The Bush administration is actually in a far, far better place becuase of this election. Now Hamas is a duly-elected official state government. Any act of terrorism that Hamas undertakes will be clearly an act of war. No more vacillation over whether such things should be treated as criminal actions - it will be clearly war, and a military response will be entirely appropriate.
Teri | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 10:37 am | #

fANTASTIC POSTS, BOTH OF YOU!

I'm forwarding this to the WH. Hopefully someone there will listen and we'll get these talking points out.
John | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 10:54 am | #

Excellent point, Teri! Now there is something we can do. Hamas used to be just a terrorist group. Now they are the state sponsor of terrorism. I believe we have a policy that addresses that.
anonymous | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 10:56 am | #

In other words, Hamas can't pursue their stated policy without de facto declaring WAR ON AN ALLY OF THE UNITED STATES. They could get away with it when they weren't the ruling party of Palestine, but now I guarantee they'll regret ever getting into politics.

Of course, this won't stop the L^3 from demanding that we not invade and obliterate Palestine once they DO make war against Israel. It also - I just had a REALLY horrible thought here - won't prevent Iran from declaring an alliance with Palestine and threatening retaliation if they attack Israel and we try to step in.

"Let the Jews die or WE LAUNCH!!"
Michael Andreyakovich | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 11:49 am | #

How did the term 'right' enter MidEast politics, Mr. Cole? How do American (or Western) political labels fit anything in terrorist Palestine? Why is Palestine terrorist? Yes, I know Bush started it! NEVER a doubt he made sure it will continue that way! GOOD answer;I'm sure you blamed Americans for 9/11. Your sickness, Mr. Cole, matches the Palestinians. A spiral of hatred, violence and despair. You should cheer Hamas.
jng | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 11:56 am | #

But you see the Professor sitting in his ivory tower has his conscience and his hands CLEAN.

The world is a messy place, with all kinds of screwed up things and people. Instead of helping those Palis see their reality, educating them about true Democracy and responsibilities, the prof has this "I told you so" moment. This way, he is completely removed from any taint (and consequences) of real life's messiness. This way, he is free to pursuit his utopia (maybe because he is a “perfect” or as near “perfect” a specimen as can be). In his arrogant mind, the professor believes Palis are inherently unable to deserve democracy and paths to happiness.

Why waste his precious time and effort on doing something really worthy?
Always right | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 11:56 am | #

Excellent analysis, dear Dr...

A recent article I can recommend...

http://www.tcsdaily.com/article....aspx? id=012706B

Most people who were liberals in 1968 still are. Liberals. In 1968.


Recently, economist Jim Miller used the term moral free riding to describe adopting a precarious ideological position when it has little personal risk. George Mason University economics professor Bryan Caplan says that such free riding is the normal state of affairs. He argues that people are insulated from the consequences of their beliefs by the fact that the typical voter has a low probability of influencing the outcome of an election.


Caplan, in a book that eventually is to be published by Princeton University Press, argues that most people do not work very hard to arrive at worldviews that are logically consistent and factually supported, because the reward for rational beliefs is too small. He writes: "we should expect people to...believe whatever makes them feel best. After all, it's free. The fanatical protectionist who votes to close the borders risks virtually nothing, because the same policy wins no matter how he votes."
Keith, Indy | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 12:05 pm | #

Just FYI: Hitler was NOT elected to power. By hook and (mostly) crook, he got himself appointed, then perverted the system to get whatever he wanted.
jlb | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 12:34 pm | #

"Freedom without Natural Law isn't liberty but libertinage.

Democracy without Natural Law isn't self-rule but mob rule."

- reliapundit

Self-determination isn't itself a guarantor of anything. As you point out, people make mistakes and do bad things. The Arabs of Palestine haver for a long time chosen hatred, racism and genocidal ideologies. This election merely reinforces that choice

The Arabs of the so-called occupied territories have made that choice, and now they must live with the consequences - probably no funding from the USA, UN, or EU.

Which means Iran will have to step up. But any IMPENDING sanctions/embargo against Iran will certainly prevent this.

In the meantime, Israel will continue to do what it has been doing: unilaterally separating.

They have to do this unilaterally because they have NEVER had a partner for peace. Not before - with Arafat or Abbas, not now - with Hamas.

In this sense, nothing has changed.

The two GREAT - truly GREAT - things about the democrastic election for the Arabs Palestanis is that they will see for themselves the consequences of their own choice.

(1) They will reap what they sow, and have no one to blame but themselves.

(2) They have truly exposed themselves to the world. They're genocidal maniacs. Er um o... well, only 90% of 'em!
reliapundit | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 12:37 pm | #

All of these patients want--no, they often DEMAND--that the psychiatrist make everything better. What they don't understand is that it takes hard work on their part to change things in their life.

I have a writing buddy who pastors a small church in rural PA. He reports the same thing, except substitute "pastor" for "psychiatrist". He reports parishoner after parishoner who use Jerry Springer as a how-to manual for their lives then come to him and expect him to "Save My Ship, Wesley Crusher!"

He's about ready to take a ball-peen hammer to their kneecaps. Either that or burn out like the preacher on The Simpsons.
Ken | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 1:05 pm | #

Echoing what jng said above, when did Hamas become 'right wing?' I thought they were main-line socialists, like most parties in the region.

Oh well, nothing like explaining middle-eastern politics based on who sat where in the États-Généraux over 200 years ago...
-C | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 1:10 pm | #

Hitler was NOT elected to power. By hook and (mostly) crook, he got himself appointed, then perverted the system to get whatever he wanted.

Despite the recent biopic, there is little similarity between the German elections of 1933 and the American elections of 2000 & 2004.

As I understand it, A.H. was a compromise coalition pick for Chancellor after a European-style proportional-representation election gave his Nazi Party a scary amount of clout in the multi-party Reichstag. In selecting him as Chancellor, the others thought they could control him.

After which, when an opportunity presented itself (a lone crazy torched the Reichstag), he staged a "coup from within".
Ken | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 1:12 pm | #

Most people who were liberals in 1968 still are. Liberals. In 1968.

If it's still 1968, then where's my Detroit-iron muscle car and 25-cent-a-gallon gas?

If it's still 1968, then where's the "big bright beautiful tomorrow, waiting at the end of today" among the Moon, planets, and stars? Remember? The one we threw away so we could screw in the mud at Woodstock?
Ken | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 1:16 pm | #

The UN has rewarded the Palestinians over & over for terror, & thus created an incentive. Is that hard to understand? Note that the liberated Iraqis, who got the short end of the UN lollipop, did NOT vote for terror & tyranny
beautifulatrocities | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 1:34 pm | #

Mmmm, Cole slaw....
Gagdad Bob | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 1:37 pm | #

"Do you know how the race of Orcs came into being?"
-- Saruman Curunir

For the past 50 years, both the North Koreans and Palestinians have been busy changing themselves from Men into Orcs. From the top down in the case of the Norks, from the bottom up in the case of the Palestinians, but the result is the same: ORCS.
Ken | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 2:14 pm | #

What makes me the most sad about Cole and so many of my colleagues is that they are rooting for democracy to fail. They're smugly happy about the Hamas victory in a "gotcha" kind of way that has no regard for the suffering of the Palestinian people, who have just leapt from the frying pan into the fire.

What an excellent post. Thank you.
AcademicElephant | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 3:09 pm | #

We now have a "RETURN ADDRESS"

and

it does not have to just a RETURN.

Just wait until it is clear that
AQ has set up shop working with
the new "we have their return address"
government.

Today Fatah announced they would not form a coalition government with Hamas.

BTY Fatah members tried to burn Abbas's house down earlier - are the
Kos Kids many steps away?
larwyn | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 4:01 pm | #

Doc:

"Let me tell you about change. Change is very very difficult for people. You try being a psychiatrist sometime, Professor, and you will understand that"

Uhhh, Doc, does that apply to people with multiple personalities?

"You complain bitterly about your loved one's drinking and the behavior that results from it, but you still go out and buy them the liquor and encourage them to drink it."

This could actually not be a bad idea if the "loved one" isn't THAT "loved"... and you have them insured to the hilt.

I guess I'm a bit cold-blooded, but if some fool is bound and determined to commit suicide, then why shouldn't I realize some filthy lucre out of the opportunity?

Regards;
Bilgeman | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 4:39 pm | #

has anyone ever told you you're a cynic, Bilgeman?

We often have ambivalent feeling about the one's we love. If we don't acknowledge that then we are apt to unconsciously act out the..shall we say..more hostile ones.
Dr. Sanity | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 4:59 pm | #

Doc;

"has anyone ever told you you're a cynic, Bilgeman?"

Only since kindergarten.

Regards;
Bilgeman | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 5:59 pm | #

> The people of Germany voted rather enthusiastically for Adolph Hitler, you might recall.

Still a correct statement, although it is correct that Hitler did NOT get elected.

The only reason *I* know this is because Kobayashi Maru made the same mistake about a week ago and was quickly corrected (one of the KEY differences between Lefty and Right/Libertarian sites -- the correcting missive is still up, as is an admission of the error and the original error with correction note!)

Like many, I had presumed Hitler had won an election. More here.

The Doc's statement is less in error, as she did not claim he'd won, only that he'd been widely supported, and, in fact, this is true, but suggests that he was elected.
Oh Bloedige Hel | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 6:14 pm | #

> Democracy without Natural Law isn't self-rule but mob rule."

No, Democracy by definition is mob rule, period.

That's one reason the FF's backed off and chose a representative democracy rather than a true democracy. The notion was that the representatives would be a little more cool heads with regards to their actions in office, would not pander totally to their constituencies, and demonstrate a measure of longer-term responsibility with regard to their decisions.

Unfortunately, the quality of people getting elected to office these days is, for the most part, a bit lower than they'd hoped for.
Oh Bloedige Hel | Email | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 6:18 pm | #

Beautiful.

Beautiful.

Beautiful.

Suuuuwwwwweeeeeet!!!

Beautiful.

Gawdalmighty that was good.

Did I mention that was a good post?

Awesome. Beautiful. Terrific.

OK, I'm done now.
Randall | Email | Homepage | 01.28.06 - 4:46 pm | #

Egads. I can see why Callimachus raved about this post. Very well said.
kreiz | Email | Homepage | 02.03.06 - 1:16 pm | #

One of the things I like about this post Dr. S (from among a very long list of them) is that it focuses attention on individuals and their decisions - including their collective decisions. One of the hangover symptoms we were bequeathed by Marx is the widespread notion that "nations" make decsions. They do not. Either their leaders do, or their people do, or some combination of the two, but in every case it boils down to individual human minds making choices. And in that insight is all the justification that's ever been needed for democracy being better than any alternative ever proposed, and for the interpretation of its results through the lens of psychiatric insight... which is a longwinded way of saying: keep up the good work!!
Kobayashi Maru | Email | Homepage | 02.04.06 - 2:35 pm | #

My father has often said, and I always find it to be true, that liberals want to make the world perfect, and conservatives want to make it better.
tyree | Email | Homepage | 02.07.06 - 7:38 pm | #

I remember reading a history book on the zeppelin "Hindenburg" that gave the results of the balloting on the airship. This was made public because the ship was airborne for days during the election. Once the votes were counted it was revealed that a large majority of the crew had voted for Hitler. The captain, who knew his men rather well, admitted to a journalist that the vote had to be rigged because his men disliked Hitler intensly.
tyree | Email | Homepage | 02.07.06 - 7:50 pm | #