here's something I noticed that is very strange:

Speaking to hundreds of thousands of flag-waving supporters in bombed-out southern Beirut

That's from the article Steve referenced. Here is a quote from a story from Fox News. It refers to the anti-Hezbollah rally that happened earlier today:

An anti-Syrian Christian leader dismissed Hezbollah's claims of victory in its war with Israel as tens of thousands of his supporters rallied Sunday

I find that those numbers speak for themselves, which do you think holds more power with the people?

On one final note, I find it funny that the Fox news article called the rally today "massive" Today's rally doesn't really seem like a "massive" response compared to it's counterpart. Why would you call the response rally "massive"? Perception? Great reporting.

You know what, it was an AP article anyway... My mistake. Either way saying "massive" is just plain ignorant.

Well, hold on a second, the ARTICLE is from the AP but the TITLE is all Fox news. The same story from the New York Times

from Newsday

and finally, CNN

Perception. Perception. Perception.

My "perception" is that you were trying to illustrate a "Conservative" bias, and only succeeded in proving a liberal one. I believe tens of thousands of people would accurately be described as "massive".

I was not illustrating any type of "bias" I was commenting on how news agencies don't really pay attention to context. I don't see bias, just ignorance. By the way, how did I prove a "liberal bias"? I read your posts often Lisa and you seem to always make comments but never back them up. I used links and quotes in my posting, can you do the same to prove your argument of my "liberal bias"? Please enlighten me.

Actually, what I find most disconcerting is that the rallies show what is actually going on in the Middle East with the people, compared to what certain politicians want us to believe. The Hezbollah rally was MASSIVE compared to the anti-Hezbollah rally. In this show of support for each we can understand why many are claiming a Hezbollah victory.

You cite the New York Times and CNN as a source and you need to ask me about liberal bias? The terrorists muslim rally was bigger because they have succeeded in banishing many Lebanese Catholics from the country over the years. That it was tens of thousands shows just how unpopular Hezbollah really is in the country.

Enlightened?

No, I am not enlightened but you're still not making any sense.

The terrorists Muslim rally was bigger

What terrorist rally? The hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians at the HEZBOLLAH rally were terrorists? Do some research on Hezbollah and what it has done for the people of Lebanon. Yes, they have committed acts of terrorism but they also have provided much for the Lebanese people (who are not terrorists.)

Plain and simple, Fox news renamed the title of the article to change how the article was received. The anti-Hezbollah rally was big yes, but not in comparison to the rally it was responding to a few days prior. Please think before you write.

SSE,

Ones of these days you might just catch Lisa calling all Muslims terrorists...she's knows she wants to...but hasn't quite gotten that low yet.

While totally off topic, I thought this little opinion piece in my daily paper would serve as a reminder for those closet Rapture enthusiasts out there who are just waiting for war in the Middle East to usher in the Rapture.

Here's the juicest part, if you don't want to bother reading it all.

If you, like Hagee, are promoting war in the Middle East you will be left behind [During the Rapture]. If you donate money to people like Hagee you will be left behind. If you sit smug and safe a half a world away from the fighting and smile in your heart at the escalating violence you will be left behind. Simple, isn’t it?

And here's the whole thing....

I heard part of an interesting interview on public radio a couple days ago. I tuned in as John Hagee was explaining how he and his Texas megachurch have raised millions of dollars to pay for indigent Jews to move to Israel. That’s nice, I thought.

When I got home I read up on Hagee online. What he wants is for 1) all the Jews to live in Israel, 2) for the Jews to rebuild the Temple of Solomon on the Temple Mount, and 3) for some neighboring country to drop nukes on Israel, all so he personally will get to waft up to heaven. To this end he is encouraging Bush with all his might to launch a preemptive strike on Iran or Syria so they will retaliate against Israel. Not so nice, I thought.

Hagee and the other apocalypse junkies are missing a point so simple a child could explain it. Assuming you buy into the Rapture (which I don’t) it is obvious that the only people floating up, up and away will be the people who are actively trying to stop it from happening. Think of it as an exit exam, or a Catch-22 of some sort. The promoters of violence in the Middle East and elsewhere need not apply, regardless of their motivation.

If you, like Hagee, are promoting war in the Middle East you will be left behind. If you donate money to people like Hagee you will be left behind. If you sit smug and safe a half a world away from the fighting and smile in your heart at the escalating violence you will be left behind. Simple, isn’t it? If Christians actually read the Gospels they wouldn’t be so confused about it.

Now, don’t get me wrong. If people want to believe the end of the world is coming, they can. On the other hand, the billions of us who don’t believe a word of it don’t appreciate overfed televangelists who throw gas on the fire out of pure selfishness.

I called the Lebanese at the Hezbo rally terrorists, because that is who they are supporting at said rally. Knock off your patronizing attitude. I know Hezbollah. You throw a few words out there acknowledging "yes, they have committed acts of terrorism,BUT...." Look, there is no BUT, when it comes to terrorists organizations. I don't care if they give every child a frickin' pony, they are still murderers.

Knock off your patronizing attitude. I know Hezbollah.

Okay, I'm sorry.

Since they're all terrorists lets just bomb the shit out of that country since that would be a viable solution.

No, lets not be ****ing stupid. Look, Hezbollah has built schools and hospitals, those are little more meaningful than, as you say, "frickin ponies." The Lebanese people have trust in Hezbollah because of what it's done for them. You can't label HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of Lebanese people as terrorists, can you imagine if the US government made that assertion? Get a grip!

Lisa,

And what would you call the Israeli's in their latest fight with Hezbollah, where they killed 9 innocent people for every Hezbollah fighter? Saints?

I'd say any Lebanese person who lost a friend or family member in the bombing has as much right to call the Israeli military murderous as you have to call the Hezbollah terrorists. Which is a perfect example of why the violence will never end as long as everybody resorts to labelling the other side, and nobody spends the time to see the situation from both groups (lebanese and israeli) perspectives.

I shall call those rallying for terrorists ,"terrorists supporters" from now on. Okey Dokey? Oh yes, Hezbo's know how to get people on their side. The good ol' schools and hospitals ploy. Perhaps the citizens of Lebanon, the ones pulling for the Hezbo's, should look beyond their own creature comforts, and acknowledge that this lovely group of thugs are vile murderers. Just like Venezuela, feed the lower classes and they will be your slaves.

ahman, I would call them soldiers defending their country, and having to try to do so with a devious and immoral enemy that uses civilians and their dwellings for cover. There is not a "Lebanese" side here. It is a hijacking by the Hezbollah terrorist group

Just like Venezuela, feed the lower classes and they will be your slaves.

Or in the US, if a particular political party ignores the lower classes, they'll vote for the other party; well, that is, if they vote at all.

"the violence will never end as long as everybody resorts to labeling the other side". So if we,[ sorry], sane people, start calling them Freedom Fighters they will stop killing? Kumbaya.

Lisa,

What did I say? I said the solution is to stop labelling everyone, and look for a real solution that takes into account the views from all sides of the issue...and the best you can come up with is yet another label for a group I am not even talking about.

Lets get this straight...the people who are going to help us solve this problem, are the ones you keep thumbing your nose at. Not the terrorists (we all know who they...at least I do)...the ordinary Muslim who has no desire to attack America, unless we decide to provoke them through actions and words (hint hint!! Lisa).

I am not "thumbing my nose" at "ordinary" muslims. Tell me this ahman, where THE HELL are these ordinary muslims when the maniac muslims riot??? They are virtually invisible. What do YOU think that they should do to "help us solve this problem"? Are they doing it? From everything,[and I mean from all types of sources], that I have heard, the only muslims that have really spoken out against the others are those that have embraced Democracy, and some that have actually rejected the suffocating strictness of Islam. It ain't a lot. If I got your "group" wrong, who WERE you referring to?