> > >The whole nation is huddled up in the corner, like a little dog that
>> >urinated on the carpet, waiting meekly for the cruel strike that
>> >will come.
>
>yes, and those first few sentences had me thinking he was talking about the
>palestinians but then the most enlightened Israeli would not elevate a
>palestinian to dog status.
And I thought *I* had a tendency to take things too literally! Dogs have nothing to do with the case, but the sentence conjures an intriguing psychological sketch of the society.
This writer (though perhaps the translator deserves some credit) has a brilliant way with words. My favourite was of course the savage accusation of base cowardice on the part Sharon, at the end. Though The piece contained exquisite subtlety as well. The best example of which was the unspoken accusation that Sharon's actual strategic objective is far from prevention of suicide bombings in Israel, but rather to provoke as many suicide bombings as possible for as long as possible. The resulting political environment being the only one in which a monstrous international war criminal such as himself could hope to have any future. I guess it is difficult, in Israeli polite society, to bluntly mention this elephant in the room.
Mind you, that may have only seemed like subtlety to an unsubtle clod like me. Real subtlety usually passes right over my head.
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas