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Whistling in the Dark
There is Only One Thing That I Blog...
Ideology
Posted on 2006.01.26 at 14:08
So here's the thing.
I'm no fan of Hamas. I don't think any "political party" who considers suicide bombing an acceptable tactic has any business being in power, anywhere. The Palestinian election results make the current Mideast situation significantly worse, in my estimation.
However. The core cause that the Bush Administration has espoused... the core belief of the Neoconservative movement, ideologically speaking, is the spread of Democracy -- the active efforts to move dictatorships and religious theocracies to Western style democratic rule. It is their religion, far more than Christianity.
This was, by all accounts, a supremely well administered election. Almost eighty percent of eligible voters voted. And they elected Hamas to a solid Parliamentary majority.
The United States has gone on the record saying they won't deal or treat with Hamas. I've never had a problem with that.
But now, Hamas is the legitimate government of the Palestinian people. Largely voted in because the Fatah party -- the party we've dealt with in the past -- is rampant with corruption.
Do we abandon the peace process? Do we abandon the core philosophical and ideological point -- maybe they only solid ideological point in Neoconservatism -- because the Palestinians had the audacity to vote in a party we don't like?
Democracy and Democratic Republicanism is supposed to reflect the will of the people. The people have now spoken. Do we accept their ruling and continue to try to work with Palestine? Or do we reject that last piece of ideology, reject the role of Democracy, and reserve our friendship for those parties... or dictators... who match our interests.
It's worth noting, the latter movement has led to the United States supporting dictators that did horrible things to their powerless people. It led to Papa Doc and Baby Doc Duvalier.
It led to Saddam Hussein.
Hamas is a terrorist organization. They kill innocent people as part of their overall goal of destroying the State of Israel.
They're also now the legitimate Palestinian government.
What do we do now?
I'm no fan of Hamas. I don't think any "political party" who considers suicide bombing an acceptable tactic has any business being in power, anywhere. The Palestinian election results make the current Mideast situation significantly worse, in my estimation.
However. The core cause that the Bush Administration has espoused... the core belief of the Neoconservative movement, ideologically speaking, is the spread of Democracy -- the active efforts to move dictatorships and religious theocracies to Western style democratic rule. It is their religion, far more than Christianity.
This was, by all accounts, a supremely well administered election. Almost eighty percent of eligible voters voted. And they elected Hamas to a solid Parliamentary majority.
The United States has gone on the record saying they won't deal or treat with Hamas. I've never had a problem with that.
But now, Hamas is the legitimate government of the Palestinian people. Largely voted in because the Fatah party -- the party we've dealt with in the past -- is rampant with corruption.
Do we abandon the peace process? Do we abandon the core philosophical and ideological point -- maybe they only solid ideological point in Neoconservatism -- because the Palestinians had the audacity to vote in a party we don't like?
Democracy and Democratic Republicanism is supposed to reflect the will of the people. The people have now spoken. Do we accept their ruling and continue to try to work with Palestine? Or do we reject that last piece of ideology, reject the role of Democracy, and reserve our friendship for those parties... or dictators... who match our interests.
It's worth noting, the latter movement has led to the United States supporting dictators that did horrible things to their powerless people. It led to Papa Doc and Baby Doc Duvalier.
It led to Saddam Hussein.
Hamas is a terrorist organization. They kill innocent people as part of their overall goal of destroying the State of Israel.
They're also now the legitimate Palestinian government.
What do we do now?