of us, that task does not seem quite as daunting as first it might appear.

3. Where is this justice upon which peace can be founded?

War has a sound all of its own, but it is one that only man can make. Peace is not just the absence of that sound but the knowledge that it will never be heard again, not as long as there is justice in the world and that justice is strong enough for all eventualities.

Question: But is all this too tall an order to fill?

Answer: Actually, it’s relatively easy to make these arrangements but only if we take the trouble to work out the procedure well in advance. Then, once everyone can feel themselves becoming part the solution, the problems, in large measure, start to dissipate into the pages of history.
As also does the fear of them ever returning again.

Http://yorketowers.blogspot.com