Damned if you do and damned if you don't

The press went to town gleefully telling everyone who would listen (and of course everybody loves a juicy story) of how they got recordings of private conversations at the dinner table by Mr George W Bush and Mr Tony Blair, amongst others. Mr Bush reportedly said "Hezbollah to stop doing this shit", referring to the weeklong conflict in the Middle East between Israel and the Hezbollah.

Well, I think its refreshing to hear that, because most of the sentiments that we express privately isn't all that different from the US President's - at least not mine. Many others would hold a diametrically opposite view, but few would want to be open about it - not that Mr Bush is - he was caught unawares.

While the G8 did issue a statement regarding the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict, it got interpreted in a 1001 ways, so much for the usefulness of such joint statements. Nobody takes them seriously, and worse, they are not actionable.

As Israel continues to pound Southern Lebanon, I am hearing people condemn the US for not getting into the region to stop the conflict. Well, well, well. And I thought that people were condemning the US for going into Iraq. Damn if you do and damn if you don't. Foreign policy and adventures are always fraught with danger, but I would say the greatest danger lies with people who cannot decide one way or another. At least Mr Bush is staying the course and trying to complete the job that was left hanging in Operation Desert Storm. By the same token, I'd say let Israel complete its job so that Hezbollah will not soon stir the hornets' nest again any time soon.

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