Seems to me things are getting worse...

[kentuck]

Is it time to talk yet? Is it time to call a cease fire? Is it time for some leadership from the only remaining "superpower"? Do they really believe it can be turned on and off like a faucet? Why are so many people dying?

[barb162]

1. Well did you read the text of the proposed ceasefire? It will be

discussed ASAP at the UN. BTW, the text is posted in the I/P forum.

[kentuck]

3. No. But I just read these two headlines in the Haaretz newspaper...

http://www.haaretz.com/

Lebanon 'does not agree' with UN cease-fire draft

Israel drops call for immediate deployment of int'l force in S. Lebanon, UNIFIL can oversee cease-fire
By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent and Agencies

[acmejack]

2. E. All of the Above?

India and Pakistan have mutually ejected each other's Diplomatic Corps today in a little noticed but possibly portentous development. Eeek...

[me b zola]

6. Eeek is right

I hadn't heard about that. It always amazes me that what really is news gets little or no attention from the media.

Damn.

[joemurphy]

4. So many people are dying because of Neocon support for

a misconceived belief that Israeli destruction of Lebanese infrastructure will somehow defeat Hezbollah. With Iraq turning into a debacle for the US and Iran perceived to be in the ascendency in the area, the Neocons are looking for a quick win somewhere. While Israel has a legitimate right to protect itself, its recent foray into Lebanon is disproportionate to the threat posed by Hezbollah. By destroying Lebanon, it has created more Hezbollah adherents than before and made a long term enemy of many Lebanese who had no particular animus previously to Israel.

So now we have two debacles in the Middle East to deal with. Bush is taking his customary vacation. The October surprise will be announced in September. As you will remember, Andy Card said before the Iraq invasion (after months of there being "no plans for war on Bush's desk"), August is a bad month to sell a new policy. Gear up. Something's coming.

[elehhhhna]

5. We abdicated our superpower status already, & everyone knows it but George