More and more money for weapons…
The Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, has said the aid will preserve his country’s military advantage over other countries in the Middle East.
The new military aid package represents a 25% increase from present levels.
[…]
Mr Burns called the aid package an “investment in peace”, saying “peace cannot be made without strength”.
[Source: BBC News]
Now, this isn’t really something unexpected, the US has been pouring billions upon billions of dollars to support Israel militarily over the past decades, and this represents but a 25% increase to “preserve Israel’s military advantage over other countries in the Middle East” as Ehud Olmert gently put it.
Last month the US announced multi-billion-dollar arms deals with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other Gulf states too; all in an attempt to counter the “rising Iranian power” in the region. And well if it’s going to give money to the Arabs and Muslims, then it has to give even more to Israel to keep the balance tilted to Israel’s side; Only normal given the US policy we know.
What I find incredible though about this bit of news is this claim: “the aid package is an investment in peace… peace cannot be made without strength”.
So, let me get this right? Billions of dollars worth of weapons poured into the most volatile and explosive region on Earth are supposed to bring peace? Isn’t it more like pouring fuel on the flame? Isn’t this just a recipe for more disasters, more war, more death?
And don’t give me the whole “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people” style crap; of course people kill people, but they kill a lot many more people when they have guns, bombs, rockets, tanks, planes and whatnot to do it with.
Peace simply doesn’t come through the barrel of a rifle; it’s about time everyone realized that.