Buchanan defends foreign aid – for Hamas

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | 02/01/2006 | Patrick Buchanan

[SirLinksalot]

Buchanan defends foreign aid – for Hamas

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Posted: February 1, 2006 1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2006 Creators Syndicate Inc.

Ever since President Bush, sometime after 9-11, converted to neoconservatism, his Middle East policy has suffered from the triple defects of that subspecies of the Right: hubris, ideology and immaturity.

Neoconservatives see the world as they wish it to be, not as it is. Like teenagers, they act on impulse and rail against the counsel of experience. "Often clever, never wise," Russell Kirk said of the breed.

Repeatedly, Bush was warned by traditional conservatives that to send a U.S. army to occupy Baghdad would engender Arab rage and Islamic terror. Heeding the "cakewalk" crowd, he refused to listen. Three years later, we are trying to extricate a U.S. army from Iraq with the least possible damage to U.S. security interests.

Prodded again by neoconservatives, Bush declared our true goal had always been to democratize Iraq and the entire Islamic world. His second Inaugural resonated less of Reagan than of Rousseau:

So, it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.

To advance the end of "tyranny in our world," Bush began to call for elections across the Middle East. Again, he and Condi were warned that if these people were allowed to vote their convictions, they might just vote to throw us out and throw the Israelis into the sea.

Now that elections have been held, what do the returns show?

Propelled into or toward power have been Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran, pro-Iranian Shiite zealots in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and Hamas in Gaza and on the West Bank.

Now, Condi, who denounced Bush's predecessors back to FDR for supporting dictators while preaching democracy in the Middle East, appears about to engage in a bit of hypocrisy of her own.

After insisting Hamas be included in the elections, Condi, stunned by the results and under pressure from Israel, has declared we will cut all aid to the Palestinian Authority if Hamas takes over the government, as Hamas was elected to do.

Bush agrees. Unless Hamas surrenders its weapons, abandons all armed resistance and recognizes Israel's right to exist, we will not give 10 cents to a Palestinian Authority that has Hamas as its head. Rice is said to be pressuring Europe to do the same. Unless Hamas remakes itself into a Mideast version of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Dr. King, we terminate aid.

Before adopting this knee-jerk reaction to an election we insisted go ahead, one trusts the president, this once, will think it through.

What is likely to happen if we proceed on such a course?

If we and the Europeans cut off aid, and Israel refuses to remit to the Palestinians the taxes they collect, the Palestinians will be put through hell for voting the wrong way. The Arabs will call us hypocrites who believe in elections only if they produce the results we demand.

And who could say they are wrong?

What will Hamas do? They are not going to disarm in the face of an Israeli military that has been killing Palestinians – collateral damage, of course – at four times the rate that Palestinians have been killing Israelis. They are not going to give up their trump card and recognize Israel's right to exist before they get a Palestinian state.

What will Hamas do? Hamas will accept the cut-off of aid, seek money from the Saudis and Iranians, do their best to keep the Palestinian people fed, clothed, housed and educated, and sacrifice for their people. And Hamas will fail. And when they fail, whom do we think will be blamed? When the Palestinian people have been broken because they voted the wrong way, whom do we think they will hate?

Let me propose another course. Put Hamas on probation.

For almost a year, Hamas has held to a truce with Israel and not engaged in attacks. Let America and Europe send word that if the truce holds, if Hamas does not attack Israeli civilians, if Hamas show its first concern is, as it claims, bettering the life of the Palestinian people, we will let the aid flow. But if Hamas reignites the war, we will not finance the war. We will terminate the aid.

Make Hamas responsible for continuing the aid. And make Hamas responsible for terminating it, if it comes to that.

Understandably, the Israelis are close to hysterical over the landslide for Hamas and are on a diplomatic campaign to have all donors end all aid to a Palestinian Authority dominated by Hamas.

But that is not in our interests. It is not even in Israel's interest. For it has been Israel's behavior, and uncritical U.S. support for that behavior, that produced this victory for Hamas. To continue on that road is to arrive at, literally, a dead end.

Bush has unleashed a revolution in the Middle East, and it is everywhere bringing to power Islamic fundamentalists. Either we deal with them, or fight them or get out of the Middle East.

[A. Pole]

bomb them to oblivion

But seriously?

[Victoria Delsoul]

I know. He's a pain in the butt and he won't shut up.

[doug from upland]

I can't believe I once respected him.

[rmlew]

Your reply is predictable.All of what you said I am aware of.
Well, then there are reasons to believe that Buchanan has issues with Jews. I should note that I voted for Buchanan in 2000 and debated for him at mock political debate at college.

My point is that Hamas should be given a chance to act politically instead of as a terrorist organization. The IRA was once a terrorist group, now Sinn Fein is a political movement. The IRA is still a Marxist-dominated terrorist movement relying on the knee-jerk Anglophobioa of certain Irish.
The IRA has not disarmed. It merely is pursuing the same ends by political means, because the British have lost heart and are debating how much to give up.
Believe me. If the IRA were forced to live up to their promises, they would return to violence. If they were to suceed in Northern Ireland, they would soon hit the Repoublic of Ireland.

Israeli PM Begin was also a former terrorist having killed British soldiers in bombings prior to the establishment of the State of Israel.
Cute relativism. Killing occupation soldier is quite different from targeting civilians and calling for murder.

We will know shortly if there is any hint of a desire to negotiate a fair settlement for all parties concerned.
You don't get it. HaMAs (The Islamic Resistance Movement) is not a nationalist group. It is a fundamentalist group, whose aims are worldwide. It does not want a 3 state (Israel, Palestine, Jordan) solution. HaMAs wants a universal Caliphate emposed by violence and predicated first on the subjugation of Jews and Christians and then by the mass murder of Jews.
The only negotiation they accept is slow surrender.

As to Jewish land purchased on the west bank would you also consider Arab land that was confiscated by Israel. This is an issue that too complex and is best settled by clearly drawn boundaries. Once peace is declared both nations can move closer to each other in a spirit of cooperation.
I believe in the right of conquest. If you retake the land, you can take back your home. If you don't believe in this, please hand over your home to the appropriate Native tribe.

[familyop]

"But seriously?"

There is one other workable alternative, if the nations so concerned about Israel want to fund it. Occupy the new generic Arab nation, then denazify the children who survive. It worked fairly well in Europe, and the children in the new "Palestine" could use all new textbooks.

[rmlew]

I wrote:
"Actually, a Hamas victory and support for them is the logical result of democratism. Our reaction should be to turn away from this suicidal behavior. Pat is as wrong as Bush."

Steve Van Doorn responded
What do you suggest we do?

Realise that we are in a civilizational war:
1. Reward good behaviour by Muslim states and punish bad behavior.
2. End our reliance on Muslim-dominated commodities.
3. Ensure that no Muslim nation other than Pakistan creats nukes.
4. Help any western country facing the Islamic hordes.
5. Expell as many Muslims as possible from the West.

[A. Pole]

You don't get it. HaMAs (The Islamic Resistance Movement) is not a nationalist group. It

So maybe it was a mistake not to compromize with PLA?

[rmlew]

Bush is an idiot for believeing that all peoples want liberal democracy.
Buchanan knows better. He merely thinks Israel should cease to exist.

[rmlew]

Was the creation of the Israel state a wise one in hind-sight? Given the turmoil of what's gone on since, it is a legitimate question to ask. I don't have the answer, either - I'm too young to understand the problems that faced the world body politic in its day.
Muslims have been trying to conquer the world since 622ce. The Muslim Bortherhood was founded in 1929.
Israel may be a rallying cry, but Islam demand world-wide Khalifiya.

[rmlew]

However, would you have been okay being a displaced Arab; told that you had to leave your property for the good of someone else?
This never happened and you know it.
The vast majority of Arabs in 1948 Palestine were not-natives and rented property. They gladly heeded the calls of Arab armies to leave to allow for these armies to more easily make the Mediterranian incarnidine with the remains of Jews.
Arab ownership of land is quite rare. At best, many lease it from other landlords or from the state.
The real change was with property administered by the state. However, even today, more private land in Israel is held by Arabs than by Jews.

PS. Ethnic cleansing after WWII has helped prevent wars.
I don't see you crying over Jews who lost land in 1929, 1948 or today.

[poindexter]

Wow. He's not even pretending anymore, is he?

[COEXERJ145]

Ethnic cleansing after WWII has helped prevent wars.

Glad to know that you think exterminating millions of people based on race is a good policy. Your little god, Pat, would be proud.

[rmlew]

I was waiting for someone to bring up with non-sequitor.

Israel was foolish enough to subsidize Dawah (public works, welfare...) by an organization spawned by the ?Muslim Brotherhood. The result was terrorism.
That is not a reasonable arguement to suggest that the world follow's Israel's past error.

[rmlew]

Yeah, before Israel, the land was part of Trans-Jordan.
Nope. The Hashemite Kingdom of Trans-Jordan was created in 1922. Palestine was divided into three parts.
1. 3/4 of the land was set aside for the Arabs as Trans-Jordan.
2. The Golan Hieghts were ceeded to Syria.
3. The remainer, Cis-Jordan, was set aside as the British Mandate for the Creation of a Jewish State in Palestine.

In 1948, Trans-Jordan invaded Cis-Jordan/Israel and siezed unadministered territories (the West Bank and East Jerusalem.)
Egypt siezed Gaza.

In 1967, Israel captured these disputed territories.
The only occupied territory is the Golan.

[rmlew]

So maybe it was a mistake not to compromize with PLA?
1. Israel tried. In exchange for offering 90% of Gaza and 80% of the West Bank, the PLA let loose its soldiers on Israeli civilians and soldiers in 2000.
2. I support the relocation of Arabs, not Jews.

[rmlew]

I wrote:
Ethnic cleansing after WWII has helped prevent wars.
Glad to know that you think exterminating millions of people based on race is a good policy. Your little god, Pat, would be proud.
Learn to read.
I said "after WWII".
The expulsion of Polish and Sudeten Germans was an unpleasnt affair, but helped prevent German revanchism under the guise of helping foreign German minorities.

Your little god, Pat, would be proud.
Actually, Pat cries over this.

[cookcounty]

"Heeding the "cakewalk" crowd, he [ Bush ] refused to listen....."

What is this ignoramus babbling about? The President said over and over again, ad nauseum, that this would be "long and difficult."

The problem is, every time the President speaks, Buchanan and the other appeasers immediately launch another twin expedition to find the elusive Deep Earwax Clot.

[cookcounty]

" "Pat: "Israel is a quagmire."

When it comes to the subject of Israel, Pat is a one-man quagmire.

[Steve Van Doorn]

I wrote:
"Actually, a Hamas victory and support for them is the logical result of democratism. Our reaction should be to turn away from this suicidal behavior. Pat is as wrong as Bush."

Steve Van Doorn responded
What do you suggest we do?

” 1. Reward good behaviour by Muslim states and punish bad behavior.

Lets just take the first one.

What does that mean? Hamas wants the Israelis dead or at the very least removed from israel. How do you 'reward good behaviour?" with regards to people that want you dead?