Ok, a list-member asked me off-list to explain why I am so hard-nosed about
this topic, and why I don't appear to allow for the possibility that I
might be wrong on this topic.
I wrote this in response to explain why I take this issue so seriously, and
why I consider it so important to confront people, especially Europeans on
this topic:
I actually do allow for the possibility that some of
my opinions are wrong. For example, I have completely
changed my position on several issues during my time
on the List, including the death penalty,
contraception, etc.
Unfortunately, the current difficulty stems from the
fact that I firmly believe that innocent people are
dying every day due to the failure of some,
particularly European observers, to see some black
(maybe not any white, but definitely some black)
where it exists.
That is, by treating Israel and Palestine as simply
two squabbling children, neither of whom is better
than the other, the international community has
created a moral relativistic environment that has
incentivized terrorism.
Indeed, one of the basic moral truisims of foreign
relations is that you can never, ever, negotiate with
terrorists - because terrorism is such an abject evil -
and because by negotiating with terrorists you create
an incentive for terrorism in the future. Yet, this
is exactly what is happening in the Middle East - the
Palestinians blow up little girls and the Europeans
demand that the Israelis make more concessions. Is it
really any surprise, then, why the violence doesn't
stop? The message of the international community is
that the more violence there is, the more likely the
Palestinians are to get what they want!
Once upon a time, Ray, "grey" may have been an
adequate description of the Palestinian cuase. But
when Arafat walked away from Camp David and let the
terrorists out of the prison cells, he walked firmly
out of the grey and into the black.
In the meantime, the only possible path to peace in
the Middle East is for the international community to
finally start calling terorism exactly what is - EVIL.
And until they are willing to start doing that, they
should hardly be surprised that the very own apologies
and excuses for the Palestinians are producing more
innocent deaths day by day.
JDG
__________________________________________________________
John D. Giorgis - [EMAIL PROTECTED] - ICQ #3527685
"We fight against poverty because faith requires it and
conscience demands it." - George W. Bush 3/22/02
