On Tue, May 07, 2002 at 10:17:46PM -0400, Gordon Fitch wrote:
> Gordon Fitch wrote:
> > > Let us assume that Palestinians are as smart as we are. Then
> > > that must be the desired effect. Certainly, suicidal terror
> > > bombing cannot be expected to give its targets the impression
> > > that their enemies can be dealt with on a basis of reason and
> > > compromise. Nor are such acts aimed against the substantial
> > > military force or economy of the target. As asymmetrical war,
> > > their aim has to be to destroy the enemy spiritually, by
> > > provoking the enemy to act in such a way that they and their
> > > friends cease to believe good of themselves, their actions,
> > > and their future. Even the atrociousness of the acts of the
> > > suicide bombers will begin to taint them: "This is what you
> > > made of us." And Israel is especially vulnerable to this kind
> > > of attack because of the ideological way it was constituted.
> > > This is one war I think they are losing, and it is hard to see
> > > how they can get out of the trap.
>
> Michael Perelman:
> > Why assume a monolithic category, Palestinians?
>
> I proposed assuming that the Palestinians were as smart as
> we are. That does not seem to me to make a monolith of them.
> We expect the latest attack to bring a reprisal. Therefore,
> I believe that they, too, expect the latest attack to bring
> a reprisal, for the reason given. Not all Palestinians are
> suicide bombers (yet), but that community does produce them.
> Therefore, I conclude that the suicide bombers expect their
> acts to bring reprisal just as the rest of their community
> does. The rest follows from this guess and from thinking
> about the nature of asymmetric war in general, inspired by
> having observed it more closely than I might have liked.
>
> -- Gordon
-- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929
Tel. 530-898-5321 E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu