News-Record.com

In Pamplona Spain, where is a shop selling fancy china. Unfortunately it is along the route of the famous bull-running fiesta, and this year, a bull crashed through the front window and tore up everything inside.

The Insurance Company denied all claims because the store had allowed the bull to hide, operate and launch attacks from among the delicate wares inside.

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Seriously, the Israels were suckered into a fools war. As the LTE states, Hezbollah knew exactly what they were doing. We tend to think of these Terrorists as ignorant, but they have thought thru this more than most give them credit, plus they are true believers.

I will genuinely restrain myself from the obvious diss'-of-the-shallow-thinkers in the big house on Pennsylvania Ave, but will repeat my new belief: "This is REALLY Gonna hurt."

"If Lebanon were truly concerned for the safety and well-being of its civilian population, it would have run Hezbollah out of its country long ago."

Same could be said of the Iraqi people, Tom. Just substitute Saddam for Hezbollah. Yet we (Bush and company) felt perfectly justified in doing that little bit of dirty work for the Iraqis. Why didn't we run Hezbollah out for the Lebanese? Same situation, different approach. Why?

Same in several different nations. But we are keeping outta those places, like we should have kept outta Iraq. Your letter just emphasizes how hypocritical Bush is and what a fool he was to involve the US in other nations' affairs.

James is right about Hezbollah suckering Israel. Just like Ossama suckered Bush.

Hezbollah suckered Israel into destroying about 50% of their 'militia'?.. yeah, right.

What was Israel expected to do, crawl to the UN and beg for sanctions? Fortunately for the citizens of Israel, the Israel PM ignores Kopi Annan and goes about the business of exterminating the vermin that Lebanon has allowed itself to become infested with... of course this is Bush's fault too.

The Lebanese government was and is so weak that they were not and are not able to contend with the Hezbollah. It was the intent of the UN resolution for the Hezbollah to be disarmed but unfortunately just like the majority of the UN resolutions it had no teeth and no guts to back up what was dictated through this resolution. So instead of disarming Hezbollah, Lebanon allowed them to form a state within a state(Southern Lebanon). The government figured by doing this that Hezbollah would for the most part stay out of Lebanese affairs and they would be safe. It didn't work as is evidenced by the current war with Israel and now the Lebanese people have to suffer along with the Israeli's. The only way to stop this mess is to cut the road to Damascus as Israel has shown it can do by cutting off the supply routes from Syria, but that in itself is not enough. Syria must understand and understand well that if they continue to allow arms to be shipped from Iran via their country that for every time Israel is hit, they will be hit. That is the message that the Turkish government relayed to the Syrian's in 1998 and it worked until once again Syria turned stupid and thought with Iran's backing they could get away will murder by proxy. Iran would call off their war dogs if Israel began retaliating toward Syria. Iran does not want Israel sitting on their doorstep close enough to take out their precious nuke sites.Iran does not want to retaliate against Israel directly because to do so would drag the US into the frey and that is the last thing Iran wants at this time. The message needs to be relayed to Syria that Israeli retaliation is the consequence if you fail to stop allowing supplies into Lebanon to the Hezbollah. The US can relay the message through diplomatic channels or let the Turks once again talk "turkey" to the Syrian's. History has shown it will work.

"Hezbollah suckered Israel into destroying about 50% of their 'militia'?.. yeah, right."

Well in my opinion, yeah. Right. The funny part, Neo is the sort term answer from your whitehouse is UN intervention.

I'm not sure where Hezbullah is going with this, but they've sure got the better part of the Middle East roared up - all that shown on TV is women and children chopped up by Israeli aggression.

I'm with Yvonne on this: Why didn't America run Hezbollah out for the Lebanese, as we did - ok are trying to do the Taliban in Afganistan. Bushie's Team was sleeping on this, as they were many many other things not related to setting up permanant bases in Iraq.

MRP:

Israel took out some Iranian Nuke stuff once already. How does Syria keep them from doing it again?

"all that shown on TV is women and children chopped up by Israeli aggression"...

Yes, but not EVERYONE is swallowing what the lamestream media is feeding them hook, line, and sinker:

http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2006/08/qana-directors-cut.html

... not talking mainstream US or EU media ...
... am talking Ledanon, Syria, Iran, Middle East media ...

http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=8/5/2006&Cat=4&Num=4
http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=136368
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5995835,00.html
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Lebanon/10057994.html
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/37CCCFB9-7069-4CB2-86EE-295F9452F605.htm

Now I cherry picked those - but from what I hear, there is a voice uniting and getting louder, whi shows the danger of State Controlled media (which is what FOX is durn close to).

JDR, times are different. Different folks running Israel today than then as well. Give them time however to get Hezbollah under control and let Iran get a bit twitchy again and Israel will again do the job nobody else wants. So far Israel has shown some great restraint. Much more than they would have say 15-20 years ago.

As to why US didn't take out Hezbollah for Lebanon. The UN was suppose to do the job but didn't and by then the US was wound up in Afganistan and Iraq. Guess too they didn't want to listen to same ones squalling about being involved in Iraq squalling about being involved in Lebanon. Makes sense to me. It's kinda one of those danged if you do and danged if you don't. Does last weeks lTE on Darfur/Sudan come to mind?

I guess I expect our leadership to be looking out for us, MRP. They have the resources to study the entire region if not most the world and understand these things to a higher level than - instead we seem constantly blindsided.

I know the CIA's been in a gutting process for decades - but that does not exempt them from paying attention, surely electronic surveilience can make up for some of that ...

It's my humble belief that the third, forth and lower tiers of career G-men do a great job - but the upper two levels (not sure where the line is) as just into power and riches. When I hear the constant support for them - in this blog, in conversations, and eleswhere, frankly it just blows my mind.

jdr,
"I guess I expect our leadership to be looking out for us, MRP. They have the resources to study the entire region if not most the world and understand these things to a higher level than - instead we seem constantly blindsided."...........

proven by the fact that only 90 miles off mainland USA is Cuba and our intelligence community was taken off guard by castros illness and his ceeding of power !!

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3287774,00.html

Man, I wish all the people that made mistakes or deliberately fooled the American people were fired.

It would appear that there's more accountability out of a private business than the American government.

Go figure.

mrproduce,

The US tried to do the same thing with California. Let all the nutjobs live there and leave em to their own devices and hope that the rest of the country is safe. Unfortunately, they use television and movie theaters to saturate the rest of the country with their version of the world.

JDR, If FOX news is State Controlled media, it is only because a Republican is in the Whitehouse. One news source that is state controlled isn't so bad. When a democrat is in the White House, the only major news outlet that ISN'T state controlled is FOX News. Now, THAT is bad.

"If FOX news is State Controlled media, it is only because a Republican is in the Whitehouse."

Actually, I think he's considering it "State Controlled" due to the fact that its president, Roger Ailes, was a GOP operative for years.

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1067

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ailes

I like the term corporate media, with the exception of PBS. They report what sells; they target a specific audience; most hard righters and hard lefters spout the hate their audience wants to have validated.

Diane had two great shows this morning. After the depressing 10:00 show, she had a funny one at 11:00. Go NPR, the closest we will come to the real stories.

Denzien,

I was aware of Fox News ownership and that point is well taken. (I learned that little piece of interesting information from Michael Moore) It definitely makes you question 'fair and balanced'.

However, although other news station owners may not have been directly involved in politics like Roger Ailes, I have no doubt that they have a political persuasion and agenda. And from what I've seen in recent years, that persuasion leans to the left.

So, no, I don't believe that Fox is any more fair and balanced than any of the other news outlets. However, it does provide a different perspective that folks can use to weigh news and events and come to their own conclusions.

Carol,

I often enjoy PBS shows and news. I'm not convinced that they are any more 'real' than any other network. I'm totally ignorant on their inner workings but I'm guessing they are at least partially funded by our government. Which gives me pause.

I do appreciate that they do go more in-depth than the regular sound-bite news on the major networks. Which may have been exactly what you were saying.... :)

"And from what I've seen in recent years, that persuasion leans to the left."

And by "left", I'm assuming you mean, "highest bidder", in which case I agree.

Reality, as Mr Colbert would remind us, has a well known liberal bias.