Op-ed: US should deal with world’s real pressing issues rather than send Kerry here every two weeks
By Guy Bechor, YNET NEWS
What is an obsession? A compulsive act or thought which repeats itself uncontrollably. That is exactly how one can define the foreign policy of the Obama-Kerry-Hagel trio towards Israeland towards those Arabs called “Palestinians.” Their conduct in this arena should raise an eyebrow.
Let us pretend that North Korea is not threatening to launch the first nuclear attack since World War II; let us pretend that the rival camps in Syria are not using chemical weapons and committing unprecedented war crimes in the Middle East; let us pretend that North Africa, Egypt, Lebanon and Iraq are not being dissolved in front of our eyes, and that Salafi kingdoms are being born instead; let us pretend that the eurozone is breaking apart and the US economy itself is not headed towards collapse. Let us all focus on the “Palestinians.” As far as Secretary of State Kerry is concerned, that it probably the most important thing. Well, what do you know! He wants to come here every two weeks.
Where does this obsession come from? From the inability to admit the collapse of the thesis that Israel and the Palestinian are at the heart of the conflict in the Middle East, and perhaps even in the entire world. After all, such a perception was voiced by new US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel during his hearing before the Senate before his appointment. According to this strange perception, which is being advanced mainly by Jews, if the Palestinian solution is “solved,” planet Earth will be covered with cosmic tranquility.
But then comes the new reality in the region and the world and, what can you do, sets the record straight: Our conflict is marginal, but it has been inflated all these years by Arab and self-serving sources in order to overshadow and hide their real problems: The all-out hatred between the Sunnis and Shiites, the total war between the Arab nationality and the political Islam, the corruption, the tribalism and the tyranny. Now, with what is already ironically called the “Arab Spring,” when everything around it collapsed, Israel really appears to be the last problem in line.
Accept reality
The Palestinians – yes, those who have been enjoying donations of tens of billions of dollars for 20 years now, and this money, how strange, evaporates within seconds – have one of the highest standards of living in the Arab world. They are not being butchered like in Syria, they are not being abused like in Egypt, they are not being bombarded like in Iraq. On the contrary, their life is good, they have a self-government, they have good income and health because Israel watches over them. Without Israel, Fatah and Hamas would have destroyed each other by now, just like what happened in the Gaza Strip in 2007. Can anyone imagine Abbas and his people staying in power without the Israeli patronage? They know that themselves.
The world has turned upside down. Once Israel was described as a problem; today, many already realize that it is actually the solution. But people who have been preaching the opposite all their lives find it difficult to accept. They find it difficult to accept reality.
It’s time for a slightly more realistic American policy, one which responds to what is happening on the ground rather than to covert feelings and illusions of the past. The American taxpayer must from now on ask: If everything is collapsing around us, why are our leaders dealing with the “Palestinians” of all the troubles in the world?
And to the leaders of the United States we can say: It’s okay, it’s time to let go and deal with your burning and pressing problems and the world’s; there is really no need to come here every two weeks.
rongrand Said:
True. But while we were able to run…pure joy
@ Canuck Frank:
Frank, you got that right. We likewise ran all year round, from summer through winter not missing a step. Everyone I ran with had at least knee surgery and hip replacements.
It’s almost 2 years since surgery and I still have some issues. Nerve damage, my leg feels like I was kicked and still stings. I don’t kneel at Mass and there are times I would believe one of my old nuns, the good sisters (IHM nuns) would be tapping me on the shoulder and tell me to kneel and kneel up straight. Even in my mid 70’s you don’t forget some things.
After the surgery my youngest granddaughter asked me about my knee so I said lets look it up on the computer and see a diagram. There was also a video of the procedure. We were watching and to my surprise, they used a sledge hammer to pound in the bottom part of the knee. My granddaughter said “Pop Pop that is gross”. If I would have seen that before the operation, I probably would have opted out. Now I know why my leg still stings.
The rewards of running. Ha Ha
@ rongrand:
@ Canadian Otter:
rongrand, I sympathize with you. I ran (in our group, anyone who runs 25-30 miles a week is a runner, not a jogger) between 1983 and 2007), in the early days 40-45 miles a week, later less. We ran in all sorts of temps, -20F up to 90F, which was the temperature of my first marathon in Pittsburg (1986). My body stopped me from running in 2007 – age & arthritis. I still miss it, though. So now I walk, but it ain’t by choice. By the way, I never ran Boston; in my best days, I was a half an hour short of the qualifying time.
@ Canuck Frank:
@ Canadian Otter:
Fortunately the Eastern part of Pennsylvania saw very little snow this winter. Just the way I like it. Today the lawns are green and daffodils are in full bloom.
This winter I would put bird seeds of various types on the fence post each morning (14 post) and the little birds and doves feed along with the squirrels. We went through a large number of bags of roasted peanuts for the blue jays and squirrels. We sometimes put the peanuts on the porch railing and the blue jays come right up to us and pick up the peanuts. We give them unsalted peanuts.
My wife makes sure there is bird seeds out in the evening for the bunnies. Sometimes they sit and wait for her.
My wife would like a dog again. We had a mixed breed years ago when the sons were young, he had cancer & left us. We later had two briards (very protective) and a black lab (the lab my youngest brought home when he was a student at LSU in Baton Rouge. My wife took to him and kept him home. Told my son she would train him.
Not having a fenced in yard meant we took the dogs out in all kinds of weather to do their business. You don’t allow a briard out without lead
My oldest son has a dog and he and I get along fine. My son says the dog thinks I am the cookie man. Why not.
@ Canadian Otter:
@ rongrand:
not to mention the hardship of high tea at the Empress, followed by some serious whalewatching…(or the other way around?)
@ Canuck Frank:
:-)@ rongrand:
Edmonton: Two to four weeks of Slush Season, four weeks of summer under the aerial blitz of swarms of mosquitos. The rest is winter, howling winds, snowdrifts, and daily temps of minus 30 (-22 F) or colder with windshield.
Another plus in Victoria BC: no mosquitos. Residents here complain of having to shovel all those blossoms in the spring. Oh, the hardship!
@ Canadian Otter:
@ Canuck Frank:
I was always a summer person. Fortunately the Eastern part of Pennsylvania saw very little snow. We had our cold days, noting sever. Today the lawns are green, the daffodils are in full bloom. My youngest son is rearranging plants and bushes around the house and will ready to put down the mulch. I don’t kneel much any more. A former jogger, 25-30 miles per week for over 28 yrs awarded me stress fractures in my left foot which should be corrected and my right knee was scoped twice and finally received a total knee replacement. I now tell everyone, walk don’t run.
A group of us met daily and we ran the streets and bridges unfortunately we weren’t smart enough to know we should have replaced our running shoes because the soles compress before they wear out. Once compressed, they no longer absorb the shock. After I wore out the cartilage I ended up walking bone on bone. Doctors say my vascular system works fine. (BTW, the knee operation takes generally 1 to 1 1/2 hrs. I ended up in surgery for over 8 hrs. after working on the knee replacement doctors were unable to get a pulse in my foot and finally decided to call in a vascular surgeon to do a arterial bypass).
Walk don’t run.
@ Canadian Otter:
@ rongrand:
I spent 3 days in Edmonton in early Deecember. I forgot the year, but I arrived the night John Lennon was shot. Anyway, I was visitng the oil fields and I was never so cold in my life. I think the Edmonton summer happens on July 24 – the rest of the year it’s winter.
@ rongrand:
@ Canuck Frank:
Southern Vancouver Island has a rather mild climate. No snow (maybe once a year and we got none this year).
Winter temperatures around 5 degrees above zero Celsius, or 41 Fahrenheit.
People jog in shorts year round.
I know real winters from my years in Edmonton, Alberta. Otters love it here.
@ rongrand:
Southern Ontario is a little more temperate, but we do have some cold days – that’s why we “picked” friends who live in LA. They are kind enough to invite us during the winter.
@ Canuck Frank:
My goodness Frank, you know it’s been many moons ago I was stationed at a SAC Base, near Caribou in Northern Maine, close to the Canadian border. We use to visit Grand Falls, New Brunswick, Canada. The people I remember were very friendly and unlike other locations they had no problem with the G.I.’s .
Only bad feature, I am not crazy about the COLD and it was COLD. In the dead of the winter we use to remove the battery from our vehicle and store it in the barracks. A nice warm battery is nice to have in the AM when it’s around -15% or more and you need to start your engine. Sometimes that didn’t even help.
When I finally finished my tour, as I and a friend were heading south to PA & NY the military police at the gate waved us on and said “See you around”. I remarked to my friend, not me, too COLD.
@ Canadian Otter:
You’re right. He can screw up the US the other two weeks of the month. But – sorry my US friends – the US is screwed, anyway. Not to be a pessimist, but since the problems of the US trickle down to the rest of the Western world…
@ Canuck Frank:
You wish! … Kerry is now giving green light for the Chinese to invest in American infrastructure. http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/kerry-welcomes-chinese-investment-americas-infrastructure_716360.html
China has proposed getting large parcels of US real estate for development zones in exchange for some of US debt. Under the plan, China would own U.S. businesses, U.S. infrastructure and U.S. high-value land, all with a U.S. government guarantee against loss.
http://www.wnd.com/2013/01/china-poised-to-play-debt-card-for-u-s-land/
If Kerry goes to Israel every second week and pays his bills promptly, he will contribute to the economy. He’ll be ignored by both parties, anyway. Meanwhile, he’ll stay away from problems he would otherwise screw up. What’s the problem?
@ yamit82:
I have the (unsubstanciated) idea that Barghouti is a chip that Israel keeps safe in prison , to protect him from being murdered by rivals , as a last resort to lead a more friendly Pal entity. Am I that far wrong?
@ Andy Lewis:
“All The Time in The World”
Bernard Ross Said:
I have heard some rumors and seen in past few weeks some news blurbs to the effect. I guess he figures since Israel kept her distance when he went to Gaza he feels safe and secure these days. Were that to happen Israel will probably release Marwan Barghouti from prison on some pretext to run against him.
yamit82 Said:
It looks as if someone did tell them to frack off,.
on a side note: have you heard about this idea that Meshaal had been jockeying for PLO head or another high post?
@ Bernard Ross:
Update:
Abbas accepts Fayyad’s resignation as PA prime minister
At Ramallah meeting, Palestinian president thanks departing PM for his service; US had asked the two to resolve their 🙂
The US is so habituated to its policy of meddling in the worlds affairs that Kerry had the gall to phone Abbas to convince him to reconcile with Fayad. Imagine calling president of a country and asking him to keep his prime minister LOL 🙂 I suppose if no one tells them to frack off then these meddlings will continue. Then again that’s probably how BB appointed the pathetic Livni
yamit82 Said:
Furthermore, the “democracy” is showing itself to be a scam when it really matters. Bought and blackmailed politicians and judges, on both pretend sides, do whatever they want. E. G. Whether the “birther” issues are true or false I notice that the cases have never been decided on the actual issues in question. Any real scandal gets squashed by the agreement of both parties.
@ yamit82:
Leave Britney alone!!!!!
One solution to American officials and NGOs traveling to Israel to make it their obsession when so many hotspots are burning is to ignore them and give them the same treatment Netanyahu and his team received at the White House by Obama during his first term.
The Palestinians, as the writer noted so well, are the most pampered people on the planet: if they properly used the enormous aid and help given to them then they would be thriving. Instead, they direct that aid to foreign bank accounts and into weapons to kill Israelis. They should thank Israel from keeping them from tearing themselves to bits like all the other raging conflicts surrounding Israel.
The Obama administration has much too much time on its hands if they think that the Palestinians need any more funds and attention.
I agree that the behavior of America and the world defy rational explanations therefore I suggest we look for irrational explanations, even what some might consider the most irrational of explanations. I have my own ideas concerning that irrationality.
Interesting request in view of the fact that it was and is America herself who was the prime geopolitical architect of many if not most of those very same problems.
First you create the problems and then when they become too threatening, (like Whit Knights) you jump in with your ultimate end game solutions to help rectify what you have already created or helped to create. By helping to create much of the cause and effect of much of the worlds global dysfunction I would hardly look to the LUMPEN “American Taxpayer” who are so preoccupied with reality TV shows, Spectator Sports, Pop Heroes and Icons, salacious Court Drama on TV, Guns etc. Random interviews asked if Americans knew where Cyprus was, as it was a Lead item in the news. None could give a correct answer. The American people are the most ignorant self absorbed and insular people this side of North Korea.
The lives of Americans are so inwardly focused that all American governments can do pretty much what they please as long as gas (petrol) stays below some imaginary upper level, Big Mac’s are still cheap, new gadgets come on the market each year to wow and concentrate the public interest away from what a few are doing at the top. They are kept ignorant but fat, controlled by what the Romans called Bread and Circuses.