Some good stuff -

[kyburg]

"Seven hundred thousand out of a total Lebanese population of 3.5 million, 20 percent of the population, mostly Shiites, are now being cared for and given refuge by mostly Christian schools, churches, and other humanitarian organizations. This is the story of the Good Samaritan at a mega scale! And to think that this is the outcome of a strategy that meant to rouse anti-Hezbollah feelings among the Lebanese population and government. Talk about a failed strategy! Of course, this has happened so many times before that any thoughtful tactician would have learned the lesson by now, but military muscle is always too hedonistic and narcissistic to listen to the voice of reason and history."

- Dr. Martin Accad, academic dean of the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary of Lebanon.

*ahem* Emphasis mine.

Comments

[bitpig.livejournal.com]

Dr. Martin Accad, noted military expert, is entitled to his opinion. In my opinion, he's full of crap.

[miwasatoshi.livejournal.com]

Simply attacking the source is worthless. Would you care to posit an educated, sensible rebuttal?

After all, I don't see any "Arab/Israeli studies credentials" on your ljinfo, so I see no reason (as of yet) to take your side over a Ph.D in the field, or, y'know, folks who actually live there.

Prove me wrong.

[eyelid.livejournal.com]

Ph.D in the field

I think the point of the comment was that the Ph.D. guy had absolutely no military (or indeed history) credentials. He's an academic dean in a theological school.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

*rolls eyes*

And theology has nothing to do with any of this....

Just an observation.

[eyelid.livejournal.com]

Theology has NOTHING to do with military tactics, which is what the guy is talking about.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

In this case, theology has *everything* to do with military tactics, because without theology playing a part, military tactics really wouldn't be needed - would it?

[eyelid.livejournal.com]

I feel like I can't really respond to you because you're deliberately missing my point. Do you really not see what I'm saying? It is: The reasons for entering the war, whether theological or not, have no bearing on the military tactics Israel is using.

Specifically, Israel's not using XYZ military tactics because they think G-d is telling them to do XYZ, it's using the military tactics it is using because it believes that these tactics will achieve the military objective of stopping the rockets firing into Israel.

This guy you are quoting knows nothing about tactics. He knows the Quran. If you were planning a military action you would not go ask this guy. Being a ph.d. in the Quran does not mean you know ANYTHING about military tactics.

[bitpig.livejournal.com]

Simply attacking the source is worthless.

No it isn't. Any high school junior debater knows that source credibility is a valid point of contention. Not all sources are created equally credible.

Would you care to posit an educated, sensible rebuttal?

Why should I? I've tried that. No one is going to change their mind on the issue no matter what I post, are they?

This is why I do not "argue" as such on the internet; instead, I just express my own opinion and let that be that. If seeds of doubt get planted in the minds of those with whom I disagree on a given question, great. If not, that's great, too. Trying to win converts through online debate is a pointless waste of time and bandwidth.

After all, I don't see any "Arab/Israeli studies credentials" on your ljinfo, so I see no reason (as of yet) to take your side over a Ph.D in the field, or, y'know, folks who actually live there.

Hey, I dropped out of art school in the second year. I have no academic credientials other than a diploma from Public High. Neither do I claim to be an autodidactic intellectual. I am, however, capable of a reason at a rudimentary, animal-like level.

Prove me wrong.
As I said, I'm not arguing here, I'm editorializing.

Bottom line: Appeasement and restraint don't work when facing someone who wants you dead.

Feel free to drop by my own LJ anytime if you wish to discuss this further.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one, and sooner or later they all stink.

Dude, I do believe yours falls into the last category.

[eyelid.livejournal.com]

And to think that this is the outcome of a strategy that meant to rouse anti-Hezbollah feelings among the Lebanese population and government

Straw man. I don't think that any governing Israelis were actually so deluded as to think that bombing Lebanon was going to make Lebanon love Israel.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

No, Hiz is using Israel to push its agenda. And it's working.

[eyelid.livejournal.com]

I disagree. I think Hezbollah is going to be severely crippled by the Israeli army by the end of this encounter.

What I have read indicates that Israel's pulling out of Gaza and Lebanon convinced Hezbollah that Israel was weak, that it would negotiate with terrorists, and that it would crumple before a Hezbollah attack/demand. They got the impression that violence would in fact work to get what they wanted. Israel is now showing that it won't negotiate w/terrorists (or in response to terrorist tactics) and is not weak.

As for whether Hezbollah will gain a bunch of public support in the Arab world for this - I doubt it. The Arab countries make a lot of noise, but in fact they couldn't care less about the plight of groups like the Palestinians or the Lebonese. They've done nothing to get Syria and Iran out of Lebanon, nor have they housed or helped the Palestinians. They've always supported Hezbollah to the same extent that they currently support Hezbollah and will support them in the future.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

That's nothing more than wishful thinking. You're welcome to it.

And I'll reiterate.

I saw this shit in my teens. I'm sick of having to watch it all over again.