Unthinkable.

We are used to watching the mass slaughter of Iraqis and Afghanis and people in Latin America and other so-called third world regions of the world.

Lebanon was apparently promoted to first world status. Wealthy vacationers and business elites go there to relax or do business. It was supposed to be off the limits of carnage, atrocities, and in your face war crimes.

But this is exactly what we are witnessing now. And make no mistake. America is behind it.

But why?

Well, for one thing, Osama bin Laden appears to hold Lebanon close to his heart. He said in October, 2004, that the twin towers were hit in revenge for the massive and brutal killings by America and Israel in the 1980s. His point is in no way controversial. There is no debate that Israel and America slaughtered thousands in Lebanon in the 80s.

Bin Laden said in 2004, "And as I looked at those demolished towers in Lebanon, it entered my mind that we should punish the oppressor in kind and that we should destroy towers in America in order that they taste some of what we tasted and so that they be deterred from killing our women and children."

But perhaps more to the point is Hezbollah. It was Hezbollah that massacred several hundred American marines sending America running with its tail between its legs. A mighty embarrasment to the almighty US of A.

Recent history suggests, quite strongly, that America is not above collective punishment, revenge, torture, and war crimes of many flavours. We like to think of America as cold psychopathic killer and operates under strictly pragmatic motivations. This may still be the case although it looks as if the almightly is as neurotic as Woody Allen. America has been sending a mesage to the world and the message seems clear. They are telling the world that they are not above revenge attacks, war crimes, and collective punishment. Collective punishment, for instance, persumes that the locals will not tolerate their own local fighters such as Hamas, Hezbollah, or al Qaeda. It has very cold and calculating reasoning beneath it.

So then, perhaps we can maintain our image of America as a cruel and calculating psychopath. So cold and calculating that they promote themselves as reactionary and passionate. This promotes the super-state as quite dangerous as neurotics. The truth however is that they are far more dangerous than that. They are beating their own myths to death. Myths that may get in the way.

For instance, the myths of democracies not warring against each other and of modern capitalistic nations being just and fair are taking a beating. Hezbollah and Hamas were democratically elected and modern capitalistic states are unbelievably brutal.

On one hand, those of us that are cynical had not believed the myths to begin with. But for those that protect themselves under a cloud of pie in the sky naivity, you'd better prepare yourself for significant cognitive dissonance. But don't worry, your masters will soon educate you about the wonders and benefits of fascism or some quasi-fascistic ideology.

We should wonder how long Hezbollah and Bin Laden will continue to play into the Americans hands. If they do, they will attack an American sacred cow; again.