The Longbow Papers

Link to Main Blog Page

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

It's a Real Estate Deal, Stupid

5:08 PM

By Leslie Collings

As I sit here in my apartment, in Beijing, China, far away from any sort of war zone, I am confronted with the disgusting images and morbid sights of yet another Middle East killing field, while a succession of CNN TV news commentators vary the presentation, each in their own way, for maximum viewer satisfaction, curiosity and voyeuristic excitement. Yes, it is totally disgusting that supposedly civilized and intelligent people, not only like watching war and horror, but also applaud political commentators, military experts, pontificating government officials and so called power people, who wring their hands while constantly coming out with a repetitive mantra of their own convenient opinion.

Man's inhumanity to man? It is endless in its constant reality of just how bad and cruel the human race can be to itself. I am amazed that CNN has 20 correspondents, yes, 20 of them, covering this 'Middle East Crisis.' They have practically cleaned out their ability to cover news in any other location, anywhere else in the world, just to make sure they can show every gory detail and enable viewers to listen to every dramatic word of war. Why does a major news channel behave in such a manner? Is it because they are an American news channel? Or perhaps they are complying with State Department instructions; well perhaps it is a request only but...better do it!

I have never, in all my life--and I've been around quite awhile--heard so much garbage and sheer drivel, spoken by supposedly educated and intelligent people, constantly, 3 or 4 times an hour every hour! Add to that low rated collection, pomposity on a grand scale from the Prime Minister of Israel, the usual 'cowboy gait' from George 'what again' Bush, with his standard uneducated line lambasting Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah, courtesy of Condi Rice, and her complete disregard for the historic injustices of the past throughout the whole region.

More than 30 years of intransigence and all because of a patch of undulating land covered in rocks, which participants to the 'we want the biggest piece' brigade, have offered just platitudes, bullets from the end of U.S. made guns, and home made bombs constructed by nimble fingers in desperation. Democracy for all is the cry, while not even one group has ever got it right.

It is a Real Estate Deal. That is what it is all about. Of course, plus control of the water flowing down the middle of it and that is not a little issue. If all the parties could (they never will of course) sit around a table with a big map of the whole area with its current borders set out according to all parties and then give and take until a new map was agreed upon? Wow! That really would be something. However, don't hold your breath waiting as Israel and the USA, which the Jewish lobby influences so cleverly through funding the political system in America, act like spoilt little children, only wanting everything their way.

How absolutely insane can grown up people be? Bush preaches hate of Hezbollah. He does it constantly and wants them totally removed from the map of players. He demands and his other heartbeat Condi Rice concurs, urged on by the Israelis, that Hezbollah must stop all action immediately, give up, fade away and suffer total ignominy. What is even worse, he actually believes it will happen. Stupid, stupid little person. I can't call him a man with that kind of attitude. He has learnt nothing from history, but then most sensible people already realize his limitations.

History in China and their culture provides an excellent analogy. Yes, I live in China and have learnt over the years the wise and sometimes intractable attitudes they have to statements they make. Take for example the matter of Taiwan. China has said and most of the world agrees with them, that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. It is and China will never, never, ever, reverse that fact and go back on its word. It is quite impossible. To do so would be to lose face Big Time. And that simply could never happen.

Hezbollah is now an integral part of Lebanon. It is part of the government of Lebanon. It looks after the people, nurses them when sick, provides education for the children, cares for the needy and is a cornerstone of social services in Lebanon. For them to back away and run, to give up their arms and run, is impossible. It could simply never happen. The lesson from China clearly illustrates what is reality.

Hezbollah will never quit. They will remain as an integral part of Lebanon and if the real estate in the region is cut up and redrawn fairly, peace will prevail. Israel will never be allowed to be the only viable army in the region. No way. Perhaps Hezbollah will become the biggest part of the Lebanese army. So what is wrong with that, other than twisting Bush's nose out of place and causing the strutting Prime Minister of Israel to continue behaving and looking like some maniacal, blood thirsty dictator of years past?

Perhaps the one good idea that Israel has come up with is their idea of building a very high wall to keep the Palestinians out, they say, and Israel safe. I subscribe to the opposite view. The high wall will keep Israel behind it and hidden from view, where they can enjoy their rocks and keep paying for their mobilized army, without bothering others.

Peace can then prevail across the region and the real estate fairly re-allocated.

Leslie Collings, a most proper Englishman, has spent most of the last 5 decades living in East Asia. He first starting doing business on the Mainland of China not too long after Nixon left, and he's done rather well at it. We are again grateful that more of his writing and somewhat iconoclastic thoughts on the current state of this old spinning rock he knows so well appears in these pages.

5:08 PM / Editor / permalink 4 comments

Links to this post:

<\$BlogBacklinkControl\$> <\$BlogBacklinkTitle\$> <\$BlogBacklinkDeleteIcon\$>: <\$BlogBacklinkSnippet\$>
posted by <\$BlogBacklinkAuthor\$> \@ <\$BlogBacklinkDateTime\$>

4 Comments:

Whenever I hear one side demonized I question the scholarship and historical knowledge of the speaker.

Some accurate "one-sided information": Hezbollah is on record and has never denied that they will not rest until Israel ceases to exist. They do not show Israel on any of their maps. So you would have a very difficult time getting them to sit down and divide up the real estate. The Brown Shirts in Germany also did a lot of good things for the "pure" Germans. But the elimination of the Jews was always a stated committment.

It was Hezbollah that was firing the random missles into Israel before this recent horror began.

The Israelies are not innocent. Just as Palestinian school books speak terrible things about the Jews, so do the Isrealie grade school books talk about the "dirty Arabs" and the threat they present.

Now if you check your history of the region from after the First World War, you will see there were no Palestinians, but only wandering Bedouin tribes. At the time when the English said "we're handing over everything in the area to the jews, there were many Arabs living in what would become Israel. The top Arab leader urged all Arabs to leave, saying they would come back with a great Arab army and drive out the jews. It didn't happen. Then many who had left said that they wanted back in after all, but were denied because they had left.

What you have now is the exact same thing that has existed in Ireland for so long, and caused so much death and hatred. It is to the advantage of people extraneous to the area to keep both sides filled with hatred of each other. The British originally did it when they set up many of the political boundaries after World War One. Their desire, and the end result, was to have everyone in the region at each others throats so the British could keep the power. This is exactly what they did to conquer and control India.

I hate what our administration has done everywhere in the Middle East. I hate what it has done to the moral fiber of this country. I am ashamed to be abroad as an American. I feel the hippocracy and the arrogance. And I am not a jew. Actually, I would describe myself as a Buddhist Christian. I have no axe to grind for Israel. But I find your position, uninformed, one-sided, and just as extreme as you (and I) see the Bush Administration. And your position, just like theirs, has no future or solution.

By Richard Dante, at 3:37 AM

Dear Richard,

I find all of your arguments more than valid; I have been writing and teaching much the same for years.

Perhaps our guest contributor, Leslie Collings, who wrote this piece, will answer your comments soon.

Thank you dropping in and leaving your insightful comments.

Sincerely,

Joseph Bosco

By Joseph, at 4:57 AM

Hi Richard,

I appreciate your comments and point of view. Indeed, I'm pleased to note similarities with some of mine, though of course, total agreement is never likely in any long distance discussion. However, let me first make clear that I've not lived in the UK since 1960, when I boarded a ship and emigrated to Australia. Despite having completed military service for my country, I was not at all happy with the place. Over the years since then and while I later moved into Asia, the 'troubles' as the Ireland problem was called, simply emphasised to me the totally ridiculous position of the British government. If I could have made it happen, the British would have left Northern Ireland many years ago and simply said "Here , it's yours, so take it back and look after it yourselves."

Israel got a windfall and took it to their hearts immediately. Good for them and anyway, the British again, totally messed up their own foreign policy, with the irresponsible manner in which they carried it all out. I certainly do not regard that period in time as a bench mark for potential change today. No way, but I do consider boundaries closer to those of 1967(but not the same) are as near as anyone will ever get to a real estate solution in that part of the world. Pushing the envelope further, Jerusalem is going to be an intractable problem, no matter how long the debate.

My views of Hezbollah are realistic and that Israel openly wants them totally destroyed, is simply the other view and the other side of the coin. The area needs a geographical agreement quickly, about who has what and who lives where so then, possibly, both sides can get on with their own mess. I'm not a political animal and in fact have little respect for any who play that game. My point is that reality must be acknowledged and that despite hate and guns, there must come a time when both sides settle for what is best.

As for the 'wall' in Israel? I think Israel is making a mistake and will reap a whirlwind of long term animosity from their neighbour, the Palestinians, while it remains a barrier between both sides. Focus should now be on the root causes and a solution, which is each with their own piece of dirt to do with as they wish and without interference from their neighbour. Neither side will then fire shells, rockets, launch suicide bombers or jet aircraft, as there will be nothing to gain or fight to win.

If the USA turns its focus inward and addresses the domestic issues and problems of it's own people and their quality of life, then I believe we will begin to see a new wave of Americans visiting our 'outside world' and being warmly welcomed by all they meet. Yes, it will take time and good leaders, but it can and should occur while we are both still doing our thing!

Lastly, I lived for awhile in Thailand and became enamoured with Buddhism. I am also a Christian and value life, care about others and the well being of my family and friends above all else. I too have no time for those who are continuing to make a mess of our world. However, we must both continue to do our best to try making it a better place for others to follow. I wish you all the best in achieving the same goal as myself.

Regards, Les

Leslie Collings

By Anonymous, at 12:19 PM

"I find all of your arguments more than valid; I have been writing and teaching much the same for years."

Where are your writings on this issue? Your lectures?

"For years"? When did this start?

"I find all of your arguments more than valid". As a journalism teacher? As an actor?

What do you know about the Middle East? Have you ever been there? Speak the languages?

You've a wonderful blog when you stick to what you know. This is not a disagreement or agreement with comments made. It is a query about your expertise in this area.

By Anonymous, at 9:36 AM