[whataretheysaying] Mary Madigan: Moral equivalence

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Posted by Mary Madigan:
Moral equivalence
http://whataretheysaying.powerblogs.com/posts/1153241534.shtml


   [1]Neo-neocon describes the games Hezbollah plays:

     Civilians are not only expendable on the part of the terrorists,
     they are important and vital tools--stage props. And it's ironic
     that civilians are used by terrorists in this way to try to make
     the point that it's the others--the US and Israel--who are
     purposely targeting civilians.

     The propaganda value is immense, and may be the most important part
     of the exercise in rocketry, as far as Hezbollah is concerned: free
     publicity against Israel, courtesy of the West itself.

   Courtesy of the media and Arabists like Juan Cole, who takes a page
   from Noam Chomsky's favorite [2]book of lies and [3]suggests, that
   Israel is practicing ethnic cleansing.

   Ron Coleman at Dean's World links to a site that [4]unhinges that
   myth.

   Everyone's favorite flibbertigibbet, Richard Cohen, takes this Sheryl
   Crow quote:

     "The best way to solve problems is to not have enemies. "

   ...one step further by sayng that the best way not to have enemies is
   never to exist in the first place. He believes that [5]Israel should
   not exist.

   [6]Judith at Kesher Talk disagrees with Cohen, and promptly kicks his
   ass around the block.

   Speaking of moral equivalence, one commenter at Neo-neocon's site
   asks:

     The point is, while combating terrorism, do we want to become just
     as immoral as the terrorists?

   The terrorists hope to someday enforce Talibanesque laws throughout
   the Middle East. Those laws include an apartheid oppression of all
   non-Muslims, giving women fewer rights than dogs, Arab enslavement of
   blacks (as in Mauritania and the Sudan). They celebrate each attack
   against civilians by having a big party and handing out sweets to
   their children. They always have and they always will target civilians
   to further their goals, and if they gain more political power they
   will kill more innocents.

   The Israelis are more 'moral' than the terrorists and the Islamist
   state they hope to form. The French, the Thais, the Hindus, the
   Russians and even the Chinese are more 'moral' than these terrorists.
   Simple ameoba are more moral than these terrorists. Becoming the
   equivalent of this nadir of life as we know it is the least of our
   worries.

References

   1. http://neo-neocon.blogspot.com/2006/07/rockets-of-hezbollah-all-worlds-stage.html
   2. http://www.leftwatch.com/archives/years/2004/000014.html
   3. http://www.juancole.com/2006/07/israel-invades-lebanon-ongoing.html
   4. http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1153233939.shtml
   5. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/17/AR2006071701154.html
   6. http://www.keshertalk.com/archives/2006/07/richardcohen.php#more