Conflict in Middle East

Right, so I didn't make it to Mexico - flights were close to being full and I didn't relish the idea of being stuck in Mexico City....now London that would be a different story : )

I said I would try to do a political piece and with so much going on out there in the world, definitely lots of fodder. But as I was commenting in JoeinVega's Blog, for a while now, I have felt just so frustrated by it all. I vote, I work for political campaigns, I write my senators, I march, I protest...but it seems to no avail. I can't fault my old Sociology professor for giving up his American citizenship (even though he fought in Korea for democracy), sometimes it seems like, "what's the point?" Does anyone care about the little guy? Is anyone listening? Certainly no one on Capital Hill, in Washington D.C.

I'm disturbed by what is going on in the Middle East - from what I've read and heard, I think Israeli is using excessive force just for two soliders. But than that's just an excuse for a pre-emptive strike, no? They didn't like Hezbollah in the Lebanese government (Hezbollah was democratically elected into those positions btw), so using another big country's example (cough, USA), it seems like Israeli wants to go in and change that.

Israeli says this is in line with fighting the ever growing "war on terror" but I don't know....seems to me like this is just going to open up more hatred than seal it? Is it just me, but doesn't it seem like violence is not really the best solution to this, "war on terror?" Lebanon was a growing country, out of war for some time, building a great infracstructure, jobs, public services, etc. but now this war has caused it so much damage, it has left tons of people homeless, unemployed and angry as hell (towards Israeli, who just happens to be BFF with...yup you guessed it America, which is the only major world country not to condemn Israeli's excessive force). Gee, if that isn't a receipe for terrorism, please tell me what the hell is?

But who cares what I have to think....like I said to my friend from Tennessee last Sunday when we were walking around the Mall and the Capital, "look at how beautiful this is...brought to you by the big businesses of America, who have paid handsomely for it all."

I liked this guy's essay, a Lebanese for peace -
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0727-23.htm

ps - does anyone know which companies outright profit from war? Any websites to that effect? How many of these companies contribute to the Republicans?