Monday, July 17, 2006

Measuring the inevitable

Harper has called Israel's bombing of Lebanon in reaction to the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers and the killing of eight others "measured".

Then : Immediately after 9/11, Harper cited the deaths of the 24 Canadians killed in the World Trade Towers as reason enough for Canada to join in the US bombing of Afghanistan and then later Iraq.

Now : Harper is real sorry about the deaths of the 7 Canadians killed in the Israeli bombing of Lebanon, but refers to them as "inevitable".

Anyone want to hazard a guess as to whether Harper would have used the words "measured" and "inevitable" to describe the deaths of those seven Canadians had they been killed by Hezbollah or Hamas instead?

Bonus : Two more events whose eventual ramifications were "inevitable" but were not adequately "measured" at the time :
  • The 1982 Israeli bombing of the towers of Beiruit in which 18,000 Lebanese were killed, the event which Osama bin Laden says radicalized him and for which he claimed retaliation with 9/11.
  • The 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, resulting in the formation of Hezbollah.

Link

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Harper said “I think Israel’s response under the circumstances has been measured” *days* before anyone knew about the Canadian deaths so obviously his remarks did not refer to them.

Alison said...

Joanne : Read the link.

"Asked twice Monday (that would be today, Joanne) if he still thinks Israel's military reaction is measured or whether he regrets that characterization, the prime minister was clinically dismissive.

"I think our evaluation of the situation has been accurate," he said."

Anonymous said...

One question. Are you Jewish?

Alison said...

Anon: Let's cut to the chase here. I am neither a self-hating Jew nor an anti-Semite. OK?

Anonymous said...

Yes alas, our neocon pm is playing the double standard game too. I suppose kidnapping the Palestinian government was measured as well. We should try that, kidnap Stepans cabinet in self defence of Canada. So are you a self-hating Teutonic or an anti-Teutonic?

Alison said...

Nope, not Teutish.
But it does make me nuts that everyone can be divided up into being called either a self-hating Jew or an anti-Semite, leaving no position at all from which to criticize Israel's actions.

Art Hornbie said...

"everyone can be divided up into being called either a self-hating Jew or an anti-Semite"

To disagree with Israeli policy supporters is to be "ignorant." I must be ignorant.

Unknown said...

Don't forget that if you think Israel is not doing the right thing, you're also in rebellion against God. You forgot that bit.

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