Ha-morons
The trouble is the Palestinian nation suffers from mass psychosis. Today the Eu announced that they will suspend payments to the Palestianian Authority. Why? Because, according to an EU spokeswoman, Hamas has not yet met the international community’s conditions of recognising Israel, renouncing violence and accepting past peace agreements. Pretty simple, no?
But Hamas doesn't quite look on it that way. No, not by a long shot. A Hamas MP condemned the move, accusing the EU of "collective punishment" of the Palestinian people. A Hamas spokesman described it as blackmail. Ghazi Hamad, a government spokesman, told reporters: "We will not accept such a blackmail. Hamas was elected democratically and the Palestinian people are punished for their choice. "The EU will not only punish the government but all the Palestinian people -- the poor, the students, the workers. "It is unjust because first of all it’s Israel should be punished, Israel continues its aggression. They should rethink and understand that this government will not fail its political positions."
Yup, the Palestinians elected Hamas -- their choice. And EU's decision to reject payments to those they consider to be terrorists, committed to violence and politically unacceptable goals is also a choice. Blackmail? You mean the notion that we may choose not to send you money because we abhor what you do and stand for is blackmail? Hmm. What IS blackmail? According to Wikipedia, blackmail is the crime of threatening to reveal substantially true information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand made upon the victim is met. This information is usually of an embarrassing or socially damaging nature. There is no threat to reveal anything here ... so I don't agree with that assertion.
Maybe he meant extortion -- extortion involves an underlying, independent criminal act, while blackmail does not. So what criminal act might we be talking about? Not giving the PA the money? If anything, there appears to be an independent extortion involved here: the PA may be saying, send us the money, or we will kill you all (it is already a given that they want to kill all the Israelis). Remember there is no obligation to give the money to the PA or a right on their part to receive it -- any treaty (contract) to that end also requires observance of the the contents.
According to the New York Times, "Dr. al-Zahar said that Hamas was ready to enter talks with the international community over the prospect of Israeli and Palestinian states co-existing. But he gave warning that his Government would demand to know what Israel and the international com munity would offer in return." What is implicit in this statement is that currently the PA's position is that there can be no co-existence with Israel -- that means death to Israel. Giving up that intention for money ... well does that not sound to you like extortion? The underlying crime the intent to kill?
Can the Palestinian people so stupid as not to see that when they voted Hamas in, they voted themselves out of the international community. Yes, it was democratic, but so is a vote to join a conspiracy to muder or steal. Both can land you in prison or worse. Democracy by itself is not a universal panacea, you have to combine it with a desire to live peaceably and in some form of civilization. It is possible to conceive of a large mass of humanity democratically devoted to the goal of conduct that would land one in prison, psychiatric hospitals, or universal condemnation in other parts of the world. Say the people of New Guinea decide that they want to return to the ways of their tribal ancestors and enshire the ritual eating of their enemies as a national pastime: they could do that. But sane and rational people may decide that they do not want to go there anymore. And we should have no obligation to send them money to practice their national ritual.
The killing of innocents through suicide bombing is, to me and many others, no less abhorrent than eating your enemies in a cultural ritual. And no way should anyone feel forced to to support those who would commit these crimes. If you vote for it, you have made your choice: as I see it, it is a pact with the Devil.
But Hamas doesn't quite look on it that way. No, not by a long shot. A Hamas MP condemned the move, accusing the EU of "collective punishment" of the Palestinian people. A Hamas spokesman described it as blackmail. Ghazi Hamad, a government spokesman, told reporters: "We will not accept such a blackmail. Hamas was elected democratically and the Palestinian people are punished for their choice. "The EU will not only punish the government but all the Palestinian people -- the poor, the students, the workers. "It is unjust because first of all it’s Israel should be punished, Israel continues its aggression. They should rethink and understand that this government will not fail its political positions."
Yup, the Palestinians elected Hamas -- their choice. And EU's decision to reject payments to those they consider to be terrorists, committed to violence and politically unacceptable goals is also a choice. Blackmail? You mean the notion that we may choose not to send you money because we abhor what you do and stand for is blackmail? Hmm. What IS blackmail? According to Wikipedia, blackmail is the crime of threatening to reveal substantially true information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand made upon the victim is met. This information is usually of an embarrassing or socially damaging nature. There is no threat to reveal anything here ... so I don't agree with that assertion.
Maybe he meant extortion -- extortion involves an underlying, independent criminal act, while blackmail does not. So what criminal act might we be talking about? Not giving the PA the money? If anything, there appears to be an independent extortion involved here: the PA may be saying, send us the money, or we will kill you all (it is already a given that they want to kill all the Israelis). Remember there is no obligation to give the money to the PA or a right on their part to receive it -- any treaty (contract) to that end also requires observance of the the contents.
According to the New York Times, "Dr. al-Zahar said that Hamas was ready to enter talks with the international community over the prospect of Israeli and Palestinian states co-existing. But he gave warning that his Government would demand to know what Israel and the international com munity would offer in return." What is implicit in this statement is that currently the PA's position is that there can be no co-existence with Israel -- that means death to Israel. Giving up that intention for money ... well does that not sound to you like extortion? The underlying crime the intent to kill?
Can the Palestinian people so stupid as not to see that when they voted Hamas in, they voted themselves out of the international community. Yes, it was democratic, but so is a vote to join a conspiracy to muder or steal. Both can land you in prison or worse. Democracy by itself is not a universal panacea, you have to combine it with a desire to live peaceably and in some form of civilization. It is possible to conceive of a large mass of humanity democratically devoted to the goal of conduct that would land one in prison, psychiatric hospitals, or universal condemnation in other parts of the world. Say the people of New Guinea decide that they want to return to the ways of their tribal ancestors and enshire the ritual eating of their enemies as a national pastime: they could do that. But sane and rational people may decide that they do not want to go there anymore. And we should have no obligation to send them money to practice their national ritual.
The killing of innocents through suicide bombing is, to me and many others, no less abhorrent than eating your enemies in a cultural ritual. And no way should anyone feel forced to to support those who would commit these crimes. If you vote for it, you have made your choice: as I see it, it is a pact with the Devil.
posted by Zaphod at Friday, April 07, 2006
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