Reply #9: It isn't 'sickness of the Palestinians'...

[LeftishBrit]

It's 'sickness of peoples at war'. Wars breed hatred, dehumanization of the 'others', celebration of violence, etc.

I've just been looking at a collection of verses from WW2 by British writer A.P. Herbert. This was as clear an example of justified war as one can have; there was truly no alternative but to fight and to win. However, one can still notice a bloodthirsty hatred for all Germans and Japanese and gloating over civilian as well as military suffering, that could be called 'sick'.

'There'll always be a Hitler
To worry you and me
Until we take the German race
And sink it in the sea'.


'Plod on, poor frozen Fritzes;
Plod on, poor frozen Frau;
You who invented blitzes
Are in the business now..

Sing 'Heil' to mighty Russia,
Farewell to farm and shack.
This is an end of Prussia
And you're not coming back'.


'Each little piece (of broken glass from a home damaged by air-raids) I pluck from a flowerbed
Is a piece of Hitler, soiling the English spring.
For each I cry a curse on a German head,
And when I remember Aachen - I laugh and sing.'


And for Japan:

'...Do you remember, long ago
When earthquakes toppled Tokyo?
We passed the plate, we filled our caps
With hard-won pennies for the Japs.

This is Bushido. This is how
Our children are rewarded now.
When God again afflicts Japan,
Let her not look to mortal man;
And God bless those who mean to make
The whole of that vile island quake.'


So: wars do corrupt people into celebrating violence and hatred for enemies. I hope that one day, before too long, the Israelis and Palestinians will be able to co-exist in peace. After all, it's been some time since the English and Japanese hated each other.