Joe the Plumber, err... Joe the Correspondent is off to cover the Gaza conflict for Pajamas Media.
Quote:
Joe Wurzelbacher: Plumber. Campaign celebrity. Foreign correspondent? ‘Joe the Plumber’ is headed overseas to try his hand at covering the conflict in Gaza, Wurzelbacher’s publicist Thomas Tabback confirmed to CNN Wednesday.
Wurzelbacher plans to spend 10 days in Israel reporting on the conflict for pjtv.com, a Web site run by conservative media outlet Pajamas Media.
Well rockets coming in from Lebanon doesn't help matters much, but I doubt that Israel will fully engage unless the attacks intensify. They'll depend on the use of counter batteries and go from there.
This might increase the tempo by the international community to impose a ceasefire. However
1) Israel won't sign it unless there are significant commitments by the international community to stop the rocket attacks, because Israel could very well achieve that goal with another two weeks of ground offensive.
2) I have my doubts that any cease fire or truce lasts more then 6 months before the Hamas are back after re-arming and recruiting, so there's very little incentive for Israel on the trust side to believe that a cease fire or truce document will do anything but delay further attacks, and this time, that might not be good enough for Israel.
3) I have my fears about putting the UN into Gaza to prevent rocket attacks. I have little faith in the UN as a fighting force, and thats what they would have to be this time. Militarily, the UN is poorly organized, too much of a beaurocracy to work in a military setting, and without the American's or British who won't be welcomed into this mission won't have access to the type of heavy fighting hardware that they need. If you think the body count in Afghanistan is high, wait until you put a poorly constituted UN fighting force into Gaza where they will certainly be seen as the enemy and a target of opportunity.
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My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
are they canadians on vacation or temporaily there or are they like the "canadians" from lebanon. those that had moved there and when it got rough threw up the flag and wanted out. then once it cooled down went back.
^ Curious, but where in the thread has there been accusations of genocide?
And do you find the US position where they support Israel's actions yet criticized Russia for "disproportional use of force" a case of double standards?
I might be wrong that someone brought up genocide in this thread, I likely read it in one of the other countless threads I was reading on the subject.
That's enough for me. Far as I'm concerned, they are all wrong. Beyond that I guess it's varying degrees of whosewrongness, depending on the person.
I didn't make any claims about "desperation causing rocket fire". I asked specifically about suicide bombers.
Is there an inherent problem with a place where the average person believes their current life is a preparation for the afterlife?
That's a big can of worms that I don't want to open, but...
I think I had you confused, you did not say anything about desperation. I think I combined two posts into one, my error.
There is a major problem with those that think their current life is not their true life. We live once, there is zip evidence for anything regarding afterlives. And people are convinced they must blow up a bus and will get an A+ grade and go straight to heaven. It is sickening. Hamas is currently bringing in strict extremist Islam to the Gaza to exploit this.
I think I had you confused, you did not say anything about desperation. I think I combined two posts into one, my error.
There is a major problem with those that think their current life is not their true life. We live once, there is zip evidence for anything regarding afterlives. And people are convinced they must blow up a bus and will get an A+ grade and go straight to heaven. It is sickening. Hamas is currently bringing in strict extremist Islam to the Gaza to exploit this.
Huge can of worms!!!
It's only a huge can of worms to the fundamentalists, I think most of us can safely say that's a bunch of BS and move on with our lives.
What's the rationale behind Israel banning the international press from entering Gaza?
Uhhhhh, it is a war zone? Remember, this is the background of much of the argument here. Many of the so called press only want to display dead civilians committed by Israel, no mention of terrorism, Gaza borders on Egypt and that Israel literally wants nothing to do with Gaza, and vacated years ago.
Israel wants no one but Hamas there so they can hunt them down, not some silly American girl who will stand in front of an Israeli tank.
It's only a huge can of worms to the fundamentalists, I think most of us can safely say that's a bunch of BS and move on with our lives.
Yes, but how do you fight an enemy that basically wants to die? Israeli soldiers fight (not just because they have to) but because they know that with no military, every last citizen would be chopped to pieces. They put their life on the line. Many of their enemies it is the opposite, they are on some wacky mission to kill anything.
Yes, but how do you fight an enemy that basically wants to die? Israeli soldiers fight (not just because they have to) but because they know that with no military, every last citizen would be chopped to pieces. They put their life on the line. Many of their enemies it is the opposite, they are on some wacky mission to kill anything.
From what I have read about some of the jihadist groups is that there is a core of around 20% that are the hard radicals and the rest are young people driven or forced into the service.
Do what NATO does in Afghanistan, kill anyone wearing the enemy's colours in combat. Ruthlessly oppose the enemy, but offer mercy and amnesty to anyone who wants to surrender and the soft shell of semi-believers might come trickling over to your side.
So was Baghdad, Mogadishu, Sarajevo ...... Your point?
War zones have been media exclusion zones since when? Terrible explanation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nage Waza
Israel wants no one but Hamas there so they can hunt them down, not some silly American girl who will stand in front of an Israeli tank.
LOL! You do realise that the International Media carry passes that can be screened at the border or is silly American girl going to forge one of those?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nage Waza
Remember, this is the background of much of the argument here. Many of the so called press only want to display dead civilians committed by Israel, no mention of terrorism,
Of course there's mention of terrorism, I see images daily of Hamas rockets.
Or dead UN forklift drivers?
If there's dead civilians there I want to hear firsthand about it. I don't want to hear disputed numbers and claims from both sides.
As things stand, the lack of transparency IMO makes me more suspicious of Israel's activities than if they had allowed the media in. The media know the risk, why can't they decide for themselves?
As things stand, the lack of transparency IMO makes me more suspicious of Israel's activities than if they had allowed the media in. The media know the risk, why can't they decide for themselves?
I most certainaly agree that teh media should be let in, but I think Israel's reasoning has a lot to do with previous cases involving dead journalists.
In the middle of a battle, an Israeli tank crew fired on a man in a bullet proof vest putting an object over his shoulder that appeared to be a rocket launcher. It turned out to be a camera. How the soldiers were supposed to differentiate between the two in the middle of a battle is beyond me.
The reaction by the media was to have a disporportionately large amount of coverage on the story and demand all sorts of inquiries and make heavy handed accusation to Israel.
Although the media seem to "know the risk", they seem unwilling to deal with the consquences.
Another reason may be to balance the situation. Hamas controls media very tightly. Therefore if Israel were to allow full media access you would most certainly see the Palestinian casualties but you would not see any of the rhetoric or actions by Hamas.
As things stand, the lack of transparency IMO makes me more suspicious of Israel's activities than if they had allowed the media in. The media know the risk, why can't they decide for themselves?
I find your logic incredible. One side kills their own people, wraps bombs around their own children, believe in some warped afterlife, are filled with hate, randomly launch missiles into towns and you are suspicious of Israel's activities since they don't want the media in the war zone? I can't invent this stuff, you wrote it. Did I miss something?
I find your logic incredible. One side kills their own people, wraps bombs around their own children, believe in some warped afterlife, are filled with hate, randomly launch missiles into towns and you are suspicious of Israel's activities since they don't want the media in the war zone? I can't invent this stuff, you wrote it. Did I miss something?
Yes ... yes... You appear to miss a lot.
Let me put it for you verrrrrrrrrryyyy simply.
Lack of transparency invokes suspicion be it war, business or everyday life. Logical enough for you?
If their incompetence is taking out UN forklift drivers despite been given their co-ordinates then why shouldn't I believe civilians are being killed through irresponsible/reckless/careless actions.
Note, I am not saying deliberate before you label me as a Hamas sympathiser or anti-semetic as you have done with others.
But then again I'm debating with someone who's flawless black and white, logic is that the media aren't there simply because "it's a war zone".
I find your logic incredible. One side kills their own people, wraps bombs around their own children, believe in some warped afterlife, are filled with hate, randomly launch missiles into towns and you are suspicious of Israel's activities since they don't want the media in the war zone? I can't invent this stuff, you wrote it. Did I miss something?
I think you might have.
Israel is the "good guy" here, right? They have democracy, they are just defending themselves, they aren't doing anything wrong bla bla bla.
So, why ban journalists? What do they have to hide? Maybe nothing. Maybe something.
I don't buy this "they don't want them to get hurt" business either. They are firing missiles into densely packed refugee camps so it comes across as slightly disingenuous to play the "fear of casualties" card on this issue.
And just because we know one side (Hamas) is bad doesn't mean the other side is doing good. It's reasonable to be suspicious of both of the, IMO.
As for the afterlife stuff, don't they all believe in the afterlife over there? I mean on both sides?
