Hitchens On The Hamas Gang
And how "disgusting and squalid" is their behavior. From Slate:
It knows very well that sanctions are injuring every Palestinian citizen, but--just like Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq--it declines to cease the indiscriminate violence and the racist and religious demagogy that led to the sanctions in the first place. Palestine is a common home for several religious and national groups, but Hamas dogmatically insists that the whole territory is instead an exclusively Muslim part of a future Islamic empire. At a time when democratic and reformist trends are observable in the region, from Lebanon to the Gulf, Hamas' leadership is physically and economically a part of the clientele of two of the area's worst dictatorships. (Should you ever be in need of a free laugh, look up those Western "intellectuals" who believe that a vote for an Islamist party and an Islamic state is a way to vote against corruption! They have not lately studied Iran and Saudi Arabia.) Gaza could have been a prefiguration of a future self-determined Palestinian state. Instead, it has been hijacked by the Muslim Brotherhood and made into a place of repression for its inhabitants and aggression for its neighbors. Once again, the Party of God has the whip hand. To read Benny Morris is to be quite able--and quite free--to doubt that there should ever have been an Israeli state to begin with. But to see Hamas at work is to resolve that whatever replaces or follows Zionism, it must not be the wasteland of Islamic theocracy.
When listening to radio during commutes, my least favorite word is "civilians"... All the newscasters describe these conflicts with stateless actors as if it were 1943, and all our targets will be wearing uniforms. ("Three civilians were killed in Gaza tonight, as....")
(See also: "suicide bombers".)
When are media going to get with the program?
Crid [cridcridatgmail] at January 6, 2009 12:29 PM
When are media going to get with the program?
But they are with the program. The news shows are what they are: shows. How many crisis out there have been exacerbated by the ramblings of the medias?
Gaza right now is a good show for the press: Lots of vivid images, a feeling of David Vs. Goliath and all the drama of screaming people. You can't make this stuff up. They know it and this is why they run it. There's a reason why the many crimes against the African people stay unaired. There's no fantastic images and no-one cares about Africa unless to send money and used goods.
As far as World War Two goes, I always remember the battle of Caen in 1944 who caused 2000 civilians causalities in 48 hours due to a massive bombardment of the city. Until the causalities in Gaza reach that number, I will find the efforts of the IDF quite conservative and restrained.
Toubrouk at January 6, 2009 2:10 PM
Before you get to feeling too terribly sorry for those poor Gaza citizens, recall that they overwhelmingly voted Hamas as their duly elected government. Actions have consequences.
Cousin Dave at January 7, 2009 12:37 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2009/01/06/hitchens_on_the_1.html#comment-1619226">comment from Cousin DaveA vote for Hamas is a vote for terrorism, and a vote for children to be used as pawns and human shield.
Amy Alkon
at January 7, 2009 1:35 PM
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