To be fair, it makes about as much sense to group all Israeli together as just saying "Palestinians". PLO mostly "became" Fatah (the political branch) and "they" "ended" their fight when they accepted Israels right to exist (something Hamas does not do). The fact that Palestinians on the Gaza strip does not have much to loose, but their lives, makes any real neartime prospects for lasting peace bleak, at best. Unless they have something to gain or something real to loose then the fighting wont stop. One cannot deny the Israeli their right to self-defense. As you say Hamas should take a reality check and assess the prospects that we ever allow Israel to parish as they desire. The Palestinian children have only to gain from them making peace with the past.

Rabbin was murdered to stop the peace process and that has indeed been the result. Most other people would act to make sure that such deeds never pay off.

As an outsider with a whole bunch of relatives in the US it all seems to me like the big insurance companies are the one who's playing the pipe here.

Sure, we have higher taxes. However, every time I've had that discussion with a US citizen their jaw drop, once I let them know what those taxmoney buys "me". Free healthcare and university studies, to just name two of the more costly ones. And in the US, even if you have a good healthcare insurance, which pays for, for example vital heart suregery, the insurance (usually) does not cover the actual cost of stying at the hospital and that will quickly become massive (at least this is how it used to be "before").

Don't get me wrong, US is great place and I'll go there on many more visits, but this reform will help you become quite a bit more independent as citizens and that can only be a good thing, right? (if you are in debt you are not free)

But what about polar bears? Are they real or imaginary?