We all know about the problem...So what's the solution?
With WWIII on the brink and armageddon just around the corner, it's about time that we look at how to end this conflict and stand-offish geopolitical situation. Israel is always going to be a target of religious conflict, there is no stopping that unless we eliminate religion (or just Judaism, Christianity and Islam) off the planet completely. I spent 6 weeks in Israel back in high school and instead of instilling this religious fervor in my soul, it convinced me of the ills of religion and the fact that none of those parties involved in the conflict is innocent and good. The Israelis were given this holy piece of land by the white oppressors who felt guilty about their abandonment of the Jewish people in WWII without really taking the local residents into consideration. They were asking for trouble by giving away land that had been the source of conflict for more than a millenium. Israel quickly became the region's military power after squashing every attempt to grab at Israeli power from the Islamic nations that surround Jerusalem. But they have gone too far at times, using the threat of Islamic anti-Israeli aggression as an excuse to attack with very questionable methods. However, the Palestinians aren't innocent, as they have employed terrorist activities to help their cause and have not shown initiative in fighting for peace. But I believe that peace is the last thing that either side really wants, they want sole control of the Holy Land.
So how can we avert this coming holy war? Is there really any chance for us to bring peace in the Middle East without dropping bombs and installing pro-western regimes in EVERY nation? YES!!! And I will tell you how it could happen. First off, let us remember that every party with a claim to Israel has at one point taken the land from those who occupied it rightfully, so nobody is innocent here. Because Jerusalem is such a holy city for 30+% of the world's population, destroying it would be a devastating loss. Despite all of my anti-religious sentiment, I believe that the cultural significance of Jerusalem should be protected at all costs. So what I propose is that we kick EVERYONE out of Jerusalem and turn it into an International Historical Monument somewhat similar to how the Vatican is. I would make a 50 mile radius protected zone where the only people allowed to reside within the borders would be religious leaders and those who work to maintain the historical monuments and religious sites.
So would that actually work? I can't imagine that it would be any worse of a situation than we have now. In the globalized world we live in today, it's not very hard for people to pick up and move somewhere else...if it was hard, we wouldn't have Lou Dobbs on CNN bitching about all the Mexicans he sees. What I don't get is why people would even want to stay in Israel. It's a sweltering hot (mostly) desert that has endured an endless series of war and conflict from the begninning of human civilization and it has very few valuable natural resources. Obviously this wouldn't be a popular proposal, to force everyone out of Jerusalem and the surrounding areas, but how much longer can the Jews hold off the Islamic pressures facing them? I fear that this conflict will be escalated because of Israel's unmatched (in the region) military might. The other nations will only catch up to Israel and eventually surpass their military force thanks to their vast population advantage, and Israel will have only one answer: war. That is why the country reacted so violently to just two soldiers being kidnapped, it's a perfect excuse to eliminate one of their most dangerous and threatening enemies. If we gave Israelis (and Palestinians, Jordanians and anyone else in that Jerusalem area) a free chance at citizenship in whichever nation they decided to resettle in, it would solve some of the problems of depopulating an entire region.
Obviously this isn't a realistic proposal. But the future of mankind is going to be in tightly urbanized societies, and that wont happen in Israel as long as the conflict continues. The path of a metropolitan society is Urbanize, Sprawl, renewal of urbanization. We've already seen it in many European and Asian metropolises; and as technology expands, we'll be able to accomodate more people in smaller spaces. Even here in the US there is a push (thanks to our low gas prices, it's taken way longer than it should have) to become more centralized because it's far more effecient. The other benefits of tightly knit societies is the blending of cultures and exposure to various social and ethnic groups. Ever wonder why the larger a city gets, the more liberal it becomes? That's simply because people become much more tolerant of something when they are exposed to it. Think that everyone in San Francisco would be so supportive of gay rights if they grew up in Texas? Obviously not, because intolerance is learned, it's not ingrained in our personalities.
Israel has basically created its own mess. By being so forceful in estabilshing themselves as the region's military power, they have given an incentive for their enemies to build up and find allies. North Korea has a hand in funding Hezbollah, so does Iran, and even Venezuela has been rumored to support Hezbollah. Israel will never be popular, and it is losing allies left and right. Europe is beginning to feel less guilty about the Holocaust (the only reason why Israel exists in reality) and the support is waning. Obviously Israelis wont just evacuate and leave Israel to the Muslims, but this is quickly becoming a global conflict of idealology and the only sollution I see being one that would be a good compromise without letting anyone come out on top is my International Historical Region. Let's wall off the Holy Land, charge $50 admission and kick everyone who isn't a cleric, priest or rabbi out of their homes. That way the Palestinians wouldn't be pissed about losing land to a bunch of greedy Jews. The Jews won't be mad about having to be surrounded by enemies and the Christians won't have to worry about that suicide bomber attacking while they are paying homage at the Western Wall. Or we can just let them all kill each other and suffer the collateral damage. The choice is ours.
So how can we avert this coming holy war? Is there really any chance for us to bring peace in the Middle East without dropping bombs and installing pro-western regimes in EVERY nation? YES!!! And I will tell you how it could happen. First off, let us remember that every party with a claim to Israel has at one point taken the land from those who occupied it rightfully, so nobody is innocent here. Because Jerusalem is such a holy city for 30+% of the world's population, destroying it would be a devastating loss. Despite all of my anti-religious sentiment, I believe that the cultural significance of Jerusalem should be protected at all costs. So what I propose is that we kick EVERYONE out of Jerusalem and turn it into an International Historical Monument somewhat similar to how the Vatican is. I would make a 50 mile radius protected zone where the only people allowed to reside within the borders would be religious leaders and those who work to maintain the historical monuments and religious sites.
So would that actually work? I can't imagine that it would be any worse of a situation than we have now. In the globalized world we live in today, it's not very hard for people to pick up and move somewhere else...if it was hard, we wouldn't have Lou Dobbs on CNN bitching about all the Mexicans he sees. What I don't get is why people would even want to stay in Israel. It's a sweltering hot (mostly) desert that has endured an endless series of war and conflict from the begninning of human civilization and it has very few valuable natural resources. Obviously this wouldn't be a popular proposal, to force everyone out of Jerusalem and the surrounding areas, but how much longer can the Jews hold off the Islamic pressures facing them? I fear that this conflict will be escalated because of Israel's unmatched (in the region) military might. The other nations will only catch up to Israel and eventually surpass their military force thanks to their vast population advantage, and Israel will have only one answer: war. That is why the country reacted so violently to just two soldiers being kidnapped, it's a perfect excuse to eliminate one of their most dangerous and threatening enemies. If we gave Israelis (and Palestinians, Jordanians and anyone else in that Jerusalem area) a free chance at citizenship in whichever nation they decided to resettle in, it would solve some of the problems of depopulating an entire region.
Obviously this isn't a realistic proposal. But the future of mankind is going to be in tightly urbanized societies, and that wont happen in Israel as long as the conflict continues. The path of a metropolitan society is Urbanize, Sprawl, renewal of urbanization. We've already seen it in many European and Asian metropolises; and as technology expands, we'll be able to accomodate more people in smaller spaces. Even here in the US there is a push (thanks to our low gas prices, it's taken way longer than it should have) to become more centralized because it's far more effecient. The other benefits of tightly knit societies is the blending of cultures and exposure to various social and ethnic groups. Ever wonder why the larger a city gets, the more liberal it becomes? That's simply because people become much more tolerant of something when they are exposed to it. Think that everyone in San Francisco would be so supportive of gay rights if they grew up in Texas? Obviously not, because intolerance is learned, it's not ingrained in our personalities.
Israel has basically created its own mess. By being so forceful in estabilshing themselves as the region's military power, they have given an incentive for their enemies to build up and find allies. North Korea has a hand in funding Hezbollah, so does Iran, and even Venezuela has been rumored to support Hezbollah. Israel will never be popular, and it is losing allies left and right. Europe is beginning to feel less guilty about the Holocaust (the only reason why Israel exists in reality) and the support is waning. Obviously Israelis wont just evacuate and leave Israel to the Muslims, but this is quickly becoming a global conflict of idealology and the only sollution I see being one that would be a good compromise without letting anyone come out on top is my International Historical Region. Let's wall off the Holy Land, charge $50 admission and kick everyone who isn't a cleric, priest or rabbi out of their homes. That way the Palestinians wouldn't be pissed about losing land to a bunch of greedy Jews. The Jews won't be mad about having to be surrounded by enemies and the Christians won't have to worry about that suicide bomber attacking while they are paying homage at the Western Wall. Or we can just let them all kill each other and suffer the collateral damage. The choice is ours.
posted by Dan Pasternack at 4:52 PM
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