Yasser Arafat, being ill and concerned about his mortality, consults a Psychic about the date of his death.
Closing her eyes and silently reaching into the realm of the future she finds the answer: “You will die on a Jewish holiday.”
“Which one?'” Arafat asks nervously.
“It doesn’t matter,” replied the psychic…“Whenever you die, it’ll be a Jewish holiday.”
~ My Eyes Adored You ~ (Frankie Valli)
My eyes adored you,
Though I never laid a hand on you,
My eyes adored you,
Like a million miles away from me you couldn’t see how I adored you,
So close, so close and yet so far.
“Why didn’t they”
You’re not suggesting that the Israeli’s would ever murder a Palestinian are You? According to some people on this board it seems that that it was only ever the other way around.
Arafat was no saint but was a “moderate” and a relative symbol of stability in his later years. The last thing Israel needed was a more radical leader and any attempt on Arafat’s life would have most certainly brought that about.
"That is has got to be the biggest shovel full of shit in years. "
If all Americans had the same attitude that you do towards the middle east there will never be peace there. You need a more balanced view. That’s part of the reason there was a Sept 11. Not condoning terrorism or the PLO but the Israeli’s haven’t been saints either. It takes two to co-operate. It’s difficult in a part of the world where you have elements with that kind of religious fanaticism on either side. I hope there will peace there some day, but it will never come about by taking one side and putting all the blame on the other as you are doing.
Take notice how all the “grave pissers” are the right wingers on this forum whose minds are clouded by intense hatred. This is on par with the dipshit liberal kids in SF burning the Bush doll. Grow up.
**Take notice how all the “grave pissers” are the right wingers on this forum whose minds are clouded by intense hatred. This is on par with the dipshit liberal kids in SF burning the Bush doll. Grow up. **
Oh, I hate him, all right. My condolences to the Palestinians, though. They deserved far better than what he did, after he hijacked their cause and led them down a shithole. But, as has been said: Palestin** "The** Palestinians never miss and opportunity to miss an opportunity". I’ve been “up close and personal” over there. I’ve seen the kind of person he really is.
I don’t get upset with you and CG and a few others’ opinions about the whole Palestine/Israel conflict. You guys are actually more right than you’re wrong. But sometimes, you’re profoundly, profoundly naive about the Palestinians and the Arab mindset. No offense.
Tony
I’ll admit I don’t know all there is to know about that conflict and probably know much less than you do. The dude died and that may be a good thing for the peace process. Leave it at that. Regardless of what he did or how much you hate him I think its slightly barbaric to be dancing around and pissing on anyone’s grave.
Balance is one thing, but you don’t seem to be very balanced, either. I wish people would just get off Yasser’s jock. Although I am not standing in line to piss on his grave, I am far from being unhappy by his death.
I think cerveloguy has a pretty balanced view of the whole conflict, and I don’t think he’s on Arafat’s jock…
If all Americans had the same attitude that you do towards the middle east there will never be peace there. You need a more balanced view. That’s part of the reason there was a Sept 11. Not condoning terrorism or the PLO but the Israeli’s haven’t been saints either. It takes two to co-operate.
My view is pretty balanced. I support nearly everything the Palestinians want. I don’t know if giving them part of Jerusalem is practical, but if it were up to me there would be Isreali “settlers” moving out tomorrow. Having said that, Arafat IS NOT synonymous with a Palestinian state or peace in the Middle East. IMO he was more of a hindrance than a help. He is a thief, a murderer, a terrorist and the worst type of con man for what he has done to keep Palestinians living in refugee camps and loving it. While I personally wouldn’t dig him up and let my dog sodomize him, if Tibbs did (that caused some coffee stains on my monitor) I wouldn’t lift a finger to stop him.
If all Americans had the same attitude that you do towards the middle east there will never be peace there.
Explain to me, please, how peace between Israel and the Palestinians is America’s responsibility. Because we’re a superpower? What the hell?
If the rest of the world expects the US to take on this type of responsibility, the rest of the world should really stop bitching about unilateralism, and intervention, and all the rest of it. Either we have the responsibilities and the power and authority that go along with them, or we don’t. You can’t have it both ways.
“how peace between Israel and the Palestinians is America’s responsibility.”
If that was the case then American aid to Israel wouldn’t account for a full 8% of their GNP. Most of this goes to support Israel’s military.
The Arab’s view the US as supplying the military tools for Israel to supress the Palestines. They also feel that the only interest the US has in them is for their oil. Why do you think the US is so unpopular with the average Arab man or woman on the street.
The middle east is a US responsibility because of your heavy handed involvement there.
**The middle east is a US responsibility because of your heavy handed involvement there. **
Funny how when something goes to shit in the world you always see a million of some country’s citizens on ABC Nightline or something screaming for U.S. help. That’s why we’re involved. Because the rest of you shining democracies don’t have the financial or physical wherewithal to do more than the bare minimum, and even that’s becoming a strain.
Get off our backs. Millions of people around the world every year try desperately to emigrate here, for some reason. Why don’t we ask them what they think of the U.S.?
Tony
Israel: $2.56 billion
(Foreign Military Financing $2.2 billion, Economic Support Fund $360 million)
Egypt: $1.835 billion
(Foreign Military Financing $1.3 billion, Economic Support Fund $535 million)
Afghanistan: $1.377 billion
(humanitarian, reconstruction, and related assistance $977 million and $400 million to train and equip the new Afghan National Army)
Pakistan: $150 million foreign Military Financing, $200 million in Economic Support Funds
Sudan: $311 million Economic Support Funds
Jordan: $250 million ESF
Pakistan: $200 million ESF
Haiti: $ 50 million ESF
Lebanon: $ 35 million ESF
Timor-Leste $ 22 million ESF
Cyprus: $ 13.5 million ESF
Israel isn’t the only country we give money to.
They also feel that the only interest the US has in them is for their oil. They’re right. What else have they got to offer?
The middle east is a US responsibility because of your heavy handed involvement there.
Then you’d be in favor of the US removing its presence from the region entirely?
“Because the rest of you shining democracies don’t have the financial or physical wherewithal to do more than the bare minimum”
Not true at all. As a % of GNP the USA is one of the smallest contributers of foreign aid.
http://www.worldfuturefund.org/wffmaster/Charts-HTML/New/OECDAID.htm
“Israel isn’t the only country we give money to.”
No it isn’t, but in a country that dedicates a very small percentage of GDP to foreign aid, we give a disproportionate amount to Israel, and Egypt in echange for it’s supporting our Israeli policy.
Frankly, it isn’t clear to me that the chart you linked to is relevant- it’s titled “Aid to the Poor,” and I wonder how they define that.
Furthermore, it illustrates BK’s point pretty nicely. The lead country on the chart is Denmark. How much money does Denmark contribute, actually, compared to the US. A larger percentage of their GDP, but a far smaller raw number. And why? Because they don’t have the financial wherewithal to give more.
Point to kahuna.
Don’t give me that GNP horseshit. You know what I mean. We’re expending American blood and treasure (in the hundreds of billions) over there to try to straighten out a mess that all those idjits in the former colonialist European countries made of the place.
We’re damned if we do, and damned if we don’t. But that’s the price we’re willing to pay because we’re the ONLY ones who can pull it off. The rest of these democracies are sinking into senescence and ennui. Nice knowing all of you, by the way. We’ll tip a beer to y’all after you’re gone.
"No it isn’t, but in a country that dedicates a very small percentage of GDP to foreign aid, we give a disproportionate amount to Israel, and Egypt in echange for it’s supporting our Israeli policy. "
Ditto.
Hey, CG, answer my other question. Would you support the US pulling out of the Middle East entirely? And if so, what do you think the reaction would be, globally?