The mandated "minimum wage" is as anachronistic as trade unions.

Sadly no. In this globalized world, it is becoming a necessity to provide close to a living wage to people that want to work, but for one reason or another can't just go get a "good job". In the old days, unions and factories filled this capacity and they are greatly diminished. If we drive these marginal workers that make up a sizable portion of the work force into poverty and ultimately unemployment, what do you think that will do to the country as a whole? What do you think that will do to the crime rates?

I personally have come to the conclusion that we need to tie the minimum wage to a fixed formula that is based on the cost of living index and forget about it until something wonderful happens and we no longer need it. Federally, we should fix it so that the lowest paid worker in the lowest cost of living state can get by and then let the various states and municipalities supplement it to reflect a higher cost of living in a particular area. Once this is set up, no more talk about it. No more increases unless the states want to do it by themselves.

I know, right? Pretty tiny chunk of real estate to fight about. I think the vast majority of Arab and Muslim countries are coming to this conclusion. It isn't so bad having Israel in the neighborhood and they are good for business. The various Islamic terror groups including ISIS as well as the Palestinians are really the only entities that are actively pursuing Israel's destruction.

The rest have licked their wounds, or swallowed their pride and have made peace with the idea that Israel is here to stay and likely can not be dislodged. Sure lots of countries in the region still have to give lip service to the "death to Israel" communities for political reasons, but there are no active plans to actually do anything about it and that includes Iran.

It's been quite some time since the Palestinians controlled Gaza.

Before the British occupied it in 1914(?), Gaza was occupied/controlled by, iirc, the Ottoman Empire.

Eventually, claim to land ceases to be credible.

The Palestinian's claim to that territory is just as valid as the Ottomans, the British, the Egyptians or even the Israelis. They can always claim it as theirs. Having the means to actually control it and defend it as their own is a different matter. It is the Palestinian's natural right in the animal kingdom to try to take it from the Israelis if they want. So far they have failed miserably, killed a lot of their people trying and ruined their economy by trying, but it is their right to try if they wish.

Combat is the most common way countries have traded control of territory over the ages and it is no different today.

interesting.  "The Palestinians want their property back "

really?  it was theirs?

Well as we all know, property ownership is always transient. As I have said before, property really only belongs to those that have the means to keep it and defend it against outsiders that might want to take it. Many peoples have failed in their defense of lands over the centuries and lost places they once called home. However this fact of history and mankind's behavior doesn't stop those that have lost from trying to get their lands back, or feel that they have been wronged.

The Palestinians lived there for a 1000 years or so and that is their only claim to it. The Israelis had the power to take it and keep it. The Israelis have been contested constantly since and they prevail, so the land belongs to them. It is what it is, but the Paletinians haven't given up contesting it even though they are clearly beaten. I guess they are stubborn. Very likely many here would be too in that situation.

It's super easy for us to sit over here and say to the Palestinians that they should give up and be good losers, hand over their guns to the winners and do as Israelis dictate so that there can be peace and we don't have to think about it anymore. For them though, it is an epic struggle to the death in an attempt to gain control of lands they consider theirs by birth right. Like I said, this will go on until either the Israelis get fed up, commit genocide and wipe them out, or Israel gives up and disbands as a country. There will not be a "Two State Solution". Apparently Palestinians are more feisty than Native Americans and will not agree to be relocated to reservations.

ISIS may actually be a blessing in disguise for Israel. It is likely that ISIS will eventually try to take over control of the Gaza Strip and attack Israel. This would give Israel a good reason to go to total war on the people of the Gaza Strip and use it as a way to eradicate the Palestinians there and eventually absorb the Gaza Strip into Israel. I don't know if ISIS could take over the West Bank or not, but it seems unlikely now.

Why it is so hard for folks here to understand why Palestinians fight, and teach their kids to fight, is beyond me. The religions aspect of it is a smoke screen. They use religion to inspire people to fight and struggle on by telling them that Allah is on their side and they will prevail eventually. These aren't exactly large groups of brain surgeons and rocket scientists. Religion has been used to manipulate and control masses of people since the beginning of mankind I'm sure.

Bringing kids to the range has any relevance to a play about killing Jews?  You are as off base as Jaybird in this matter.

Not really. It's all about instilling values on the kids. One is teaching their kids to be ready to face some kind of imaginary, or hypothetical danger and the other is preparing them to face a very real and inevitable danger. The Israeli, Palestinian conflict has now been going on for generations and some of those kids will grow up to face the Israeli army.

It's all a matter of perspective. To us here in the states, It seems all so clear and simple, but to people that live there and grew up in it, it's very different. Don't get me wrong, I fully support the Israelis in this issues, but I am not so blind to not be sympathetic to the Palestinian people that are stuck in this mess. Religion really isn't the cause here, but it does make it worse for sure.

How about these parents?



Or these parents?



Or these parents?



Or these parents?



Or these?



You can go on all day as these kinds of images are super easy to come up with?  OMG, Those kids are just so adorable!   

"Not all Muslims are terrorist, but all terrorist are Muslim."

Who the hell are you quoting? That is seriously stupid.