Schmedlap.com

A weblog of periodic insights from a former know-it-all Infantry Officer

Everybody is Stupid

Posted by Schmedlap at: 05:55 AM on 05 JUN 10 | Comments (79) | Reply to this post

If there is one thing demonstrated by the IDF boarding of a flotilla of violent “non-violent” activists, it is that all political speech is dishonest. Everybody criticizing Israel knows that this flotilla was intended as an act of provocation. They know that Israel could have killed everyone on board, but did not, because it was attempting to use a minimal amount of force. Even if nobody had been killed, we would be hearing stories about “mistreatment” and “injuries” from the violent “non-violent” activists. And despite the fact that the flotilla was deliberately trying to provoke, those injuries would be decried as some sort of inherent evil of Israel.

I forget which pundit was decrying this a few days ago and, apparently, looking down his nose at the gullibility of the rest of the world, but this is no different than what occurs here in the US. Partisans search for any little thing to nitpick their opponents about and then attempt to inflate the issue and then feign shock and outrage. Barack Obama does not wear a flag lapel pin! He must hate America! We are so much more enlightened than the rest of the world. Well, except for Europe.

Perhaps the problem is not Information Operations or "4GW" or public diplomacy. Perhaps the problem is that we insist upon living in this world of media fiction. This flotilla event did not change anybody's opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. People who hated Israel still hate Israel, though now they have something new to feign outrage over. People who supported Israel still support Israel and cite this incident as yet another publicity stunt intended to provoke international outrage.

Public diplomacy is powerful, but it only matters so long as actors feel compelled to respond to it. Consider George W. Bush. He had public opinion solidly against him throughout the final years of his second term. But he stopped caring about it. He pressed ahead with what he thought was the right thing to do in Iraq. Public opinion be damned. And thank God he did.

What would happen if Israel behaved similarly? If Israel becomes even more of a pariah, then what is their incentive to not use overwhelming force to settle the Palestinian issue? What would they have to lose? Israel in all likelihood could wage an indiscriminate, high intensity military operation to forcibly remove Palestinians by pushing them into neighboring countries. And who would stop them? Egypt? Jordan? Hezbollah? Hezbollah performs well against the IDF because the IDF exercises western-style restraint. Egypt and Jordan don't have much of a track record, particularly when they lack the initiative.

This fiction that we live in is not significantly tempered by the hard reality of state interests and real military capabilities. I don't think things will turn ugly in the near future, but I don't see how this fiction can continue on forever. You can train an elephant to perform in the circus. But if you piss that elephant off enough times, he's going to stop playing along and he's going to trample your ass. More so with each passing day, Israel resembles an elephant in a Mideast circus. Somebody might come along to intercede and shoot the elephant after the melee, but the trampled victims will not be revived.

Posted by Schmedlap at: 05:55 AM on 05 JUN 10 | Permalink | Comments (79) | Reply to this post

Comments...

1. MikeF says, in response to the original post:

Unfortunately, not everyone believes that the activists were violent. A former neighbor of mine who is Lebanese American sent out an email the other day asking all his friends, family, and contacts to praise and pray for the non-violent martyrs striving to help the poor, disenfranchised, and oppressed Palestinians from the evil Israelis. He evoked parallels to MLK and non-violent activism. I was shocked. I had similar discussions with him a couple of years ago when he'd try to justify violent action taken by Hammas or Hezbollah. The facts didn't matter. In his mind, the Palestinians are always right, and Israel is evil. It is black and white with no room for maneuver. I don't understand how either side can ever move forward if they always look through the lens of anger and hate.

Posted at: 5:50 AM on Sunday, June 06, 2010 - Reply to this comment
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2. Madhu says, in response to the original post:

Interesting. I just left a comment saying this is one of the better things you've written, and your blog ate the comment. I guess Schmeditations doesn't like compliments.

Posted at: 10:45 AM on Sunday, June 06, 2010 - Reply to this comment
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3. Madhu says, in response to the original post:

Uh, I don't mean to keep complaining about lost comments. Like *I* could build a site.

Posted at: 10:50 AM on Sunday, June 06, 2010 - Reply to this comment
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4. elf says, in response to the original post:

Well Mike, there's a time proven way to move forward. It's called victory, and negotiating from a position of total strength. The war having been decisive enough that there's no doubt as to who won. A Drumhead Peace in other words. Israel's problem is it keeps listening to people in DC who keep telling it "Land for Peace". It worked with Egypt, mutual interest worked with Jordon. It won't work with Filastinas because it's a cult of hate. They don't have a government to speak of, they have competing terror gangs. Of course Israel's other problem is it's sensitive to the opinion of the International Left...er...International Community. Which is pretty much listening to the current version of European antisemitism and Jew Hatred. They just want someone else to finish the job. Socialism makes you sooo lazy.

Posted at: 3:33 AM on Tuesday, June 08, 2010 - Reply to this comment
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5. MikeF says, in response to elf:

Elf- I feel you on that, but what is victory? The counter-argument is that increased escalation would eventually end up in Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) particularly as Iran inches closer to getting nuclear weapons. There's been an acceptable level of violence between Israel and everyone else for some time. Breaching the naval blockade appears to be an assymetric attempt to break through that static and force Israel to withdraw. I'm not sure how they will respond.

Posted at: 6:23 AM on Tuesday, June 08, 2010 - Reply to this comment
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6. eikjafi;a says: