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War Between Israel And Hizbollah "Imminent" Syria Warns US
The middle east powder keg is on the verge of exploding. After repeated warnings of possible escalation between Iran and Israel, we get the first official confirmation that the conflict may not be tidy and contained. The Telegraph is reporting that King Abdullah of Jordan has just warned the US that a war between Israel and Hizbollah is imminent and that is could spread across the Middle East. Just like the Great Depression ended in a Great War, so this ongoing Great Depression v2.0 (because -10% GDP when one takes away the government stimulus is precisely that) is likely about to result in another one.
From the Telegraph:
The king, in Washington for President Barack Obama's nuclear summit, gave his warning after Israel claimed that Syria had handed over Scud missiles in its armoury to the Lebanon-based Hizbollah.
His comments, which were made to private meeting of the US Congressional Friends of Jordan caucus were said to be "sobering".
Syria yesterday denied the allegation that it has provided Hizbollah with long-range Scud missiles, which would allowing them to target Israel's cities. The country's foreign ministry said the claims would be used as a pretext by Israel to raise tension prior to a possible attack on Hizbollah.
"For some time now, Israel has been running a campaign claiming that Syria has been supplying Hizbollah with Scud missiles in Lebanon ," a foreign ministry statement released yesterday said.
" Syria strongly denies these allegations which are an attempt by Israel to raise tensions in the region."
However, the statement did not appear to rule out an alternative possibility being raised by defence sources, that Damascus has allowed Hizbollah control of or access to Scud missiles still currently in Syria .
Similar sources say that Syria has trained Hizbollah operatives on advanced anti-aircraft batteries, possibly a more useful tool since Hizbollah – and the Lebanese army - fears the overwhelming air superiority enjoyed by Israeli jets.
The official US position:
"We are obviously increasingly concerned about the sophisticated weaponry that is allegedly being transferred," said Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesman. "We have expressed our concerns to those governments and believe that steps should be taken to reduce any risk and any danger."
And that of Israel:
Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, said that the alleged transfer would alter the strategic balance of power between Hizbollah and Israel, which fought a short but bloody war in 2006.
An aide to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said that the pace of Hizbollah's re-armament and Syria's role in it was causing growing alarm in the Jewish state.
"We are very conscious of the build-up of Hizbollah's military machine," the aide said. "We have unfortunately seen new types and greater quality of missiles. The Syrian role in passing those weapons to Hizbollah is ongoing and is dangerous."
Al-Rai, the Kuwaiti newspaper which first raised the allegations, said a Hizbollah source had confirmed it had access to Scuds but that they were old and unusable. The source said the issue was being blown out of proportion by Israel in order to create a media frenzy.The newspaper did, however, link the claims to Hizbollah's threat that if Lebanese infrastructure, such as Beirut Airport , came under attack in the event of conflict, Israel would be hit in turn, including towns at the edge of the range of Hizbollah's known missile arsenal.
What is undisputed is that all sides are raising the stakes in the absence of negotiations between Israel and either Palestinian factions or Syria.
Look for oil to go to $150 if these escalations finally materialize into something real.
Update: Haaretz on the same issue: Israel's Scud accusation may be pretense for attack
Israel might be preparing a military strike against
Syria by accusing Damascus of supplying Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon
with long-range Scud missiles, the Syrian government said on Thursday.
President Shimon Peres on Tuesday accused Syria of sending
Hezbollah long-range Scuds. The United States said on Wednesday it was
"increasingly concerned" about the transfer of more sophisticated
weaponry to the Syrian and Iranian-backed Islamist group that fought a
war with Israel in 2006.
"Israel aims from this to raise tension further in the region and
to create an atmosphere for probable Israeli aggression," the Syrian
Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "The Syrian Arab Republic denies these fabrications."Hezbollah hit Israel with shorter range rockets during the 2006 war
as at that time it lacked a longer-ranger missile capability.An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Scuds were smuggled to Hezbollah in the past two months.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak insisted earlier this week that Israel does not have aggressive intentions in the area.
"We expect and recommend that everyone keep the current calm but as
we've said, the introduction of systems that disturb the balance
endanger the stability and the calm, he said.
The United States said the move would have a possible
"destabilizing effect" on the region. The presence of more advanced
missiles in Lebanon could raise the prospects of a pre-emptive strike
by Israel.Hezbollah is on the U.S. terrorism blacklist, but is part of Lebanon's unity government.
The Lebanese government has had no comment on the U.S. allegations.
But Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said the comments made by the
White House were interference."This American interference that has completely adopted the Israeli
position, is condemned and rejected by Lebanon. This U.S. position
presents a threat to Lebanon," Fadlallah said."These American pressures and Israeli intimidation will not affect
our choices and our commitment to defend our country by all means,"
Fadlallah told Reuters.Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in February that if Israel
struck Beirut's airport, the group would hit Israel's Ben-Gurion
airport.While tension between Syria and Israel has increased this year,
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said last month he remained committed
to seeking peace with Israwl.Syrian and Israeli forces last fought each other in Lebanon in the
1980s. A 1974 ceasefire has kept the front between the two quiet on the
Golan Heights, which Israeli captured in the 1967 Siz-Day War.The two sides held four rounds of indirect peace talks in 2008,
only eight months after Israeli plains bombed a target in eastern Syria
the United States, Israel's chief ally, said was an illegal nuclear
project.Syria said the target was a non-nuclear military installation, and
"reserved the right to respond in the appropriate time and place."
»
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Another troll thread, YAY!!
The comment over/under "line" is set at 300 within two hours of post time. I have the over for $50. Who's taking the other side?
Ha! Not touching the under with a pole.
OK, I'll move the line to 400, reduce the bet to $25 and the loser donates the $25 to ZH and the winner gets a smiley face.
Deal?
I'll summarize my comment from the other Israel post we had today...
Everyone on this site should watch Adam Curtis' documentary "The Century of the Self" on propaganda.(http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6718420906413643126#). IT'S ALL PROPAGANDA, except that now it's called Public Relations. The government does it, corporations do it, and religious organizations have done it for millennia. How else do they get millions of people to support the slaughter of "others" on trumped up charges, to make you feel like you MUST buy shit that you don't need working at a job you hate, and to disrespect the most beautiful creature on earth by treating her as your property/forcing her to wear a burka, under threats of death/tossing acid on her face because she wants to get an education/not allowing her to read the torah because of her gender, or forcing priests into celibacy in order for the church to keep all the money, thereby promoting an unnatural situation that gives rise to prison-like predators preying on the vulnerable... wake up people, all is not that it seems.
And like Cognitive Dissonance so often says, stop acting and thinking like you can't do anything about it. That's exactly what they want you to feel. I love ZH for the unrivaled financial information it provides, and the community of commenters here is the best I've encountered throughout the web. Reasoned, insightful, and thought-provoking commentary from every day citizens (not consumers, thank you very much). But there has been an increasing amount of diversion going on, centering on the alleged Israeli/Iranian/Mideast conflict. Now all of a sudden, our great community of commenters is at each other's throats with nasty religious, ethnic, and racist undertones affecting all of it. Think about it for a second. For crying out loud, the "Tea Party" now hosts Sarah Palin as it's keynote speaker wherever it goes... WHAT THE FUCK?!?! They've been co-opted, and this community is next on the list. The kind of commentary that goes on here is very valuable, but at the same time it makes the kind of awareness we discuss here is very dangerous to those who want to perpatuate the status quo. I'm hoping it's not too late...
Now you've got me worried that ZH has been infiltrated by the zombies of conformity. Maybe a mole reporting back to the Trilateral Commission?
But no, maybe we're all zombified but on different subjects. Call it conformist hypnosis. Maybe all the airing of differences is good and will help us all stay more "awake" about more issues.
I gotta have hope.
All you need to know is who owns the Fed. Then it suddenly becomes very clear where the loyalty of all the players lie.
But it's already over; the pieces are set. We're just waiting to see where the public view of the collapse begins.
As Uncle Remus put it: better get well-provisioned.
Waterwings, for the last several months i have felt futility in most of my endeavors. I feel like i am polishing the brass on the titanic as a futile gesture. Many are still dancing, the band still plays unaware of the listing ship.
In todays nuclear age nothing has gone wrong yet. But if and when it does, there no time or need to prepare. Party on! Crime pays, so far.
Alleged? Pay more attention.
Won't happen. Anyway real tea-partiers don't like Palin, or anyone (except RP) for that matter. It's a psy-op to marginalize the pissed of mothertruckers that are actually paying any goddamn attention.
Trust me, I know all about the conflict as TPTB and our lovely MSM want us to see it. I used the word "alleged" because the issues are being framed in a way that they want. We are being blasted by psy-ops day in and day out. From politics, to markets, to what people on the ground think is "cool." It's been going on since the 1920s. Do you know who Edward Bernays is? He is basically the father of modern consumerism. He also went on to work for the CIA. That should scare the shit out of you.
This great community is immune to co-opting? Please. I'm already noticing some troll bots throughout the comments. Have you taken a look at the Wall Street Journal comments recently? There are 5~10 notorious full-time troll bots who always derail the conversation. "Marcia Crowley" is my favorite. I'm starting to see that happening here. As for the Tea Party not being hickjacked, let's not kid ourselves. Such a groundswell of people is way too dangerous to the status quo. Sure, the people on this site might understand that Sarah Palin headlining a tea party rally might be the equivalent of Hitler being the key note speaker at AIPAC, but the MSM sure doesn't. A bunch of people pissed off about our assault on our liberties and truly concerned about the fiscal irresponsibility of our government has been portrayed something like this for the masses:
Tea party=Sarah Palin=Pro-Life, Pro-Gun, RedNeck illilterates=Tea Baggers... hahahaha, have you seen those tea baggin' retards?
Nevermind that those people had legitimate concerns to start with. Their entire position is now associated with racist-white-bible-thumping redneck imagery. Pretty great destruction of any power of the people if you ask me. It's truly brilliant. The fog over our eyes is fucking thick, and removing it requires a lot of effort, time, and energy. The world is run by complete psycopaths who will do anything, say anything, and commit heinous acts in order to maintain that power. Being psycopaths is what helps them get there; any normal person would probably stop along the way and say "Wait a minute, this is pretty f*^&@# up!", while the psycopath just goes on blazing trails with not a worry in the world. Lucky them.
Ooh, I confess. Good points - especially when it comes to molding public opinion. I do see our community here as more resiliant - but time will tell if we all decide to stop commenting out of frustration. But then your prophecy would be fulfilled.
It's probably not worth the time of TPTB at the moment. They are leading the public by the nose so much more easily as you pointed out on WSJ. Although I have to say I've seen some matrix-breaking commentors over there and on NY Times. But, alas, 'tis not worth the energy when I could be studying about small-scale farming and shooting at shit in my backyard.
Someday I'll focus more on that. Maybe I'll be too late on a personal level. We all die someday anyway. I'd rather die in Chumawallia as a freeman though.
I love that "Libertarian Paternalism"... it's PERFECT Newspeak. There's absolutely nothing libertarian about it.
I'm seriously confused as to why your comment was junked above. It was a good one.
I'm with CD on this topic: I assume that we are always being watched. It won't affect the way I behave, but I think it's the reality. Do they have the infrastructure and manpower to oversee all telecommunications? Not necessarily. They don't have to. They just need to filter stuff out for key words, much like we use search engines. Then they get to follow whatever interests them. I'm sure the public opinion and mood on this site interests them. As Mako previously stated, the people on this site are actually performing their duty to the tee. Compound interest is going to destroy the economic system as we know it, and we're just part of the wave that will lead others to that realization. We just have to hope that we can come up with something better on the other side.
wise words worth considering...still...if this 'war' gets anywhere near the area of armageddon, i'm crapping a golden nugget.
let's hope it never gets to that & the adults take the toys away from the boys in time. or at least get the innocent people who got no beef with each other out of harm's way.
I agree with you for the most part, but we know so little of what's really going on.
However, I can infer from the Israelis' comments that this is an existential conflict. I assume they've tried peace, but it hasn't worked for them, or perhaps they just want to be off by themselves and live in the country they once conquered and were thrown out of. Anyway, there's bound to be a fight. When it will occur is the big question, not if. However, it's not the U.S.'s fight. I like Jews and Arabs. I wish they could find a solution other than poking each other in the eyes.
As for Sarah Palin, she kinda reminds me of the time when the Germans sent Lenin into Moscow to start the revolution, only in reverse. She was sent into the TEA party to ruin their chances. Although I admire her from a country POV, fishing, guns, and all, she is not Presidential material. The only choice for me is Ron Paul. We do have a voice through him and a fulcrum point from whence to take back this country for the majority.
Eurasia has always been at war with Oceania! Having a constant boogieman is a must in order to perpetuate the status quo. There is ALWAYS going to be a fight. First it was the Germans and the Japs, then it was Russia, the Koreans, the Vietcongs, then the Iraqis, and now the Terrorists. War is perpetual, always has, always will be, unless we turn off our fucking TVs, go outside to meet some black folks, jews, arabs, mormons, iranians, israelis, and all "others" that are protrayed to us as so scary and crazy, and find out that they're actually pretty interesting. We are all brothers and sisters, and we should be very suspicious of anyone who tells us otherwise.
I'm convinced that if humans could actually manage to shed their tribalism, we might actually evolve. But there I go again confusing the world that is with the world that should be... silly me.
Maria And Me
re war, google Leo Strauss, the political scientist who trained lots of the Admin and advisers..
He said:in order to rule the unruly individualists of the US post WW2 requires the Govt to institute : shadowy external enemy, nationhood, and religion.
He was an aetheist of course.
Shadia Drury, in Leo Strauss and the American Right (1999), argues that Strauss inculcated an elitist strain in American political leaders linked to imperialist militarism, Neoconservatism and Christian fundamentalism. Drury argues that Strauss teaches that "perpetual deception of the citizens by those in power is critical because they need to be led, and they need strong rulers to tell them what's good for them." wilipedia
Perhaps, on the other side of this mess, lies the idea that we can indeed get along?
One can only hope.
+1
The watchdogs of liberty to fight over the bones, while the looters make of with the loot.
"Ha! Not touching the under with a pole."
cougar,
You should have taken the under. 160 comments in a tad over 2 hours from post time. The article wasn't frozen and highlighted at the top, which hurt the troll response, though I see Chumba did his best to bait everyone he could find. Everyone was still exhausted from the non-stop hate fest less than 24 hours ago. To bad wars couldn't exhaust themselves as easily.
Maybe this means the ZH family can get back to some thoughtful and insightful commentary now that everyone has shot their wad. I hope so. It was getting pretty bad in here over the past 2 weeks.
I'll make that donation anyway.
Zero Hedge: It's better than getting any work done!
I'll do my part to ensure you win that bet, CD ;)
I am Chumbawamba.
and there he is!
And there AS is!
Better make it 500, CD.
---
Edit:
I went down the line and sprinkled in some items.
I'll pull for CD too:
Chumba - You a'int no good, you a'int never been no good and the back of your mama's neck looks like a pack of hot dogs.
Oil! nukes! USA! foreigners! armored battalion! floride! Middle East! pastrami!
Go!
it all depends on chumba. if he isn't around i would take the under. if he is, line gets raised to 450.
The chumba is in the house. 400 or GTFO.
If it's not it the colored box at the top of the stories, we'll never get that many comments. And as it looks, Tyler has already moved it off the top in favor of the 2nd volcano story of the day.
TD has gone MSM. I guess the investment from GS is starting to circulate in the blood stream.
j/k
don't kill me pls
Hmmm, part of me wants to go on a preemptive strike and junk all posts in this thread. I'll forego the urge, but won't be surprised if someone else does.
It's all a plan by Tyler to increase page views during sweeps week if he can keep the damn web site up during the onslaught. :>)
BTW, shades of MAD with the "preemptive strike" terminology.
Good one! +10
Goddamn Syrians
yeah its not the bankers causing wars after they drain everyone.. that never happens...
End of days?
self fulfilling prophecy by the 3 "great" religions. great religion = oxymoron
End of days = nights
"False Flag War Between Israel And Hizbollah "Imminent" Syria Warns US"
Blame it on Syria.
Now where is that Megaphone when you need it?
no need to worry...rest assured they are on the way.
According to Debka they technically haven't given the scuds to them yet, just positioned them for quick delivery.
http://debka.com/article/8714/
Debka File is great and I've found it pretty accurate over the past few years.. Great site re anything Middle East and any policy regarding the ME. This was on there yesterday...
debka also ran the story that the iranians have threatened to explode nukes in US cities if attacked (few days ago). Russian General warned last week against setting off a nuke exchange.
"debka also ran the story that the iranians have threatened to explode nukes in US cities if attacked (few days ago). Russian General warned last week against setting off a nuke exchange."
If Iran or anyone else was stupid enough to set off a nuke in the US their whole country would immediately be turned into a giant sandbox. Bamma or no Bamma!!! Count on it!!!
implied retaliatory strike. Attack us, we set of a nuke in a US city. Heh. Ballistic capabilities are merely the red herring.
Yeah, Debka is great! Just like Pravda was great during the Soviet era and the NY Times is great in our contemporary times.
http://antiwar.com
I am Chumbawamba.
the new pravda has bikini chicks. now that is progress.
the highest protected form of speech is not political, it's pubic
"the highest protected form of speech is not political, it's pubic"
LOL brilliantly funny.
I nominate this for the April 2010 "Outstanding One Liner of the Month" in the category of "Superior Sarcasm in the Midst of an "Imminent" Middle East War".
second
thanks, but isn't all war a penis substitute? Why else would the young men finish what the old men start?
Well, then RobotTrader needs to up his game then. He(she, it?) does great work, but its all PG.
Yeah, but the Ukraine girls really knock me out. They leave the west behind.
Right, Mr. Lennon/Hendricks?
totally agree.. i need to make a trip over and grab one before WWIII starts
Could you bring me back one too? Here's $10. Keep the change. Thx.
"Bow, Bow, Bow!"
Paul McCartney — Back In The USSR (Live in Kiev 2008):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrtnnLor2UM&feature=related
Chumbawamba, I will thank you to cease insulting Pravda by comparing it to the New York Times. Thank you in advance.
i second that motion
You know, you're right. I am truly sorry for my vicious maligning of Pravda.
I am Chumbawamba.
Agreed
LOL
Along with the "Gaza rockets are killing innocent Israelis. Donate today!" ads.
Seriously...you're quoting Debka???
Of course. Their conclusions aren't always correct or accurate, but they get it right alot of the time and offer an inside glimpse into what's going on behind closed doors.
Jordan is a U.S.-client government. It is obviously being used here to justify Israeli military aggression.
Client? or Franchisee?
FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!!
A good war always makes you feel 16 again :)
Muslims against Jews HAHAHAHAHAHA
The never gets boring! Whoever loses, it ain't no loss! HAHAHAHA
As one who will defend freedom of speech to no end, I also recognize the fact that opinions like this, are much like assholes - everybody's got one. So here's my opinion of you and your comment straight from my asshole to your nose - Pfffft!
Yeah, it doesn't really matter who "wins" in this because either way, the United States loses.
So yeah, laugh away. It's going to be a riot! Literally.
I am Chumbawamba.
I would argue that the US has already lost and that what comes next is merely designed to divert the masses from the fact that the game is already over.
Someone else already noted: "Israel will fight till the last American man."
Yes, death and destruction is the height of hilarity!!
jackass...
Look for oil to go to $150 if these escalations finally materialize into something real.
If, and that's a huge if, something were to break out like this, oil would be a lot higher than $150.
Really? What then if something that actually affected oil production, like Iraq invading Kuwait, or the US invading Iraq? Oil prices are on a very short, and very strong leash, IMO.
Sorry guys but crude would tank in this case since the biggest premium is economic. On the other hand if we sank Iranian boats in the Straits of Hormuz, that would be a different scenario. Then, we're in the 100's overnight!
Au contraire..the lebanese and israeli oil fields would be set ablaze and burn for decades...
Oh, wait, there isn't any oil in Israel or even Lebanon, where most of the hezbollah corpses end up.
As to the result of oil tanker vandalism in the "Persian" Gulf, I'd bet on the US armed forces to sort it out in weeks. Not wise to go very long on oil prices over that.
OPEC was out today (coming from Kuwait) that if oil prices hit $100, they would step in to control the price.
They know what happened last time, and atched as they almost all blew up over there at $30 a barrel. It will be controlled...like it is daily
Did you mean: hezbollah ?
Romanizatin of Arabic words is tricky, and produces numerous different spellings for any given word.
Don't get your panties in a twist just yet...
ARE THEY GOING TO DRAW OR WHISTLE DIXIE?
by Ghassan Abdallah, Ph.D. & Kifah Taha.
http://www.financialsense.com/editorials/abdallah/2010/0414.html
the Obama administration is strongly opposed to any Israeli military operation against Iran as well. That is the message that has been delivered repeatedly to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu by several high ranking American officials.
That's probably one of the few things Obama has done that I agree with him on. Israel needs to stop foaming at the mouth and heel, lest they start WWIII. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm glad OMGObama is pres right now (for this issue) and not Dubya! EEEK!
But as usual they SAY one thing, but DO the other.
Exactly. When was the last time Obama told you the truth about anything. It almost seems like the more they say they'll do something, the quicker they are to do whatever is exactly opposite.
Not even W. could lie to us like that (he wansn't that smooth).
yep.
Nobody is proposing strikes against "Iran" but rather only against particularly dangerous installations of the regime controlling that country.
This is an important distinction, as it isn't even a given that most of the military is pro-regime, nevermind the population, most of whom were born after the revolution and are fed up and then some. The opportunity to make a difference was back during the protests. So much for the bully pulpit. The lost creative energy of the population still emprisoned by this stupid tyranny is a dead weight loss to the world economy.
"This is an important distinction".
No its not. It may seem to be to the people shooting the missiles, I can assure you the distinction is completely lost at the other end.
War! Buy Stocks!
Exactly! Just another reason to keep buying. War ends the depression as Tyler said, so load up.
Also means more deficit spending which equates to buying more stocks!
Or gold, silver, and rad-meters!!!
Isn't Israel tired of losing to Hezbollah yet?
No comment.
syria isn't warning the U.S., king jordan is warning the u.s., this is a misleading headline.
warning?! LOL who knew?Deals and lies, please pass the ammo.
Next up the Canadians will be warning the UN that the US is about to invade.
Price of ... er something they sell ... goes exponential.
Folks, this stuff is just silly. Slow news day or something.
Agreed. As a long time reader here, I'm used to the sensationalism. But sometimes you just have to give it a rest.
... or you can just play along and have a laugh. No blood no foul!
If you think about it, Canada has a couple of things America could use and America has a long history of taking land it wants. Not saying it would ever happen, rather just that it isn't as far fetched as it might seem at first glance.
they would make a great 51st state. but seriously, the Queen as their head of state? come on already.
Kick a jew, part II
Israel is evil, everyone else is innocent continues. All hail "objectivism." and rationality.
I am not Jewish but I attended a Jewish funeral a couple weeks back. The Rabbi started out with "Everyone kicks the Jews" or something similar. Interesting take. And I thought; yeah that's right, they do, but if you say it like that long enough people on either side will start to assume it's just the way it is.
Nobody gives up. Ever. One side is going to have to eradicate the other before anyone can move on, seems like.
Naw, the Jews just have to wake up and realize that zionism was dead on arrival, and abort that mother fucker from their midst already. Colonialism disguised as "liberation" lost its appealing veneer a long time ago. It's no longer cute to invade other countries for their land and resources. Err, wait a second...
Anyway, the problem is zionism. Once people understand this and make the distinction (instead of slandering an entire people by lumping them all in as "Jews") then we'll be on our way to salvation.
I am Chumbawamba.
+++ ^^^
"I am become death destroyer of worlds"
Might be worth visiting Israel, then its neighbors, just to check what each has done with the place. We're a financial blog here, so let's try to look at results. We're supposed to care about that(nevermind the S&P 500 melt-up underway).
On the one side you have grinding poverty and domination by a sect that isn't much on prosperity nevermind human rights, and on the other you have a very prosperous, pluralistic, multi-ethnic, humanistic society that's just about as admirable as you can find on this planet.
It isn't zionism driving the latter, its freedom. The minority in Israel possessed by zionism on religious grounds is probably about as signifcant, in percentage as those who doubt the moon landings over here. The rest are doing the ol' freedom thing. We're meant to like that.
Wow. The ignorance just drips from that comment.
First, the "prosperity" that you see on the Israeli side was paid for by your tax dollars, and the blood of Americans and Arabs. The Arabs who didn't play along not only didn't get any tax dollars, they got grinding sanctions. They Will Not Obey.
If your idea of a "very prosperous, pluralistic, multi-ethnic, humanistic society" (I assume here you mean Israel) includes the brutal occupation of another people, the ethnic cleansing of that people, violation of every human right and commission of every war crime imaginable, a system of laws that differentiates between Jew and non-Jew, and a radical religious movement that controls all politics, then sure, I guess.
I am Chumbawamba.
I disagree. In Lebannon, until recently, Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived together in basically perfect harmony. They did this for several centuries I believe. This religious animocity is pretty silly and sad to me. There is no good reason that cool heads shouldn't diffuse this situation, and a meaningful peace emerge. If war occurs, we will all pay dearly for their pride and obstinance.
Those of you advocating war: Fu%& you! You have no idea the suffering and terrible things that could result making a financial collapse seem like a spring breeze.
+1 Hope you are right. All those folk over there need to take a break.
x 100
Ha, that is totally from Black Swan, where Taleb is talking about his childhood.
Stupid happens when the weak masses replace their concience with authoritarian direction. War happens when the weak masses replace their concience with authoritarian direction.
Yes, it's a very important delusional mechanism for every religion to believe it's persecuted.
No, this is it.
After Gulf 91, why are we still afraid of SCUDs?
They have the same advanced targeting systems as a bottle rocket shot out the ass of a drunk frat boy. And, like the same frat boy, they usually pop prematurely.
Should we also be wary of an "Elite Republican Guard"?
I'm going back to sleep. Wake me when they rebuild the temple.
god bless us all.
All the pieces are in place. GS/JPM/Et Al have the oil tankers waiting off the coast. The short bets have been placed. The propaganda is disseminated and all that is left to do is pull the trigger.
And while people die, and the price of everything goes to infinity, the bankers will be right there to rake in the money.
You'll all have been played again like the cheap thrift store trumpets that you are.
I am Chumbawamba.
as much as most of your comments make me sick, this one is probably correct.
Smoke weed, it helps with nausea.
I am Chumbawamba.
you know what a conformist debtor loser I have become? b/c I hate my current job and am looking around for another, i can't touch the stuff for fear of a test...
Well at least I hope you haven't subscribed to freecreditreport.com
i said conformist debtor loser, not braindead. mini rant time- my taxes go to pay banksters (happy tax day all!), my non-dischargeable stuent loans have been securitized and sold to the banksters at Deutche Bank, and sometimes I work for the bastards!!!@ I am a co-opted debt slave serf.
you can get a cannabis prescription for nausea in cali.
maybe even be able to get your insurance to pay for it ;~)
happy tax day to you too.
unfort i live in the home of the octopi
patience my friend. your home is broke too.
Smoke weed, it helps with nausea.
I am Chumbawamba.
lol
Ditto. Right is right.
And you guys wonder why I'm so pissed off? This has been front and center in my life basically since my sorry ass landed on this rock. I've seen the game played over and over again while you punks profit from it, oblivious to why you were doing so well in the markets. The other side of the trade you were never aware of was the dead infants half buried in rubble with big holes in their head where their brains used to be.
You didn't think about that, did you?
And you guys wonder why I'm so pissed off?
I am Chumbawamba.
Don't worry, the dark ages are coming back to the Western World. We will be the ones dying soon, while others profit. That is the story of humanity.
"That is the story of humanity."
perhaps, but it doesn't have to necessarily THE story of humanity. esp. when humanity is tired of the same ol' story.
time to close the Book and open a new one to a blank page?
hey that would be great, oh wait, americon idle is on, gotta go.
Point.
Used to have the same argument with my mom...we all have blood all over us.
But so fuckin what anyhow?
The rent on those tankers must be adding up. Wondered how long they would hold that oil!
Chumbawamba most likely you are right.
War...what is it good for? Absolutely Nothing!
Oops, profits I mean.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFOCH5p_jd0
GOLD byaches !
However if you want to get down to the truth, you ve got to place yourself in the shoes of both sides, think of constrains and figure out the course of action.
Israel is not interested in starting the full scale action. Economy will go south, and given multi party system, the leaders will be sacked. However any sign of provocation will cause the full and cruel respond, because that's the east and the name of the game is CHICKEN. If you back down, you are perceived to be weak.
The other side is Hezbollah run by very few, who favor very powerful few, whose power depends on destroying any opposition within. Hez influenced by Iran and it's course of actions will be dictated by inside Iranian politics. Will be there a home grown unrest over there this Summer or not. If there will, the only way for government to keep its power is to move the attention somewhere else.
In addition there is a number of minor players, which have vested interest because of the oil. And those players are not the only few located in the headquarters of GS. Which of the OIL states has recently faced a default and need some $ for a bailout?
As of Palestinians, no one truly cares about their interests, including liberal EU. And the longer they wait for ether help from outside or some miraculous military victory, the longer and more they will suffer.
It's simple.
Uh, your analysis of Hizballah is...lacking. To say the least.
Since you claim to be a thinking man, think of this: if you were a homegrown guerilla outfit that banded together to fend off a foreign invader from your backyard, would you be willing to take marching orders from some country three doors down from yours?
Hizballah and Iran share ideological concerns based on religion and Israel, and not much else. It's silly to claim that Hizballah is simply a proxy for Iran. Try telling that to anyone from Hizballah. IF YOU DARE :)
As for the Palestinians, a lot of people DO care for them, including many Americans, Jews, etc. Don't mistake Nasrallah's proclamations of solidarity with the Palestinians as mere lip service for the propaganda war. To dismiss him as a a simple charlatan in this manner is absolute folly. This is as much about Palestine as it is about Lebanon.
I am Chumbawamba.
Chumba, I think he is trying to say Iran is their primary source of funds. You disagree with that?
Yes and no. I think a bigger source of their funding is the rackets they run around the world, and the stanky green they grow in the Bekaa Valley.
The relationship with Iran is a two way street. They are not anyone's proxy, nor are they under anyone's thumb. That propaganda is there to give Israel cover to bomb Iran.
I am Chumbawamba.
You are an Israeli politician. If you bomb Iran without a valid reason, you will be fired the very next month. If you bomb Iran with a valid reason, you still probably be fired. You 'll be fired for screwing relations with your the most valuable and reliable ally?
The Israelis are a bit paranoid, but they are paranoid because of their circumstances and because it has helped them to survive. However they will not move first unless they have a reason or a very serious bluff that went too far without calling it. And Iran might be pushing its bluff or not a bit too far.
If your population has experienced plenty of wars and someone keeps calling for your destruction, keeps building a mother of all weapons, eventually it will be a bit too expensive for you not take their bluff seriously.
"51 Documents" by Leni Brenner would be an interesting read for you.
Maybe it is lacking. However it does not have to be complicated to get it right. Hezbolah leadership is in the game for the power, as well as any other leadership. However since they are authoritarian to much higher degree that the opposite side, the rules of the game are slightly different. The need powerful backers & silent opposition to stay in power.
People say & act that they care, however often it is just an illusion. We cared for SUDAN, remember? Despite the carrying didn't do much to help them on time.
No one will help Palestinians but them. And nothing will improve their position but realising the reality and moving forward reasonable demands. At this moment, there is no one in their leadership capable of that.
Same could be said about Israelis, however their position is different. Their position is dominant and that of power. And when it comes to be good or bad, there were/are plenty of nations that abused such position to much higher degree. Pretty much everyone would be doing the same. And the more someone claims to be better, the more they would abuse such a position.
That's the reality.
"Hezbolah leadership is in the game for the power, as well as any other leadership. However since they are authoritarian to much higher degree that the opposite side."
This makes very little sense. Hizbollah exists only to keep Israel from taking Lebanon again. The reason the movement was born was the Israeli occupation and the associated attrocities. No other.
The authoritarin comment is really stupid and displays your prejudice well.
"Hezbolah leadership is in the game for the power, as well as any other leadership."
Does Hez have a multi fractional structure within or is it run by only few generals on the top? And don't be a child, any leadership is there not jut because they want the results but because they want to fulfill certain ambitions.
p.s.
autocratic does not necessary means "evil", although it usually is bad. At any rate, Hez is less interested in a conflict with Israel than Iran because the first has much more to lose. So they will be resistant to Iranian push for a conflict with Israel this summer. And Iranian push will directly depend on the degree of unrest within the Iran.
In general, TD has a valid point, when the world ECONOMY goes down by -10% , the world becomes much more dangerous place to live at.
This might be a rather "HOT" summer, however there might be number of hot conflicts beyond I-P-I.
"You'll all have been played again like the cheap thrift store trumpets that you are."
Yeah, and some even play the pink flute.
+ infinity then.
Israel is a malignant cancer.
The only good news is that Jews always overestimate their capabilities creating endless conflicts and later crying being poor innocent victims like before, during and after the WWII.
You are a bigot and a fool.
That's a bit extreme. However, Israel is the world's biggest terrorist organization.
"I am become death destroyer of worlds."
Sounds Syrious.
Only 2 things can stop the complete financial collapse of the wester world. WWIII or magnetic poles flipping grinding up everyone like sausage. Since you can't schedule the pole shift guess which one will happen first.
I've heard that Israel has a device to flip those magnetic poles in an instant, so don't get too complacent there buddy.