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Mindset Trumps Economics

Reader comment on item: Will Prosperity End Palestinian Enmity to Israel?

Submitted by dds (Canada), Dec 30, 2005 at 12:37

Can anyone offer an example where an economic solution to a struggle between ethnic groups has been the panacea? Poverty and lack of opportunity are only the symptoms, but the disease is rooted much deeper than that.

Affirmative action certainly has had some outward benefits in the black-white race relations in the US, but the rich-poor divide is still largely color-based. Hurricane Katrina was a stark reminder of that. There are also parts of US cities where it's not advisable for white people to walk, and black people still face glass ceilings and glass walls in many institutions. In Canada, there have been multi-million-dollar land claim settlements involving Natives, but you'll still find a higher proportion of natives on Vancouver's Downtown East Side than in the British Properties. Until the mind-set is dealt with -- and until we stop thinking that giving one group the material wealth they apparently lack -- no "road map" will lead anywhere.

"We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers ..." the Apostle Paul wrote. All of these conflicts are based not in an economic issue but one of the spirit. The solution is really found in the Two Great Commandments: love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and love your neighbour as yourself. It may not be a quick fix, but it will be a lasting one, which lays the axe to the root. Remember: God provides solutions -- the devil suggests short-cuts.

By the way, my understanding is that much of the land Israel "occupied" in the 1967 war was primarily unproductive desert. Then it started producing when the Israelis settled there. It will be interesting to see how much longer it remains productive, now that it's in Palestinian hands. Of course, if it does suddenly turn barren again, the Israelies will likely be accused of salting the land, the way the Romans did with Carthage, which would then lead to more recriminations and terrorism ...
Submitting....

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Reader comments (21) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Keep them on gruel [115 words]jennifer solisApr 22, 2008 01:16126446
Gruel is too good for them. [162 words]Joe KaffirApr 23, 2008 21:28126446
Either ways making the west submit to Islam. [319 words]YnnatchkahApr 20, 2008 21:44126305
New Home-Buying Plan ? [148 words]YnnatchkahApr 20, 2008 16:20126279
"palestinians" are not a nation, therefore... [169 words]koah1Mar 3, 2006 16:1038798
there is an answer [161 words]patemFeb 19, 2006 14:5036357
Hamas is that Jihadi in the window? World Bank = walking bombs [106 words]Ben van de PolderJan 17, 2006 21:1031874
Answer to title of article: NO [176 words]PDMJan 16, 2006 20:3631765
bad behavior [49 words]AdamJan 2, 2006 00:0230921
FOLLOW THE MONEY TRAIL [135 words]joncohenJan 1, 2006 12:4930889
Have food sent in! [73 words]PigfootJan 6, 2006 12:2930889
Prosperity and Democracy. [320 words]Robert LynnDec 31, 2005 21:0630857
NEVER [22 words]rachel ettelmanDec 31, 2005 11:5330843
Will Palestinian Prosperity End the Arab-Israeli Conflict? [77 words]JeffDec 30, 2005 14:3930802
all of the land was barren [89 words]yuval brandstetterDec 30, 2005 16:0830802
The business of corruption and terrorism [143 words]PigfootJan 5, 2006 17:1330802
PALESTINIAN DEVELOPMENT? [281 words]Fred KDec 30, 2005 13:1130797
Freedom and Gold [150 words]Mourad AntoineDec 31, 2005 17:3530797
Mindset Trumps Economics [331 words]ddsDec 30, 2005 12:3730794
And we know [15 words]R.MitelmanDec 28, 2005 14:5130704
Further to R.Mitelman [29 words]ddsDec 30, 2005 12:3930704

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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