Al-Jazeera Host Asks "Why Can't Arab Armies Be More Humane, Like Israel?"

[largeham]

Okay then.  How about Iraq?  I don't remember Israel ever using chemical weapons on innocent people just because they happened to be the wrong ethnic group.

Except they have. Israel have used white phosphorus on civilian populations.

This coming from the girl who considers Hamas a legitimate government.  (I'm calling you a girl because I know you're a pre-op transwoman.  Is that okay?)

And before you say they were democratically elected, let me just say that a number of terrible governments have been elected democratically.

Or let me put it this way.  Imagine if California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas were a disputed territory.  For this purpose let's call it Naztil.  Now, imagine if they democratically elected a religious fanatic terrorist group that participated in anti-Semitism, misogyny, and homophobia.  To top it off, this terrorist group had sworn to destroy America.  How do you think the American government would react?  Yes, I admit Israel could have handled the situation a little better, but I don't think they were wrong to protest the results.

Israel can elect prime ministers and other ministers who call for the Palestinains to be wiped out for claim that African migrants and refugees are a cancer, but hey, because it is Israel it is okay.

And really, you are comparing Israel to the fucking Arab monarchies? It is like saying a restaurant has good food because it is better than McDonald's.

[Lt. Fred]

I'm not trying to be an apologist, I'm just saying that for all the shit they've done, they're miles ahead of, say, Iran.

When has Iran been at war in the last 20 years?

The situation is not the same. Israel should and must be held to a higher standard than third-world shitholes, because they can uphold that standard and therefore must.

[Ultimate Paragon]

While the human rights situations in the Middle East are terrible, it is not really fair to compare Israel and those countries when it comes to civil liberties due to their vastly disparate histories and resources. Israel has all the advantages in this conflict. It is a developed country with financial and military backing from the United States, which it has used to create the largest current refugee crisis in the world today. Also, unlike many Middle Eastern nations around it, Israel has never had the United States government try to sabotage their efforts toward self-determination, secularization, peace, or democracy.

That may be an explanation, but it's certainly not an excuse.  Many countries in Latin America had the same problems, and have moved past them.

Besides, the Arab nations also contribute to the Palestinian crisis.  Fact is, they don't care about the Palestinians, they're just using them to fuel their agendas.

[kefkaownsall]

Also only 2 latin american states have reached true democracy status where the elections are continually stable Costa Rica and chile

[Lt. Fred]

Also only 2 latin american states have reached true democracy status where the elections are continually stable Costa Rica and chile

Argentina, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Mexico. Chile is actually one of the least consistently democratic.

[Lt. Fred]

While the human rights situations in the Middle East are terrible, it is not really fair to compare Israel and those countries when it comes to civil liberties due to their vastly disparate histories and resources. Israel has all the advantages in this conflict. It is a developed country with financial and military backing from the United States, which it has used to create the largest current refugee crisis in the world today. Also, unlike many Middle Eastern nations around it, Israel has never had the United States government try to sabotage their efforts toward self-determination, secularization, peace, or democracy.

That may be an explanation, but it's certainly not an excuse.  Many countries in Latin America had the same problems, and have moved past them.

Besides, the Arab nations also contribute to the Palestinian crisis.  Fact is, they don't care about the Palestinians, they're just using them to fuel their agendas.

Basically, Israel creates a problem then viciously condemns its enemies when they refuse or are not able despite strong efforts in part due to Israeli connivance (eg; Lebanon) to clean it up. It's your fault I stopped you from fixing the thing I broke.

[kefkaownsall]

Also only 2 latin american states have reached true democracy status where the elections are continually stable Costa Rica and chile

Argentina, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Mexico. Chile is actually one of the least consistently democratic.

I tend to not count Argentina since its Europeans mainly.  Also Mexico in the past election is back to being dictitorial

[Sigmaleph]

Also only 2 latin american states have reached true democracy status where the elections are continually stable Costa Rica and chile

Argentina, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Mexico. Chile is actually one of the least consistently democratic.

Not to say we are not democratic, but Argentina has had trouble with transitions of power. For a long period of history (1928 to 1989), no elected president handed power to another elected president, because of a combination of military coups, deaths, and resignations. Also, the president who handed power in 1989 had to resign early, his successor modified the constitution in an at the very least questionable manoeuvre to get two consecutive terms, his successor quit after two years leading to a period where we had five presidents in two weeks...

Basically, the only 'normal' transitions of power we've had since 1928 were Menem to de la Rúa in 1999 and Kirchner to the other Kirchner in 2007. 2015 might be the next one!


@Kefka: Chile is about as European as Argentina, in terms of ethnic makeup.

[kefkaownsall]

REally thought they were as brown as Mexico or Peru shows what I know

[Lt. Fred]

Also only 2 latin american states have reached true democracy status where the elections are continually stable Costa Rica and chile

Argentina, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Mexico. Chile is actually one of the least consistently democratic.

Not to say we are not democratic, but Argentina has had trouble with transitions of power. For a long period of history (1928 to 1989), no elected president handed power to another elected president, because of a combination of military coups, deaths, and resignations. Also, the president who handed power in 1989 had to resign early, his successor modified the constitution in an at the very least questionable manoeuvre to get two consecutive terms, his successor quit after two years leading to a period where we had five presidents in two weeks...

As South America goes, that's a pretty reasonable record.

[Ultimate Paragon]

I never said that Israel was justified in its mistreatment of the Palestinians, just that the Arab nations frequently bargain on their backs.  There are legitimate reasons to criticize Israel, I never said there weren't.

[Lt. Fred]

I never said that Israel was justified in its mistreatment of the Palestinians, just that the Arab nations frequently bargain on their backs.  There are legitimate reasons to criticize Israel, I never said there weren't.

It's obviously ludicrous to demand any other state clean up Israel's manufactured refugee crisis for it. Israel can reintegrate them, or we can bomb Tel Aviv until they do.