12.6.12

I am pretty consistently pro - Israel but Netanyahu is really pissing me off lately. The punitive timing of announcing his new settlement policy the day after the Palestinian statehood deal at the United Nations smacked of the worst kind of retribution.

The Palestinians could wait for an eternity if Bibi has his way. What does he expect? Negotiation doesn't mean that you can set every term and condition for your opponent. Might even help to put yourself in their place. Think about what you yourself would be able to live with.

It is misguided for Netanyahu and contrary to Israel's own best interests to kill the Palestinian dream by gamesmanship and attrition. These are not chess pieces you are dealing with. They are human beings. Continue to marginalize the most moderate elements and watch the lid blow off the pressure cooker. Bad strategy, bad for the whole neighborhood, including Israel. Seeking peace, means seeking peace, a peace that everyone can live with long term.

In addition. the Prime Minister's steps to do what he thinks is in Israel's best strategic interest is a poke in the eye of his benefactor, the United States and smacks of exceedingly poor form for an ally. What an asshole.

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Of course many see the real war in the middle east as actually being the conflict between Shia and Sunni. The unspoken war that rages between the Saudi and Iranian polestars, now erupting in a series of conflagrations from Syria to Pakistan and beyond.

Such an interesting culture and religion of peace, Islam, now we witness total internecine warfare, the bombing of Hezara funerals, weddings, shia pilgrims, alawites, sunnis, salafists, wahabis, every conceivable sect in a constant battle to claim theological primacy and kill and waste the other side. Say what you want about Christianity and Judaism, the baptists ain't in no shooting war with the Southern Methodists and the conservatives aren't laying c-4 charges at the reform temples.

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Now that the vaunted arab springs leaves have fallen and we move into the arab winter, how's that whole democracy deal working out anyway? I'll take the sharia and dictatorship bet and give you points.

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Governor Bobby Jindal says that every young student in Louisiana has a right to a private education. Since when?

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South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint resigned today. We will really miss him. He had the total of one law enacted, that was the naming of the Carroll A. Campbell federal courthouse in his hometown of Greenville, S.C.. Wow. Talk about a cush job. He did manage to piss pretty much everybody off, even the people in his own party. Highest cloture rate in the senate, a no vote 93% of the time. Going to now join the Heritage Foundation. Bring you the new and improved Republican Party.

I can't wait.