Victor Davis Hanson Ping !
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Posted on 08/18/2005 5:51:26 AM PDT by SJackson
"I supported the war, but not the aftermath" is a commonplace lament about Afghanistan and Iraq. But dealing with terrorists and fanatics is never easy. We can attest to that by looking at hotspots — Gaza, Iran and North Korea — where the United States has let others handle the mess.
Indeed, we have been given a rare chance across the globe to evaluate radically different paths: Is it best to let others handle terrorists and rogue states through diplomacy and conciliation, or is American proactive intervention to prompt democracy in the place of tyranny the wiser course of action?
There has been plenty of angry discussion over the U.S.'s efforts and approaches in Afghanistan and Iraq, but let's take a closer look at the situations unfolding in Gaza, Iran and North Korea.
In Gaza, the Palestinians are getting their wish of independence. Either an autonomous and lawful state will follow — or something akin to Tombstone, where Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Palestine Authority shoot it out and brag about expelling the Jews.
Either way, the choice is now in the hands of various Palestinian factions, as the U.S. has given up on Oslo-like prodding. The Palestinians can show the world that a free Gaza is a blueprint for a stable West Bank. Or their behavior will reflect that the Israelis were simply an excuse that diverted attention from a time-honored chaos of tribalism, corruption, religious fanaticism and intolerance.
In the meantime, ponder this recent pronouncement of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of the Palestinian-ruling Fatah movement, about the recent voluntary withdrawal of Israelis from Gaza. "Palestine is not Gaza only, but rather, Palestine is Palestine from the River (Jordan River) to the Sea (Mediterranean Sea)."
(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...
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"Palestinians can show the world that a free Gaza is a blueprint for a stable West Bank. Or their behavior will reflect that the Israelis were simply an excuse that diverted attention from a time-honored chaos of tribalism, corruption, religious fanaticism and intolerance."
If I was a betting man I'd put my money on the later, but that's a sucker bet.
If I was a betting man I'd put my money on the later, but that's a sucker bet.
Which begs the question about Iraq. However, we need to prove to ourselves that the ME is irredeemable before we move to stage 2: mobilization & occupation.
Poor Bush; he's the one who will be tagged with going in too weak, but what was he to do? He didn't have the support of a larger effort.
It will probably take a Dem to really gin up war fever and get us where we need to be. They'll ditch their anti-war rhetoric mighty fast when they see that 1/3 of Americans want to do this job the right way.
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Thanks for the ping
Probably more like the Mogadishu, Somalia of Black Hawk Down, or the Mexico/New Mexico border area during the uprisings and violence of the Pancho Villa era than of Tombstone.
"Palestine is not Gaza only, but rather, Palestine is Palestine from the River (Jordan River) to the Sea (Mediterranean Sea)."
The elephant in the room that no-one seems willing to acknowledge.
And this from the "moderate" member of the terroristas.
Sooner rather than later is OK by me and IMO the correct course.
Appeasement just doesn't make it with these folks.
Blam. Rock on, VDH, rock on.
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