Duh... what's a blockade?

I would just like to outline my theory behind what is horribly wrong with the recent happenings off the coast of Israel/Gaza. This much we know for sure, a couple of ships from various places with lots of people from various places were trying to take stuff to a place that the government of Israel has publicly declared a blockade against.

Can we agree on that at least?

Okay, so the question of the hour, what does it mean to have a blockade, Mr. Activist? It means that no ships are allowed into an area, with the concept that physical force will be used to deter any ships from doing said illicit activity. So, when you have a military vessel from the government that is imposing the blockade saying, "Please turn around, or we will be forced to take action," what should you do? Plow on ahead, claiming peaceful aims? Sure, if you happen to be a complete moron.

Do I agree with Israel's handling of the situation in Gaza? No. Do I think the activists that were aboard these ships are complete morons? Yep. So, both sides are wrong in their handling of the situation. There is no need to latch on to one side and say that they are 100% correct. The Israelis handled this situation in a fitting manner. The activists have legitimate grievances regarding Israels handling of Gaza as a whole.

The activists charge a naval blockade and then proceed to act surprised that they were boarded. In addition to their shock that they were boarded, they are absolutely dumbfounded that the Israelis used force when attacked. Now, this would be relatively understandable given the long of history of idiotic tactics in activism. This tactic of throwing yourself into a situation that is guaranteed to lead to physical reaction only works if the thing you are attempting is something you have every right to do. A black guy sitting in an all white cafe for example. This does not apply to charging full-bore into a loaded shotgun held in the hands of someone yelling they will shoot if you don't stop.

I wouldn't be too upset with these idiot activists if it weren't for reading this article. I wouldn't even be upset by the inability of the person interviewed to give any reliable detail other than, well, I wasn't armed. She couldn't speak for anyone else, and she wasn't even within view of anything that happened. The part in this story that upsets me is that this absolute freaking moron brought her one year old child along, because, to paraphrase, there are a lot of kids in Gaza and they were going to play with them.

I'm going to let that sink in.

That's right. This person took their one year old child and charged into the maw of a blockade thrown up by one of the most high-tech navies in the world, with the full understanding that something terrible is going to happen. Part of me wonders if she was hoping the child would die, because that would be fantastic publicity. Another part of me thinks that is crazy, that no one would put their child in harm's way. The latter part of me is incorrect, because this woman did it.

So, every time I hear the activists interviewed on the radio say they were attacked by the Israelis, I say to myself, "Duh."

Every time I hear the Israeli reaction, I think to myself, "Duh."

Both sides are full of people that don't understand the real problem. The Israeli government wants to continue to oppress the Palestinians. And if we didn't have issues like this, what would all of the abject morons do to put their children in harm's way?

Peace.