It Matters Who Wins
Another take on the Middle East conflict
The seventy-year carbuncle of the Middle East has flared up again, spilling blood and pus all over the place. It’s not nice, it’s not pretty, people are getting hurt, going hungry, losing their homes and dying. Both sides are behaving badly, as usual. Committing all the oldest sins, in all the newest ways. A story as old as war, and war is as old as humanity.
Of course, the first wars were a few men from different tribes hitting each other with fists. Then some clever bugger decided sticks were better, then pointy sticks, then sticks with rocks tied to them — three million years later and we have automatic weapons, rockets, bombers and the rest.
What we also have that our ancestors didn’t is a crowd of kibitzers standing on the sidelines offering assorted comments, criticisms and opinions. Said kibitzers being everybody else! Everybody has an opinion and far too many of us deem it necessary to bellow said opinions from the rooftops.
Free Palestine!
Israel has a right to defend itself!
Hamas committed atrocities!
Israel is committing atrocities!
Stop killing Palestinian civilians!
