> At 1:32 AM -0400 6/19/02, pms wrote:
> >Look I think blowing people up sucks. And I'm sure if I knew the stories
of
> >people killed the pity would be more visceral. But what about the time,
the
> >months before the suicide bombing. The crazy agressive statements by
> >Israeli military leaders that would show up in the paper, the Palestinian
> >boys shot through the head, the settlements steadily growing(and who
knows
> >what the water situation might be), not to mention a right-wing crazy
> >killing the old leader and seeing that leader replaced by the head
> >right-wing crazy? Certain elements in Israel were intent on provoking
the
> >Palestinians into a response. I can't imagine what other response they
> >thought they'd get.
>
> One does and should understand desperate circumstances that drive
> desperate people to desperate means, but desperate circumstances do
> not necessarily make all desperate means just. Armed struggles
> against the might of the IDF, armed settlers, & military
> installations are one thing; bombings that result in the deaths of
> civilians (_especially_ the deaths of minors outside the Occupied
> Territories) are another. We should _not_ bundle up all suicide
> bombings into one indistinguishable bunch. Our judgements should
> change, depending on who and what are targets.
>
> BTW, what is unjust can have an unintended impact that benefits some
> objectively. I'm sure Palestinian suicide bombers _never_ intended
> to benefit Iraqis _in any way_, but the turmoils that they have
> caused did have an effect of postponing the planned US war on Iraq, I
> think. Likewise, what is just can have an unintended impact that
> negatively affects others. The American Civil War was a just war for
> the Union, and it ended chattel slavery, benefiting US blacks.
> However, it helped to accelerate US industrialization, which helped
> to make the USA an empire -- now _the_ Empire that has eclipsed all
> others.
> --
> Yoshie
>
> * Calendar of Events in Columbus:
> <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html>
> * Anti-War Activist Resources:
<http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/activist.html>
> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/>
> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osu.edu/students/CJP/>
>