tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5448657.post2319778461090265516..comments2023-09-30T08:07:26.165-04:00Comments on Mystical Politics: "Operation calamity" and nonviolent resistanceRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626228106192215280noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5448657.post-3965314533841564932010-06-08T20:00:24.743-04:002010-06-08T20:00:24.743-04:00Rebecca,
Regarding Mr. Cargill's statement, I...Rebecca,<br /><br />Regarding Mr. Cargill's statement, I think he is advancing contradictory propositions. It does no good merely to block Hamas rockets if Hamas remains committed to its agenda. <br /><br />Consider: the Israelis have two goals: (1) to keep Gazans from attacking Israelis and (2) to get rid of Hamas, because Hamas is an eliminationist, genocidal movement. How can a person who favors social justice fail to see the utility of a policy directed towards not only the first aim but the second aim? I do not get it. How does undermining part of the blockade advance the cause of peace? I think it does the opposite. It preserves the status quo ante, with Hamas free to poison the atmosphere of any rational effort to resolve the dispute.<br /><br />The evidence I know of showed and, may well still show, that Hamas's popularity has been plummeting. At least, that is what is shown in the polling I have seen. Presumably, part of the reason for that turn in popularity is that the Gazan know that their misery is tied somehow to the existence of Hamas rule. They certainly know that life in the West Bank is improving while their is not. And, presumably, the reason that Hamas operatives are trying to break the blockade is that such helps Hamas.<br /><br />Now, the Gazans may see hope with Hamas, thanks to so-called peace activists and Israeli incompetence. If, however, the Israelis keep to their original policy, the popularity fortune of Hamas may suffer further, since the hopes of escaping the blockade may be shown to be false, which would, as occurs in most political situations, tend to undermine popularity - hope dashed. <br /><br />So, I see a turning point here. If Hamas's strategy prevails, then Hamas could be seen as the hero and its popularity might skyrocket. If Hamas fails, the Hamas movement could suffer a serious blow.<br /><br />What is missing in the thinking of these so-called humanitarians is that Islamism is a revolutionary, eliminationist ideology. The demise of that ideology is, I think, a whole lot more important for the peace of the world than whether the Gazans have their day to day life eased. In fact, the demise of the Islamist movement could greatly improve the lives of Palestinian Arabs, not to mention the rest of the Muslim regions and the rest of the world.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com