I notice that all of your pictures are from your C drive on your computer. Although you can see them, no one else can. Try a free image hosting service such as photobucket.

When I first heard about Israel and Lebanon at war I figured that Israel had a good reason, and they did after several soldiers were kidnapped and killed by resistance fighters in Lebanon.  I think they have 100% right to attack the resistance fighters, but not the government or civilians... and that's what it sounds like they're doing.  In which case I really don't understand how we can be saying they are in the right.

It should work now!

Congratulations.  I read the essay and think it brilliant.  Well done.  Thanks for the hope.

Dear Zaid,

I have come to your blog by way of Cathy (csn71650). Very interesting assesment, and I also liked your Nation article. Sadly, the American press seems to be the lapdog of the antichrist bush, even when his approval rating is low. I read the L.A. Times but I will not watch the network news.

It has always been in the U.S. interest to champion the cause of the Zionist nation. Even, sadly, when they commit atrocities and wage war in order to secure their tenuous grasp on Jerusalem and the imposed state of "Israel". Neither the Palestinians or the Israelis can with any alacrity maintain that the area is their rightful homeland, but somehow I think that including the 2000 years or so that Jerusalem has been occupied by competing sides in certain times in histroy owing to how "crusades" against opposing viewpoints are decided, there is no easy answer, and no side is going to back down.

Already the media is calling the Hezbollah/Israeli skirmishes "World War III". I am reminded of hearing the placename of "Beirut" on the news almost all the time in the late 80s.

The United States has not been at "war" legally since WWII before my birth, and I'm 53 years old. The 'war' raging when I was a youth, the "Korean War" was never declared. The 'war" into which I almost got drafted, and for which I almost moved to Canada prior to our pullout from Saigon in 1972 was never declared.

The original "Gulf War" in 1991, in which "Bush the Father" should have had troops march into Baghdad and capture the Hussein regime when we were at least fighting him for control of (our oil interests in) Kuwait  was never declared.

The 2003 "War in Iraq" has never been declared. The youth of America is being slaughtered for no true "reason" when the war hasn't been declared. Now there are more troubles in the mideast. Is this WWIII? I think not. More jockeying for position. If America feels she has to get involved in this one, I see no way unless Bush reinstates the draft. Which would be a big mistake. And one which will make the student rebellions of my day look like playtime.

Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool

Hi Zaid-- I got referred to your page by csn71650.  Very insightful and impressive.

zaid,

i read your essay

firstly, nicely done.

secondly, i agree fullheartedly. our generation (i feel) is going to be the generation to solve many problems. The WWII generation is already the "greatest generation" but we will surpass them. We must, or we perish. However, you and I sit on oposate (i can't spell) sides of the delima. You are on the peaceful revolution. You protest and argue and demand that your leaders do all they can to preserve life and liberty. I, on the other hand, sit on the side that is currently doing something. We currently are involved where chaos is most prevelent. We recognize how tender the situation is, and we are willing to lay down our lives for the lives of others.

Both our sides are correct, and both are necessary. Without your side, progress will not be pushed for. No one will demand the progress that you do; you ensure that progress is made and that liberty is always pursued. My side is necessary to allow your concept to take hold. We allow the freedom of choice where we can, and provide the security necessary for liberty to be sought. Use force upon force, then the ideas may become prevelant.

I sit in the minority here at West Point: i have a very liberal mindset (almost online with yours), and yet i go to the most conservative academy there is. I respect you Zaid. Not for your ideas and ideals (although i do respect them very much as well), but for your action on those ideals. You will not sit idly; you protest, and shout, and demand we do something. You tell us your opinions.

I'm honored to call myself your friend, and i hope you keep contact with me so you and i can talk about issues more in depth. i see great things coming from both of us, even greater things if we can help each other out.

keep it up, and have fun this summer (while i get my ass kicked by cadet basic training)

i look forward to correspondance with you come August.

Till then,

Phillip

Thank you everyone for posting, I'd just figured that after a long hiatus no one would pay attention anymore.

I think it shows that people are hungry for learning, for learning about alternatives to the world they have before them. Because the world is dynamic, you can change the way it exists -- there's huge potential for that.

Zaid,

We're listening and reading my friend.

So it seems I am the only conservative in this debate.

First, I ask myself the question in this affair, has Isreal made mistakes in what they have done. Of course they have. I understand that. Everyone should understand that. You tell me that Isreal went and captured two people from Gaza. Let me first tell you that even though Isreal has killed civilians, their prisoners they capture are terror suspects. They don't take hostages just to demand results, they take suspected terrorists. So the raid on Isreal and then the capturing of 2 people was an unprovoked attack. Isreal did not deserve it one bit. And then you try to throw doubt in the quote that what politicans and people of that nature say that Isreal has the right to defend itself. Let me give you a quick situation of an American perspective...

Mexico hates us wholeheartly that they refuse to recognize that 9/11 ever happened....( people fighting against Isreal hate them so bad that they will not recognize the Holocaust ).....and they raid our country on our southern border, kill 8 border patrollers and then take 2 as hostages, while then informing us that the have 13,000 missles pointed at our cities.....( the amount pointed at Isreal right now).....and you expect us, Americans, to hold out our hands and ask for peace.

This is where you and I differ completley. I believe you are a complete pacifist. I thought your essay was shit for the most part, but it was good enough for the far-left Nation magazine, Congrats. Sometimes, even though I believe war is hell, is neccessary. In World War 2, their is no doubt in my mind that FDR couldn't have diplomatically solved the crisis in Europe and put away Hitler by talks. Some people in this world are bad people and do bad things, and when we meet these people we have to take care of them as soon as possible. I am not sure if these people of Hezzboolah are evil or not, but they won't even acknowlede one of the atrocities you listed in your essay, the Holocaust, its an atrocitie in itself. What I am getting at is that we cannot always look to the table to fix these problems. Yes, you always keep your table open, always. But when they do not do not come, you make them come. We had to do that in WW2 and I believe we have to do that everywhere. The Muslisms in control hate the Jews, and they want destruction wherever they go. This is wrong, and if someone cannot acknowledge that, then we pray for you.

In your comic, I didn'y know that George Bush was supposed to save every day.!?! He tried to something, liberals get mad. He doesn't do anything, liberals get mad. Lose-Lose situation, but I always keep in mind that the good perservior.

At the end of the day, you have to choose the enemy. If Hezzboolah threw down their weapons tommorrow, their would be a cease-fire shortley after. If Isreal threw down their weapons, another Holocaust would happen. You decide....

If you think Israel will suffer a Holocaust, you are buying their propoganda maybe even more intensely than the legislature.

Israel has shattered the Arab nations several times, and is murdering at about 10 times the rate of Hezbollah right now. It's hard to paint them as a victim.

And as a conservative you should be against this huge, big-government intervention here, imperialism.

i'd love to meet up with you once i get settled into my athens apartment, keep fighting the good fight.

I never said Isreal would suffer a Holocaust. I stated that if they threw their weapons into the Sea beside them, another Holocaust would follow, but if Hezzbollah did, a cease-fire would follow. I am saying that if Isreal unarmed tommorrow, they would suffer heavy casualities to where if Hezzobollah unnarmed tommorrow, peace would follow.

Hard to paint them as a victim? Every since they had the right to declare themselves as a nation they have been attacked by rogue Muslism groups who want them to die. Think about it. Your Pakistanian I believe, if another religion wanted to kill you just for you being a Muslism, is that fair. Of course not. Isreal has been attacked in one way shape or form since their existence since 1946, so thats why I paint them as a victim.

Imperialism is becoming a dead word. Isreal in no way wants to take control of Lebanon or Syria or any other Muslism country to extract their resources for their own use. Use imperialism in the right context please. They are trying to survive, no to control.

"Your Pakistanian I believe, if another religion wanted to kill you just for you being a Muslism, is that fair.

Their bed partner is warring against the Muslim peoples, my friend. Israel's plight is well documented and so is their aggression toward the Palestinians...and the Lebanese... etc... I see your point on the attacking them because some do not feel they should exist, but that is an oversimplification even if it is the gist of the matter. Israel is the second most powerful fighting force on the planet... If this is the case and the US is the MOST powerful, why are these two countries needing to engage in such hostilities given their awesome military might, especially the US? It has everythiing to do with empire and its carrier "OIL"... Have not a doubt about that. Israel is electing to not only survive, but it is involved in an empire thrust, with the US as its running mate.

So unfortuantly I believe you guys are still in the Vietnam "imperialists" days. It's really sad. USA as its running mate for oil, then why did George Bush signed the biggest energy bill in a decade.

President Bush Signed Into Law The First National Energy Plan In More Than A Decade. The energy bill makes an unprecedented commitment to energy conservation and efficiency by promoting smarter technology; helps make cleaner and more productive use of our existing energy resources; and helps diversify energy supply by promoting alternative and renewable energy sources. The bill also helps promote needed investment in energy infrastructure. This is a good first step toward a more affordable and reliable supply of energy for American consumers.

I would've liked George W. Bush to not have signed an energy bill written by corporate lobbyists from a particular wing of our country...

Cars produced in the United States still cannot be sold in China (due to their HIGHER environmental standards on emissions ratings and average mileage). We're well on the way to being the least progressive developed nation in no time at all.

Right....so if George Bush tries to help America and the environment by cleaning up the fuels, you tell me that he is following what corporate lobbyists want. Terran1212, you hate Bush so damn much you don't care what he does. You will always find something to bitch about. Truly pathetic on your part. Don't let the hate of something get in a clear judgement when he does something good.

And thw whole we are going to be the least progressive nation is bullshit. I guess you have read up on history and missed 1901-1918---" The Progressive Age. " Last time I checked, people called George Bush a warmonger and so on and he ignored it. When China was critiqued, they just killed their own people in a massacre. Thats progressive, right?

I am no hippie, I actually hate them, but seriously man....LEAVE OUT THE HATE.