You fill out the tax form and discover that your taxes got higher. Puzzled, you check it out to discover that the higher tax was a result of Obama's policies. You did not vote for Obama, and so feel justified in not paying the extra tax. Will not voting for Obama, who caused the taxes go up, save you from being charged with tax evasion?

Or you are not feeling well and need to see a doctor -- and are told that under ObamaCare you are not eligible for treatment. You protest that you did not vote for Obama and therefore ObamaCare does not apply to you. Will your argument fly?

Or if another terrorist act, caused by Obama's soft spot towards Moslems, happens in the US -- would only those who voted for Obama get hurt?

The answer to all these questions, as we all know, is a "no." The reason is simple: we choose our country's leadership and policy collectively, through voting, and are rewarded or punished for our choice collectively, too. While only 55% of Americans voted for Obama, the full 100% will suffer the consequences.

Is that unfair? Perhaps. Is that "collective punishment?" Most definitely so.

Yet, we all know that such is the way of the world -- collective actions are met with "collective punishment."

Unless, of course, you are a Palestinian in Gaza. After the Israelis withdraw, instead of turning to normal peaceful lives, you enthusiastically turn to getting in weapons with which to attack the Israelis across the border -- but no Israeli action should be taken against you because that would be a "collective punishment." You overwhelmingly vote for those who deny Israel the right to exist and are designated as terrorist organization -- but there should be no action against you because that would constitute "collective punishment." You cheer and celebrate abduction of an Israeli soldier -- but to act against you would be a "collective punishment." You aid, abet and support those who send thousand of rockets into Israel -- yet Israeli counter-offensive is a "collective punishment."

It is collective punishment all right. But the collective punishment of those who are collectively guilty is, for all its imperfections, a rational, reasonable, and inevitable response. Those who are collectively guilty should expect nothing less.

Americans are being collectively punished by the Obama policies for electing him. Gazans, who are just as collectively guilty of electing, supporting, and cheering on their own terrorist, Hamas, government, are also fully deserving of "collective punishment."

So when pro-Palestinian "activists" rail against Israel's "collective punishment" of the population of Gaza, the proper response should be not to blush and say "we will ease the blockade," as the Israelis currently do, but to look the self-righteously outraged "progressive" humanity right into the eye and say "yes it is -- because the Palestinians in Gaza are COLLECTIVELY GUILTY of encouraging, supporting, and committing terrorism."