Enough

I have been feeling sad and angry and unsettled by the state of the world. I would love to put together a sharply written and philosophically dazzling essay, but alas, it is beyond me. I will just put out a few random thoughts.

First of all: The photos of the incinerated, blown-apart Lebanese toddlers trying to flee Israeli bombing...I am sorry, but there is no acceptable excuse for incinerating children. Period. I understand that the Israelis are surrounded by people who hate them, and that missiles are dropping on them, and that the world seems unable to resolve these problems. But I gotta say, I'm done with all those arguments. It is simply morally unacceptable to say that your only option involves incinerating children, and of course it's not your intention to do so, and therefore any toddlers you happen to incinerate are really on the conscience of your enemy who started the fight. No. Sorry. It doesn't work that way, ever.

I'm sick of this world view that has somehow taken hold in all quarters - American, Israeli, Iraqi, Al-Quaida - that says that if you're defending your people and fighting for the side of right against people who hate you, any means is justified. This swaggering Protector of the People act that declares that any human cost is by definition justified if you just say the code word - security, terror, right to defend, resistance. A world view that ignores facts and logic as much as suffering. That says the life of a military professional, engaged in war, is fair trade for the life of a trapped civilian unable to escape. That says punishing an entire population - or abandoning them to chaos and war and hardship for years to come - over the misdeeds of a few in their midst is an acceptable tradeoff. Somehow, the whole world seems to have bought into it.

This is a world in which extremism of thought is a virtue, violence in the name of a righteous cause is by definition acceptable, and your side is always right. It is the same philosophy adopted by both George Bush and Osama bin Ladin, and the Israelis are as poisoned by it as anyone. And I'm sick of the assumption that if you point that out, you must be unsupportive of Jews, and their right to a safe home, and the truth of their terrible, hard history.

My sister just came back from India, and we were discussing our belief that India will eventually be the dominant world power. Mr. Tata (I'm sorry, I don't know his first name) is the next Bill Gates. Enrico pointed out that in the previous glory days of the land that is now India, their predominantly Hindu faith held them back from building a colonial-style empire. Now they are tenaciously, methodically building a business empire while we are mired in folly. Good for them. Bring on the age of Indian dominance.