Qana – Israel, Lebanon, and Hezbollah

It seems to me that Israel is very good at winning military battles. However, it is becoming clear to me that they are losing the war.

I do not mean war in the common sense – a military exercise in killing and conquest. I mean the more far-reaching war against terrorism and long-term survival. I mean the war for the ultimate survival of the state of Israel.

That war is not won on the battlefield, but in the hearts of Israel’s neighbors and the global community. The recent attack on Qana is a perfect example.

OK, Hezbollah puts its missile teams in the middle of residential areas. But does that really mean that it is acceptable to risk the lives of innocents to get to the terrorists?

Is it not obvious to those living in the middle of this conflict that more killing will solve nothing but short-term problems while creating much more serious long-term problems?

Having said that, the terrorists and those who harbor them (either actively or passively) are committing the same error. Hezbollah wins no love by sending unguided missiles into Israeli cities.

Also, Hezbollah knowingly puts the lives of innocent people at risk by placing its military installations in residential areas. After taking a hit, it then leads the cry of anger that Israel would target civilian areas. It is obvious that Hezbollah cares no more for the lives of innocents than the Israeli military does.

It seems to me that this conflict has taken on a life of its own. Now we are faced with multiple sides that lash out before they truly think about the consequences.

That does no one any good and solves nothing in the long run.

So I put it to you all – what can be done?

The Concept

Although I have been a blog reader and poster for some time now, I have never ventured into actually creating the blogs. However, I have recently felt a growing need to express my opinions and record my daily thoughts in a more public forum in a way that is more active than reactive, hence, this blog.

The concept of this blog is two fold. It will have mostly personal observations and moments (a journal if you will) as well as some cultural and political topics. The latter type of post is geared toward how we all might better understand those we live with from both local and global perspectives.

As the name of my blog suggests, I am an American citizen who has been living outside of the U.S for almost 10 years. I am quite critical of many policies of the American government (both past and present), but consider myself a true patriot in that I love my homeland and the people in it. I just normally feel that what the American government does and what the spirit of America embodies are not compatible with each other.

I welcome opinions from all walks of life and all cultures everywhere. Most of my posts will have an opinion that I hope will be challenged by the other people posting here. The only underlying theme I will ask all to keep to is one of tolerance. We should refrain from hatred and radical thinking here as much as possible in order to better communicate.

With that, let the blog commence.