The Gaza War: Is It Really So Hard to Understand?

Pajamas Media ^ | December 31 | Barry Rubin

[AJKauf]

Today, people ask, why didn’t the Jews of Poland understand the Nazis were going to wipe them out, at least in the earlier period when escape or revolt was more possible? According to contemporary and later eyewitness testimony, because they didn’t think Germans would act in such an unpragmatic manner.

After all, hundreds of thousands of Jews were involuntarily contributing to the German war effort. They were making clothes, repairing roads, growing food. Why should the Third Reich destroy a highly effective, very cheap, and low-problem labor force, thus crippling itself and helping to ensure that it lost the war?

Answer: ideology. A doctrine and belief system will make people act in a way that doesn’t fit pragmatic expectations. Why should Hamas start a war against a stronger power? Due to believing itself to be stronger and its need to mobilize mass support. Why should Palestinian leaders reject a state even if it means the end of an increasingly small degree of “occupation”? Due to belief that total victory is inevitable, that compromise is treason, and that their enemies are satanic..

[JWinNC]

"Due to belief that total victory is inevitable, that compromise is treason, and that their enemies are satanic."

That's it.

[SFR]

Listening to NPR on the way to work they had three Pali points of view and none from the Israeli side. Of course there was a child and young student and the diplomat that said there was a truce in place and the Israelis started the provocation with no warning, and furthermore if they had just talked with Hamas everything would have been fine but now, NOW, the Gazans do not like the Israelis as they did before. Then NPR switched to another story.

[The Sons of Liberty]

The only thing I have against Israel attacking Hamas in Gaza, is that it might keep them from taking care of Iran.

[JWinNC]

LOL... careful there, NPR in full brain dead mode.

[okie01]

Propaganda in place of information.

One more good reason for never listening to NPR.

[MathDoc]

... belief that total victory is inevitable, that compromise is treason, and that their enemies are satanic ...

I'll agree that one side in this conflict is Satanic. In fact, few things in politics are more obvious than that observation.

[cameraeye]

I heard the same interviews and it made my think of an acronym, National Propaganda Radio. These people who work for radio will be the first ones destroyed, yet they keep toting the lies of islam. Why?