Egging Israel on

I share with my liberal blogosphere colleagues an unease in posting about Israel, let alone criticizing it. But the whole thing is spinning wildly out of control, it seems to me. And the Cheney administration's typical response -- disengagement on the one hand; and on the other, egging Israel on like this is some street fight -- is looking more and more like it will lead to a full-blown war in the middle east. Incompetence isn't a bug; it's built in to the design.

And I wonder how much of this is being brought about by the needs of Israli, Palestinian, and White House leadership to make the bulge in their pants look larger. Or in the case of John Bolton, make his 'stache look bushier.

But Israeli officials said there would be a long campaign to restore the country’s security, both along its southern border with Gaza and its northern one with Lebanon. The Israelis want to restore their military credibility with the Palestinian militants and the Hamas government in Gaza and with Hezbollah, and say they intend to make the current campaign painful for both sets of antagonists.

Neither Israel’s prime minister, Ehud Olmert, nor its defense minister, Amir Peretz, has the kind of long military experience previous holders of their positions have had, and the two have been in power for only several months. Some Israeli commentators argued that this made it all the more necessary for an unambiguous military response.

A hell of a way to prove your credentials. Same goes for Hezbollah's "this means war" leadership.

There's a sinking feeling out there that it's deja-vu all over again as the drums beat for "accountability" by Syria and Iran. I'm not sure the stock and oil markets are going to be so kind to the warmongers this time. Iraq was one thing. This is starting to be bad for business. Of course, the Cheney administration may not care. Win the mid-terms at all costs. Let the next bunch of suckers clean up the smoldering mess.