In the previous Palestinian election, Hamas won fair and square but the United States and Israel - and even the European Union - refused to accept the decision of the Palestinians. In the US and Israel's mind, democracy is only democracy if the winner is the one favorable to them. We know however that that is not democracy but rather, hypocrisy instead.
In Lebanon, while the country is trying to build a working democracy, there comes Israel to wreck everything into pieces. How do we expect a fledging nation that just got out of a civil war to build a working democracy while its neighbor illegally exercises military might on Lebanese soil?
The situation is even more hypocritical considering how the US acted during the Rafik Hariri case. When the initial clues implicated Syria, the US was fast to criticize Syria and sided with Lebanon, citing democracy was under threat. However, when Israel clearly violated Lebanese ground, the US lends support to Israel instead, citing Israel has a right to exist while in fact, it's Lebanon that is being threatened, not the former. Israel is threatening Lebanon's right to security and thus, Israel is threatening a "startup" democracy. It's awfully clear that the US is uninterested in nurturing democratic principles in the Middle East.
In the end, the situation in the Mideast is a catch-22 scenario. The US keeps pounding on its chest, yelling the only way is democracy but at the same time, it prevents democracy from prevailing. Every time a country in the Middle East makes progress in democracy, here comes the US and Israel to undo it.
If this illegal Israeli incursion into Lebanon does not stop soon, pure nationalistic thoughts will appeal to the oppressed masses. This might lead to fascism later, especially so when natural democratic progresses - not forced democracy as the one in Iraq - are being curtailed. This Israeli actions and US support will only encourage nominally democratic nations in the Mideast to regress back to autocracy.
If the regression to autocracy does occur, then Israel could declare to the world that it's the only democracy in the region. Israel will of course ignore the fact that it contributed to containment of democratic thoughts and progresses in the Mideast in the first place.
p/s - in the New York Times today:
Is this the price we pay for aspiring to build our democratic institutions?
Lebanese prime minister, Fouad Siniora.
Funny to find an Islam Liberal like your goodself actually supporting the Hamas movement. One would think that Islam Liberals would support Israel.
By passionate muslim, at 20 July, 2006 04:28
I go for liberty and democracy, not Hamas per se.
By __earth, at 20 July, 2006 05:37
I have to disagree with you on this. Israel is targetting Hezbollah, not the legitimate Lebanese government. Hezbollah has been given a free reign to launch rockets and missiles from southern Lebanon into northern Israel, due to the Lebanese government's inability to contain and disarm Hezbollah.
So what do you expect Israel to do? Say they understand the Lebanese govt's impotence, sit quietly and let Hezbollah continue to nuke its citizens?
Remember that it was Hezbollah who first started this through an unprovoked attack on Israel, as well as kidnapping its soldiers for prisoner exchanges.
And what exactly are the incidents which lead you to state:
"Every time a country in the Middle East makes progress in democracy, here comes the US and Israel to undo it."
Prior to this, the '6 Day War' was also started by the Arab nations. So I fail to see how the scape-goating of Israel in these incidents are justified.
By sigma, at 21 July, 2006 06:58
So, because it's hard to get to Hezbollah, we should attack the whole nation, eh?
If there's a group of people and a murderer in among them, you would kill all of them just to get to that one person? Effective but morally, there's a problem. We must realize that generalization - collective punishment is essentially that - is logically flawed.
You said Israel is attacking Hezbollah, not Lebanon. But just check the news and open up your eyes. The most of the dead aren't Hezbollah but Lebanese. That airport didn't belong to Hezbollah but to Lebanon instead. That roads wasn't built by Hezbollah but by Lebanon. It's Lebanon that has to rebuild them, not Hezbollah. A weakened Lebanon will only benefit foreign forces, not the government of Lebanon.
Like it or not, Israel is undermining a legit democracy. In fact, two democracies in the past 12 months alone. How it is scapegoating when even right now, Israel is undoing two democracies?
Why do we feel Israel shouldn't be blamed for violating Lebanon's security?
Why do we want to blame Lebanon for getting itself attacked? That's just too convenient for Israel, isn't it?
Finally, the Six Days War was like 40 years ago? Regardless how long it was since that ended, does that justify Israel actions to undermine two democracies today?
Two wrongs don't make a right.
By __earth, at 21 July, 2006 09:23
