Some folks go on and on about how it’s futile to try and fight “terrorism”. It’s futile to argue with them.

David Bernstein notes something Glenn Greenwald wrote.

Greenwald:

Do you know of anyone who actually believes that at the end of this Israeli attack, there will be no more Hamas, or no more rockets?

Hey…what is that over there? Yeah, over there. I’m not sure, but it looks like a strawman.

Terrorism ends when the causes of it are addressed, typically via diplomatic means. That’s what history proves. I know that’s not as spectacular or exciting or blood-pumping as watching people you hate and their children get incinerated by bombs dropped from on high, but it’s still how it is.

Ah. It’s the “causes” which are to blame, and “causes” in this case mean something done by the victims of terrorism. This seems to be bordering dangerously close to “the United States deserved 9/11 because its foreign policies forced the hand of the terrorists.” (Okay, okay. It’s exactly like that.)

Convenience store owners who have been robbed at gunpoint should figure out a (different) way of getting some of their money into the hands of criminals? Is that how to address armed robbery?

How about serial killers? Rapists? Child abusers? Is there a diplomatic means available to end those horrors? Even if it’s less “spectacular or exciting or blood-pumping” than law enforcement and self-defense, I’d support it in the cases where it has a chance.

How about Nazi Germany? Should their “need” for more territory have been addressed diplomatically instead of with spectacular, exciting, blood-pumping bombs and guns? And, speaking of the Nazis, how about their attempted genocide of the Jews? What did armies and air forces do that a few kind words couldn’t have.

And, in case you weren’t paying attention, there go those Jews again. Why do they keep making people hate them so much?

Bernstein:

According to Hamas itself, the “cause” of Hamas’s terrorism is the very existence of Israel. Hamas spokesmen will occasionally raise the possibility of a long-term “hudna,” but then they are usually contradicted by others in Hamas, and in any event they acknowledge that the hudna would only be a temporary step toward the ultimate “liberation of all of Palestine.” So, there is really only one pure “diplomatic” solution to the problem of Hamas terrorism, and that is for Israel to capitulate.

Well, that’s (Israeli surrender) exactly what the point is, but never mind.

I don’t think anyone thinks the Israelis are totally 100% without blame here. No more than anyone thinks American foreign policy is perfect. But terrorism instantly de-legitimatizes you and makes you a valid target.

Can some of the less extreme groups be negotiated with? Then do so. You don’t have to be friends, just come to an acceptable agreement and stick to it. That’s how grown-ups get things done. That’s how you get taken seriously. That’s how everyone can come out ahead. But “acceptable” means both sides.

Play otherwise, prepare to take some lumps.

Say Uncle:

Ya ever notice?
How violence in the Middle East is usually covered in the back section of the newspapers or on the sidebars of major media websites until Israel starts shooting back?

Army Destroys Last Landmine Containing VX Nerve-Agent Munitions

The U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency destroyed the last landmine in its stockpiles containing VX nerve-agent munitions Dec. 24 at the Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Anniston, Ala.

“We have reached a truly remarkable milestone following more than five years of deliberate, but careful, operations,” Timothy K. Garrett, ANCDF site project manager, said. “All nerve-agent munitions — those containing GB and those containing VX — have been safely processed.”

The release notes that US forces never used nerve gas in combat.

Danger Room: Paper: Gaza Campaign Planned Months in Advance

Ha’aretz is reporting that planning for Israel’s air campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip began months ago:

Barak gave orders to carry out a comprehensive intelligence-gathering drive which sought to map out Hamas’ security infrastructure, along with that of other militant organizations operating in the Strip.

This intelligence-gathering effort brought back information about permanent bases, weapon silos, training camps, the homes of senior officials and coordinates for other facilities.

P-8A Poseidon (Boeing Photo)

Strategy Page: P-8 Replacing Tu-142

India is buying eight U.S. P-8 maritime reconnaissance aircraft, for about $220 million each. This deal has been stalled for months, but the growing expense of maintaining their Russian Tu-142M aircraft, and the need for a more capable recon aircraft, has made the P-8 buy certain. The first P-8I will arrive in 2014.

This past Friday’s Linkzookery noted that the Navy’s 2010 budget proposal cut four of the six initial production P-8s. The sale to India might help soothe that blow a bit.

I still think that a big JDAM platform might be a worthwhile part of the USAF’s bomber force. Could a P-8-based plane fill that role?

April 1865. Ruins of the State Arsenal at Richmond showing stacked and scattered ammunition. From photographs of the main Eastern theater of war after the fall of Richmond, compiled by Hirst Milhollen and Donald Mugridge.

Found at Shorpy.

Last Linkzookery of the year!

Hokey Cokey Hate
“You put your right hand in, your right hand out,” may constitute an act of religious hatred.

Boeing Navy P-8 Jet Faces $900 Million Budget Cut
Further reducing ASW to fund the DDG-1000?

China to “seriously consider” building aircraft carrier
Surprise, surprise, surprise!

Want to re-up for bigger bonuses? Do it now
Army funding for re-enlistment bonuses will decline sharply in 2009 as service retention programs enjoy unprecedented success at a time of economic uncertainty in the civilian sector.

The Big War You Never Hear Much About
For the last three months, Shia and Sunni radicals have escalated their attacks on each other’s web sites.

New Satellite System Launch Delayed by 6 Years
First Transformational Satellite Communications System sat will not launch until 2019.

Tom Cruise to star in movie about Flying Tigers
Valkyrie co-writer Christopher McQuarrie will write the screenplay.

Big changes in store for Knox
1st Division’s brigade in Germany will move in next year, Armor Center will move out in 2010.

Iraq orders $3 bln of GE electricity turbines
Will more than double Iraq’s electricity production.

Zippo
Made to be used.

Okayed through the end of July.

I can’t believe there’s anything new to post about this, but some people just won’t shut up.

Little Green Footballs: NPR Rewrites Rathergate History to Cover Up Fraud:

Rather’s attorneys also point to public statements by Michael Missal, a lawyer in Thornburgh’s law firm who helped conduct the investigation.

“It’s ironic that the blogs were actually wrong when they had their criticism,” Missal said in a speech back in March at Washington and Lee’s law school.

“We actually did find typewriters that did have the superscripts, did have proportional spacing, and on the fonts, given that these are copies, it’s really hard to say,” Missal said. “But there were some typewriters that looked like they could have some similar fonts there, so the initial concerns didn’t seem as though they would hold up.”

Okay. Simple enough. Let’s see them. That’s all.

I said it a hundred times at the time:

Anyway, as I’ve said, I don’t care what anyone’s opinions are. I don’t care when a particular typeface was invented. I don’t even care when it was first used widely in typewriters like those the Texas Air National Guard use.

I WANT TO SEE MORE DOCUMENTS FROM THAT BASE OFFICE FROM 1973.

I’ve got to think someone from CBS has looked into it. Call me cynical, but the fact that Dan didn’t have piles of them ready for us means to me that we wouldn’t be impressed.

It’s. Very. Simple.

Either you produce some documents from that base from that time that match or I call you a liar.

Back in 2006 I noted that Dan Rather was still claiming that the story was “absolutely true.” At the time I thought it was basically the ravings of a madman, and I might have been right. Except now NPR has sided with the madman.

Surprise.