It Ain't Necessarily So
by Petar Pismestrovic
Well, it ain't necessarily so
Dey tells all you chillun'
De devil's a villain,
But it ain't necessarily so
--It Ain't Necessarily So, George Gershwin
Secretary of State Rice has let it be known that she will be faithful to the end. And she will no doubt continue to do that thing which this administration does so well, namely, ignoring actualities and superimposing her leader's desires.
Rice's recent trip to West Bank demonstrates the method in which she serves. She said "the United States still supported democracy in the Middle East. But she defended the American refusal to recognize the earlier, elected, Hamas-led government" (Rice Backs Appointed Palestinian Premier and Mideast Democracy.)
Democracy, American-style. Democracy apparently doesn't mean you get to keep the people you elect. It's kind of like fishing with weight limits; sometimes you have to throw them back and start again. Just ask Americans who voted for Al Gore.
How can Condi not gag when saying things like, “We believe strongly in the right of people to express themselves and their desires, in elections.” Presumably, it is a quaint thing to see, but they have not yet learned how to vote correctly.
Perhaps she has had practice stifling the gag reflex. She added, once elected, “ you have the obligation to govern responsibly.” Why doesn't she tell that to her master, as Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri referred to GWB.
She said that the United States and other Western nations had been right to boycott Hamas and the elected Palestinian government. “You can’t have one foot in the path of terror and one foot in the path of politics,” she added. The very thing some on the other side of the fence, in Iraq, might be thinking about us.
"Hamas won a legislative majority in January 2006, but Fatah never agreed to accept it, and the United States and Israel refused to deal with Hamas, which they classify as a terrorist organization, unless it accepted Israel’s right to exist and agreed to give up violence. "
Hamas is not even the lowliest of Boy Scout wannabes. It is a terrorist organization. And, it is who the Palestinian people elected. It is not a pretty thought, but it is however ugly, a reality.
It is a reality lesson, much as Iraq. You may free up the people, but they may not choose the way you'd like them to. The devil you know (Saddam) may be better than the devil you don't.
"Ms. Rice said it was up to the Palestinians to decide when to hold a new vote, but the Americans, like the Israelis, have told Mr. Abbas they will not accept a renewal of a unity government with Hamas. " So they may have to have several votes til they get it right. Kind of like the "hanging chad" thing; we'll decide when it's right.
Ms. Rice has told the Palestinian President that he mayn't preside over a coalition government which the people have elected.
In the rush to create a world in our image, U.S. behavior flouts democratic principles.
--Jim and Lisa
posted by rangeragainstwar at 10:58 AM
6 Comments:
Don't try to figure out Rice and the State Department's political appointees or you'll drive yourselves mad.
I remember two years ago, Karen Hughes was forcing everyone in the public diplomacy world to highlight recent elections in Egypt as proof our policies for democratizing were working in the Middle East. When the autocrats quickly made those elections irrelevant, since they didn't suit Mubarak's goals, not a peep out of Foggy Bottom.
My biggest question is how these people sleep at night. My best guess is via Ambien.
d.k.,
Re. the Ambien: No, I'd guess Klonopin. Works for me. But I still have bruxism.
They would have to actually possess a conscience in order for their sleep to be bothered by it, folks. C'mon, we're talking the Bush Administration here!
- Badtux the Snarky Penguin
badtux,
So, ya telling me Anne Frank had it wrong?
If Anne Frank implied that monsters had a conscience that kept them awake at night, yes, she had it wrong. I've read Eichmann's justification of what he did, the transcripts of his trial. His conscience was completely unbothered. It was just another logistic problem to him, thus the phrase "the banality of evil". Eichmann had no problems sleeping.
All who had a conscience in the Bush Administration resigned. All that is left is an administration of Eichmanns devoid of conscience. They sleep well at night.
- BT
Badtux,
Of course, I was being sarcastic. Ms. Frank's thinking was what we might call "pollyannaish."
I have no doubt our leaders sleep well, and in the lap of luxury, thanks to us, the faithful tapayers.
Lisa
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