I don’t believe in that Critical Theory shit, but to say that the people living in the open-air prison that is Gaza, where roughly half the population is under the age of 18 (i.e., didn’t vote for Hamas) and yet are subject to collective punishment sounds an awful lot like oppression to me. What’s more, how can anyone think such conditions will produce anything other than some pretty fucked up people capable of doing really fucked up things? Subject any people to such conditions - whether Palestinians, Chinese, Americans or whoever - and I bet the outcome wouldn’t differ much. </quote

Egypt is to the south of the Gaza Strip. It too blockades it. It's a joint venture between Muslim Egypt and Jewish/Muslim Israel (Yes because despite rhetoric about apartheid, Israeli Arabs are equals in Israeli society. They have been members of the Knesset. They have bene a part of the governing coalition. Arab Israelis make up half the medical professionals in the country. They have room to advance and be equals). So the issue is not about collective punishment as much as it is about Hamas. Think about all the rockets sent against Israel. Think about the billions in aid given. If all that had not been spent on military weapons to destroy Israel, Gaza would be another Singapore now.