Unilateral attacks

[Griff]

Originally posted by jaguar
What is the difference if a man in a uniform with a high power weapon imported form the US shoots someone to a man so desperate he straps a bomb to his body in order to inflict harm?

This is an important point. We may hope that military professionals will be more descriminate in choosing targets but that is pretty much the only difference. Representatives of a people don't suddenly become immune to moral restrictions because of their exalted (in some peoples minds) position.

At some point, the folks on the ground there have to realize that both Palestinians and Israelis have screwed and been screwed by each other, their Arab neighbors, Great Britain, the US, and their leaders. As we look at the situation from the outside, we risk personalizing it too much or not enough. American Jews need to realize, as enough American Irish finally have, that if they don't live there maybe they shouldn't be supporting the most extreme positions with money. Its really easy to be a radical when you're safely holed up in the US. As wide ranging as the Cellar opinions are, nobody here has eliminated sensible compromise. Even without hardcore extremists among us this is a terribly volatile discussion, given to emotional outbursts, imagine the pressure and stress for the folks there. Anyway, heres hoping we don't rend the fabric of the Cellar arguing about something which, if I had my way, would be none of our business.