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July 23, 2006 | Giving War a Chance

THE SUN is in Leo and Mars is in Virgo. Hopefully this will provide a change of scene to a more reflective state of mind on the violence of the world right now. Mars (aggression, warfare, passion, desire) could surely use some Virgo (grounding, clear thinking, analysis, self-criticism).

If you're looking blankly at the war between Lebanon and Israel, wondering what the holy hell is going on, you need look no further than today's news. The United States is rushing shipments of precision bombs to Israel. Iran and Syria, say the US, are involved in rearming Hezbollah, which is not a country; it's a political organization with a military wing.

Hence, this is a proxy war between the United States, and Syria and Iran. The Lebanese people, including many Americans and other expats, are caught in the middle. Israeli citizens are getting pretty badly hurt, too. Arms manufacturers are making a lot of money. I think we really need to pay attention to exactly who they are -- the people who put dinner on the table by making the bombs that are used to blow up towns and bridges.

Like any good proxy war, this one is preying on pre-existing hostilities and local territorial and political competition. It looks good -- that is -- it looks convincing, everyone knows those Jews and those Arabs hate each other, it's always been that way. The important thing is that it be convincing. It cannot look like what it really is. But it also serves a larger purpose, and is pushing the divide between the US/Israel alliance and the Arab world that much wider. And it's already pretty darned wide.

Bush referred to Israel as "sovereign state" yesterday but that's not exactly true. Israel is the working end of the US stick in the Middle East and has always been well-funded to do its bidding there. So at the very least, Israel is not going to act without tacit consent from Washington. Israel is also the only developed society in the Middle East that is not regularly bombed to the ground. Sooner or later, everyone else gets it. Of course, shipments of bombs hardly counts as "tacit" approval. It's a bit more direct.

Yesterday's comments by Condoleeza Rice, the US secretary of state, were particularly twisted. The question going around many living rooms is why the US does not push for a cease-fire (or for that matter why there is not more help evacuating refugees, who are piling up places like Cyprus).

Rice said Friday that a quick cease-fire "will be a false promise if it returns us to the status quo." She added that Hezbollah is the source of the problem in Lebanon and must be disarmed. "We must work urgently to create the conditions for stability and lasting peace," Rice said.

I think this translates loosely to, "Give War A Chance." Can you see Condi and George in bed in the lobby of the Amsterdam Hilton, with the press and TV cameras gathered round, strumming the guitar,

All we are saying
Is give war a chance...

Rice continues in her supposedly down to Earth, hippy-girl metaphors, "What we're seeing here, in a sense, is the growing -- the birth pangs of a new Middle East. And whatever we do, we have to be certain that we are pushing forward to the new Middle East, not going back to the old one."

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PS, I thought you might find this interesting - it was just sent to me by our photo editor, Paloma Todd: http://www.serialno3817131.com/

Here is one more, on the subject of love and not war; also female photographer; also female subjects, sent in by Annemarie:   http://www.vontauber.com/home.html