Apparently the Israelis have got it into their heads that not only do fences make the best neighbors, but rocket strikes on civilian neighborhoods do too. You can hardly blame them. Their most northern of neighbors kind of agree, but on a smaller scale. Actually most of Lebanon probably does not agree, but Hezbollah, which has been thoroughly entrenched in the South of Lebanon for many years certainly does. I wonder when the Israelis, or the West in general will learn? This is what the extremists want. They want all out war between Muslims and, well, everyone else. They want scenes of bombed out neighborhoods (which is why Hezbollah allowed photographers in to document the carnage) to be broadcast all over the (Muslim) world. They want to be proven right. And they sort of have been, although theirs tends to be a twisted logic. They've most recently been proven right that the West is not above the very barbaric behavior it decries. It seems that they don't see it as a tit for tat, but as a return to realism as they understand it. Religious factions kill each other, as a matter of course, they seem to think, when will you pansies get over yourselves and get your hands dirty? If Israel's hands weren't dirty before, they are now.
If it sounds like I have conflicting opinions on this whole mess, I do. And I'm not alone. At the G8 summit, with this being one of the most pressing issues in the world, our President could think to do nothing but give Angela Merkel, his German counterpart, an unwelcome backrub. What? You heard me. Frat boy is what Frat boy does. This was a bit after he was overheard cussing like a sailor to World Lightweight Champ Tony Blair. Sometimes in reference to the Middle East dictatorships, you'll hear someone (usually on the right) say "Countries deserve the Governments they have" I can't think of a better example than in the good old US of A.
There seems to be a 'junk-bot' traveling around the web, searching for innocent, unsuspecting blogs to 'comment' on. They seem to all say, "Good Job" followed by a line of garbage links. Am I so desperate for feedback on my blog that I will be seduced by an automated critic and then feverishly click their links? Don't answer that. I do respect the junk-bot's opinion though since it seems to like my work and is succinct in its constructive criticism.
We saw two fine movies last night, an interesting pairing which might tell you more about the American mindset than anything in the movies themselves. First on the bill was "An Inconvenient Truth" whose theater was conveniently situated next to the 11:30 showing of "The Devil Wears Prada". So after being informed that we were all going to die, or least get very wet, we stole into the theater next door and watched a satire about American consumerism and the egos that control it. Surprisingly, both movies stayed with me for the rest of the night, and even now. Al Gore has never seemed so charming, accomplished though after multiple takes and six years of contrast to G.W. Was it a campaign commercial? Probably, but Gore's campaign has always been that he is on the right side of history and this movie makes a very compelling argument that he has been. I won't go into the movie too much, since it is very worth seeing and I suggest you do. I will say though that one of his main points is that stopping global warming is a moral imperative for mankind and America in particular since we are by FAR the leading producers of atmosphere warming gasses. I think that it is an important movie and there is no doubt that we will face the consequences for our inactivity soon. But. I ask you, is that such a bad thing? I just wonder if a major correction in human population isn't exactly what is best for the world. We are clearly not good stewards of our environment, reproduce way too fast and occupy our time not by appreciating what will soon change radically, but by changing it radically. Now I really don't want to be among those fighting tooth and nail for dry land in 50 years, that doesn't sound fun (especially since I will be 80). And I don't want to lose lower Manhattan, Beijing and Holland to rising tides, but who am I? Is what I want relevant in any way to the cycles and health of the Earth? Does the parasite ever want the status quo to change? Sorry guys, I guess that's what I'm putting forward. We have a parasitic relationship with the Earth. Not because we are inherently bad or evil, no more so than the flu is when it induces a fever in your body. And it seems the Earth has a fever. I'm afraid that if you are truly an environmentalist you would want the Earth to be rid of it's illness.
Having just written that I'm not too disturbed that about half of the people in world are about to snuff it, I think I've ended whatever hopes for politics I ever had. Although Evangelical Christians hold this same belief, they just propose it'll be anyone but them (I'm referring to the Apocalypse, not another Christianity sponsored genocide). This doesn't stop THEM from holding office does it? Plus, I'm an equal opportunity End of the Worlder, the fact that America's greatest population centers generally sit on the coasts ensure that we will bite it just as hard as everyone else.
Well enough realism, let's get back to what I SHOULD think. I SHOULD think that humans are capable of holding a symbiotic relationship with the earth, that is, a beneficial relationship between both organisms. I would LIKE to think that, and therefore will entertain the idea that if we all just cut down on our gas consumptions a bit, used energy efficient appliances and replaced our light bulbs with energy efficient florescents that everything will be okay. I will continue to try and do these things and encourage you to do the same. I will also continue to vote for people who agree that this is the proper course. Does this make me a hypocrite? No, I readily admit that I'm acting in my best interest when making a personal choice to save on energy, since as I said, I have no great desire to pound you over your head with my walker when we are 80, fighting for the high and dry.
It is sort of a funny image though.