What Is This?

A priest, a minister and a rabbi walk into a bar and the bartender says: "What is this, some kind of a joke?"

Best Quote

From participants in the rescue at the airplane that ditched in the river yesterday:

“Basically, let me tell you, we were in the right place at the right time,”

Honorio Hector Rabanes, a deckhand on the Thomas Keane, a New York Waterway ferry.

see: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/nyregion/16rescue.html?hp

Israel Is Not So Smart

For many years, Israel has suffered at the hands of hostile Arab neighbors. At first, the Israelis fought back and smote the Arabs mightily and survived.

For the last 30 years, the big neighbors have left Israel pretty much alone. Two have have even signed peace treaties with Israel.

Arab aggression has changed. It is no longer threatening. What Hamas is doing is not good, but it does not endanger Israel's existence.

How is Israel responding? The same old way - with airplanes, helicopters, tanks and massive amounts of explosives. It's not effective against the Hamas rocket throwers and their elusive bosses.

How should Israel (and the rest of the world) respond? With a Marshall plan for the suffering Palestinians. See advertisement by Tikkun (a Jewish organization):

http://www.spiritualprogressives.org/article.php?story=gaza_text

Scroll down to the section entitled: "A Domestic and Global Marshall Plan—Starting with Israel/Palestine."

Compare and Contrast

Not Morality

In today's WaPo, Charles Krauthammer published a column entitled "Moral Clarity in Gaza." He sided with Israel.

According to posted readers' comments very few agreed with him.

What's the problem? Discussing morality is a waste of time because different people have different ideas about what is moral.

The correct issue is "what works."

The proper model is the one followed by the United States vs. Japan at the end of WW II - economic development. The US brought in consultants and experts and taught the Japanese how to manufacture high-quality goods. This policy was so successful that Japan has been at peace for 63 years and has become the world's second largest economy.

Israel and the Western (and oil-rich Arab) nations should help the Palestinians to develop economically. Then, and only then, will there be peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Krauthammer's column at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/01/AR2009010101780.html?hpid=opinionsbox1