Obama's Reelected, Let's Bomb Gaza Again

[shadowbinding shoe]

The Egyptians control how much the upstream countries can take out, yes. "Stealing" is your word.

That was what Lorien was talking about. Countries making claims over the waters in rivers that originate in other countries is as common as... water.

[awesome possum]

I could honestly care less about causes and who's to blame.

What I do care about is seeing numbers like, "113 Palestinians killed, 840 wounded including 225 children" compared with "3 Israelis killed, dozens wounded."

No matter who is to blame, or the history of the situation or any of those other circumstances, when you see numbers like that you can't help but think of a group of big mean bullies beating the hell out of a group of runts because one of them told a "your mama" joke.

[Yoadm]

Shryke:

You are weasling again and trying to change the subject:

You claimed the UK would have done the same in the same situation. You've still not backed this up at all.

Actually I did. When the UK did not have land controll, like in Serbia, it used its airforce, as part of the Nato operation. Need I remind you how many civilians died? And this was against a country that did not directly threaten its security and its civilians on a daily basis.

eanwhile, the UK was getting attacked from places it lacked "boots on the ground". It still didn't start chucking missiles around.

The attacks were indirectly backed by elements insde Ireland, but since the UK was not at war with Ireland, and the Irish government was at peace with it, naturally that couldn't happen. Same as with elements attacking Israel from Egypt. We don't directly attack them in the Sini.

[Yoadm]

You say that as if Israel has never fought back before. Either you don't watch the news or I've been having some dreams that are rather more vivid and foreign affairs-oriented than is typical.

I wouldn't say it ever outright refused to defend itself, but when it used far more restraint, it encouraged, rather than discouraged its enemies to continue firing.

[Samalander]

[israel stealing gas rant]

Me: :stunned:

- Lebanon can cry all they want that we are drilling in their pond. This is not the case. International Water boundries, as they relate to economic exploitation of resources do not go along straight lines. Given the boundaries we established with Cyprus and the UN, it is a simple matter of trigonometry. The Lebanese need to make more use of their Goniometers, rather than scream Israel is stealing everything from under them.

- As far as I know, the Palestinians have a deal with BP or British Gas for their gas resevoir, which nobody is taking from them. OTH, can't say that anybody is buying it off them either, as we are the major client around, and we are currently not inclined to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars into their pockets.

[israel stealing water rant (in tanker trucks, no less)]

Me: :lmao:

With some of the most cutting-edge desalination plants in the world, we are actually giving water to Arab countries (like Jordan). True, some internationally recognized restrictions do apply to countries whose water source runs later in other countries. That is not "stealing".

[The Iceman of the North]

With some of the most cutting-edge desalination plants in the world, we are actually giving water to Arab countries (like Jordan). True, some internationally recognized restrictions do apply to countries whose water source runs later in other countries. That is not "stealing".

Which make sense. Israel would never consider Lebanon providing water to their own villages a casus belli.

[Robin Of House Hill]

[israel stealing gas rant]

Me: :stunned:

- Lebanon can cry all they want that we are drilling in their pond. This is not the case. International Water boundries, as they relate to economic exploitation of resources do not go along straight lines. Given the boundaries we established with Cyprus and the UN, it is a simple matter of trigonometry. The Lebanese need to make more use of their Goniometers, rather than scream Israel is stealing everything from under them.

- As far as I know, the Palestinians have a deal with BP or British Gas for their gas resevoir, which nobody is taking from them. OTH, can't say that anybody is buying it off them either, as we are the major client around, and we are currently not inclined to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars into their pockets.

[israel stealing water rant (in tanker trucks, no less)]

Me: :lmao:

With some of the most cutting-edge desalination plants in the world, we are actually giving water to Arab countries (like Jordan). True, some internationally recognized restrictions do apply to countries whose water source runs later in other countries. That is not "stealing".

As expected, Israel is right and everyone else is wrong.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Riparian water rights make my head hurt.

[Opisthokont]

A truce has been negotiated, apparently. For some reason I can't find it in any English language papers yet.

[The Iceman of the North]

Having arguments about water rights is nothing new, and happens wherever there are border crossing water ways in areas where water is a scarce resource. What is unusual is these times is the constant use of threat of war to get their way, like Israel does.

ETA: Let's hope the cease fire will hold.

[Yoadm]

Having arguments about water rights is nothing new, and happens wherever there are border crossing water ways in areas where water is a scarce resource. What is unusual is these times is the constant use of threat of war to get their way, like Israel does.

Is it? Egypt recently threatened war over Ethiopia's plan to divert the Nile River. It becomes far more common when two countries are already at a state of war.

[Datepalm]

Yoad, what do you think of Egypt agreeing to open the Rafah passage as part of the ceasefire?

(meanwhile, the rocket on RIshon fell right in the block where half my old commune crew is from, and my mothers insane friend (the one who thinks the earth is shaped like a doughnut. Don't ask, the man is a chartered surveyor) was at our place when we heard the Jerusalem rocket landings today (great timing with Ban Ki Moon there) and claimed they drilled a hole through to Chile. Better and better.)

[Shryke]

Yoad, what do you think of Egypt agreeing to open the Rafah passage as part of the ceasefire?

We'll see where it goes but I've kinda been expecting something like this since Egypt changed governments. I think everyone has, to be honest.

(meanwhile, the rocket on RIshon fell right in the block where half my old commune crew is from, and my mothers insane friend (the one who thinks the earth is shaped like a doughnut. Don't ask, the man is a chartered surveyor) was at our place when we heard the Jerusalem rocket landings today (great timing with Ban Ki Moon there) and claimed they drilled a hole through to Chile. Better and better.)

Wait, so is the hole to Chili the normal doughnut hole, or is this a new one?

[Yoadm]

Yoad, what do you think of Egypt agreeing to open the Rafah passage as part of the ceasefire?

That border (former philadelphi road) has been compromised since 2005, so I'm not sure if it can be worse than before from a weapons smuggling point of view.

[Galactus]

Yoad, what do you think of Egypt agreeing to open the Rafah passage as part of the ceasefire?

(meanwhile, the rocket on RIshon fell right in the block where half my old commune crew is from, and my mothers insane friend (the one who thinks the earth is shaped like a doughnut. Don't ask, the man is a chartered surveyor) was at our place when we heard the Jerusalem rocket landings today (great timing with Ban Ki Moon there) and claimed they drilled a hole through to Chile. Better and better.)

On some level I'm thinking his insanity is a defence mechanism against the insanity of the real world. Imagining the wonder of a hole to Chile sounds a lot more pleasant than the reality of rockets.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

I need more information on "the Earth as Donut" hypothesis.

[Datepalm]

I meant as a Hamas ego/popularity boost, in terms of 'look what I got' - I suppose Israel can always demand it closed again when they start firing again next month, but will Egypt cooperate at that point?

[Samalander]

Hamas executes own people. Drags bodies through streets.

http://news.national...-street-corner/

What fun party people they are...

What I do care about is seeing numbers like, "113 Palestinians killed,

What I care about is that 50% of those were bloody-minded, violent, never-ever-heard-of-Geneva-Convention-and-wouldn't-give-a-damn-if-I-had killers.

Would I like the percentage to be higher? Yes, I would. But considering how many of our civilians would be dead if these guys were allowed to live...

[Ser Reptitious]

This is not that difficult to understand. If someone is living in a situation one considers unbearable, and keeps saying "something has to done", and finally one's leader actually does something, anything, that leader will gain popularity.

Given the choice between "let's escalate this conflict" and "there's bound to be reasonable people on the other side, let's talk to them (either directly or through intermediaries)" I would expect people to favour the latter.

Yes, yes, Samalander, I can almost hear you already replying "we tried that, it didn't work". But the reason why it hasn't worked in the past has far more to do with the inability of both sides to reign in their own hardliners, rather than one side as a whole simply being unwilling to give negotiations a chance. It wasn't an Arab that assassinated Yitzhak Rabin, after all. Don't think that lesson is lost on Bibi.

The reason why this conflict seems so intractable is because it is far easier for the leaders on both sides to continue scapegoating the other side, rather than facing down radical elements within their own constituency. It's a complete failure of leadership on both sides, essentially.

[Robin Of House Hill]

Hamas executes own people. Drags bodies through streets.

http://news.national...-street-corner/

What fun party people they are...

Would you prefer that they gave spies, milk and cookies?