> Yet again this correspondent attempts to defend the
> Israeli state
Defend? Israel is the most heavily armed state in the region, and a modern capitalist nation-state with some international influence. The state of Israel is certainly not dependent upon marginal communist e-mail posters to provide defense. And since I don't care to defend states anyway, I'm glad their not asking.
> insisting that its war crimes are merely standard
> practice
Yes, nation-states kill people and engage in exclusionary practices against those who do not belong to the national collective. I am sorry if this conflicts with any illusions you might have had to the contrary. The "state" is a rather sordid concept. The "nation" no less so.
> Funny you should mention Milosevic, who was
> prosecuted for crimes
> against humanity for engaging in the sort of
> atrocities which you
> claim are standard practice.
Ah, you are a member of the crowd that likes to demonize Milosevic. I leave that sort of thing to cruise-missile liberals like Christopher Hitchens or Joschka Fischer. That kind of politics is founded upon the deception that there exists any kind of "international law" which is not subsumed to the interests of powerful nation-states.
>It seems international
> standards of
> behaviour in war may be somewhat higher than you
> assert.
If that were the case, I doubt if there would be many heads of state on the planet who wouldn't be in prison.
> I understand the government system in Israel already
> has mass support
> among the privileged ethnic caste.
Most states usually have the tacit or active support of their populations for whatever nasty things they pursue. Nothing new here.
>The privileged
> ethnic caste also
> strongly supports the use of torture and murder
> against dissidents
> from the second and third class citizens of Israel.
What are "second and third class" citizens of Israel?
>I guess Hitler had a need
> to demolish
> parliamentary democracy, as yet there is no such
> need in Israel.
Hence, no fascism. Thank you for making my point for me.
> privileged ethnic group who benefit from the system
> are happy with
> it.
As in most capitalist democracies. cf. Gramsci.
> The subject classes of course are largely
> deprived of any vote in
> that system of "parliamentary democracy".
Which groups in Israel are deprived of voting? This is news to me. Non-citizens? Again, capitalist normality.
> But as for this being a standard or acceptable part
> of warfare in the
> modern world, no.
"acceptable warfare." No comment.
> you as a dangerous psychopath in the eyes of
> civilised people.
And you sir, are a great humanitarian. Again, I encourage you to join Hitchens, Fischer, the German Green Party, Paul Berman, and everyone else on a mission to impose human rights and international law using bombs and bayonets.
That UN "peacekeeping" mission to the Middle East is departing soon. Better hop on the train before you miss out!
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