Civil disobedience in Israel is premised on heavily American and Western European ideas. Israel though is more Middle Eastern than American. Civil disobedience however only works when those engaging in it are more willing to break the rules than those in power. In a tyrannical regime civil disobedience is of little use.
Time and time again Sharon has pushed forwards by simply breaking more rules. In response to sit downs in the road, he sends Shabak agents to throw nails and gasoline on the roads. If response to buses heading to a rally, his agents stop the buses and throw out the passengers. Soldiers who refuse illegal orders are convicted and jailed in show trials. Passive resistance is met with violent assaults. Symbolic gestures with physical ones. The media oversees it all and slanders the victims. This is the nature of a tyrannical regime.
Those engaging in civil disobedience are taking actions premised on the idea that the mechanisms of the state can be brought to a halt by it. But that works when the state follows some rules, when the state follows only whatever rules it makes up on the spot, symbolic gestures and peaceful protests are the lamb protesting against the wolf's dinner menu.
Comments
GEORGE BUSH WROTE THE ROAD MAP
ReplyDeleteGEORGE BUSH PRESSURED SHARON
BLAME BUSH, NOT SHARON
Sultan, your comments aside, this is for anon. Anon, bush did not write the road map. he pressured nobody. blame the terrorists, nobody else.
ReplyDelete-OC
Bush certainly pressured Sharon, handed him meaningless obligations and then became best buddies with the top terrorist of israel
ReplyDeleteterrorists succeed because they have enablers like bush, a point bush has made often enough himself
Unfortunately, and I hate that it is true, there are certain political games that countries have to play. It's not about forcing. It's about the wheeling and dealing. I do agree that America has stabbed Israel in the back now that Abu (fu) Mazen is sitting at the helm. Every-one wanted so badly to have someone else sitting at the table instead of Arafat that they didn't care who it was. It's like saying that as long as it isn't Hitler, even Eichman would be ok. So, now they're ignoring the fact that the Road Map stipulates that before Israel is obligated to do a damn thing, Mazen has to dismantle and destroy the terrorist organizations, including his own. But, now, everyone's fine in saying, "Well, he's doing his best". It's time to start pointing fingers where they really belong and kick some terrorist ass, and that includes Abu f'in Mazen's.
ReplyDelete-OC
Post a Comment