July War: Intro 101

I've been pondering upon the idea of starting a blog way before the July 12th happenings. My life was taking such bizarre twists that I felt I should let the general public in on it.

However, before that date, I was overwhelmed with work and other time consuming activities and was not really in the mood for it.
But, thanks to the "Hizeeeb" (1) (with a heavy southern accent for those of you familiar with it) and the "Yahoood" (2) time is no longer a constraint thank God. We now have plenty of it !!!

So I am gonna start with a message for the regular folks on both sides of the conflict who, like me, are just sitting and watching the madness unfold and who, like me, are sick and tired of pointing fingers and speculating on who started what when and who is to blame.
This conflict goes back so long and has caused enough damages on both sides, it really does not matter now to dwelve into finger pointing. It would be good to start thinking, us the people on the sides, on how we can move forward and how we can throw fresh ideas on the table to unblock the status quo of frozen-macho-mentalities who are currently ruling or calling the shots on both sides.

My message is taken from a book, I recently finished reading, by the Dalai Lama titled "The Art of Happiness". In the book, the co-author Howard Cutler quotes a passage from another author, Graham Green as follows:
"In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed - but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they have brotherly love, five hundred years of democracy and peace and what did they produce ? the cuckoo clock."
Incidentally this passage is quoted in the chapter titled: Finding Meaning in Pain and Suffering !!!
May we all find meaning in what is going on.

My second message is for the Israeli Air Force. Please convey my utmost congratulations to your Nintendo/Xbox/PlayStation pilots, they are doing a wonderful job on the defenseless buildings, bridges, factories and other infrastructures, however, do ask them to hit "abort" when they see truckloads of children and innocent civilians, I mean if their bombs are so smart they should at least be as smart as their bombs or a little bit more and hit the abort button. The body parts of the 4 year old girl splattered on the dirt in Marouahine are on their conscious. I hope next time they see their daughters, sons, nephews and nieces they will think of that girl and not sleep well (or at all) at night.

My third message is for the Lebanese/Arab TV stations. What's with the political and military analysts covering this war as if it was a Monday Night Football game. I know we have a lot of idiots roaming the country or the arab land but do you really need to shove them up our ... faces with their ludicrous analysis and utterly stupid comments. And please stop giving them all those fancy titles, "military strategist", "warfare analyst" and other bogus labels. I mean if we have to judge them by the intellect of their speech one cannot stop but wonder how on earth do people like this end up on my TV during such hard times. I wonder if the Americans can evacuate them, I will pay for their travel expenses.
Finally, for heaven's sake. For Goodness' sake. For Anything-That-is-Holy's sake, keep Elias Atallah (3) OFF the screen. I did not know they gave PhD's in Horseshit.

footnote: I am unable to watch Israeli television however I have the gut feeling that their viewers are also subjected to such idiotic "Analysts". Israeli readers are welcome to enlighten us in this aspect.

My Fourth and final message for this post is for the politicians in charge on both sides:
Mr. Siniora, with all due respect, you and your government are incompetent. Please have the decency to resign and go home.
Mr. Olmert & Mr. Peretz, I know you don't have a military background but you are trying too hard. Back off on the overachieving thing it only denotes your underachieving complex. I mean a lot of civilians are dying because of it. I know it is none of my business but the decency to resign applies here as well.

(1):[Hizballah]
(2):[Jews of Israel as they are called by Lebanese Southerners]
(3): An "enlightened" Member of Lebanese Parliament ...need I say more ?