Palestine : wants $1-Billion in aid per year..Should we donate ?

aquafire · September 20, 2003 4:27AM

According to a report with Reuters..

http://reuters.com/financeNewsArticl...type=bondsNews

Palestinian authorities are seeking $1billion in " aid " every year for the forseable future...

Should we donate ?

Knowing that Arafat and his cronies pocket most of the money...

http://www.freeman.org/m_online/mar01/winston2.htm

Note..Israel has since paid the back taxes..as referred to in this repert

Should the USA fund the authority knowing that other palestinian groups ( including Hamas ) openly attack Arafat's corruption...?

outsider · September 20, 2003 8:49AM

Are they pulling an Egypt? $1,000,000,000 and we won't bomb Israelis anymore? Seems like a fair amount if it mean less innocent people dying.

scott · September 20, 2003 10:59AM

I thought we were going to stop pandering terrorists?

splinemodel · September 20, 2003 7:27PM

If it were my authoritarian choice, I'd cut off funding to Israel, and certainly not give palestine any money. With any luck they kill off each other entirely and spare the rest of the civilized world a great deal of nuisance.

Of course, I am supposed to feel some sort of compassion. Unfortunately I think the most compassionate decision is the authoritarian decision in this case, since it's the only way that may let them learn.

bunge · September 20, 2003 7:55PM

Well...

The Israelis want $1.8 Billion in loan guarantees from the U.S. But, because they're building an illegal wall to illegally separate Palestinians from Palestinians, the U.S. will be deducting the cost of the wall from the loan guarantees. So, if Israel is spending $100 Million on the wall, the U.S. will be willing to guarantee only $1.7 Billion. Or, if the wall costs $700 Million, we'll guarantee $1.1 Billion.

So...

I suggest we deduct the cost of the bombs that the Palestinians are making and illegally using to blow up busses from the $1 Billion in aid and then we can call it even. Both sides will get their aid, but our aid won't be used to aid anything illegal.

Fair is fair.

greggwsmith · September 20, 2003 8:17PM

Blow thgem all up and remove religion from the face of the earth and the world would be a happier and better place.

splinemodel · September 20, 2003 8:48PM

religion gets a bad rap these days. It's not wise to blame inherently peaceful philosphies for the follies of zealous men and false prophets. If there were no religion, the same people would find other things to fight about. Like when an activist knocks of some country's monarch, for example.

I wouldn't consider religion to even be the central probelm in the mid east. It's more of an ethnic and historical conflict as far as I can tell.

aquafire · September 21, 2003 4:48AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Splinemodel

" If there were no religion, the same people would find other things to fight about. "

I've worked out why the Middle East is such a shit hot place for terrorism.....

NO HOCKEY ........

outsider · September 21, 2003 8:20AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Aquafire

I've worked out why the Middle East is such a shit hot place for terrorism.....

NO HOCKEY ........

If HOCKEY is a code word for STRIPPERS, then you are absolutely correct my friend.

moogs · September 21, 2003 5:36PM

Aquafire is essentially correct. Cultures without the benefit of hockey (and the legions of strippers who invariably follow the sport), find themselves in the midst of mass-strife and violence. That said, meteorological conditions in the Israel / Palestine region are not what we in the know would call "rink friendly". You'd have an easier time keeping the ice hard in Houston.

But seriously, the answer is "no". Funneling big money into Palestine with no real controls over how it gets spent is no wiser than funneling money into Israel. Were there a way to assure it gets spent wisely (rebuilding homes, schools, medicine, etc) then yes, it would be an excellent idea. In fact, I think we ought to make a point of ensuring the average Palestinian gets as much direct or indirect aid from the US as the average Israeli - if not more - given the historical context of our role in this region.

But of course, this will never happen as long as the religious right has a stronger voice in Congress and the White House than does everyone else.

aquafire · September 22, 2003 1:16AM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Moogs

" I think we ought to make a point of ensuring the average Palestinian gets as much direct or indirect aid from the US as the average Israeli - if not more - given the historical context of our role in this region.

But of course, this will never happen as long as the religious right has a stronger voice in Congress and the White House than does everyone else."

I'm all for the religious "right" having a voice in congress ..so long as it is balanced by the religious religious " Left "

Bunge would make a good minister....or hockey stripper...

PS regarding Ice Hockey in the Middle East...No problems...

Saladin had Ice-cream served to King Richard the Lion Heart back in the Crusades..1200 AD...So they had the technology licked then...even if they didn't have no soft cones with chocolate and cherries yum...

moogs · September 22, 2003 10:16AM

Oh I'm not saying Israelis and Palestinians aren't bright enough to make ice (though one wonders at times); I'm simply saying very hot climates (even arid ones) make it difficult to maintain hard ice in an arena.

Maybe THIS is the solution we've been missing. Yes, yes... I can see it now. Fund the construction of a new hockey arena that sits on the would-be border of Palestine and Israel. Then you send in the Fins and the Canadians and teach members of each camp the finer points of skating and hockey.

Then, every two months, have a brutal "Sinai Cup" championship wherein the combatants can take out their frustrations on each other in a constructive and cardiovascularly healthy manner. Note that each team should have political leaders on the ice as well as average citizens so that everyday Joe's can have a shot at breaking a cabinet minister's nose. Donald Brashear and Peter Worrel will be extradicted (one to each team) and stand as acting goons when needed.

However, new rules must be imposed:

1) Use of skates as a weapon results in medical castration and subsequent imprisonment in a Russian Gulag.

2) Blatant High-sticking will result in your big toes being smashed with a hammer, and then being forced to skate the rest of the game.

3) No tickets will be issued in order to eliminate the possibility of suicide bombers. Instead, everyone in the two countries will receive a subscription to SHL Center Ice. The only people you can assasinate or blow up are in your own living room.

4) Post-game handshakes and hugs required. If you skip the handshake or hug, or otherwise disgrace this great tradition, you will have toothpicks jammed under all of your toenails.

There are other details which must be worked out of course but I think this is a solution for the future... [for a kinder, gentler] Middle East.

Palestine : wants $1-Billion in aid per year..Should we donate ?

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