Once war gets unleashed, the combatants don’t stop to debate the moral niceties that were abandoned in favor of war to begin with.
Japan killed 2403 at Pearl Harbor. And yes, it is a perfect analogy. Japan started some shit, and they reaped more than the full measure of what they sowed. Was the US was supposed to stop the Pacific World War II once we killed 2404, ‘cause that’s how war works? Gotta be fair and equivalent? Moral equivalence too? Was the US supposed to stop just because, in the grand scheme of it all, and once the academics thought through it all, Japan had needed natural resources and went out and took them through military means because that was the only means the world left to them, or that they thought they had available? Forget about the rape of Nanking, and all of that bad stuff they did because they were justifiably angry over their teeny-weeny little country not being able to get fuel and metals? and blah blah blah Justify blah blah Rationalize blah blah?
War doesn’t end when the guy who fired the first shot cries “uncle.”
There is a time to talk it all out, and give it all a deep think. And there is a time for war. This is the time for war, because Hamas made it a time for war. They have unleashed mankind at his worst, and they are getting what they “deserve” according to mankind rules. They chose to toss aside the principles of morality. The Palestinian People they are supposed to be taking care of? They are instead using them as pawns and human shields. Their only chance was/is to pack up and refugee south and get the hell out of the way, just Scarlett and Atlanta. Sherman doesn’t care. The only humane way to fight a war is to win it as quickly as possible and make it stop. It always sucks. War always produces refugees. That’s just the way it is. And until Jesus returns, that’s the way it’s going to stay.
Anybody that gave a single damn about the Palestinian people would’ve gotten rid of Hamas years ago. Didn’t hear a peep. The only violations of human rights we heard about were those allegedly committed by Israel, not Hamas. And Hamas’ slaughter of Jews was a dog whistle for the folks who use the Palestinians to hit the street and argue for moral equivalence. Spare me the hypocrisy.
Do they want to return all property seized in all wars to somebody’s great great grandkids? OK. Let’s start with your house. Which tribe are you going to give it back to? Cherokees? Apache? Are you looking to give Arizona, New Mexico and California back to Mexico? Who gets the Louisiana Purchase?
“The right of revolution is an inherent one. When people are oppressed by their government, it is a natural right they enjoy to relieve themselves of the oppression, if they are strong enough, either by withdrawal from it, or by overthrowing it, and substituting a government more acceptable. But any part of the people who resort to this remedy stake their lives, their property, and every claim for protection given by citizenship – on the issue. Victory, or the conditions imposed by the conqueror, must be the result. “
Now, we can parse that out and talk about the differences between the Palestinians, and whether they are citizens anywhere, or chose this Hamas bunch and do/don’t support their slaughters through the entirety of their existence. Or we can take the statement for its meaning. When you start some shit, you accept the consequences. In advance. You bet your life on this. And now that the Israelis are about to take that life, Hamas wants to call time out. That ain’t how that works. Give back your hostages, and give up your terrorists, so they can be put on trial and dealt with like human beings deal with terrorists. Then we can talk.
There are no answers that work throughout all time. Everybody is right until the clock ticks again, then everything changes. The only thing that has remained true is that so long as a Jew owns a single acre, Arab and Islamic peoples want them dead. There is no amount of land that the Israelis can give back, which will make this stop forever.
Too many words. Nothing I say here will even cause a mosquito bite-sized dent in anyone’s thoughts. Grant and Sherman and Lincoln were right. The only way to stop more war is to make people want to live more than fight. “Make em howl.” The Secesh have been quiet about wanting slavery and a Confederacy for 150 years. That desire was abolished by death and hunger and violence and want.
Sigh. I’m going back to bed. I didn’t solve anything.
