---

I'm having difficulty understanding how Tzipi Livni can defend the assertion that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

You're not the only one.

how Ehud Olmert can possibly claim to be treating the civilian population of Gaza with a silk glove.

Oh, that's only because Israel didn't nuke the Strip yet. You know, everything is relative.

I am at a loss to understand how the Israeli government thinks that by bombing the terrorized and ghettoized Gazan civilians in the process of obliterating the democratically-elected Hamas government they are going to make themselves safer or more accepted in the region.

Well, to be fair, not all thinks so: But enough are, which is a problem. The idea is to exhaust the Strip, until either Hamas will surrender or until the Gazans will kick them out.

this will not create peace or security.

Right. Only my government (I didn't vote for these people. I swear) thinks that it will bring quiet to Israel for "a long period of time". It seems like a reason to kill a lot of people, apparently.

Dialogue. Dialogue and compromise is surely to God the only way they're going to make any progress. Treating one another like human beings deserving dignity and compassion will not magically make hardliners into fluffy bunnies overnight, but failing to do so will CERTAINLY leave everyone fucked.

THIS. So much. But none of the sides is willing to accept the other's fucking right to exist at the moment. Which reminds me I must take an epistemology class, because I all "wtf?" at this approach.

It's not that I support the operation, or the killing, or the occupation, or any of this - but in realistic pro-Israeli opinion (because well, I'm kind of fond of living in this country) - right now, this has to go on. Because if it'll stop right now, we're back on where we were 2 weeks ago, just with a lot more dead and wounded and distraction. So. If you're doing something, even if I have no idea what it is you're trying to do, achieve something AND GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE, and then start talking.

IMHO.

---

Vortex, welcome home!

Shir, I'm so sorry. Stupid governments on both side hurting lots of innocent people. Hang in there and vent as needed.

-------

Hello, Insomnia, my old "friend." FTR, I haven't missed you one bit, and your timing with the whole having to get up in four hours is really not ideal. Go away now please before I do something rash like...like... Okay, probably nothing more dramatic than whine and possibly weep like a girl for a bit.

---

I wonder if this has anything to do with why LJ has been slower than molasses of late.

---

I wonder if the LJ owners are planning on just letting the service atrophy or if they're hiring Russian or other, non-US engineers to replace the ones that just got sacked.

---

I wonder if the LJ owners are planning on just letting the service atrophy or if they're hiring Russian or other, non-US engineers to replace the ones that just got sacked.

Well, that's distressing.

::hugs Shir::

I can't imagine how hard it is to go through this day by day. You're in my thoughts, and Nilly, too.

---

Because if it'll stop right now, we're back on where we were 2 weeks ago, just with a lot more dead and wounded and distraction.

Shir, I don't know. A bad policy is a bad policy, and walking away from it can't make things worse, even if it means walking away from a ground invasion that is already underway. Asking someone to be the last one to die for a mistake is horrible, but it is just as horrible a month from now as it would be today.

---

Morning all. Pix, I tried to steal some of that insomnia from. Guess that bitch of a faerie visited both of us at the same time. Body would not stay asleep all night. Grrr.

I am at a loss to understand how the Israeli government thinks that by bombing the terrorized and ghettoized Gazan civilians in the process of obliterating the democratically-elected Hamas government they are going to make themselves safer or more accepted in the region.

I really wonder about the timing of it all. Right before the Israeli elections. And more importantly, right before Bush leaves office. I agree that one can not sit idly by and watch missiles come in on a regular basis. I can understand having surgical strikes against the launchers. But when you get into blowing up Mosques and schools because they "store missiles there"? You need to be showing proof. And if you have proof, why not show them and the world, and say "look, we don't want to blow this shit up, but we need to defend ourselves. Clean up so we don't have to".

Off to work. Gonna be a long day I think. uggg.

And I'm afraid I'll have to skip a class on Thursday because I have way too much errands to do in here and I want to be home (parents home) at Thursday night. Sister will be coming on Friday morning, and I ain't gonna miss a second of her.

Give her a big hug from all of us. And if she's still not wearing flack jacket, give her a dope slap from us too!

---

Ah jeez, Andi, lots of ~ma for Daniel's mom. Here's hoping she gets through the surgery with minimal issues.

---

Healing ~ma for Daniel's mom.

---