I know I haven't written for a while but here are some issues that Iwant to address:
1. Isreal - Gaza
2. Obama - prosecution of Bush administration war crimes and violations of the constitution

I don't know if I will get to the real crux in this post, just don't have enough time to sit and write.

It is very difficulty to come to terms with what Isreal has done. The justification for killing and maiming 1000s of people - the rocket attacks - just doesn't cut it for me. However, how else do you deal with an organization like Hamas - that is how do you deal with a government whose goal is your eradication? It is also true that the people in Gaza supported these guys by voting them into office in a free election. So the conclusion would be that the people of Gaza are also complicit in Hamas's goals? (It would be equally safe to assume then that we in the US - all of us - are liable for what's happening in Iraq and Afghanistan then).

Of course there is an entire history that goes back 60 years with regard to Gaza and the West Bank, the partition, Zionism, etc... I am not getting into all of that here. What I will say is that justifying a murderous act based on recent incidents is not compelling. These acts are clearly designed to get such a reaction from Israel (and Israel's actions are designed to instigate such acts as well). So both parties are quite at fault for what has happened.

The problem for me is that I would hope that my own people would attempt to be able to figure all of this out and not over-react in this way. The current acts will serve to perpetuate and deepen hatred of Israel by their Arab neighbors and by other's around the world. This will lead to more suicide bombs and other horrible actions. It is easy to minimize the pain and suffering of those with whom you are in conflict, but they are equally in pain when their children, parents, sisters, brothers, grandparents, and friends are killed as are ours.

While I certainly understand that a nihilistic viewpoint (that held by right wing folks) can be rationalized, I will not buy into it. That is, one can look at the world as a place in which you must kill or be killed. One of the bottom line facts is that these Palastinians in Gaza do not have any chance to annihilate Israel - unless it is from the inside out when Israel fails to agree to establish a Palestinian state and facilitate the whole endeavor. What could be more positive than Israel providing full on infrastruture building, financing, housing, and other support when Gaza and the West Bank become Palestine. Yes I know, they want it all - but everyone wants it all.



As for Obama and prosecutions -- the generall Buzz is that they are not going to pursue prosecutions of war crimes (torture, rendition, etc) or constitutional violations (wiretapping, suspention of habeas corpus, etc...). I am deeply worried about this decision. It is very clear that war crimes and constitutional violations have been committed and that it is Bush and his cohorts who have been doing it. The John Yoos of this world deserve serious punishment and he deserves banishment from the Bar for his distortions of reality.

However, I believe the real reason for Obama not wanting to prosecute is that if they do, top democrats in Congress will be found to be responsible for these decisions as well. We don't hear Senate committee chairs asking for prosecutions - why? Because in their meetings with Bush they decided to help the guy. Now perhaps there is secret information that pointed them in the direction of allowing these crimes. But who would have believed the Bush administration's claims of intelligence after Iraq WMDs? It is also possible that the democrats are also so jingoistic and "America only" in their attitudes that they were as enthusiastic to support these crimes as was Bush.

I believe that this is the most likely reason for those in power to avoid responsibility for these crimes. I hope that Holder will change his mind, but I am not encouraged.