Monday, July 17, 2006

Israel-Lebanon conflict

The situation is going from bad to worse. It feels so hopeless that I even lost the desire to engage in any debate and shout anti-war slogans. Now-a-days, news of wars only sends me into silent contemplation. Because I know it is of no use to get emotional and try to prove a point in a stormy debate to a friend on that very cliched subject as to why in a war both the warring sides emerge losers, therefore it is insane to go to that. I feel hopelessly tired. I learnt with certainty over time that debates, arguments, discussions perhaps can never stop war, reconciling myself to the fact that cruelty is intrinsic to human nature. Sooner or later it is going to come out. Tell me when in the history of civilization there had been no wars which were not overrun by intense cruelty, widespread violence, excruciating butchery. So please don't tell me now that there is still some reason that I should believe in God. I'm still not very sure how I worked up some force within, to write down the following stanza from one of the most soulful songs that I have heard, voice lent by Joan Baez and written by Bob Dylan.

Oh what did you see, my blue-eyed son?
Oh what did you see, my darling young one?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it,
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it,
I saw a black branch with blood that kept dripping,
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a bleeding,
I saw a white ladder all covered with water,
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken,
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children,

And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,

And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.
P.S. The situation is much more appalling now. Israel are now on the full offensive. We all know that this is an unfair war. Considering the huge military and technological edge the Israelis, backed by the US, have over Lebanon and their well known attitude of belligerence, I'm very much concerned about the fate of the common people in Lebanon. They are surely going to suffer massive loss both human and material if not totally leveled to the ground. Not only that, it seems it would have many undesirable ramifications like other Arab countries joining in, the US again trying to play a big brother distabilizing the equilibrium of the region. Ironically, I have two close acquaintances (needless to say very nice guys that they are) in Haifa, Israel (which has the famous Technion University) which was first attacked by Hezbollah which operate from Lebanon. I'm also seriously concerned about them. One of them, who is an exceptionally talented young scientist, is supposed to join us in a month or so. But in the present condition, they are held back by the Israeli Govt. to perform military duties. Hell.

P.P.S. They (some people in Haifa) are now given wartime shelter by the government.

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