Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Middle East Tensions and some Singhs hanging out...

Now I have wanted to chime in to the events transpiring in the Middle East for some time and just finally getting some time to do so. I think Kofi Annan said it best. I'm paraphrasing but the gist of his comments were that Israel clearly has the right to protect themselves -- I don’t think a logical person would disagree with this -- but that the wanton destruction and degree of violence that they are perpetrating against Lebanese civilians is abhor able and must stop.

That is my thought process on this as well. To cripple infrastructure is not the greatest attack on Hezbollah. Granted you are weakening them to, but they are also creating greater hatred for Israel but injuring and killing innocent civilians -- A handful of U.N. relief workers were killed today by Israeli attacks. Civilians have been disallowed to get to the relief supplies of food/water, to allow them to get to hospitals to get health care and live more than minute-to-minute without fear of US made weapons being dropped on their heads.

While the entire mid-east conflict can’t be summarized in one post here, I have always found it intriguing that Israel has never addressed the ROOT cause of why suicide bombers exist. It seems the always chalk it up to terrorism and a sheer hatred for Israel, yet, I would question what institutional, political and socio-economic situations are in place that would cause a person to want to lay down their life. Perhaps it is the dire situation that many Palestinians are in that resolves them to thinking that that is the only way that their voice(s) can be heard.

Apparently, this is also taking the attention away from another kidnapped soldier at the hands of Hamas earlier this week. In an effort to "resolve the issue" and show the Palestinians who's boss, over 130 Palenstinian Civilans have been killed this week alone in retributionfor the kidnapped Israeli soldier.

Alas, I digress to the picture below of some Sikhs carrying the body of their colleague after a UN post in al Khiam village near the Lebanese Israeli border was bombed during an Israeli air raid on the villages in south Lebanon yesterday. Amazing to see Sikhs all over -- albeit as part of the Indian Army's contribution to the U.N. force -- with their complete saroop and carrying out this immensely important work.




posted by Kavneet @ 5:51 PM 0 Comments

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Gotta love the jobs our administration hands out

Here is an amazingly funny and poignant speech thats Rep Emanual delviered on the House floor the other day. Great to see our tax dollars going to something of importanace like a White House Director of Lessons Learned instead of, I dont know, helping the vicitms of Katrina, educating law enforcement and legislators or why racial profiling blows, or making sure minorities in Florida, Ohio and the south get to vote....

Enjoy

White House paying $100,000 salary to "Director of Lessons Learned"
by John in DC - 7/12/2006 11:25:00 AM

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) offers a few more lessons learned:
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the President said we continue to be wise about how we spend the people's money.

"Then why are we paying over $100,000 for a 'White House Director of Lessons Learned'?

"Maybe I can save the taxpayers $100,000 by running through a few of the lessons this White House should have learned by now.

"Lesson 1: When the Army Chief of Staff and the Secretary of State say you are going to war without enough troops, you're going to war without enough troops.

"Lesson 2: When 8.8 billion dollars of reconstruction funding disappears from Iraq, and 2 billion dollars disappears from Katrina relief, it's time to demand a little accountability.

"Lesson 3: When you've 'turned the corner' in Iraq more times than Danica Patrick at the Indy 500, it means you are going in circles.

"Lesson 4: When the national weather service tells you a category 5 hurricane is heading for New Orleans, a category 5 hurricane is heading to New Orleans.

"I would also ask the President why we're paying for two 'Ethics Advisors' and a 'Director of Fact Checking.'

"They must be the only people in Washington who get more vacation time than the President.

"Maybe the White House could consolidate these positions into a Director of Irony."
 FROM HERE

posted by Kavneet @ 5:40 PM 2 Comments