Lileks has some thoughts on current events in the Levant. There's a hint of sarcasm to them:

The US continues to support Israel. This is becoming difficult, since many important nations with well-dressed, urbane spokesmen have decided that Israel should stop its strange policy of firing rockets on UN-run stem-cell research facilities for no apparent reason. These diplomats will tolerate a little wartime madness – we all have our moments, after all – but enough is enough, and now they must go home and sit in the basement and wait for more rocket attacks. If they’re good, they will get a snack.

Strict Neutrality, or Dingellism. This may seem odd to some, given that one side consists of bloodthirsty religious lunatics who relish the indiscriminate killing of civilians, and the other is an Islamic social welfare organization reluctantly pressed into combat. (Any objections to those characterizations, Rep. D? Just curious.) Perhaps the West, in the name of fairness, could supply Hezbollah with the tools it requires. After all, it is manifestly unjust that Israel has such wizardly munitions on their side, and Hezbollah is forced to use crude de-vices made from disassembled Iranian baby-milk factory equipment. And it is rather condescending to believe that Hezbollah fires its missiles randomly without caring where they land; if they had access to precision munitions, it is possible they would aim more carefully.

...The usual delusions are abundant. The progressives imagine they’re the vanguard shielding the last jot of human rights from the ever-gathering fascist storm. (Forget the executions in Somalia for the crime of watching the World Cup; there’s a rumor Wal-Mart won’t offer the usual new-release discount for DVDs of Al Gore’s eco-doc.) They imagine that conservatives support Israel because they want to convert Jews and usher in the last book in the “Left Behind” series. They have internalized the Palestinian narrative so deeply they blame the “occupation” for rocket attacks coming out of territory no longer occupied. They’re so convinced of their rectitude that the obscenity of an Israeli flag spattered with swastikas makes perfect sense: why, if they weren’t actually Nazis, the progressives wouldn’t oppose them. They marched with communists for Worker’s Rights, regardless of whether anyone in communist countries had a job or any rights. And now they march with Hezbollah supporters for Peace and Justice.

I know this is hard for anyone at the UN and in some case Americans to absorb, but when people have decided it's in their best interest kill you or to die in the effort to destroy you and your way of life there is little room for negotiations. As it has been with Israel every day spent talking with the irrational is another day they have to improve their capabilities. So the same holds true for us. Israel has been forced at the point of a rocket launcher to act. It is only as matter of time before we will be forced to see our enemies for what they are.

I say warm up the bombers.

A "hint" of sarcasm? Lileks' tongue is so firmly planted in his cheek that it's a wonder he can smoke his afternoon cigar.

As usual, great work from one of my favorite writers.

There was a hint of sarcasm (or perhaps understatement) in my characterization of the piece.

Need sarcasm tags Rand...

I wasn't condemning or complaining about Rand's use of the word "hint", actually. I just wanted to throw my own 2 cents on the issue, for those readers here unaccustomed to James' work.

That, and it was the perfect opportunity to finally use that "tongue in cheek/smoke a cigar" line. :)

So you're saying there was a hint of hyperbole in your comment, John?

Just a hint, of course. Lileks would never let anything keep him from his evening cigar. ;-)