It's been a busy week, and it isn't over yet. Along with everything else going on, we've had an encounter with Swine Flu (everyone's fine now).
The reason I mention this is to tell that I was very impressed by the way the authorities are organized. Everyone involved knew exactly what was supposed to happen and by whom, and what wasn't supposed to happen. The procedures were clear and concise, there were leaflets with explanations, there was a no-nonsense approach with a seriousness about directives which is almost anti-Israeli. Can you imagine a situation where Israelis all do what they're told? Where they even accept who gets to do the telling? Where the tellers have their message honed?
Apparently if everyone knows what they're doing, it's simply a nasty flu, not a threat to humanity. So we seem to have decided to make it be that way.
I hope all in your life get well very soon.
ReplyDeleteAsaf
very very glad you were well taken care of ...
ReplyDeleteas to the broader picture, do you remember how "everybody" (smart-aleck journalists) has been moaning about much-ado-about-nothing? At least in Germany there was quite a number of them who wanted to make a fast buck with that line of reasoning -
seems the much maligned "panic" was good for preparing the system for implementing an effective procedure (as Anne Applebaum pointed out in WaPo) - hope the medics got their procedures established everywhere
rgds,
Silke
Refuah shleima to everyone.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't have enough to do, I am hoping you will comment on the US offensive against the Taliban in Helmand province in Afghanistan. Because of you, I have become far more conscious of how civilian casualties (formerly know as "collateral damage" - I am so glad that term seems to have gone out of use!)from US offensives are discussed here in the states.
Robert Burns in WaPo on 13 June reports on Gen. McChrystal taking charge in Afghanistan and the need to reduce civilian casualites caused by air strikes on Taliban targets engaging from civilian areas.
"Gates emphasized the imperative of avoiding civilian casualties, calling the deaths "one of our greatest strategic vulnerabilities." "
A "strategic vulnerability" not a "moral dilemma."
This radio program (The Takeaway on NPR broadcast 3 July) has a report on the Helmand offensive.
http://www.thetakeaway.org/stories/2009/jul/03/takeaway-thursday-july-2-2009-early-edition/
About 9 min. you can hear ABC correspondent Gretchen Peters refer to the civilian deaths to air strikes as "a public relations disaster."
Nycerbarb