politics is awkward - and bullying aint enough

look - is it me? dunno. Maybe I'm being a thicky. Trouble is I'm now very drunk, but the thing I'm thinking is something I've been pondering for some time now. if not actually properly thinking it through.
[However, the alcohol won't let my brain or fingers articulate it.]

[bugger.]

ok, all it is is - what if the UN (heck, the WORLD) asked Israel to stop, sorry for both sides to ceasefire, and they ignored it? I mean, its not like other UN reolutions haven't been ignored by either side.

Would that have made the netgotiating position harder?
Unfortunately I only did the negotiating 101 consultancy training (a taster) not the full whack. I honestly don't know.

It just seems to me that if Blair/ Bush/ UN/ Jounalistpundit/ fuckinanybody requests "you should ceasefire" and they don't, that it makes the requester seem irrelevant.
"stop"
"no"
"stop"!
"did somebody say something...? did you hear anything?
"Stop!"
"hm, people that don't understand are sympathising with the other side - can somebody explain to them that we're the victim..?"

Morraly unasailable to say "stop bombing people" of course. but... doesn't it make you irrelevant when you are ignored? Doesn't it weaken you when you ask for something that will never be given?

Am I naive? God knows but I want the violence to stop but what will make either side stop?
And by "make" I mean 'persuade' as well as 'force'.

Obviously(?) I also think that military action has a "logical progression". After its started, stopping seems like 'victory' or 'surrender'. and noone will except "surrender" or "losing".

So what can the UN do? usually its impose sanctions (trade etc as well as ordinance provision) but these are ignored. US still trades because of its local politics in the same way that Iran and Syria do. So, does the "RestOfTheWorld" impose upon the US or Iran?!? it hasn't in the past (kinda tricky them being physically stronger than the UN).

So unfortunately we come again to the realisation that countries (and individuals) are motivated by self interest. It is in the self interest of Israel to not ceasefire but to contimnue bombing as it wishes to crippple Hezbolllah/ Hezbollah have a self interest to continue bombing to prove they are a force to be reckoned with.
Its in the self interest of the US to support Israel and (therefore??) the interest of Iran to support Hizbollah...., blah blah blah.

but "blah blah blah" cannot make someone stop. Its too easy for the liberal left (and god knows i'm one of them) to say "Blair should tell them to stop" but unfortunatey they only give a very little shit (maybe only a fart) as to what he thinks.

We're in 'bully' mode. Pain is the only thing that stops someone doing something.
We (the UN, journalists etc) just haven't found the pain spots yet..

and I'm wittering - and you are reading - as people are dying.

I wish I could bully people into non-violence but 'bullying' in whatever form always reinforces the fact that if you can cause pain.... you win