MSM articles about the Palestinian elections today are nearly uniformly negative, especially about the possibility of Hamas winning big. Yet if western powers genuinely believe in democracy they should applaud the process and support whoever wins. Otherwise it appears they support democracy and elections only if the side they favor wins. How Bushian.
If you dig a bit, you learn that Hamas has multiple charities and helps their people in numerous ways, as well as being squeaky clean and not even slightly corrupt. So it’s easy to see why they are getting votes.
And to call them terrorist while turning a blind eye to American-built assault helicopters blowing up Palestinian homes seems more than a little one-sided.
If the US and Israel provided genuine assistance to Palestinians then they, and not Islamists, would be winning in the elections. That’s how to defuse the Islamists, provide a real alternative. But the US/Israel tactic of brute force and no compromise generally backfires, driving the undecided to the Islamists or insurgents, just like what’s happening in Iraq.
Bearing in mind that practically all Palestinians are followers of Islam saying we are driving them into the arms of the islamist is showing a bias. A bit like saying that certain parties in the West are driving the people into the arms of the Christians.
“Islamists” is generally defined as meaning the hard-core fundamentalists, and that’s the sense I meant it. I mistrust religious fundamentalism regardless of the religion involved.
I do respect the right of any people for self-determination in whatever manner they may choose.
It is diffcult to separate religion from its fundamentalists, to explain what I mean perhaps you could read my wee article, “God and all that” at http://www.radicalglasgow.me.uk I don’t trust religion it arrives with a preconceived set of rules before we know the problems.
PS: forgot to say, I’m impressed with the new format.
Thanks!
I can’t find your post on Radical Glascow, what’s the URL.
Hi,
you should find it at http://www.radicalglasgow.me.uk/page33.html