As reported in Times online

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5454204.ece

It's good to know who Salon's friends are.

and the Javanese are oppressing the people in Papua and Ambon and moving people there to change the demographics

The Sudanese Arabs are doing even worst now to the nubian people in Sudan

Albanians moved into Kosovo after the Turks occupied it, changed the demographics over time, and now they break off from Serbia, after a long war.

and so forth and so on........

We constantly hear that Israel is our friend. Nothing could be further from the truth. Israel looks after Israel and cares about nothing else. I never hear about Israel prosecuting U.S. spies. However, we routinely hear about Israel spying on the U.S. I suspect there are even more cases, but these are covered up by the current and past administrations. In relation to Gaza, the population of Gaza is essentially in prison. Israel determines what and who is allowed in and who and what is not. It is the same on the West Bank where Israelies take whatever land they want from the Arabs and the Arabs have no recourse. Israel has occupied this territory for some fourty years. No country in modern times, except the former Soviet Union (the so-called northern and southern republics) and China (Tibet) has sought to colonize occupied teritory. Not even the Nazis when they occupied France, Norway, Belgium, Holland, etc. In essence the Israelies are worse than the Nazis in their occupation and treatment of the occupied people. Why wouldn't these people fight back.

If, as is implied here, there is some sort of double standard on the part of the United States in it's views towards Israel then where is the other half of it? Where is the country that the United States considered an ally/debtor/casual acquaintance that was dealing with an "indigenous" population in a heavy handed manner that the US started cutting ties, financial and diplomatic, with? Great Britain and the IRA? Canada and the FLQ? The Chinese and the Tibetans? Russia and the Chechnyans?

It seems like there is a single and solitary standard the United States has when it comes to these issues and it's one that is entirely consistent with the manner in which the United States acted when faced with the same problem. The standard is do what you want to put the bastards down. The only double standard here seems to be amongst the people who could give two craps about the peoples previously mentioned and focus so intently on the Palestinians and their plight. AIPAC, really, is just the other side of the coin to the thousands of journalists who descended on China this summer and came back with "Boy, that Michael Phelps sure can swim, can't he?" before wringing their hands about those awful Israelis.

If I recall correctly, the Irgun Zvei Leumi, led by Menachim Begin, blew up the King David Hotel in 1946 and killed a large number of innocent British Soldiers. Also, if I recall correctly, said Menachim Begin, in his autobiography, bragged about being the father of terrorism. Menachim Begin later became Prime Minister of Israel. Killing innocent British soldiers in the name of Israel certainly qualifies one as a humanitarian and statesman to Israelis, I imagine.

And, if I recall correctly, there were once two towns called Qibyum and Dar Yassin which were visited by the Irgin and Stern Gang on the day that Israel was declared a state by the U.N. Horrible acts were committed that day, as well, on the local populace, in the name of Israel. More humanitarianism, huh?

So, according to Israelis and their apologists, by these and other bloody acts, Mr. Begin, et al, are heroes and not terrorists because what they did to the Arabs was OK because it was for the Jews, Israel and the greater good?

Bullshit, people, bullshit!

Fury continues to mount worldwide about the senseless loss of civilian life in Germany caused by England's callous bombing of German cities including Berlin, Hamburg and Dresden.

As of today many innocent German women and children have died in these utterly brutal bombing missions. And now there are ground offensives starting on mainland Europe.

The English have claimed that they are merely retaliating against the V-1 flying bombs being launched indiscriminately by Nazis at their civilian population in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Coventry and other cities. The English point out that their enemy is sworn to its utter destruction and has used the missiles and flying bombs against its civilians without any regard to English loss of life. Moreover it makes the case that their own bombing missions are specifically directed to military targets that the German army has intentionally planted in the heart of civilian populations to try and deter English counter-attacks.

These points may of course be true - but they are utterly besides the point.

Of course England has a right to exist. Of course England has a right to defend itself. But it should ensure that its responses are PROPORTIONATE.

Since many more Germans are dying than English - the English should either tone down the success and accuracy of their bombing - or allow the Germans to catch up on the death count.

To be honest - if more English women and children were dying - we wouldn't feel quite so bad about the number of Germans dying. But it's just so UNFAIR that more Germans are dying...

Perhaps some English people could arrange to kill themselves to match the number of Germans dying as a result of the English retaliation bombing? It would be so considerate - and it might help England's critics feel less miserable about the number of Nazis dying. Something that is causing them so much concern.

It would also put paid to that wretched proportionality argument.

Alternatively, perhaps the English could arrange to be less effective in their bombing? Or only bomb military targets that are nowhere near civilians - even though the vast majority of the V-1 rockets are intentionally being launched from the heart of civilian population centers.

Now the English will argue that the Germans have INTENTIONALLY positioned all their launch pads for the V-1 rockets in the middle of civilian populations to inhibit the English from bombing those launch sites. Well - tough noogies to the Brits! Sorry - but if the Germans are smarter or more skillful at cynically using their civilians as human shields than you - tough luck!

You can't have it both ways. If you truly wish to save your nation from being annihilated by Nazi missiles you'd better stop looking to win a popularity contest. The Nazis are waging this war to win and to utterly destroy England. If all you Brits care about is popularity - then you may as well resign yourself to speaking German...

It's about time that little nations who wish to defend themselves wised up to their responsibilities.

Otherwise the same stupid complaints will be made at some point in the 21st Century when some little nation finds itself under constant attack from rockets fired at its civilian population by a terrorizing enemy that has sworn to destroy it....