topic by
John Calvin
12/12/2001 (21:43)

'more and more, their suicide bombers have targeted Israeli civilians. A battleship or an Israeli tank is one thing; a three year-old waiting for his mother to cut his pizza for him is quite another.'

Why is it different? Of course the three year old is innocent but isn't the responsibility of the child's parents to keep it safe, especially in a so-called democracy where ordinary citizens vote and not only reap the rewards of good policy but must bear the burden of bad ones? If I live in a democracy and even vote a thousand times for someone who opposes the evil, destructive policies of my government, I'm still liable to suffer the consequences of that policy as the price of freedom and the reliance I have placed (implicitly) in the rule of the majority. I am not somehow, someway 'mystically immune'.In a real war, everyone makes sacrifices and suffers. Strictly 'military contest' in which cvilians are 'immune' is certainly a thing of the past, if it ever existed as anything but a theory at all.

Furthermore the actions of the U.S. government in recent years have in no way exempted the crushing and annihilation of civilians, perhaps with even less regard for those who never in their life had a chance to vote in even one real election, 'collateral damage' and 'unfortunate errors' not withstanding since everytime a bomb is dropped that happens no matter how 'smart' we think it or 'we' is.

This is suppossed to be a 'war' on terrorism yet people still speak as if it is not really a war and think bombing civilians is somehow not the usual or 'humane' custom.

This kind of sophistry undermines my confidence in Robert Fisk thinking and the genuine integrity of his world view.