The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Three relatively small notes in a short blog entry to begin the New Year....

The Good

I find a great deal to like about Roland Burris, the former Attorney General of Illinois, who has been appointed by embattled Illinois Gov. Blagojevich to fill the United States Senate Seat being vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

In an effort to redeem himself, Blagojevich made an excellent pick. And, not coincidentally, put the U.S. Senate is a very awkward position.

I am hopeful that the Senate will find a compromise that will allow Burris to be seated. Senator Harry Reid is sending some hopeful signals.

The Bad

I have been 100% supportive of Barack Obama's choices for his staff and Cabinet. He has shown great judgement and is building a solid team.

But I am in no way disappointed to see New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson withdraw his name from consideration for Commerce Secretary.

My issue is NOT the current Grand Jury investigation into Richardson's awarding of contracts to his financial supporters. That might well end Richardson's career, but it's not my issue.

I lost all respect for Bill Richardson's intelligence and judgement when he proposed a six month withdrawal timetable from Iraq during the fall election campaign. I realized this was just one-upsmanship in campaigning as Richardson gasped for air in his long-shot candidacy. But the proposal was just plain dumb. And, I believe the man actually is "just plain dumb." Obama is much better off without him.

The Ugly

We are about to see death on a massive scale in Gaza as Israel launches a ground offensive. This is a tragic moment in a long and tragic conflict.

But one of the worst moments came earlier today when the bodies of a slain Hamas leader's small children were paraded through the streets of Gaza in an effort to enrage the entire Palestinian population into becoming human sacrifices facing the incoming Israeli army.

The death of these ten children, as well as Nizar Rayan's four wives, was unnecessary and completely avoidable. Rayan ignored repeated warnings to send his children and wives to safety. In effect, Rayan planned the death of his family.

So the children were used for propaganda purposes. The Daily Mail Online reports, "In grisly scenes, mourners held up the bloodied bodies of the children to the cameras in a clear attempt to blacken Israel's name and highlight its brutality. Graphic images showed the young children's uncovered faces as the victims were carried by thousands of angry Hamas supporters during the funeral procession."

We in the west simply cannot understand this level of hatred. We work to protect our families and to shelter our children, not send them to slaughter for political and public relations gains.

The Internet is littered with these pictures. You will not find them here.

Peace Was Never An Option

Recommended Reading:

CNN: Gaza death toll from Israeli offensive exceeds 375

Rick Moran: BLOODTHIRSTY JEWS BRUTALLY MURDER HAMAS BABIES

MEMRI: PLO and Fatah Officials: Hamas is Responsible for the Deaths of Its People

A big part of the problem we have as Americans and western Europeans is we continuously attempt to frame the Israeli-Arab conflict through our moral values. We assume, very wrongly, that both sides ultimately want peace. It just is not true.

We are about to witness a New Year's Eve massacre with thousands of Palestinians dead and wounded. We are about to witness a humanitarian crisis of biblical proportions. I'm not trying to be glib or funny or ironic. Hospitals lack supplies and the residents of Gaza lack food and basic supplies.

I don't believe Israel will back off this time. And I don't think they should. What is happening is simply tragic. It is not avoidable.

The leaders of Hamas desire this totally predictable outcome. They are more than willing to spend the only capital they possess: human lives. They want thousands of their own citizens dead. They want live television coverage. They want blood in the streets, the blood of Palestinians.

By ending the tenuous six month old cease fire with dozens of poorly crafted missiles aimed clumsily at Israeli civilians, they counted on the overwhelming military response. Now they are counting on international outrage. And they hope that other Arab countries will join them in the fight. Or that the worldwide moral outrage will leave Israel weakened and without support.

But the real truth is that the Oslo Accords were a tragic mistake. Far from being a "roadmap to peace" they are a monument to Western arrogance and stupidity. In reality the Oslo Accords were simply a delaying action that provided cover to two sets of people who never had the slightest desire to travel any path to peace.

A Two State Solution? Neither side wants one. Neither side will tolerate a two state solution.

Where will this current battle end? Nowhere. Israel cannot wipe out Hamas. And the west will not turn against Israel. Thousands will suffer and die. And they battle lines will remain unchanged.

Frankly, I believe that the only solution is a single state solution. Israel should annex 100% of the disputed Palestinian territory. By force. All Palestinians should then become provisional Israeli citizens.

Then, and only then, can the world begin to treat Israel like they treated apartheid South Africa. Then and only then can a real roadmap to peace be found.