My comment: Probably we have watched the fifth war of the 21st. century that, within few decades, will be called the last useless war of the 20th. century. Let me explain why.
Psychologists tell that, in all fields of life, absolute power uses to produce sort of fantasies into its victim, being the victim the one who believes to own such supreme power. The fantasy is that one can exercise that total power without negative consequences, without paying a price for that exercise. Then, such power becomes abusive, tyranic and self-rightheous. As the victim lives in a fantasy, it is unable to perceive how it is paying the price and how its power is declining step by step. Suddenly the patient starts to perceive such decline and fears appear. The victim tries to feed its fantasy back exercising its abusive, tyranic and self-righteous power harder and harder. Obviously, negative consequences are bigger and bigger. Here is the negative spiral that accelerates the collapse of such power. In Israel and in USA, governments feel the need to feed their citizens with a certain sense of superiority to get rid of their fears for a while. But fears come back shortly, stronger. In fact what they fear is peace, and revenge from the other victims. Palestinian rockets feed those fears. Israeli action feeds the supremacy fantasy. Israeli government must convince its citizens of its victory, as Hamas must show Israeli citizens that they have good reasons to feel fear, if Hamas wants to continue its strategy. Most people around the world including in Israel, in Palestine and in USA, know that the current situation will not last forever. Everybody knows that empires do not last forever. Even in Israel and in USA, even if they are in the feedback phase of the sickness (Obama election is a sign of "clearvoyance"). Because many reasons, such as economy, social stability, psychologic wellbeing, etc. USA cannot stay in Iraq and in Afghanistan forever (in fact it cannot sustain its military complex much longer unless Americans accept poverty as their fate), Israel cannot sustain a military state (meaning a defense oriented state rather than one oriented to development) that grants its military superiority forever. Then what? Then, the answer is always peace. As usual, one reaches peace talking with enemies. Producing mutually beneficial agreements, balancing and driving all domestic and external forces toward real goals (as opposite to sick fantasies). After the Israeli attack to Gaza, is Israel closer to a balanced and peacefull situation? Obviously it is not. Its claim of victory in that situation is empty, it is just propaganda to feed a fantasy back. As much as USA in Iraq or Afghanistan. On the other side. Everybody knows that Hamas military capabilities are not and will never be enough to defeat Israeli army. Its claim of military victory is as empty as the Israeli one. Deeper inside what they really claim is "they could not destroy us", and this is perceived as victory. Somehow it is a victory of course, but, except fantasisers in Israel and USA, did anyone believe before this war that Israel could destroy Palestine or Hamas? In my opinion, Hamas answers to fantasisers, and its answer is what fantasisers fear the most. Is it a winning strategy? No if your goal is peace, development and sovereignty as soon as posible. But it obviously gained a huge victory. Its taichi strategy during this war (do not stop your enemy, use its own force and drive it to its ultimate goal as soon as posible) has convinced all that Hamas, or a Hamas-alike, is needed to reach a stable peace. I do not talk about Abbas´s "friendly" strategy as it is out of context. Just a comment, to reach real peace we need talks between honest and true "enemies", not among fake friends. Conclusion. Within a few weeks, when everyone get rid of passions and fantasies, we will see the real victories and the real defeats. An army can start a campaign, can destroy as much as possible, can kill thousands and finally it has to return home with empty hands and nothing else. Oops, and weaker, economically, politically, morally, psychologically, socially, etc. In my opinion, that is the 21st. century in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Somalia, in South Ossetia, in Gaza. And anywhere else where fantasies are in command. Only honest and down to earth peace seekers win. Let us hope that they give peace a real chance before all other options have already failed. Peace and best wishes. Xi Peace returns to Gaza with pullout of Israeli troops http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/19/content_10682699.htm GAZA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A hard-won peace was restored in the Gaza Strip Monday as Israeli troops began pulling out of the belt after their 22-day onslaught was halted by a tentative ceasefire deal with Hamas. The truce, taking effect at 2 a.m. local time (midnight GMT) Sunday, was declared late Saturday by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who said the goals of the operation in Gaza had been "met in full." "We reached all of our objectives in Gaza," Olmert told a press conference in Tel Aviv, adding Hamas had been dealt a heavy blow by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and its leaders were in hiding. The truce took effect just days before the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, who has said Mideast peace will be apriority for his administration. In response to the ceasefire declaration, United Nations Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon urged a quick influx of humanitarian aid to the isolated enclave, while U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said a ceasefire must be durable. Amid concerns over possible future Palestinian attacks, Israel is widely expected to retain some forces in Gaza. The returning troops were stationed along the border, said local news service Ynet. Hamas had initially vowed to keep fighting until all enemy troops left Gaza, but said 12 hours later that it would hold its fire to give Israeli forces one week to withdraw. Despite the destruction suffered, the prime minister of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, claimed "a heavenly victory" on Al-Jazeera's Arabic news channel. It is believed that a temporary lull would pave the way for a possible lasting truce deal between the Jewish state and the Islamist movement in light of the intensifying international mediation efforts led by Egypt. Egypt has invited Israel and the Palestinian groups for more talks on the means of consolidating a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave. Separate meetings with the two sides involved in the Gaza conflict were scheduled for Jan. 22 in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said in a press release. The talks will seek to clinch a deal on a package of moves to implement an Egyptian ceasefire proposal presented by President Hosni Mubarak on Jan. 6. While Hamas has asked for the lifting of the Israeli blockade on Gaza as a precondition for any long-term truce, Israel demands an international mechanism to curb arms smuggling into Gaza and thus prevent Hamas from rearming. More than 1,300 Gazans have been killed and over 5,500 wounded in Israel's massive onslaught since Dec. 27, dubbed Operation CastLead. Thirteen Israelis have also died in the clash. Speaking to the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, in Jerusalem on Sunday, Olmert thanked them for their support for Israel's security and pledged cooperation to bring peace to the volatile land. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged Israel to reopen the crossings to long-blockaded Gaza, saying a sustainable ceasefire would require "humanitarian access" to the territory, while French President Nicolas Sarkozy called on Olmert to open Gaza's borders to aid as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Iran said the key to lasting calm is the opening of border crossings that Israel and Egypt have kept virtually sealed since Hamas militants staged a violent takeover of Gaza in 2007 from forces of the rival Fatah faction, headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Statistics from the Palestinian side revealed that about 4,000 residential buildings were completely destroyed during the 22-day conflict. Hamas re-controls Gaza after 22 days of Israeli offensive http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/19/content_10684337.htm Has Israel achieved its goals in Gaza? It depends. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/19/content_10685223.htm --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "World-thread" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/world-thread?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
