The Current Affairs Thread

[Pyxis]

 

http://www.sockandawe.com/

[Jamba]

Fuck you.

 

I think Israel's actions have been justified, but its methods have been too imprecise. Still, there aren't any alternative options that don't result in Hamas continuing to fire/allow the firing of rockets at Israeli civilians.

 

Absolutely my feelings on the matter.

 

Also Daft, Hamas started firing those rockets in response to Israel holding Palestinian prisoners. Firing rockets as a response to that isn't diplomatic, it was a terrorist act on civilians also. And lets not forget that rockets were fired from the north recently also, which affected civilians heavily (and I'm willing to bet that these rockets are from the same supply).

 

If the Palestinians wanted peace then they should have voted in a non-terrorist party. Hamas are also responsible for much of the Palestinian sufferring as they have been using the countries minimal resources to buy weaponry and mistreating the public.

[Daft]

Two wrongs do not make a right. Palestine and Israel are like David and Goliath, respectively. Palestine has been under massive strain from Israel for decades now; the people elected Hamas in response to Israel. Israel have also violated plenty of agreements; they've restricted exports from leaving the country and into Gaza they have restricted trucks carry basic necessities like food, fuel and other essentials.

 

When Israel finally did pull out of Gaza 'soldiers continued to control all access to the Gaza Strip by land, sea and air. Gaza was converted overnight into an open-air prison. From this point on, the Israeli air force enjoyed unrestricted freedom to drop bombs, to make sonic booms by flying low and breaking the sound barrier, and to terrorise the hapless inhabitants of this prison.' Does this sound like a country looking for peace?

 

Israel have the financial and military backing of the US. They have nuclear weapons and the most advance air force in the world, funded primarily by America. With this they have continued to expand past the boundaries initially set for them into Palestine. How else is Palestine to respond? They cannot match Israel in any department. They have very few options and even less supporters.

 

Israel know that Hamas is hiding among civilians but they still think that collateral damage is acceptable? When the fuck did that become acceptable to everyone?! I've said this before, almost one third, 257 as of two days ago (Lord know how many more have died since.), of those who have been killed have been children. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090108/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_young_victims

 

The Red Cross did not say what happened to the children, but noted that the Israeli army refused rescuers permission to reach the neighborhood for four days.

 

Sadly Israel's media brain washing seems to have worked on a lot of people because they are not the oppressed, they are the oppressors.

[The fish]

Thanks Fish, I appreciate it.

 

No probs!

 

Ok, here goes:

 

- The 6-month truce between Israel and Hamas ended on 19th Dec.

- A blockade by the Israelis of Gaza's entry points has lasted since June (shortly after the start of the ceasefire).

- Sporadic, light rocket and mortar fire has been fired into Israel from Gaza during this time.

- Throughout Nov/Dec, the rocket attacks increased. On 26th Dec, Israel allowed 100 trucks into Gaza.

- On 27th Dec, after increased rocket attacks, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) launched a massive all-out air assault on Gaza, hitting at least 50 targets.

- Early in the morning of 3rd Jan, the built-up Israeli army moves into Gaza, cutting the territory into two.

-On the 6th Jan, two UNRWA schools were hit, killing the most in a single strike by Israel to date.

-As of today, Israeli troops have moved into the outskirts of Gaza city, and the air strikes are continuing. Hamas continues to fire rockets into Israel.

 

So far, as of 9th Jan, according to the UN, there have been around 800 Palestinian dead and 3,300 wounded. The Israelis, on the other hand, have suffered 13 dead and 119 wounded (including those in combat/friendly fire).

 

Hope that helps.

 

I may make this a bit more in depth in time.

[Mundi]

A picture says a thousand words, how can they be oppressed if they´ve been taking the land?

[MoogleViper]

- Early in the morning of 3th Jan, the built-up Israeli army moves into Gaza, cutting the territory into two.

 

Silly fish. Nice timeline though.

[weeyellowbloke]

I can't see how anyone can say Israel is right in its actions. Yes Hamas is firing rockets into Israel, but can no-one see the reasons behind such action. If you had another country, which only came into existence 60 years ago, far larger than yourself, blockading resources leaving you in abject poverty and slowly trying to drive off land you had legitimately lived on for centuries; I would think you'd be pretty pissed off as well.

 

How about Israel actually talks with the Palestinians and co-operates with them as an independant state. It worked with neighbouring Egypt and Jordan, who originally wanted Israel wiped out. But no, they decide to bomb the shit out of a region the size of the Isle of Man killing at least 800 and solving nothing. If anything the action is strengthening Hamas by further radicalising the Gaza population and adding to the idea that they're being persecuted and need to resist.

[The fish]

Silly fish. Nice timeline though.

 

I had been drinking, in my defence...

[Athriller]

The whole situation just makes me sick.

 

Hamas is definitely in the wrong for firing rockets in to Israel, but let it be known it was Israel that broke the cease fire and Hamas were retailiating. Honestly, can we be even be suprised at what Hamas did? When you stop food, aid, and electricity from getting to the Palestinians, bulldoze their homes, take away their land and some of their rights, what do you expect to happen?

 

I applaud Jon Stewart for having the balls to be one of the few mainstream American figures to speak up. It's depressing how one of America's best comedians is also one of their best politicians.

 

http://blog.beliefnet.com/progressiverevival/2009/01/jon-stewart-speaks-on-gaza.html

[The fish]

I just read an interesting article in The Spectator (no, I'm not a Tory...) about the current situation in Gaza. The gist of it is simple - unless Israel destroys Hamas, they'll push/use the Western media to push for a ceasefire, and once one is in place, claim it as a victory. They'll then use this to help recruit a new generation of fighters.

 

Put simply, Israel needs to remind Hamas that it is, so far, unbeatable. If it gives them anything to claim as a victory, they'll be back to square one.

 

The whole situation just makes me sick.

 

Hamas is definitely in the wrong for firing rockets in to Israel, but let it be known it was Israel that broke the cease fire and Hamas were retailiating.

 

No they didn't - Israel launch an operation in the West Bank (no subject to the ceasefire) in June, to which Hamas responded by breaking the ceasefire. Israel then imposed the blockade. In November, rocket attacks from Hamas increased dramatically, and come late December, they were approaching pre-ceasefire levels. Israel then launched the current campaign.

 

Also, John Stewart is a legend in his own right.

[Athriller]

 

 

No they didn't - Israel launch an operation in the West Bank (no subject to the ceasefire) in June, to which Hamas responded by breaking the ceasefire. Israel then imposed the blockade. In November, rocket attacks from Hamas increased dramatically, and come late December, they were approaching pre-ceasefire levels. Israel then launched the current campaign.

 

 

 

Israel broke the ceasefire in November the 4th by killing 6 people. The intensified rockets came as a result.

 

 

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2008/1230/1230581467173.html?via=mr

 

Whilst the rocket attacks from hamas are disgusting and should be stopped, let's put this in perspective.

 

Since 2001, 15 Israeli civilians have died from rocket attacks. In the past two weeks, 854 Palestinian civilians have died with another 3000 injured (In an area where over 60% of the population are children).

 

What?

[The fish]

Israel broke the ceasefire in November the 4th by killing 6 people. The intensified rockets came as a result.

 

 

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2008/1230/1230581467173.html?via=mr

 

Whilst the rocket attacks from hamas are disgusting and should be stopped, let's put this in perspective.

 

Since 2001, 15 Israeli civilians have died from rocket attacks. In the past two weeks, 854 Palestinian civilians have died with another 3000 injured (In an area where over 60% of the population are children).

 

What?

 

Israel drew the first blood, but Hamas had been firing rockets and mortars from June through to November, at increasing rates.

 

As for proportions, it's a little irrelevant - Israel isn't going to not use it's highly advanced military technology because their opponents lack it. The more fire power you have, the greater that proportion of collateral damage.

 

A couple of other things - Hamas included deaths of it's own members in the civilian death numbers, and Israel is attacking targets in densely populated urban areas. The Iraqi army did a similar thing with high-value targets during both Gulf Wars in an attempt to prevent the US from hitting them without hitting civilians too.

[nightwolf]

A picture says a thousand words.

 

So it does. Amazing how people have a way with words..eh?

[The fish]

So it does. Amazing how people have a way with words..eh?

 

I should point out that most of the shrinking of Palestine is due to conquests by Israel when it's neighbours have attacked it.

 

That said, Israel should no better than to build on land which is definitely is Palestinian (such as east of Jerusalem).

[nightwolf]

I should point out that most of the shrinking of Palestine is due to conquests by Israel when it's neighbours have attacked it.

 

That said, Israel should no better than to build on land which is definitely is Palestinian (such as east of Jerusalem).

 

Exactly, it's being hypocritical slightly if they are doing what was being done to them.

[Pyxis]

There are no Israeli settlements in Gaza.

 

Looking at a map, I think they should withdraw their settlements from the West Bank apart from most of the ones along the Israel border, which they should keep and claim as Israeli territory. They'd probably get away with that, but there would be a big backlash from their own people and the settlers that they'd have to forcibly remove.

 

Israel still need to take out more of Hamas before they withdraw from Gaza, although they know that if they face the Israelis head on, they'll be like goats staring a tiger in the face. Border security in Egypt is definitely going to improve after this campaign ends.

[The fish]

Border security in Egypt is definitely going to improve after this campaign ends.

 

I think relations would be improved drastically if Egypt/another reasonably neutral country (France?) where to take over responsibility for that boarder.

[Pyxis]

I think relations would be improved drastically if Egypt/another reasonably neutral country (France?) where to take over responsibility for that boarder.

 

Germany is planning to send specialists to Egypt to advise them on how to improve security on their side and the Egyptions did welcome the gesture.

 

The Egyptions and Israelis do have a good relationship going on and the two countries even taken part in joint military exercises these days, which speaks a lot compared to how they felt about eachother before the 6 days war! Hopefully Egypt can up their game and take more responsibility like you said, they are definitely a good country for Israel to work with.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/4218348/Israel-close-to-destroying-military-wing-of-Hamas.html

 

A military intelligence summary reported frustration that Hamas fighters had retreated into the centre of the strip's cities to avoid confrontation with Israeli forces. Major General Amos Yadlin, the military intelligence chief, said the group had suffered serious losses in 16 days of hostilities but was not yet ready to agree to a truce.

 

Israel accused Hamas of using the population of Gaza as human shields in the battle. An Israeli newspaper yesterday reported that Hamas leaders had retreated to a bunker beneath wing 2 of the Shifa hospital. The military also released details of a school building that had been rigged with booby traps.

 

Oved Yehezkel, the cabinet secretary, said the group was also using diplomatic property to shelter from attack. He said: "The leaders of Hamas and the armed wing are hiding in bunkers, hospitals and foreign missions."

 

Khaled Meeshal, the exiled Hamas leader, said the group would continue to attack Israel as long as the Strip was under fire. One of more than a dozen rockets fired yesterday hit the home of David Buskila, the mayor of the front line town of Sderot.

 

The senior Israeli delegate to French and Egyptian-led peace talks in Cairo indicated that a fresh round today could see a breakthrough on the key issue of ensuring Hamas is unable to rearm by smuggling munitions into Gaza.

 

Amos Gilad said Egypt could be trusted to lead the effort to seal the border, though Israel continued to demand heavy foreign input into border monitoring. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign minister, offered to send a specialist border security team to Egypt this week for the talks on stopping rocket smuggling.

 

Hamas leaders are also due to meet Egyptian officials in Cairo today for parallel truce talks.

[Daft]

Drug giant GlaxoSmithKline pledges cheap medicine for world's poor

 

(Here's a picture. Might keep you attention for a second longer.)

If property is theft, intellectual property at times seems more like murder. When drug companies scrambled to block poor countries importing cheap copies of Aids drugs, they claimed they were protecting what was lawfully theirs, but the cost was paid in human lives. It is thus heartening that pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline has a new boss who grasps that patents are a social construct that must rest upon an ethical foundation. Andrew Witty tells today's Guardian that he will slash drug prices by 75% or more in the poorest countries, and freely share patented knowledge about diseases such as malaria, which the industry has long neglected because so few victims can afford innovative treatments. Battle hardened charities have questions about the effect on generic drug manufacturers in developing countries. Their main task, however, is to hold Mr Witty to his word, to encourage him to go further - and to call on others to follow his lead. As always in ethical business, there is an element of enlightened self-interest. From Beijing to Brasilia the developing world is growing in power, and it is hard to believe it will continue to acquiesce in unjust western patent arrangements for long. At the same time, the emerging lesson of open source software is that commercial success can sometimes be found within the public domain. By pooling some of GSK's knowledge, Mr Witty readies the company for playing by the new rules when they arrive. And, in the meantime, he might save some lives.

 

Should GSK be doing more? It's a start.

[The fish]

Go GSK. Nice to see a giant corporation doing the right thing.

[Daft]

Go GSK. Nice to see a giant corporation doing the right thing.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing how the other pharma companies react.

[Pookiablo]

I am right in thinking that these are the chaps who also make Lucozade, hmm?

 

If so, I bow before them and their glucose-y ways - t'is a pretty honourable step to take!