Why Do We Care So Much About Gaza?, page 3

reply to post by jam321

---

Okay, so are we back to religion and oil? If so, we just went in a pretty big circle. Does America want the oil? Does America hate the religions over there or do we feel hated ourselves?

reply to post by ravenshadow13

---

Let me insert a post I made on another thread tonight. It should make my position pretty clear:

Yes, unfortunately, this conflict has all of the same elements of the American election. The partisanship is as thick and heavy as the smoke over Gaza. The real crime is that there a many innocent civilians being killed, on both sides. I do think, though, that American politicians have not done America any service by being so one-sided on this issue. Both sides have enough guilt to go around. Unlike, I suspect, some of the posters here, I spent considerable time in the middle east, and lived with Muslims during that time. The vast majority of them are wonderful people, who do not approve of terrorism. As a Christian, I was treated with respect. The vast majority of people in the Muslim world want just what we want, the ability to live their lives in peace, and peace and health for their children. I had several discussions with them on suicide bombings, and they, to the last person, stressed that sending their children out with bombs attached to them was outrageous, and a despicable act.

reply to post by ProfEmeritus

---

"As a Christian, I was treated with respect."
What if you weren't Christian?
Just curious.

I don't really have a super sure position on this. I don't want to keep this thread going if you think it's a stupid topic but I was curious as to why people seem hypnotized by this more than other conflicts and wars going on. I've never seen people behave like this over something so far away and I personally found it astounding.

I don't know about you guys, I wanted to understand what was happening here, on these forums. I want to understand the patterns and reasoning behind them.

reply to post by ravenshadow13

---

America gets most of its oil elsewhere. However, America helps ensure that there is oil for our allies. In return our allies make sure they help us out when we come calling. One of those you scratch my back and I will scratch yours. If that oil ever runs out, the Middle East will become the second Africa and we will ignore them as well.

reply to post by ravenshadow13

---

"As a Christian, I was treated with respect." What if you weren't Christian? Just curious.

Since I am a Christian, you'd have to ask someone who wasn't, how they were treated. My point in stating my religion, was to indicate that I wasn't Muslim, yet I was treated kindly and with respect.

reply to post by ravenshadow13

---

Israel may have nuclear weapons, but they are a small country. They could be wiped out completely before they even fire off a nuclear weapon, and if they keep going like they are, that is what will happen.

People like web cams, people like to watch for many things happening. I used to watch the "Lock Ness Monster Cam" for a while, to see if I would see Nessie; and, No I never saw Nessie, but that doesn't mean that I don't believe that a monster like Nessie could exist. On the contrary, a Japanese fishing trawler brought up a beast and they took a photo of a similar beast as Nessie in the 1970's; so Nessie could have survived over the ages.

Everyone has the right to be testy and protective of something, or in this case Palestinian people that are to be exterminated because the Israeli's have deemed it so.

reply to post by jam321

---

That oil -is- going to run out, though.
Don't the countries in the Middle East use their own oil? Why do they even give it to us?
And the oil is going to run out relatively soon in the whole scheme of things... is it even worth the fighting now?

reply to post by ravenshadow13

---

I don't really have a super sure position on this. I don't want to keep this thread going if you think it's a stupid topic but I was curious as to why people seem hypnotized by this more than other conflicts and wars going on. I've never seen people behave like this over something so far away and I personally found it astounding.

You must not have been on any of the political threads last year, when the Presidential campaign was going on. It was so bad, that SO had to put very strict guidelines in place. IMO, that was MUCH worse than this. This is rather mild compared to the political partisan fights that went on.

reply to post by ProfEmeritus

---

I was here, I've been a member since '06.
I do not ever remember people posting pictures of dead babies and smashed brains to this extent, nor staring at a livecam of bombs going off halfway across the world.
That's what's weird to me.

reply to post by ravenshadow13

---

I was here, I've been a member since '06. I do not ever remember people posting pictures of dead babies and smashed brains to this extent, nor staring at a livecam of bombs going off halfway across the world. That's what's weird to me.

I know you've been here. I saw your member since date. It was kind of a sarcastic remark I made, because anyone that was on those threads knew how bad they got. I won't bother to repeat any of it, but believe me, it was much worse than the Gaza threads. You were probably wise not to get involved in them. It was nothing more than partisan bickering, with not a lot of logic involved. In every way, it was a microcosm of the American political charade that we call "free elections" -lots of glitz, little substance, and a lot of trash thrown around. Probably the best way to describe it is a HUGE food fight, ala Animal House style.

reply to post by ravenshadow13

---

Seems to me that you've already got an answer in mind but just want to hear it from other people. The answer is not anti-Semitism.

It's not just the sickening loss of innocent life. It's not just that most of the poster's country of origin had a hand in setting up and funding the state of Israel. It's not just that our governments are in a position to do something about it yet sit on the fence either tutting at or supporting the IDF's actions. It's not just that the IDF have allegedly committed war crimes. It's not just that Israel have gone on a propaganda/misinformation campaign (something virtually everyone here abhors). It's not just that it involves Muslim 'terrorists' that some can't differentiate between the ones that took part in 9/11. It's not just that there's a media blackout in operation and the live cams are the only source of non-biased information inside Gaza. It's not just that our governments are ignoring the people's voices. It's not that this could lead to WW3. It's not just that some think there might be a Zionist/Illuminati/Lizard/whatever conspiracy in this somewhere... it's a combination of all of these and more.

Personally I think you're looking for things which aren't there, it's quite clear to me why this conflict has everyone's attention and probably rightfully so.

reply to post by Goathief

---

I don't have an answer in mind at all. And if you paid any attention, in the past few days I have even changed my own opinion of what's going on to support Gaza, as long as my family stays okay. I didn't start this thread for any reason to see people's own explanations for what is happening here on ATS and why there IS so much attention paid to this topic.

I'm listening to you, are you listening to me?

Edit- Obviously what's clear to you isn't clear to me. I really don't know why I saw so many people react the way they did, and still are. I'm glad that you know your answer. I don't know mine. I would appreciate not being criticized for asking a completely innocent question, with no answer in mind.

Edit 2- And if you read the first posts in this thread after my introduction, I made it clear that I did not want an explanation that had anything to do with religion. Go back and look again if you don't believe me.

[edit on 1/14/2009 by ravenshadow13]

[edit on 1/14/2009 by ravenshadow13]

reply to post by ravenshadow13

---

More than you think.

You seem to be under the impression it has nothing to do with you when in fact it does (and some might argue more than most due to your heritage). I wouldn't worry about your family at all unless another nation with a bit of clout decides to get involved - which they might well do unless the IDF stops.

*EDIT*

I take it you didn't listen to my post or anyone else's here then, because there's lots of good answers to your original question. Perhaps taking some time out to meditate on everyone's replies will provide illumination.


[edit on 14-1-2009 by Goathief]

reply to post by Goathief

---

...I'm not even claiming it has anything to do with me! How can you say it does? My priorities are elsewhere from some chunk of land in the desert which many Jewish people want to have.

I'm also not Jewish. I'm culturally Jewish, yeah, but really my dad is the only one in my family that believes any of that stuff. I totally don't, and neither does my mom. I don't believe a word that anyone says came from anything similar to God, especially not to validate a land war. Why would I lie about something like that?

Really, I have no motive here. If that's hard for you to believe, then fine. I don't hate Palestinians, I don't hate Gaza. All I know is that I have a great aunt and some friends in Israel who aren't affected right now but I don't want it to escalate because of them, and if it does, as long as I can make sure that they're safe, I honestly don't have any ties left to that place.

I don't care about the temples, I don't care about the oil, I'm sure many Christians would fight for that land more than I would.

Edit- I am listening to everyone's posts. I don't want to stop encouraging people who might have different ideas, or supporting ideas, from posting. I don't like closing off my threads before people get a chance to speak their mind.

[edit on 1/14/2009 by ravenshadow13]

reply to post by ravenshadow13

---

You're not listening again.

I specifically said your heritage, not what you believe in now. Stop going back to religion (you seem to be doing that a lot, maybe subconsciously) because that's not the reason it has everything to do with you. You live in the USA who gives billions of dollars of your (the taxpayer's) money to Israel and is also supporting them morally in this conflict.

Whether you agree with them or not the government represent you and their actions often define how those around the world see you. It's your money, your politics - hell, even your weapons being used over there... how do you feel about that?

Finally in reply to another one of your edits, don't close it then! Pretty simple, yes?

Massive US Military Buildup on Two Strategic Islands: Socotra and Masirah
  Posted 14 days ago with 57 member flags

NATO & CIA are Behind the LIBYA & SYRIA Massacres of innocent Civilians
  Posted 4 days ago with 43 member flags

Young Israelis and Palestinians Flash Mob for Peace
  Posted 5 days ago with 37 member flags

Zionists , Stop the War Against Iran Now!
  Posted 4 days ago with 34 member flags

Zionist regime well within Iran missile reach: MP
  Posted 6 days ago with 25 member flags

Israel to UN: Tomorrow will be too late for action against Iran !!
  Posted 17 days ago with 22 member flags

Israel no match for Iran military might
  Posted 6 days ago with 21 member flags

70% of Israelis think that jews are the Chosen People
  Posted 15 days ago with 18 member flags

Newest topics, updated in real-time:

Newest topics getting flags, in real-time:

Newest topics getting replies, in real-time: