Secretary of State Condi Rice is having a bad decade. It seems wherever she goes, there is little to no impact. She can't even say "stop killing innocents" in Gaza where over 100 people were exterminated. Instead Ms. Rice offered "innocent people should not have to die." Yet, die they must as Israel defends itself militarily and Hamas continues its violent practice of making and shooting rockets into nearby Israeli neighborhoods.
It sounds much like Israel's incursion into Lebanon nearly two years ago to knock down the Hezbollah rocket threat. That ended in a cease fire, a word Ms. Rice won't touch in reference to Gaza. What complicates Condi's word choice? It's the old democracy, elections, political parties, terrorist razor blade edge. Palestinians voted Hamas into power in 2006 open elections. The U.S. refused to recognize the newly elected leaders and set out to divide and conquer the Palestinians from within. Abbas became their tool and apparently he's tired of it, at least at the expense of his people. Thus the Rice rebuff.
The Bush administration reaps what it sowed for the last seven years in the Middle East. Violent division blooms like a desert rose. U.S. weapons are used by both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to perpetuate harm. When leaders chose to solve their differences using violence, their people suffer terribly.
A pox of such leaders' political houses could provide them compassion for those suffering under their ruling hand. It should start with Bush and Rice, then spread through their conservative party. In a bi-partisan group hug, the pox could spread to Democrats, currently doing their best imitation of Republicans selling out to special interests. Yes, that includes Barack Obama and his dirty water. It remains to be seen how long Mr. Obama will have to shower to remove the offal.
Why do people choose narcissists to lead their country? What is it about the election process that screens out mutual and cooperative leadership? I don't know, but that pox might clean the slate enough for such leadership to arise. One can only hope...
It sounds much like Israel's incursion into Lebanon nearly two years ago to knock down the Hezbollah rocket threat. That ended in a cease fire, a word Ms. Rice won't touch in reference to Gaza. What complicates Condi's word choice? It's the old democracy, elections, political parties, terrorist razor blade edge. Palestinians voted Hamas into power in 2006 open elections. The U.S. refused to recognize the newly elected leaders and set out to divide and conquer the Palestinians from within. Abbas became their tool and apparently he's tired of it, at least at the expense of his people. Thus the Rice rebuff.
The Bush administration reaps what it sowed for the last seven years in the Middle East. Violent division blooms like a desert rose. U.S. weapons are used by both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to perpetuate harm. When leaders chose to solve their differences using violence, their people suffer terribly.
A pox of such leaders' political houses could provide them compassion for those suffering under their ruling hand. It should start with Bush and Rice, then spread through their conservative party. In a bi-partisan group hug, the pox could spread to Democrats, currently doing their best imitation of Republicans selling out to special interests. Yes, that includes Barack Obama and his dirty water. It remains to be seen how long Mr. Obama will have to shower to remove the offal.
Why do people choose narcissists to lead their country? What is it about the election process that screens out mutual and cooperative leadership? I don't know, but that pox might clean the slate enough for such leadership to arise. One can only hope...
