Posted on 02/01/2006 10:09:49 AM PST by 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.
I challenge you to twist what I posted as anti-christian.
Not only is it not possible, I doubt you are very intelligent.
We have no obligation to fund terrorists.
Regardless of how they gained power.
Pat is all wet on this one.
And speaking of namecalling. That's about 90% of the content of his article.
People who get upset over the insults directed at Pat on this thread ought to ponder that.
My apologies. I thought that was your post.
still waiting for a feeble unimpressive attempt to spin what I posted as anti-christian.
perhaps you should go play at libertypost
So if Saudi Arabia elected Bin Laden to office should we sit back and take that also?
Didn't the European Union force a Nazi-like Austrian President from power a few years ago? I guess they are neo-cons too.
So Pat has abansoned isolationism.
For---financially supporting HAMAS, avowed enemies of Israel.
Yeah, Pat, if you wonder why people say you are an anti-semite...? This piece is exhibit A.
BTW, how did you like the President's speech last night Pat? Sounded as though the President was addressing you in parts. :-D
The questions I would ask anyone who regards the Hamas victory as an unacceptable outrage are as follows:
1. What exactly is this Hamas government now in charge of?
2. What does the U.S. government think this Hamas government should now be in charge of?
3. What does the Israeli government think this Hamas government is now in charge of?
4. What do YOU think this Hamas government should now be in charge of?
My basic question is this . . . Is Palestine a legitimate nation in the eyes of any of the parties listed in the questions above? If not, then what exactly does Hamas "govern" -- a quasi-independent state, a protectorate of the U.S. or the U.N., a province of Israel, etc.?
Bush must be an anti-semite too because he agrees with Pat on providing aid.
SOTU Bush:
"To promote this democracy, I will ask Congress for $350 million to support Palestinian political, economic and security reforms.
The goal of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace is within reach, and America will help them achieve that goal.
(APPLAUSE)
Pat seems to think that the US should aid the dune baboons who were dancing and howling in the streets of Ramallah on (9/)! He's at best, a fool.
When lamenting the costs of waging war and of nation building, we should also recognize the opportunity costs of not engaging in this conflict and not devoting resources that will hopefully squelch the terrorism bent in that region. We should realize that after the shock of the September 11, 2001 attacks, nearly $2 trillion of wealth were wiped out on paper, the economy soured along with employment figures (though arguably pretty tame by historical standards), and our elected officials had expanded the size & scope (and spending) of the central government (for our protection, of course). There would be costs associated with doing nothing, too.It could be argued that Iraq’s posturing - their numerous violations of 1991 cease fire agreements and snubbing of various U.N. Security Council resolutions - led to America’s image as a paper tiger and, hence, a target of intense and now emboldened hatred from that region of the world; primers for the escalating terrorism on American interests that culminated with September 11, 2001. It may have even emboldened the Chinese to down our spy plane in April of 2001 - a plane supposedly in international waters. If that’s an argument that one subscribes to, was it not incumbent on America to squash the image in order to remove the boldness [as long as the willingness to remain unified in American resolve allowed it]? So, if in order to try and maintain the unity, the leadership has to find a unique selling point - a selling point such as “democracy spreading” - are not America’s best long-term interests being advanced?
If the seeds of capitalism [forget democracy, that’s not even the most important ingredient for stability anyway] can grow and spread, theocratic desires will give way to economic liberty and then to religious tolerance. Is this a Utopian point of view that’s unrealistically optimistic? Perhaps, but isn’t it worth a shot?…especially since the nuclear genie was, by recorded history’s standard, just released out of her bottle 45 minutes ago - and she isn’t going back into it.
If nothing is done in that region to break the cycle, to break through the barriers to the access to information, to allow people to have ownership of more than just the intangible things within the human mind that can’t be taken away (except in the case of brain washing), in essence to provide a spark of hope by introducing some semblance of liberty, then why should We expect less tyrannical regimes and more peace from that side of the world…wouldn’t THAT be even more Utopian?
Remember, that in an indirect way - one which people either forget about or do not see - Iraq’s liberation & reconstruction is a huge set back for the enemy’s side in the War on Terror!
We can't change the hearts of the people, not this way. We don't have the will to nation build ala MacArthur.
So yes, get rid of the bad guys, but only that, and only when they pose a clear danger of another 9/11.
Didn't we support the Palestinian Authority? And didn't they support suicide bombers?
Perhaps you should read the entire piece.
Buchanon goes to lengths to distance himself in comparison to the President.
Yet you respond by attempting to liken them, in doing so rebutting with comments meant to address a non existant point in my post, to spare Buchanon the insult of being labeled an anti-semite.
Buchanon sees within himself great difference between the President. As do I. I find the sum of the piece to illustrate this difference well as first evidence in a long litany of exhibits.
If your intention is to argue he is not an anti-semite? I warn you, I've no inclination to do so. I'm not withdrawing the statement but will infact be bolder then to state this piece is why folks think he is. I'll be bolder in stating "I" believe he is just for absolute clarity between us.
I realize he has some followers on this board, don't care. McCain has followers on this board and I'm not impressed. hell, sometimes it seems Hillary has followers given the amount of fear and awe sometimes given her around here. Defend him as you will, I defend people I support and respect. Buchanon isn't in that number.
Yep. Talk about self-marginalization bordering on self-immolation. He takes the cake. His Israel-hate borders on the pathological.
SOTU Bush:
"To promote this democracy, I will ask Congress for $350 million to support Palestinian political, economic and security reforms.
The goal of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace is within reach, and America will help them achieve that goal.
(APPLAUSE)
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