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A Real Policy For Peace
King Features Syndicate ^ | 03/07/03 | Charley Reese

Posted on 03/06/2003 10:02:12 PM PST by GalvestonBeachcomber

There is only one nuclear power in the Middle East: Israel.

There is only one country in the Middle East that refuses to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: Israel.

There is only one country in the Middle East that refuses to allow international inspections of its nuclear facilities: Israel.

There is only one country in the Middle East that stands in defiance of more than 60 United Nations resolutions: Israel.

There is only one country in the Middle East that invaded and continues to occupy land belonging to its neighbors: Israel.

I am not setting out to bash Israel, but merely to point out undeniable facts that most of the America media and American politicians studiously ignore. Is it too difficult for Americans to grasp that the United States has a blatant double standard and that the people in Arab countries justifiably resent that double standard? The Arabs do not expect or demand that the United States become the enemy of Israel. They recognize the close ties between the two countries. All they ask for is simple fairness.

It's not fair to threaten Iraq with war for allegedly violating U.N. resolutions while protecting Israel from any consequences for violating more U.N. resolutions. It's not fair to go to war to undo the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq while condoning the continued occupation by Israel of portions of Lebanon, Syria and Palestine. It's not fair to threaten Iraq and Iran about weapons of mass destruction while remaining silent about those possessed by Israel. It's not fair to harp on the crimes committed by Saddam Hussein while rationalizing the crimes committed by Israel. Do you realize that in just the past week, as of this writing, the Israelis have killed 33 Palestinians?

Do you realize that if the United States announced that its policy is to rid the entire Middle East of weapons of mass destruction, including those possessed by Israel, that the United States would receive the overwhelming support of the Arab world?

Fairness was once the characteristic of the American republic. It consists simply of doing exactly what our great founder, George Washington, recommended: treat all countries the same, showing neither favoritism nor enmity to any. Moreover, he pleaded, do not involve yourself in other people's feuds and quarrels. And finally, he warned against the evils of foreign influence in our domestic affairs.

Every single foreign-policy problem we face, including the threat of terrorism, is a result of violating those three admonitions: We don't treat all nations the same; we do involve ourselves in other people's quarrels; and we have allowed foreign influence to exert tremendous influence on our policies. Far from being the republic Washington and his contemporaries gave us, we have become an empire, very much like Rome.

There are nearly 40,000 permanent lobbyists in Washington, swarming over our 535 elected officials like flies on roadkill. We have the bizarre ritual of practically every candidate for president making a visit to the Israeli lobby and pledging undying support for a foreign country. While millions in Africa and Latin America suffer terrible poverty, not to mention 30 million of our own people, we pour billions of dollars of aid into Israel, which has a comfortably high standard of living. Again, foreign influence is the reason.

The truth is, we have no natural enemies except the North Koreans, who are taught from the cradle to hate us. Islam is not our enemy. The Arab world is not our enemy. Iran is not our enemy. Russia and China are not our enemies. Except for the North Koreans, the only enemies we have in this world are those we created with our unjust policies and actions.

President Bush fancies himself a Christian. It's too bad he isn't, but then most Christians would not be recognizable to Christ if he returned to Earth. Peace, love and justice are not very fashionable in many Christian circles these days. Many of them prefer war, provided they don't have to fight it.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: middleeast
Wednesday's column by Reese was censored by FR's thought police. This one may not last long either.
1 posted on 03/06/2003 10:02:12 PM PST by GalvestonBeachcomber
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****I am not setting out to bash Israel****

NAW! Not at all. You swamp crawlin nazi!
2 posted on 03/06/2003 10:06:26 PM PST by mercy
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To: GalvestonBeachcomber
Gee, just because he's a raging anti-Semite?
3 posted on 03/06/2003 10:07:52 PM PST by aynrandfreak
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To: GalvestonBeachcomber
Although I am not saying this thread should be pulled, I will say it is offensive to me, and full of hatred for Jews and a whole lot of lies.
4 posted on 03/06/2003 10:09:37 PM PST by ladyinred
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To: GalvestonBeachcomber
I read the first 3 lines of this post and knew it was garbage
5 posted on 03/06/2003 10:10:56 PM PST by way-right-of-center (it's easy to hide when no one is looking)
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To: GalvestonBeachcomber
This little bit of hate speech needs to stay up and get the flaming it deserves.

By the way,in case you & reese didn't notice, all of Isreal's neighbors want them destroyed and the U.N. thinks it's a good idea. Considering that and all the bombings they have endured, the Israelis have shown remarkable restraint with their nukes.

6 posted on 03/06/2003 10:26:17 PM PST by tbpiper
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To: GalvestonBeachcomber
Aren't you dead yet, Charley? Do us all a favor.
7 posted on 03/06/2003 10:27:03 PM PST by gcruse (When choosing between two evils, pick the one you haven't tried yet.)
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To: GalvestonBeachcomber
And finally, he warned against the evils of foreign influence in our domestic affairs.

Tell us again how anti-Zionism is not the same thing as anti-semitism?
Unbelievable.

8 posted on 03/06/2003 10:30:12 PM PST by Jack Stephens
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To: GalvestonBeachcomber
There is only one country in the Middle East that has a government elected by its people: Israel.
9 posted on 03/06/2003 11:24:14 PM PST by DB (©)
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To: GalvestonBeachcomber
Typical stuff from Reese ... FLUSH TWICE...
10 posted on 03/07/2003 1:15:01 AM PST by AFPhys
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To: GalvestonBeachcomber
Sieg Heil... Sieg Heil... Sieg Heil....

11 posted on 03/07/2003 3:47:22 AM PST by UncleSamUSA (the land of the free and the home of the brave)
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To: GalvestonBeachcomber
Why, when people cannot refute statements in an article, to they resort to ad homninum attacks?

If Reese is wrong, and he may well be, why not respond to his statements with facts?

12 posted on 03/07/2003 4:06:31 AM PST by GalvestonBeachcomber
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To: GalvestonBeachcomber
Sigh. I used to like Charley Reese, but he appears to have gone off the deep end.

Israel has elected to ignore a great many non-binding UN resolutions, almost all of which were aimed at weakening Israel or compelling her to accept a dimimution of her sovereignty. She permits no inspections of her nuclear facilities by foreign powers, true. Does France? Does Britain? Does the United States? As for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, that hasn't impeded the Pyongyang Gang much, has it? And if memory serves, they were among the earliest signatories.

Israel has killed 33 Palestinians this past week? Who were they and what were the circumstances? They were involved in armed resistance to pacification operations in Palestinian-controlled, terrorist-harboring neighborhoods, no? Would Reese be happier if there were a declared state of war between Israel and the PA, so the numbers could get really big?

Israel is in possession of territory that belongs to whom? The West Bank? Sorry, that's spoils of war, to which Israel has a perfect right under accepted conventions of international conflict. The surrounding Arab states attacked Israel with the intent to dismember her; she prevailed, and exacted a price. Case closed.

Like the once-great Joseph Sobran, Reese has allowed his obsession about non-intervention and remaining clear of foreign entanglements -- good general guidelines, but not applicable in all circumstances -- to blind him to the equities of the matter. Whether there's anti-Semitism mixed in is between him and God.

Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Visit The Palace Of Reason:
http://palaceofreason.com

13 posted on 03/07/2003 5:10:28 AM PST by fporretto (Curmudgeon Emeritus, Palace of Reason)
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To: way-right-of-center
There is only one nuclear power in the Middle East: Israel.
There is only one country in the Middle East that refuses to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: Israel.
There is only one country in the Middle East that refuses to allow international inspections of its nuclear facilities: Israel.

Could you tell it was garbage because it was false? When I read the first three lines they appeared to be fact. I read the remainder largely because I generally feel that Reese has his act together.

What became really curious were the objections and comments similar to your comments. Garbage is usually easy to refute. However, when all that is said is that it is garbage your ideas are lost except to those who agreed with you in the first place.

Is there another nuclear power in the Middle East?

14 posted on 03/07/2003 3:35:34 PM PST by MosesKnows
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To: GalvestonBeachcomber
Wednesday's column by Reese was censored by FR's thought police. This one may not last long either.

Several thoughts:

This Jim Rob's place and we are guests here. Some of us do donate, but it's still his house, his rules, and he or his agents act as he sees fit.

It probably won't last long but you can tell from the other posts it is flame bait.

And finally DU would love this. They can agree with the article while at the same time calling conservatives like Reece anti-semites

15 posted on 03/07/2003 3:39:57 PM PST by amused (Republicans for Sharpton!)
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To: GalvestonBeachcomber
An amazing page, this. Not the column by Reese, but the commentary. A total lack of factual refutation, no logic, and pure emotional outrage that someone would dare say that Isreal is a problem we would do best to be clear of.

Someone called this article "flame bait". It isn't. It's a possible opening paragraph on a discussion of what our policies in regards to Isreal should be. That discussion won't happen, I am sure, because the logical and rational outcome would upset the people that can do no better than call a simple statement of fact "flame bait" or "anti-semitic".

16 posted on 03/07/2003 3:52:36 PM PST by Ten Megaton Solution
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To: MosesKnows
Ok then, have it your way...

I read the first 3 lines and knew it was anti-Semite bs, hence the rest of the article was garbage. That clarify things for you?
17 posted on 03/07/2003 3:55:35 PM PST by way-right-of-center (it's easy to hide when no one is looking)
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To: way-right-of-center
Why waste time reading three complete lines? You should have known it was a anti-semetic hit piece when you noted Charlie Reese was the author.
18 posted on 03/07/2003 4:01:35 PM PST by DugwayDuke
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To: DugwayDuke
I read fast man, it happened before I could pull away. Kinda like once when I saw my grandmother naked. Nothing I could do...
19 posted on 03/07/2003 4:11:12 PM PST by way-right-of-center (it's easy to hide when no one is looking)
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