Why Are We Rebuilding Gaza?

[Hassan]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1790508' date='Feb 24 2009, 05:10 PM']Who rebuilt buildings after our Revolutionary War, or Civil War? We did. We also received the pride that goes along with it. Everytime we intervene in someone else's internal conflict, we rob them of their George Washington's and Patrick Henry's. If we had stayed out of Iraq, the various factions would have eventually had to work together to get rid of Sadam, setting the alliances that could be running their country right now.

If we go in and rebuild Gaza, it will be our buildings, not theirs. If they have to work together to kick Hamas out, and to rebuild things, then things will belong to the people. As to our aid to Israel, our government doesn't have any business sending aid money to any country that has a better financial situation than the US does. We of course should send our personal donations to rebuild any of our churches that were damaged on either side of the border.[/quote]


Those are some very different situations. The Israeli's currently occupy Gaza, a huge portion of the population i dependent on international aid to survive, and the major infrastructure was wiped out. I mean I do understand what you are saying but post revolutionary war America and present day Gaza just don't seem even near the same ball park, to me anyway.

[CatherineM]

[quote name='Hassan' post='1791151' date='Feb 25 2009, 12:05 AM']Those are some very different situations. The Israeli's currently occupy Gaza, a huge portion of the population i dependent on international aid to survive, and the major infrastructure was wiped out. I mean I do understand what you are saying but post revolutionary war America and present day Gaza just don't seem even near the same ball park, to me anyway.[/quote]

I was talking more about our general foreign policies about intervening in civil wars or where we don't approve of the ruling bodies. We we treat other countries like 20+ year old children who have failed to launch, they are never going to be able to stand on their own, settle their own disputes. We seem to think that everyone should agree with us, and get along when we tell them to. We have forgotten how many fights our young country had. Alexander Hamilton wouldn't agree that everything went smoothly. We expect countries to solve their problems overnight. We didn't, and just because a certain system worked for us, doesn't mean it is the solution for every country. Our foreign policy has not worked for years. I think it may be time for us to try some hands off, and take care of the planks in our own eyes for a change.

[Madame Vengier]

[quote name='RemnantRules' post='1790445' date='Feb 24 2009, 03:33 PM']before there becomes a huge debate remember that both are wrong. debating which is less evil is not what we should be arguing. Both killed innocent people and we need to find ways to resolve this jointly, but not blaming one side of the other.[/quote]


Why shouldn't we blame one side or the other when one side is to blame? I don't see the logic here. The one who is truly to blame gets to continue their aggression while the one in defensive mode gets blamed.

[Madame Vengier]

[quote name='kujo' post='1790438' date='Feb 24 2009, 03:28 PM']How many rockets were fired by Hamas? How big were they? How many Israelis were killed by them?

Now, compare that to Israel's response...[/quote]


The blame is always on "Israel's response". How many times have the Palestinians lodged rockets from Gaza into Israel and were greeted with NO response from Israel? How many times? When Israel finally fires back and fires back hard, they are blamed for "over-reacting". More fuzzy logic.

[Hassan]

[quote name='Madame Vengier' post='1791210' date='Feb 25 2009, 08:27 AM']The blame is always on "Israel's response". How many times have the Palestinians lodged rockets from Gaza into Israel and were greeted with NO response from Israel? How many times? When Israel finally fires back and fires back hard, they are blamed for "over-reacting". More fuzzy logic.[/quote]

Has Israel ever wronged the Palestinians?

[abercius24]

[quote name='Hassan' post='1789884' date='Feb 23 2009, 10:51 PM']Should we also stop all funding of Israel?[/quote]

It's a little late for that. But we certainly should be putting pressure on Israel to clean up their mess in Palestine.

[quote name='Aloysius' post='1790414' date='Feb 24 2009, 02:03 PM']It should be Israel's responsibility to rebuild Gaza... they're the ones that demolished it, right? you brerak it, you bought it[/quote]

Right.

[quote name='Hassan' post='1791254' date='Feb 25 2009, 09:17 AM']Has Israel ever wronged the Palestinians?[/quote]

Palestine exists because Israel has treated their Arab citizens like second rate citizens for over half of a century. Prior to 4 year ago, Palestinians were Israeli citizens -- citizens who regularly had to live without public utilities -- such as electricity, water, sewage, hospitals, etc. And though Israel has given the Gaza strip over to the Palestinians to govern themselves, they did not insure that the Palestinian government was capable of governing itself -- particularly on the level of financing their own infrastructure and civil defense. As a result, Hamas has taken over. Now, I don't think Israel deserves the violence Hamas is waging on them with their terrorist attacks. I do think Israel is responsible for allowing terrorists to take control of the Gaza strip and for creating such hostility among their former Arab citizens. That responsibility alone tells me that we should expect Israel to support not only the rebuilding of Palestine, but the financing of its infrastucture to the point they become self sufficient -- and ultimately a free and healthy society.

Edited February 26, 2009 by abercius24