tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post3554846988047360908..comments2024-03-18T22:21:33.261-07:00Comments on The Debate Link: Boycotts, Divestments, and Sanctions: A Global HistoryDavid Schraubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946653376744012423noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-73438398956775020112010-03-09T19:12:22.476-08:002010-03-09T19:12:22.476-08:00Sorry, I misread what you had written. Enormous a...Sorry, I misread what you had written. Enormous amounts of aid have gone into both the West Bank and Gaza, in the past. Much of it has been earmarked towards economic development. The aid comes from the International community, but has not had the desired effect as much of it has been lost to corruption.<br />I am not sure I am reading you correctly, but are you saying that Israel should attempt a Marshall plan for Gaza? As far as free trade, Hamas won't even talk to Israel, let alone create a normal border such as exists between Canada and the U.S. or European Union countries. <br />Remember, Hamas' very charter calls for the genocide of Jews.<br />No, in this situation an embargo on non essential goods to an enemy state is a minimum appropriate response. I do not know how things will play out in the long run, but nothing should be done that enhances Hamas' position. <br /><br />I agree that an embargo of goods does not solve any long range problems, but it creates far fewer ones than supplying the enemy. You can't put out a fire by throwing dollar bill on it.<br /><br />StanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-27677760462026211032010-03-09T16:16:57.308-08:002010-03-09T16:16:57.308-08:00I just gave you two: free trade, and Marshall Plan...I just gave you two: free trade, and Marshall Plan reconstruction. Presumably, those would involve dual-use provisions. Which involves risk, such as (as I mentioned) the increased ability to build rockets and bunkers and such. That's a bad thing, and that risk is presumably a large part of why that policy isn't occurring right now. But as I noted, there are risks to the status quo as well (increased radicalism, externalization of harms against Israel, unclear route to a permanent peace agreement, proliferation of smuggling routes which insure the bad stuff gets in anyway).<br /><br />It's a question of which risks are preferable, balancing of prospective benefits and harms, and I don't claim it's cut and dry. I merely note that we've tried option A for some time, and it doesn't seem to be doing what we want it to do (and it's, on its terms, not a permanent solution even if it worked perfectly), so maybe Option B is worth a chance.David Schraubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04946653376744012423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-89188350839454579722010-03-09T15:33:29.786-08:002010-03-09T15:33:29.786-08:00Can you give me some examples of alternative polic...Can you give me some examples of alternative policies?<br />And do you advocate allowing items with dual purposes into Gaza. I have personally seen the insides of a Qassam rocket. I have seen concrete and re-bar just below the warhead.<br /><br />StanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-40618022540102613882010-03-09T10:06:07.730-08:002010-03-09T10:06:07.730-08:00The Israeli government is severely restricting the...The Israeli government is severely restricting the flow of goods into Gaza. This isn't to say it is stopping all goods -- clearly it isn't -- but equally clearly it is not allowing enough to satiate local demand (in part because of the "dual-use" problem that occurs with many construction materials, which can build bunkers just as well as houses).<br /><br />There are alternatives to this policy that do not create "open borders" -- a free trade policy, or even a "Marshall Plan" type policy that aggressively tries to rebuild the Gaza strip with a massive influx of investment and resources.<br /><br />These policies carry with them risks; but so does the status quo policy of isolation. The history of isolationist policies at achieving what they intend to is relatively poor, so I'm in the mood to try something new.David Schraubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04946653376744012423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-24997862639134983832010-03-09T02:04:17.434-08:002010-03-09T02:04:17.434-08:00What do you consider to be a "boycott" o...What do you consider to be a "boycott" of Gaza? Most of the goods going into Gaza come through Israel. Are you advocating that Israel completely open its border with Gaza and allow everything to pass through in both directions?<br /><br />StanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com