Making America as "Secure" as Israel

[idontwantaname]

remember: this is an article. i do not necessarily "agree" with it but to criticize the state is NOT the same as to criticize the people/religion.
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The ADL's Security Junkets
Making America as "Secure" as Israel
By ALISON WEIR

http://www.counterpunch.org/weir02012005.html

<snip>

... despite Israel's enormous military might (paid for by American
taxpayers to the tune of over $10 million per day), Israelis are among the
most terrified populations in today's world. Israelis feel unsafe in their
cafes, on their streets, in their homes. They're frightened to ride their
own city buses. (The wealthy, of course, don't. They take taxis and private
cars.) And going to the mall in many parts of Israel is an experience that
not many Americans would be eager to replicate here. Being searched by armed
soldiers in combat gear before being allowed to enter, and then shopping
amid people with loaded rifles strapped to their backs as they peruse the
toy section is not a delight many of us would wish to copy.

<snip>

Nevertheless, despite their relative comfort, Israelis are not living in a
condition that I wish to emulate.

The fact is, Israeli governmental security and policy "experts" have long
promulgated policies of such ruthlessness and cruelty that a tiny but lethal
number of their victims finally began to fight back. In the current
intifada, 140 Palestinians were killed before a similar Jewish death on
Israeli soil; 84 Palestinian children were killed before a single Israeli
child. Now, as Palestinian deaths continue to spiral upward, Israeli deaths,
while still significantly fewer, continue to grow as well.

<snip>

Alison Weir is Executive Director of If Americans Knew.

[yinkaafrica]

1. Excellent piece

[pelsar]

2. wow,,,,,talk about being "dated"....

I thought it was about the start of the intifada II, when we were nervous about getting on busses.....

but now?
Being searched by armed soldiers in combat gear before being allowed to enter

oops....a slight exageration if you want to call a private citizen with a handgun...an "armed soldier in combat gear"

and i believe he is talking about soldiers on leave here......shopping
amid people with loaded rifles strapped to their backs....and the rifles arent loaded....been with us since 1948

guess the writer doesnt know, or care to know much about our society...
hey're frightened to ride their own city buses. (The wealthy, of course, don't. They take taxis and private cars.)

all in all....not much substance in this one.....

[idontwantaname]

3. i think...

the writer definitely exaggerates israeli society... based on foggy or jumbled experiences of what she remembers of israel. perhaps its more of memories of check points and settlers out shopping... or at a rally...

i remember my first ride on a bus in tel aviv. id be lying if i were to say i wasnt afraid of a suicide bombing... and to think... i suppose to be here to help them...

at least the ride was free that day.

[pelsar]

4. times have changed....

riding the busses during the height of the bombings did make people nervous, though it didnt stop them, nor from going into malls, though one did look around, and I avoided malls for a while....but thats in the past and been there for a couple of years...

i guess what really pissed me was the "rich/poor thing...hinting that only the poor get bombed while the rich are safe....i prefer to be demonized on the military aspect than on the social aspect....(I'll have to give it some thought as to why)

I kept thinking.....well were a two car family, guess that makes us "super rich"...just glad my 14 year old doesnt realize that.....

[Carlos Martillo]

5. Americans don't live in someone else's country.

The remnants of the original inhabitants make up 1-2% of our population, as opposed to a majority.

Americans would have the same terror concerns if they lived in, say, Palestine, and claimed it was theirs.