There’s nothing I can say about the horror in Qana, other than it’s the indirect and direct result of U.S. policy — indirect in that the U.S. continues to frustrate efforts toward a ceasefire, direct in that the bomb that fell on the building on Qana was in all likelihood American. To the U.S., immediate ceasefires are worthless, but immediate bomb shipments are perfectly feasible.
Again, Gene at Harry’s Place tries to raise arguments in Israel’s defense. But even if one believes that the Israelis targeted a Hezb rocket launch site near the building, not the building itself, the fact remains that Israel knows the risks it is taking every time it does this. The surveillance footage that the IDF has released only proves this point. The best that can be said about the Israeli strike is that it betrays a callous indifference toward Lebanese civilian life. With great power comes great responsibility; Hezbollah’s human shielding does not diminish that responsibility. Israel is shirking its obligations under the rules of warfare at every turn, knowing that Condi Rice and John Bolton will provide the necessary diplomatic cover.
Yesterday in the NY Times, David Brooks opined that if Israel halts its attacks, “Nasrallah… will become a legend, and teens across the region will be electrified by his glory.” Apparently Brooks phoned in his column from a planet where Nasrallah is not already a legend. The above statement belongs in the same category as “if we don’t invade Iraq, it will become a haven for terrorists.”
Meanwhile at CNN, Paula Zahn is running reports to this effect: “The Mideast Crisis: Is It a Sign of Armageddon?” I didn’t stick around to watch this hard-hitting analysis. Not only are “reports” like these a distraction from the relevant political issues — they also drag the discourse down to the level of would-be Nostradami and religious hucksters all too eager to crawl out of the woodwork and sell their snake oil under the cover of real news. I don’t think CNN is all bad — people like Nic Roberston and Christiane Amanpour are trying to do an honorable job under the circumstances. But Paula Zahn’s musings say a great deal about the nonexistent quality standards at the TV networks.
Comments are closed.