Gaza

Hard not to be depressed watching the Israelis reduce Gaza to rubble while they still have Bush to applaud their every move. Particularly tough to read about what the consequences may be in the long run -- the empowerment of Al Qaeda, the destruction of a way of life... Happy f'ing new year.

Um, what?!?

New Republic headline: To prevent a regional conflagration, Israel should attack Syria.
Down the rabbit hole we go!

(via Atrios)

Because this worked really well in Cuba

Continuing our support for democracy in all its forms, as long as it results in leaders that we like, apparently US officials and Israelis are discussing ways to destabilize the new Palestinian leadership.

The intention is to starve the Palestinian Authority of money and international connections to the point where, some months from now, its president, Mahmoud Abbas, is compelled to call a new election. The hope is that Palestinians will be so unhappy with life under Hamas that they will return to office a reformed and chastened Fatah movement.

Does this seem likely to result in a happy and peace-making Hamas, or to fuel their self-righteous opposition of everything Israeli and American? How's that Iraq gig working out?

(via Booknotes)

You know this is what they had in mind

...with all that talk of freedom and democracy. A fundamentalist Iran with nukes, on friendly terms with a fundamentalist Iraq. A Palestinian state run by a sect dedicated to wiping Israel from the earth. Blah blah blah. Who could have foreseen that a multiyear occupation would lead to increased power for angry anti-imperialist groups? no sireee...

Oh, anyway, reactions to the Hamas ascendancy include a rant from Digby and speculation by the NYTimes that bilateral negotiations and progress will come to an abrupt end. Look for more Berlin wall, less return of land to Palestinian control. A half-century-sized set-back. whee.

Update: here's another pithy take. Key quote: "Given the incompetent war criminal we elected to roll back our own Constitution, though, we're not in a position to question their judgment." sigh.