A battle of overly influential nerds

These battles happen often - in science, medicine, business and many other fields. The rest of the world either joins in, waits and watches, or is subject to gross misinformation as the battle rages. The health care debates are a case in point, although those with the greatest bark are not the nerds, but the idiots. This post, though, is about the economics debate which has taken aim at a standard bearer of our learning - free market capitalism.

When Adam Smith wrote his book, he was not the only "economist" in existence. Yet his story survived and we relegated the notions of others, like Hobbes, to philosophy. Now, the debate is back. Milton Friedman has found his match, and his match wants to be heard. Joseph Stiglitz is not a 'nobody'. In fact, he's a nobel laureate. But in his views, government regulation is necessary, and must absolutely be a part of a well functioning economy.

Now, George Soros, who, ironically made his money as a financier on the free market, wants to fund studies which promote government regulation and other, older economic theories which have languished. When our academic White House, which is faced with a number of knotty questions, is struggling to understand which theoretical viewpoint to embrace, we have a problem.

George is to the rescue.

High altitude inspiration

Although just a year ago, my trek in Nepal seems to have been a voyage from another lifetime. It is so easy to get recaptured by the trials of life - that ever present and somewhat cliche hustle and bustle. Yet, if I try, I can recall the feeling of breathing in the cold, crisp, oxygen depleted air; of listening to the sounds of the bells which announce the yaks and djokpes, of walking on those sandy, steep switchbacks.

Among other things, that adventure resulted in me experiencing 2 of the most physically challenging days of my life. When I tried valiantly to hold back the tears which threatened to reveal my exhaustion, reminding myself of the glorious surroundings did not help. Nevertheless, what I learned from those travails will provide me with the energy I need to finish the tasks ahead. Personal challenges, where my only competition is myself, are some of the most difficult. But if I can only channel that crisp air and the sound of the rushing rivers beneath, the climb ahead will be made that much more meaningful.

Someone just wrote about this in the NYTimes, the little inspiration I needed to share my thoughts this morning.

Tearing the space-time continuum

Between Wednesday and Thursday, I managed to leap 500 years and several thousand miles in the space time continuum. Although physically, the distance travelled was only about 150 km, my voyage from a village somewhere outside of Mymensingh, Bangladesh to a jazz concert inside a vietnamese restaurant in Dhaka was a mind bender.

To get to said village, I drove 4 hours to Mymensingh, only to learn that the village was difficult to access, and would be nearly impossible for me alone, as deemed by my self appointed 'handlers'. It was not accessible by road at all, and required 2 boats and some healthy walking to get to. So began the journey. After arriving at the nearest bazaar, my driver and I walked maybe a mile or so, over sand and dirt, through rice paddies and cow grazing land, to arrive at the river. There, we found a man with a sail boat. While sailboat is the technically correct term, this vessel was a long bamboo and wood canoe, with a bamboo pole sticking up out of it. Attached to this mast was the sail - 4 jute rice sacks, cut open and stitched together - with one length of bamboo horizontally across the bottom, and one diagonally from the mast/bottom rod junction to top of sail. The sail was the responsibility of the passengers, since the boatman was in charge of steering. So, someone grabbed a little string tied to the sail and pulled it until some wind was caught. Thus did I cross 1 part of the mighty Brahmaputra river. Then we arrived at an island, so I got out, walked across the uninhabited island, and waited at the other side for the next boat. Unfortunately for us, it was busy ferrying a man with his banana haul, so this took a long time. Another sail boat ride later, I climbed a steep bank, was handed off to the next handler, and began a healthy walk around my village destination. I later learned that this village was built on 'reclaimed' land - land that used to be under water until some dams were built in India and water levels fell - so it was a highly undesirable location inhabited by very poor people. There was no electricity in the entire village and no rickshaw transportation. There was, however, a madrassah.

The return voyage, plus an over 5 hour car trip, was torturous. And interrupted by a pause for namaaz, another to purchase sugar cane juice, and a third to purchase the little fried treats that the driver needed in order to break his ramadan fast, at exactly 7:13pm.

And then there was Thursday. A walk through my posh neighborhood to Le Saigon, the empty vietnamese restaurant with a secret upstairs lounge. We opened the door to reveal a room packed with tables full of foreigners, and covered in bottles. Of Wine. of Beer. of Booze.

The buffet dinner included baguette, rice, indian chinese chicken, moussaka, and potato salad. Women were wearing sundresses, and background music included Funky Comedina. Then began the show. Jazzy Chopsticks, a band comprised of a German saxophonist, a Philippino vocalist, and 3 Bangladeshi musicians on the keys, drums and bass. With a smoke machine, and flashing green strobe, and lazar light effects appropriate for a rave or techno trance club. It was like being on a cruise ship, being sat at a table with strangers, watching an ok, but good for the moment show, eating wierd combinations of food.

Is this what to expect of expat life? If so, I must ready my mind for further leaps through time and space. And make sure my wardrobe can follow.

Activate!

What is the appropriate verb for "Activism"? Whatever it is, we need to do it.

I have given it a go: I've used the web site Congress.org to write to several representatives. But most representatives will only accept mail from their constituents. Therefore, appropriate addresses need to be entered. Join me in writing to them - especially to members of the Ways and Means committee.

Here is what I've written:

Dear Rep. Cummings,
As a member of your constituency, a public health professional, and a young person, I urge you to work with your colleagues who are stymieing the very necessary health care reform in HR 3200. It is imperative that we have a mandate that all Americans have health insurance. To achieve that, we must provide free and subsidized insurance premiums for those who need it. We must have a public health insurance option to allow those who live in areas with minimal insurance options to have greater choice, and to incite necessary competition for the insurance industry. And, to hold all of this together, Congress must work towards creating an agency which sets fair reimbursement prices, guidelines for when procedures are excessive, and devises a continually updated list of first and second line pharmaceutical preparations which need to be used before expensive new treatments are prescribed.

As a supporter of progress in our great country, I urge you to use your office to sway members of our party who are succumbing to the propaganda that reform in the US = a "Canadian style" health system. Please remind them that every developed nation in the world has better health indicators that we do; That health care decisions which are made based upon medical necessity as opposed to ability to pay is a right, not a privilege; and that if budgetary decisions need to be made to finance this important reform, there are many industries whose benefits can be trimmed to support the transition of health care from an industry to a egalitarian and equitable system.

Back to Politics

I've been out of the blogging realm for nearly 2 months. From time to time, I think that I should write, but one of two things keeps happening. Either the topic I'm considering is one that gets me so riled up, I can't gather my thoughts, or I assuage my sharing needs by putting up something on FB. For example, Wal-Mart is now open in Amritsar, Punjab. The US side of Niagara Falls, far inferior to the Canadian side as far as infrastructure is concerned, has been overtaken by Indians - there are at least 6 Indian restaurants/dhabas/chat-wallas and far too many South Asian tourists who forget their deodorant. Tid-bits that don't deserve an entire post.

But back to the point: Today, I return to an issue that has really captured my attention.
HEALTH CARE REFORM

I can see the near future of this movement - It involves another round of baseless accusations that we are becoming a socialist country, that government intervention will result in rationing of health care, and that the government cannot be as efficient as the private sector. Additionally, the private sector, who has the most to lose from reform, will argue that a public insurance option will put them out of business, because the government can be more efficient in administering such a program. They will argue that it is un-American to ration health care, while turning a blind eye to the daily rationing that occurs due to the inability of many Americans to pay for the care they need. And finally, they will remark that ours is the 'best' health care in the world, and there is no reason to change that - all the while forgetting that the 'best' care does not produce anywhere near the best results, at more than twice the cost of our "socialist" counterparts.

Although I feel so strongly, I haven't done anything about it. I'm ashamed, in fact, that I have not called or written to a single congress person about this issue. Perhaps that will end today. In fact, I believe that I'll write to them, the following:

Dear elected official whose name I never hear,

Although it pains me that you have the power to derail or facilitate this necessary reform, I must appeal to your better judgement. Do not be swayed by the lobbyists of the health insurance association, pharmaceutical companies, or hospital industry. Everyday citizens, particularly those without great means, do not have lobbyists working for them. Instead, we have you. And in that exalted capacity, I urge you to enact health care reform which will serve to remove health care decisions from the political cycle, while extending the human right for health and health care to each and every person within our borders.

There is no medical student who enters and survives the education process with the goal of becoming a wealthy, unscrupulous, cream-skimming physician. Yet, the incentive structure for their profession, from the day that residency ends until the day they retire, forces many to choose between payment and provision of care. This is unacceptable. One part of the health care reform plan must include provisions which reduce the cost of the medical education (it is free in many countries, where doctors are considered a public necessity whom the government supports), increase the prominence of primary health care, and reward physicians for preventing health expenditures and procedures. Here, we can look to the example of Cuba, the neighbor we pretend does not exist. Their model for health care is holistic, every doctor is required to be a community physician for a certain period of time, and physicians are rewarded for ensuring that each household and individual within their geographic realm receives promotive and preventive health care on a regular basis. By giving physicians a geographic territory, problems of not enough physicians in rural areas are minimized, while all members of the population have access to similar care. Of course, those with means may opt to receive more care, but not at the expense of those without.

The need for a public insurance option is high. This option has the possibility of being the entry way towards a more national health system, with a single payer. Experts from the economics, public health and medical fields agree that a single payer system is the most efficient, however it is clear that such immense reform is contentious. The public insurance option serves many roles. It provides citizens with an alternative to exploitive insurance plans in regions without much choice. It paves the way for a more consolidated payment system, and reduces the ability of non-medical professionals to make decisions on the treatment of clients.

Finally, in conjunction with a public insurance option, cost containment and other measures, the most important part of the care-giving process should be removed from the hands of companies who report to shareholders, and as a consequence are profit maximizing. Decisions on which treatment/procedure/drug should not be tied to the remuneration that one can receive from said treatment, nor to the short term savings which can be achieved should said treatment be withheld. Rather, the decisions should be based upon medical objectives, such as quality of life gained, and the benefits which can accrue to the individual over the course of their life. This is not equivalent to rationing. Rather, it allows cost containment efforts to become de-monetized and to instead become personalized. Good examples of this include the Michigan Primary Care Consortium and others.

In conclusion, please vote for a health reform plan which will extend insurance coverage to all Americans, which will increase the medicare eligibility criteria to at least 200% FPL, and to provide a public health insurance option, independent of employment status with subsidized premiums until 400% FPL without exclusion criteria. Further, please be open to the merits of single payer health care, but recognize that it is more important to set a precedent for reform now rather than hold out hope for a best case solution later. Engage health care researchers in searching for the best methods for physician/health practitioner compensation - one which rewards appropriate quality care, not volume of care. And do not fear government involvement in this public good and right.

Sincerely,
Your concerned constituent.

Losing flavor

The oldest British man ever to ascent Mt Everest did so today. So, in his honor, the BBC has a bunch of little reports on the region and the mountain. The correspondent makes a nice 3 minute video of a 12 day trek to base camp. There is no way that I could condense my experiences into 3 minutes -what is he thinking? Doesn't he want his viewers to experience the smells, sights, sounds and sweat with him? I guess that doesn't make for good footage, but then again, perhaps that's why I'll never be a good travel correspondent.

Touche Mr MBA

In Gujarati, MBA is an acronym. It can stand for: "Mane badhu avreche", or "I know everything." This is apt, of course, if you have ever met an MBA, particularly one from a high profile institution. Those three letters, which took 2 years of education and probably $100,000 to acquire, are waved around like a war standard.

Since I had thought of acquiring that flag myself, I finally found someone who can help me justify my 4 years and counting to get a different three letters. PhD, or "piled higher and deeper". Apparently, the idea of a degree in Management is scarcely 100 years old. It is an American invention, created by a man who wanted to answer the question:

How many tons of pig iron bars can a worker load onto a rail car in the course of a working day?

This man devised a wholly unscientific discipline surrounding his answer to this question. It is a discipline that became loaded with jargon, which then turned into scripture. In the words of its founding father, F.W.Taylor,

… the science of handling pig iron is so great and amounts to so much that it is impossible for the man who is best suited to this type of work to understand the principles of this science, or even to work in accordance with these principles, without the aid of a man better educated than he is.

Consultant. Your profession is justified.

Read this article by Matthew Steward in the Atlantic. It is irreverent, insightful, and an ingenious account of how words like
Business process re-engineering and organic change and lateral flows of information have turned us into a society of robots, each of whom believes their programming is better than the robot next to them.

But what does an M.B.A. do for you that a doctorate in philosophy can’t do better?

The recognition that management theory is a sadly neglected subdiscipline of philosophy began with an experience of déjà vu. As I plowed through my shelfload of bad management books, I beheld a discipline that consists mainly of unverifiable propositions and cryptic anecdotes, is rarely if ever held accountable, and produces an inordinate number of catastrophically bad writers. It was all too familiar. There are, however, at least two crucial differences between philosophers and their wayward cousins. The first and most important is that philosophers are much better at knowing what they don’t know. The second is money. In a sense, management theory is what happens to philosophers when you pay them too much.

The extremes of American engineering

I was recently in Detroit, which gave me an opportunity to reflect on the state of the American automotive industry. Fortuitously for me, I was there while one of the three remaining manufacturers declared bankruptcy, and while another decided to shed a brand which has existed in the 1950's.

So, Chrysler is gone now. Or maybe it will re-emerge in Germany as a subsidiary of Fiat, while Fiat sheds Opel to be picked up by the Swedes who are protecting their treasured Volvo from an American bankruptcy judge. Confused? You should be. Personally, I applaud the decision to reorganize in bankruptcy court. Remember, Chrysler, unlike GM and Ford, is not a publicly held company. It is owned by a venture capital firm, which, when the government was handing out bailout money like ice cream on a hot day, was eagerly holding its hand out, while secretly making Dr Evil type gestures:



Am I being callous? Do I wish for hundreds of thousands of car related employees to lose their jobs? No. However, there is something to be said for the two-faced brand of 'capitalism' we have been promoting lately. Do we want to emerge as an efficient, competitive manufacturing force again, or are we going to let our manufacturing abilities lapse, only to engage in protectionist posturing? There is no doubt that American minds can produce efficient, competitive, useful products. One only has to look here, at the list of the most promising American social entrepreneurs to know that these products can be made with a minimum of fanfare and sold to benefit many.

Yet, American engineering has a darker side. If we want to call it that. When staying in Detroit, I had the unfortunate experience of living inside the GM headquarters. In some ungodly pairing, the Marriot hotel and the GM headquarters share a structure, that looks like something from outer space. It is confusingly built, ugly, and has, at its center, a GM showroom of new 09/10 vehicles.

Among these, is the new Yukon Hybrid. The Yukon is a beast of a truck. I drove one a few weeks ago, thanks to my kind neighbor who let me borrow his. I felt very powerful. Evil, almost. And, no doubt, the beast gulps fuel as though it is going out of style. Therefore, the idea of a Hybrid beast is a good one - if men continue to have the need to boost their masculinity through large vehicles, at least they should be socially conscious about it.

But here is where it gets ludicrous. The Yukon Hybrid advertises itself as being able to do 20MPH City / 20 MHP Highway.

enough said.

Something for the kids... or not

Although my brain may be turning into mush, I make sure that the mush remains tasty. You only need to know an Indian to know what it takes to make something tasty.

Why, it's MASALA, of course. :)

A little masala goes a long way. It brightens the food, adds spice to your life, and brings out those hidden flavors you were afraid to acknowledge.

For today's MASALA, why not check out these tasty morsels?

1. A winning advertising campaign from England for some sausages.

2. Some curious Europeans, with too much time on their hands.

3. You can study anything. And, if you've ever had any doubts about whether you are normal, well... chances are that some scientist has had those same doubts, and in the interest of "science" has studied it. Or, studied it over and over again.
Case in point:

Mondaini et al. "Penile length is normal in most men seeking penile lengthening procedures." International Journal of Impotence Research, 2002

I did not even have to search for this - it came to me. And what is even more humorous - the literature review for this gem stretches back to 1899!

See this post from Scicurious

That's it for now.
More soon.

From carrots to war bonds

Whoever said that TV doesn't teach good things isn't as tuned is as I am. So, the question of whether carrots really improve eyesight came up.  Apparently, it only does so if you are in the Sommer-esque population of vitamin A deficient, night blind, or a rabbit.  Then why, you might ask, do we think that carrots improve eyesight? 

Apparently (and I looked for a source, but got sidetracked....that's what makes blogs more fun than papers) this myth began during World War II.  Before that, getting children to eat carrots must have required more inventive tactics. However, during WWII, the Brits developed some wicked cool radar.  When curious civies began to ask why they were shooting down so many more Luftwaffe, the ingenious government of Winston Churchill put out some propaganda, saying that the pilots were eating more carrots.  The Germans bought it...and so did the British mommies. Now, we all eat carrots. 

So, I went looking for the propaganda poster. Instead, I stumbled upon many other fun (and wierdly dark) propaganda posters.  It got me thinking... does our government use similar tactics today?  Obviously, these posters, with "US Government Printing Office" typed right on it made the intent obvious.  But these days, the GPO prints the budget, and maybe some books, but nothing as exciting as a scary Nazi poster.  

But perhaps we should.  Need an anti-0besity campaign.  Sure, you could try the public service announcement, but that's not so fun. How about this poster instead:

 

We need a campaign for going green. Obviously, see-sawing gas prices are not helping the cause of the public transport mavens. And Virginia and LA have derived brisk business in blow-up dolls to fool the HOV lanes. However, if people were branded as traitors by driving alone, perhaps we could effect real change.

On a more somber note, perhaps our war in Iraq would not have lasted as long as it has if, instead of putting a ban on photographing flag drapped coffins, we reminded Americans what death in war really means. In WWII, however, this was used as positive propaganda - as in a "Go War" type of sentiment. I don't really get it, but surely, some kind of lesson can be imposed upon the "bonus mafia" with a poster such as this:

And, in honor of the Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and the Grinch, Dr Seuss used his pen for other purposes too - Happy 50th, Doc. 

The real I Robot

I haven’t seen it, but a couple of years ago, Will Smith made a movie called I Robot. It was basically about robots taking over the world. Then there is Wall-E. Where humans run away from a destroyed planet, leaving their thinking, emoting robot creatures behind. The world of science fiction? Yes. But not as sci-fi as we may like to believe.

There is a real company called I-Robot.

It is based in Northern Virginia. It achieved fame through the Roomba. That little disk that runs around your house, vacuuming for you.

But I-Robot did not make its fortune on the lazy man’s vacuum. No. It also makes a nifty little item called the PackBot.


The PackBot is similar to the rugbot. it is small. it is sturdy. but this guy can also carry and fire an M-16 sub-machine gun. Any guesses where the PacBot has been getting play lately? Yup...it is the back-up bot for the roadside bomb detecting and diffusing robot.



And what does it take to make the best soldiers these days? Video gaming abilities are an asset that can ensure the soldier will actually remain far from the battle field while engaging in the war. The drones that we hear about often - little flying machines that can just look, that can look and shoot, or that can look, listen and shoot - are a prime example. The soldiers who operate the drones are actually based in the Nevada desert. They are in the war, but not deployed. Their “boots are not on the ground”.

So, the thing that made me think was, is this ok? Does making a real war, with real human lives at stake, look like a video game desensitize the soldiers? Our soldiers are not in danger of death, while innocent civilians on the front lines are. Is this fair? Does it matter whether or not it is fair?

And then there are a vast range of ethical questions. What happens if a robot goes nuts and just starts shooting? Is it an equipment malfunction, or a violation of the Geneva Convention? If a person were to go nuts and start shooting, he or she could be convicted of war crimes (in the extreme). But a robot? If it survives the mission (which I don’t think many of them do) it might just get a circuit board replaced.

And things get even more interesting (or twisted, depending on how you look at it).

In the US, the general argument is that “we know better.” Our robots won’t do that. We have safeguards in place. However, these types of are being made in 43 countries, and are not classified technology. Anyone (terrorist, student, video game freak) can potentially learn the needed technology.

An anecdote (attributed to the Democracy Now broadcast):
There was a group of college students who wanted to raise money for the situation in Darfur. They far exceeded their expectations, and raised $500,000. So, in deciding how they could “save Darfur”, they investigated whether they could hire their own private military force (mercenaries) to go to Darfur. They asked for bids from a half dozen companies like Blackwater (except probably smaller). They actually got replies. One company offered to lease them some drones with shooting capabilities. These drones can be operated from the US, in the same way as the army does - via satellite uplink and a video game like interface. College students in the USA using deadly weaponry disguised as a real life video game to make their own decisions about who should die in a foreign country? HOLY #$*%

Luckily, cooler heads prevailed and they did not lease the drones.

But many people have 500K at their disposal.

Pre-Season

If you're gonna train, then there better be some games coming up.  

And oh, did we ever play games.

With children's minds...

A conference of these proportions, run by an organization which had never attempted such a thing before, can create several logistical problems.  Each and every one of them was experienced over 4.5 days, and a few more that no one could have dreamed of. As a temporary employee, I was an innocent, caught in the cross fire.  My 23 charges, plus the others staying in my hotel, asked me questions to which I had no answer.  Such as: When will we eat?  or: Why didn't I get my official picture that I paid for? or: Why do I have to sleep on a roll-away when I paid full tuition? [Mind you ,their tuition was like what I pay per term for grad school these days...$2700 or so plus airfare]

Even better were questions like: Where's my bus?  In the sea of 200+ buses, that were parked without rhyme or reason, finding them in the bitter cold... pain and suffering, I tell you.

So, yes. I lost a few kids. They were all found again, thankfully. They had to wait in really long lines to eat.  They had to wait in really long lines to come into a warm place. They had to wait in really long lines to get on or off the buses. 

But, there is good news.  For the ones who were awake and interested, they got to hear 3 world leaders talk to them, witness history, and see a great concert.  

General Colin Powell said that you don't have to be smart to be a leader...you just need followers.  And that military men do not reveal their political leanings, because they are trained to be non-partisan.  Mixed messages - yes. 

Here is a bit of what he said - the parts I thought deserved some recording:

The Archbishop Desmond Tutu then told us that we are very special people. Or more specifically, that I am a very special person. A VSP, if you will. I really found his speech moving.  I think the HS kids were just amused by his humor and little dances.  Here is a bit of what he said:

More soon.

Training

Of course, 1/20/2009 was a big and momentous day.  But my inauguration action began almost 1 week prior.  This "action" was a conference for young people, where I was one of many staff.  In return for herding children, teaching them, and making sure they didn't sneak into other rooms at night, I got hotel and food for a week, a chance to see the events planned for them, and a pittance of a wage.  

Due to circumstances, I'm going to be circumspect about the name of the conference and the organization involved. This is because the things did not go as planned, to put it mildly, and there are now a large contingent of angry parents who have started a blog to gather evidence for a law suit against said company, where I was an employee for 1 week. 

But before you can welcome youth, you must know what it is you will do with them.  So for three days, I trained... with 800 other staff members.  EIGHT HUNDRED.  That is like the incoming Obama White House staff. We ate bad camp food, hoarded candy bars, and were the recipients of more ice breakers, attention getters and teaching techniques than can be crammed into your head in three days.

And then there were the rules and procedures.  Apparently, the number one rule when working with children is: Do NOT do ANYTHING that might POSSIBLY get you SUED.

So, when inspecting rooms at night to make sure there are no extra occupants, you must stand at the door and take their word for it.  When comforting a child, you can do no more than give the "Oprah Hug" [See movie for a better explanation]

And the best one of all: If a nervous 12 year old comes to you with a stomach ache, head ache, hurt thumb or anything else, you can never ever ever give any advice whatsoever.  Instead, you must present them with their options.

1) Go to a pharmacy/drug store and get whatever you think you need

2) Go to the emergency room

3) Do nothing

So, if a 12 year old thinks that their headache deserves a trip to the ER, then you must take them there. If they think that it can be 'cured' by purchasing Immodium, you must let them do that. Because, if you give advice, you might get SUED.  So, it is obviously better to let the child make a decision for himself. 

HUH?

If this isn't a case for medical malpractice reform, I don't know what is. 

I can wait no more - GAZRAEL

Population of the Gaza Strip: 1,500,000

Population of Israel: 7,184,000

# Men age 16-49 Fit for Military Service

Gaza Strip:   300,000

Israel: 1,400,000

December 27, 2008-January 12, 2009

Military Casualties

Gaza Strip: A point of international debate

Israel:  6?

Civilian Casualties:

Gaza Strip: Another point of international debate

Israel: 7

I tried to do research.  From Al-Jazeera, to the BBC, to the Jerusalem Post.  The numbers, of course, are varied.  But one thing was clear.  Israeli military casualties number less than 10. Civilian casualties, despite some 250 rockets being fired into Israel during these past 2 weeks, also number less than 10.  

The numbers regarding Gaza are contended.  Israel acknowledges approximately 80 dead.  The United Nations can count numbers killed by attack where they have access, and report 700. Al-Jazeera reports more than 1000 to date, with >300 children. 

It is clear that significantly more civilians than Hamas fighters have been killed.  Furthermore, targets of bombs, unmanned aircraft, and sea-launched rockets have rendered damage or destroyed a clinic in a refugee camp, a school, a university, a major hospital.  It's also true that water treatment and sewage plants, power stations, oil and gasoline storage and infrastructure has been destroyed, but a claim can be made that these are military targets.  Such a claim is hard pressed to be made for the clinic in a refugee camp. 

Am I angry and outraged at the killing of civilians? Yes.  But I'm more angry now, and for Gaza, than I am for the civilians killed in many other hotspots.  I'm trying to ask myself why.  I think it is because according to the Israelis, this is not a war, or an invasion, but an Incursion. Semantic difference? Synonyms? An incursion implies that they will get in, get done and get out.  An invasion, that they will be there for a longer period of time.  Both imply that the action is justified, as opposed to an act of terrorism, which is what the rocket attacks by Hamas are called.  I am angry because it is a blatant lie.  The timing of the 'incursion' was very carefully planned to occur at a time when Israel's biggest ally, US, is in political transition, extreme lame duck-ness, and as W is busy delivering swan songs and hosting goodbye tea parties.  Consequently, official response from US has been limited to the outgoing press secretary stating that we condone the right of a country to defend itself, and that we condemn rocket attacks. Furthermore, we are confident that Israel is meeting its obligations to minimize casualties, care for civilians, etc.  

While many state that there is a humanitarian crisis occurring, with a lack of food, water, electricity and medical supplies, Israel maintains that local needs are being met.  I disagree.  Would you be satisfied with wheat and lentils, no lights, no clean water, and a hostile force in your backyard?  Is that a proportionate response to random rocket fire, which clearly is not aimed well.  Does having to sleep in a bunker (Israelis in the south) compare with not having a home at all (Thousands of Gazans)?  

My commentary is limited to the current nonsense.  If we bring history into the picture - accounts of settlements willfully inhabited by people who do not believe in boundaries, cease fires rebuked, occupying forces and rights systematically denied, then the story would be too long. 

And what of the responsibility of the United States.  Yes, 40% of the world's jewish population lives in the US.  And yes, probably 75% of the members of congress and senate count on contributions from jewish benefactors.  But as the seat of Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Baha'i, should we not desire to protect the religious homeland of so many different faiths? Are we too afraid to condemn a country who we have allowed to behave as it sees fit for 50 years, simply because of politics? Do Americans really believe that killing 1 out of every 1500 Gazans is proportional to the 10 deaths Israel has suffered? 

The proportionate response is actually 6 Israelis for every Gazan, but no one is suggesting that. Yet, it must be examined, by people around the world, but most importantly, by Israelis and their most ardent supporters.  Were Hamas rocket attacks, which did not occur during the cease fire  but were occurring prior to it as well as during this incursion, responsible for 4734 Israeli deaths? Because only then is 1 out of every 1500 a proportionate response.