I have no photos of injured children today. I simply note that Gaza has all but disappeared from the headlines. The people of Gaza bury their dead and survey the wreckage. The people of Israel celebrate a victory.
The problem, of course, for the World, is that Israel has atomic weapons. The behavior of its Army in Gaza indicates far better than any proclamation by its government their willingness to use overwhelming force against a literally defenseless enemy.
The time when this becomes an issue is fast approaching. Israel will confront Iran. Iran is not Hamas. Will Israel use nuclear weapons against Iran? There is an increasing likelihood that they will.
Our new president, Barack Obama, will have many problems in the near future. I wish him the courage to do what is right for children.
5 comments:
The president of the US is not responsible for the children of the world! He can not have much infulence as to their quaility of life. Instead of insisting that He do the right thing for these children, why don't you call for the governments where these children live to become reasonable, responsible, and humane toward their own citizenry? If Israel does nuke Iran, it will not be because they want to or think it would be cool, but rather a necessity to ensure their existence. Do you not think Israel has a right to exist peasfully? Also, would you rather Israel take all necessary action to protect themselves, or to pull the US military into the mix where we have to protect them and go to war with Iran?
Actually, the President of the United States, as the most powerful man in the World, IS responsible for the children of the World. For the last eight years the decisions of Obama's predecessor has resulted in the maiming and death of literally hundreds of thousands of civilians, many of them children. The conflict in Iraq, a direct result of a president's decision ("I'm the decider")has resulted in untold suffering for children, some of it documented on this blog over the years. The inability to comprehend global realities is impressive. Israel is a nation that is rapidly negating any claim it has on the reflective morality of the civilized World.
The powers and responsibilites of the President of the United States are clearly defined in the Constitution of the United States, and does not include being responsible for all of the children of the world. If you disagree, please site where in the Constitution you find such responsibility. He is, however, responsible for the protection and welfare of the children of the U.S. I am very much aware of the "global realities" and still assert that our President can not have much effect over the welfare of children abroad, especially those living in Islamist, 3rd world, 16th Century countries. Your insistance that the President is responsible for these children is akin to my insisting that you, as a physician, are responsible for the ills and suffering of the children of the US or Maryland.
A person is responsible for his/her actions. If the President makes a decision (i.e. invading Iraq, torturing prisoners, supporting Israel with munitions, etc.) then he/she is responsible for the consequences. Since the actions just mentioned, plus many more, directly affect the welfare of many of the World's children, in this sense the President is responsible. Unfortunately, over the last 8 years we have had a President that felt he was above the law and could make decisions without accepting responsibility or consequences. A president who felt he did not need to follow the Constitution. Whether he will answer for his decisions in the future remains to be seen. I, for one, hold him accountable for the tragedy of the dead children in Iraq and Gaza.
If decisions that I made led to "ills and suffering" in the children of Maryland, I would be responsible.
Cwilkie: the US funds most of Israel's military budget. Without those US dollars, the actions in Gaza and elsewhere would be impossible.
On the other hand, I am entranced by the image evoked by your word "peasfully". Peas fully. Hmmm...
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