Shir, you may have an interest in Jeffery Goldberg's blog on the Atlantic [link] He hasn't been talking as much as many expected about this, because for him, it hits too close for him to talk, but a lot of what I hear you saying, I've been seeing in his posts, and my heart aches for you both.

I have no idea who he is, but I marked the blog to check. Thanks!

I really want to buy Wii Fit, but I have to wait.

Whoo, Gris on adult relationships! Go you and Improbable Girl!

Wow, Shir, I just wanted to say that your comment about PTSD strikes me as very wise. And if so? Damn, because I don't know how you pull a whole country through something like that.

Gris, how exciting!

Hil, get thee to a doctor, pronto!

[Whenever Typo uses "you" in this context, I read it as "one".]

Shir, SO weird as I was reading your post and got to the sentence "and it's alters the way the country reacts to threats, even if there isn't a threat at all, really", I immediately thought of post-traumatic stress syndrome!

Hil, much healing~ma for your foot. Yeah, think it's time for actual medical help, there.

Well, it's not really hurting quite as much anymore, just looking slightly purple. I'll see how it is in the morning.

Shir, since it does bother you I won't post further on the subject. But I do want to explain why I criticize Israel more than other parties, just so you know it is not done as an attack. 1) As a Jew, I grew up identifying with Israel, raising money for it, cheering its victories. Self destructive behavior on its part bothers me more than on the part of nations I have no emotional attachment to. 2) As an American, a citizen of Israel's closest ally, and major provider of aid to Israel, I have more responsibility for what Israel does than for any other nation. There are other reasons, but I won't go into them further. But I just wanted you to understand that my criticism of Israel is a matter of love and responsibility, a desire to see Israel survive and do the right thing, and a desire to see my nation stop encouraging Israel to take the wrong path. Don't know if it helps or not, but sometimes knowing motives does help. I will also note that maybe there is a double standard against Israel worldwide, but in the U.S. the double standard is in the other direction. A lot of the things Haaretz prints as op-eds would be labeled Anti-Semitic in U.S. In fact I remember at least one ex high-ranking IDF war hero attacked in the U.S. press as an Anti-Semite. (And not somebody turned pacifist: I don't think the positions he took were outside the mainstream of Israeli society, albeit at the left end of that spectrum. )

It's been a long time I'm claiming my country, and perhaps most of the world has PTSD, judging by the way it's reacting. Unfortunately, I can't see U.S or U.N as good therapists for this.

You know, I just five minutes ago read this very thing. Synchronicity.

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