“Sin with the multitude, and your responsibility and guilt are as great and as truly personal, as if you alone had done the wrong” - Tryon Edwards



I've been watching with interest and some trepidation as Canadian officials attempt to evacuate some 35,000 Canadians from Lebanon. Just to put things into perspective: The States is evacuating about 10,000 of its citizens, the largest civilian evacuation since the second world war. The government has leased 7 ships to take the evacuees to Cyprus or Turkey, and then, again in leased airplanes, fly them to Montreal. All this at no charge to the evacuee (some other countries are charging for the privilege).

The thing that strikes me is the harsh criticism that the evacuees have for the efforts to evacuate them. They've had to wait in lines for hours, the boats didn't arrive when they were supposed to and left only half full. The trip to Cyprus, normally an 8-hour trip, took 13 hours.

So, let me get this straight. It is the sole responsibility of some diplomat and consular staff to pull off an exodus like this without a hitch. Probably because the've done it so often, it's old hat. Check page 27 of the policies and procedures manual. Yeah, that must be it. After all, that's what governments do.

Why did they have to stand in line so long? Well, for one thing, how about checking the documents of all the evacuees. It seems a pretty opportune time for a not-so-nice terrorist to book free passage to the west. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Why didn't the ships show up? The Israelis blocked them passage, even after a guarantee of safe passage. Why did the trip take an extra five hours? Well, partly because of very rough seas, but mostly because the Israeli Navy stopped the ship, not once, but twice during the trip and held it for 2 hours each time. This in spite of guarantees from the Israelis that they would let the evacuation go on unimpeded. Why did the ships leave only partially full? Because the Israelis imposed a curfew on the port, and it was either leave with a partial load or not at all.

Don't get me wrong. I have sympathy for your plight and can't even imagine what living in those conditions must be like. Honestly, some of the pictures reminded me very much of the abandoned throngs in New Orleans last year in front of the Superdome. I understand that it's almost impossible for aid to reach parts of the country because of the infrastructure being demolished by Israeli attacks.

But here's my question:

What the f**k are you doing taking a vacation in the middle of a war zone in the first place, fer cryin' out loud?

It's not major brain science to realize what is happening over there. The election of Hamas, the stated violent goals of Hezbollah, the kidnapping of the Israeli soldiers, the well-known and historic reaction of Israel to overact and use the iron fist at the slightest provocation every time.

Dummy up, and be thankful you're getting out at all. It's a gift horse that you're being presented with, not a Trojan one. Treat it that way, please.

PEACE.

Posted by Evydense on Friday, July 21, 2006 at 11:11 a.m. | Permalink