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One of the big problems of America in Vietnam was the question “what are we fighting for”?

Against communism is not a very adequate answer (although, after commie genocide, it’s not so bad, either).

Because Ho Chi Minh would have won a free and fair 1956 election, we were NOT fighting for “democracy.”

I’m feelin’ a LOT better about Hamas winning. The big advantage of democracy is how it CAN get better, if folk can just agree on what they want.
Stop corruption; most Palestinians (and poor folk everywhere) want this.

Fight to the death with Israel? I’m not so sure so many Palestinians really want this.

ACTUALLY, PETER, you forgot to read the fine print. Yes, Abbas rightly pushed for Hamas to participate—- realizing the elections would be viewed as all but meaningless without having them on the ballot. Plus, he quite correctly saw the necessity of pulling Hamas inside the tent rather than leaving them outside to toss firebombs—literally and metaphorically.

But from late December onward, when it was becoming undeniable that Hamas was moving toward an unexpectedly strong showing and Fatah was ever more plagued by its own nasty factional strife, Abbas was being pressured by all those in his own camp to get the elections postponed so that Fatah could have the time to heal its rifts and get some of its act together, and hopefully calm the militants in Gaza. All of the aforementioned has been reported on—albeit not extensively—by everyone from Fox to the BBC. It’s just that such nuances simply don’t register with Americans.

Okay, but the story doesn’t end there. Abbas at first wouldn’t talk about a delay—mainly because he would have looked foolish and opportunistic to suggest it. But then at the 1st of January, he found the perfect excuse: the elections shouldn’t be held, he said, until Israel agreed to let the Arabs in south Jerusalem participate.

Meanwhile, on the Israeli side, Sharon stated his own intention to obstruct the elections because of Hamas’ inclusion. But under pressure from the US and the EU, backed off.

48 hours later, Sharon had the stroke. Within days Abbas was again talking about postponing the elections, mostly using voting in Jerusalem as the excuse, with some mention of the vacuum left by Sharon. When the Israelis unexpectedly agreed to let Jerusalem residents vote, the US insisted the elections move forward. And that was that.

In early January, When the calls for a delay became louder after Sharon’s hospitalization,

Wrong. Abbas talked Bush and Rice into allowing Hamas to participate. Sharon and the Likudniks did not want Hamas to take part in the elections. It’s no surprise that people like Dennis Perrin and Cole missed this, but other anti-war people should have caught this.

Bush and Rice believe corrupt Arab dictatorships of the Middle East, remnants of the Cold War, breed terrorists like bin Laden. Only one way to be rid of dictatorships: elections.

Even though Israel has nukes and the unqualified backing of the lone superpower, it is surrounded by a sea of Arabs. Elections in the occupied territories, in Egypt, in Lebanon, etc, are bringing organized groups hostile to Israel’s policies to the fore. Israel better compromise and work towards a two-state solution or it will just get worse. If the Israelis don’t recognize this and act accordingly, it will be their country which will reap the whirlwind, not America.

Speaking of which, here are a couple of very illuminating posts.

http://jameswolcott.com/archives/2006/01/pajama_party_sp.php

http://dennisthepeasant.typepad.com/dennis_the_peasant/2006/01/the_big_pitch.html

I didn’t mean to imply that there weren’t Israeli obstructionists. There certainly were and are. After all, one of them killed Rabin. I think, however, that they’ve represented a smaller percentage of their population and have been better controlled by their government. This was especially critical in the 90′s when the PA had the means and incentive to reign in Palestinian rejectionists and did a half-hearted (at best) job. The Palestinian rejectionists have also drawn crucial support from surrounding nations and political movements.

It’s possible that different Israeli/US actions in the 90′s might have led to a different result. I’m skeptical about this but will admit the possibilty. I once heard Shimon Peres say something wise about the sorts of negotiations taking place at that time, that when one party felt it had won the day’s bargaining, in fact it had lost — both sides had lost. He was warning those on his side as well as the other side that each would have to do business with the other forever and that it was counterproductive for either to try to maximize its advantage. Heeding his words may have made a difference.

ACTUALLY, PETER, you forgot to read the fine print. Yes, Abbas rightly pushed for Hamas to participate—- realizing the elections would be viewed as all but meaningless without having them on the ballot. Plus, he quite correctly saw the necessity of pulling Hamas inside the tent rather than leaving them outside to toss firebombs—literally and metaphorically.

But from late December onward, when it was becoming undeniable that Hamas was moving toward an unexpectedly strong showing and Fatah was ever more plagued by its own nasty factional strife, Abbas was being pressured by all those in his own camp to get the elections postponed so that Fatah could have the time to heal its rifts and get some of its act together, and hopefully calm the militants in Gaza. All of the aforementioned has been reported on—albeit not extensively—by everyone from Fox to the BBC. It’s just that such nuances simply don’t register with Americans.

Okay, but the story doesn’t end there. Abbas at first wouldn’t talk about a delay—mainly because he would have looked foolish and opportunistic to suggest it. But then at the 1st of January, he found the perfect excuse: the elections shouldn’t be held, he said, until Israel agreed to let the Arabs in south Jerusalem participate.

Meanwhile, on the Israeli side, Sharon stated his own intention to obstruct the elections because of Hamas’ inclusion. But under pressure from the US and the EU, backed off.

48 hours later, Sharon had the stroke. Within days Abbas was again talking about postponing the elections, mostly using voting in Jerusalem as the excuse, with some mention of the vacuum left by Sharon. When the Israelis unexpectedly agreed to let Jerusalem residents vote, the US insisted the elections move forward. And that was that.

In early January, When the calls for a delay became louder after Sharon’s hospitalization,