The Fertile Crescent

Not long ago I posted my absolute disgust with Israel and Hamas in Gaza over their inability to live with each other. The blame I think falls directly at the feet of of Israeli PM Netanyahu and his hard line Conservative policies and also at the feet of the Iranian proxy fighters, the terrorists of Hamas. I pointed out the obvious that the real victims were the innocent civilians of both sides. 

All of this was apparent right at the outset on October 7th when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, killing around 1200 innocent people and taking many hostages, many of whom were tortured and raped. What followed was the over the top military response by Israel.

Now, the shock of that attack from Gazan terrorists has been replaced with the dread of another regional conflict that might last for years. It will gather more momentum and possibly drag other countries into the fighting. ........ All because the leaders of both sides are stupidly stubborn and willing to kill innocent people to make their points. 

Contrary to the advice of the USA and other countries who have been in this same position because of knee jerk military responses in their past, Israel seems determined to make similar mistakes. The IDF's overwhelming firepower that has resulted in over 15,000 Palestinian deaths in less than two months proves they have no more regard for human life than Hamas does.

I was told by someone I respect that I had an overly simplistic view of the many conflicts in the Mid -East.  They claimed I was not considering all the blatant reasons that were intertwined with age old regional complaints and policies. Quick and simple solutions were not feasible they said.

Fuck that.

This kind of stupidity is simple. The endless blabbering of reasons, of shifting blame, are what make conflicts like this complicated and make them last far longer than they should. The simple solution is and always has been right in front of the combatants.  ..... Stop fighting and talk to each other. 

....... Don't hold your breath.

I have sat on this post and been avoiding any comment on the recent horror show that is unfolding in Gaza. No matter what I say, I will be the asshole as I feel the two of them deserve each other. But I cannot just sit back and watch the assholes on either side of this madness continue their murderous bullshit without calling both of them out. It took two brutal leaderships to create this absolute Hell on Earth. Neither side can claim the moral high ground, no matter what weak excuse either comes up with.

I have nothing but the deepest contempt for the current Right Wing Authoritarian leaning Israeli government under the thumb of Benjamin Netanyahu and total, unequivocal hatred for Hamas as they act as proxies for others intent on Israel's destruction. This conflict is a no win situation that once again puts innocent people in the cross hairs of both sides.

The real goals for either side in this war are political in nature. Throughout history though, Humanity learned early on that to ease their conscience's for acting horrifically against others and to secure support for their heinous actions, they had to come up with excuses that they could hide behind. Religion and defending it from infidels and heathens became perfect go to excuses upon which battles and invasions were planned. It is an old and honored tradition in warfare to blame the other side's lack of faith in the real god and by god, we will make you pray to our god so we can save what's left of you when we are done raping and pillaging. 

No other area of the world is a better example of this than the Fertile Crescent. Thousands of armies have swept back and forth through the Mid-East over the last 10,000 years at least. Most of the conflicts, if not all, had religion at their core. This conflict is no different. Both are playing the religion card when it suits them. Differences in religion should never have been used to justify blowing up the neighborhood unless that religion was founded, at least in part, to support acting like assholes to others.

And people wonder why I hate organized religion of any kind.

Later ................................................

______________________________

It was a struggle to find a tune that fit my mood after writing this post. I walked away from the computer, did some menial chores, brewed another pot of coffee, and sparked up a doob. When I came back and sat down to find a tune that fit my mood, I quickly zeroed in on Alicia Keys', "Holy War" .

The lyrics:

If war is holy and sex is obscene
We've got it twisted in this lucid dream
Baptized in boundaries, schooled in sin
Divided by difference, sexuality and skin

Oh, so we can hate each other and fear each other
We can build these walls between each other
Baby, blow by blow and brick by brick
Keep yourself locked in, yourself locked in
Yeah, we can hate each other and fear each other
We can build these walls between each other
Baby, blow by blow and brick by brick
Keep yourself locked in, yourself locked

Oh, maybe we should love somebody
Oh, maybe we could care a little more
So maybe we should love somebody
Instead of polishing the bombs of holy war

What if sex was holy and war was obscene
And it wasn't twisted, what a wonderful dream
Living for love, unafraid of the end
Forgiveness is the only real revenge

Oh, so we can heal each other and fill each other
We can break these walls between each other
Baby, blow by blow and brick by brick
Keep yourself open, yourself open
Yeah, we can heal each other and fill each other
We can break these walls between each other
Baby, blow by blow and brick by brick
Keep yourself open, you're open

So maybe we should love somebody
Maybe we could care a little more
So maybe we should love somebody
Instead of polishing the bombs of holy war

What if love is holy and hate obscene
We should give life to this beautiful dream
'Cause peace and love ain't so far
If we nurse our wounds before they scar
Nurse our wounds before they scar