Lebanon, the new Israel

The destruction of Lebanon, even in areas sympathetic to Hezbollah, is very depressing.

One thing I think a lot people are missing is the fact that any time anyone in the middle east starts to show success under free markets, something always happens to bring them down. I have a theory that the whole Palestine/Israel conflict is really about the irritation that Israel causes by being so successful at providing for their citizens without oil. Let's face it. After Israelis, Palestinians are the most despised people in the Middle East. If Israel disappeared tomorrow, hardly anyone would pay the Palestinians notice. Totalitarian states keep the conflict going because they do not like the example that a free Israel provides.

This is why Lebanon is the center of a new conflict. Lebanon has always been much more advanced than other states. They have a rich history and a very progressive culture. Recently, Lebanon had made strides to return to this greatness. I read a story not long ago about how Lebanon was the "place to go" in the Middle East for Arabs. Allowed to go on much longer, Syrians and Iranians might one day ask themselves why not us? Why can't Damascus be like Beirut? Why can't Iranian schools be like Lebanese schools? And it's painfully obvious when the Lebanese do it without all the natural resources of the other states.

No star will ever be allowed to shine as long as totalitarian leaders are a majority in the Middle East. They simply will not allow their populations to ever think that the average Arab's trouble is due to anything other than "Jews".

Supply and Demand in the Terrorist World

It takes two sides to set a "price", one who will not sell for less and one who will not buy for more. The response by Israel was so predictable that it is incredible that the Lebanese would even pretend to be shocked. For the history of conflict in the middle east, Israel has always had to exact a heavier toll than is taken on them. Being smaller, they cannot afford to exchange equal blows. The level of retaliation is thus measured not proportionate to the initial attack but in terms of what price Israel must extract to keep such events from happening in the future. The ugly truth is that Hezbollah knew that Israel would respond like this. The Lebanese should ask themselves what purpose Hezbollah serves to them. What is the best way to preserve their own interest? To get Israel to not retaliate so hard or to get Hezbollah to stop?
If someone pokes a beehive and then runs away allowing the bees to sting children, who is to blame? Should we talk about how the bees' response was disproportionate to having their hive being poked? Or should we punish the person who knew what would have happened.
Israel kills 500 people for every 1 of theirs because that is the price Terrorists have set. By attacking a check point, kidnapping Israelis, Hezbollah has basically said that all that is worth thousands of Lebanese casualties. Israel will now attempt to raise that price so that it will be too expensive. My worry is that for Hezbollah, led by Iran and Syria, that the destruction of the entire state of Lebanon would not bother them in the least bit. For one, Lebanon's success shows how pathetic and backward their own countries are. In essence, this event serves many purposes for Iran and Syria, not least of all is distracting the attention of their population to how free states can provide better for their populations than totalitarian regimes.