The United States of America

The temerity of this far-away country knows no bounds.

Sitting comfortably, in the lands stolen from their original owners by both deceit and violence, the US State Department has called for a review of the Israeli army’s rules regarding the use of live fire.

They do not seem to understand that Israel is fighting terrorists whose only reason to exist is the total destruction of the State of Israel and its people.

As has been said many times, there are no rules in a knife fight. How much more true for fighting terrorists.

The United States had no problem with bombing innocent civilians in a country far from its shores – Vietnam. This small country suffered the longest and heaviest aerial bombardment in history. Between them, the various US armed forces dropped 7,662,000 tons of explosives. Yes, nearly eight million tons of bombs. The intention was clear, to demoralize and degrade not just the country’s government but also the people. Only when its own people got tired of the killing did the US stop and leave Vietnam to the Vietnamese. (On a personal note, I have visited Vietnam. I found some of the nicest people I have ever met.)

Cambodia fared little better. The US dropped around 540,000 tons of bombs. The civilian toll is unknown but could well be as high as 500,000. Back in the Sixties, Flanders and Swann wrote their song – Twenty tons of TNT.  I am not sure they knew how accurate their calculation would be.

Every man of every nation
Shall receive this allocation
Twenty tons of TNT.

The people of Grenada could tell you a thing or two about United States. In 1983, after much public pressure, the Defense Department was forced to admit that some 12 people were killed when a US Navy plane bombed a clearly marked civilian hospital.

And, yet, this murderous country believes it should tell Israel what to do.

Live fire regulations should be very simple – when you are attacked, defend yourself, open fire. That’s why the army gave you a rifle.