“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."
Friday, December 15, 2006
Hamas and Fatah get together for Islamic festivities.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) -- Gunmen allied with Hamas and Fatah clashed at a West Bank mosque and in Gaza Strip streets on Friday, as violence spread to areas of the Palestinian territories normally untouched by factional strife.
In Lebanon a similar situation is forming: "... From the beginning of the crisis, the government itself has played sectarian politics as a way to stanch Hezbollah's momentum, a game that even some of its supporters admit is dangerous. In an almost unprecedented move for a government traditionally built on sectarian consensus, the Sunni mufti, Mohammed Rashid Kabbani, led Friday prayers at the Serail on Dec. 1, the first day of Hezbollah's protests, when hundreds of thousands of Hezbollah's supporters converged on downtown. He then called toppling the Sunni-led government an uncrossable "red line." Loyalists of Hariri's son, Saad, have organized rallies in Sunni strongholds in the country: Tripoli, the northern Lebanese region of Akkar and parts of the Bekaa Valley in the northeast.
For the past week, the government has brought delegations of Christians, Druze but mainly Sunnis to the Serail for revival-like rallies and receptions in which Saniora has tried to shed his technocratic image.
"With our soul, with our blood, we sacrifice for you, Saniora," the women from Sidon shouted Tuesday. ... "
If the "Plan" was to instigate a Regional War and instability, through Demo-crazy, we've succeeded. If the KSA fractures on the same fissure, the King could lose his oil fields.
ppab said, "You know, this thread may be dead, but I'm a blogger beta user - firefox, ie - it doesnt matter. I can't get any trashcans - i do get the spell checking which is fancy. " --- Likewise ppab, eccept I dont knead spell check, so I just post wit ie.
WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Friday she would ask the U.S. Congress for tens of millions of dollars to strengthen the security forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The funding request comes as tensions are at their highest in a decade in the Palestinian territories, with government unity talks stalled and the militant group Hamas accusing Abbas of trying to start a civil war.
The United States wants to ensure that Abbas, whose Fatah party was trounced by Hamas in elections last January, emerges victorious in any power struggle with Hamas and has been saying for months that more needs to be done to boost his forces.
"We will request funding to support the security reform (of Abbas's forces) and I think we will get support," said Rice in an interview with Reuters, adding that the aid would be in the range of tens of millions of dollars.
"We are going to find a way to support President Mahmoud Abbas. I think people have made very clear that we are prepared to and we have in fact are working hard on the reform of his security force even in the absence of a political resolution of the conflict," said Rice.
Support one terror group over another: There's gonna be a Revolution
One disaster cascading into another, Mr Bush about to announce the "Way Forward" is Stay the Course on steroids. Four to six months, we won't be in bad shape for the shape we're in. Well not much worse shape, anyway.
Hey, 'Rat, I was about to post that Buchanan thing, but went to Bed: Did you leave out the part that the G Man made New York a Sanctuary City for Terrorists?
"On his watch, the United States military helped the Iraqi people establish a constitutional democracy in the heart of the Middle East, a watershed event in the story of freedom," said Bush, who hugged Rumsfeld. "This man knows how to lead, and he did. And the country is better off for it."
I do not know, doug. It does indicate that "Catch & Release" has failed, both on the US frontier and the streets of Iraq.
Catch a radical extremist, turn the radical extemist over to the approved "Justice System" Watch them release the radical extremist, 90 to 120 days later.
No Justice, No Peace! Know Justice, Know Peace!
Everyone knows that, no?
Even that nephew of Saddam that escaped. Seems Saddam lives, still. He has fallen from view, while his trial is under review. Still no signatures on the Execution Order.
Give peace a chance, fellas!
ReplyDeleteThe Pentagon issues a guidebook on fighting a counterinsurgency.
ReplyDeleteGuidebook
Of course.
ReplyDeleteIn Lebanon a similar situation is forming:
"... From the beginning of the crisis, the government itself has played sectarian politics as a way to stanch Hezbollah's momentum, a game that even some of its supporters admit is dangerous. In an almost unprecedented move for a government traditionally built on sectarian consensus, the Sunni mufti, Mohammed Rashid Kabbani, led Friday prayers at the Serail on Dec. 1, the first day of Hezbollah's protests, when hundreds of thousands of Hezbollah's supporters converged on downtown. He then called toppling the Sunni-led government an uncrossable "red line." Loyalists of Hariri's son, Saad, have organized rallies in Sunni strongholds in the country: Tripoli, the northern Lebanese region of Akkar and parts of the Bekaa Valley in the northeast.
For the past week, the government has brought delegations of Christians, Druze but mainly Sunnis to the Serail for revival-like rallies and receptions in which Saniora has tried to shed his technocratic image.
"With our soul, with our blood, we sacrifice for you, Saniora," the women from Sidon shouted Tuesday. ... "
If the "Plan" was to instigate a Regional War and instability, through Demo-crazy, we've succeeded. If the KSA fractures on the same fissure, the King could lose his oil fields.
The real guidebook
ReplyDeletepdf style.
Guidebook as yet unpublished
Bush: Mary Cheney to be a 'fine mom'...
ReplyDeleteBush: Hillary Rotdam to be a 'fine conservative'...
Bush: Abracadabra to be a 'fine partner in peace'..
Who is the lettuce Man,
ReplyDeleteand who ever eats men anyhow?
Lettuce?
ReplyDeleteIsn't that what food eats?
ppab said,
ReplyDelete"You know, this thread may be dead, but I'm a blogger beta user - firefox, ie - it doesnt matter. I can't get any trashcans - i do get the spell checking which is fancy. "
---
Likewise ppab, eccept I dont knead spell check, so I just post wit ie.
Bush: Desert Rat to be a 'fine minister'...
ReplyDeleteDesert Rat: "Lettuce Prey"
Well then, that's must be where your trash can went then, doug.
ReplyDeleteunintended consequence
Like where the country ends up after 6 years of compassionate conservatism.
ReplyDeleteWASHINGTON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Friday she would ask the U.S. Congress for tens of millions of dollars to strengthen the security forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
ReplyDeleteThe funding request comes as tensions are at their highest in a decade in the Palestinian territories, with government unity talks stalled and the militant group Hamas accusing Abbas of trying to start a civil war.
The United States wants to ensure that Abbas, whose Fatah party was trounced by Hamas in elections last January, emerges victorious in any power struggle with Hamas and has been saying for months that more needs to be done to boost his forces.
"We will request funding to support the security reform (of Abbas's forces) and I think we will get support," said Rice in an interview with Reuters, adding that the aid would be in the range of tens of millions of dollars.
"We are going to find a way to support President Mahmoud Abbas. I think people have made very clear that we are prepared to and we have in fact are working hard on the reform of his security force even in the absence of a political resolution of the conflict," said Rice.
Support one terror group over another:
There's gonna be a Revolution
Why not give them a Nuke?
ReplyDeleteDon't even have to pay for a *long range* missile to go with it.
Condi '08!!!
ReplyDeleteObama vs Rice.
ReplyDeleteThe Huckster vs the Pointy Head.
Is there anything but pure garbage in that Rice Statement?
ReplyDeleteVP with McCain, watch it happen in real time.
ReplyDeleteEspecially if the Dems field Clinton & Obama
One disaster cascading into another, Mr Bush about to announce the "Way Forward" is Stay the Course on steroids.
Four to six months, we won't be in bad shape for the shape we're in. Well not much worse shape, anyway.
Hey, 'Rat,
ReplyDeleteI was about to post that Buchanan thing, but went to Bed:
Did you leave out the part that the G Man made New York a Sanctuary City for Terrorists?
Funny, they'll say, how time slips away.
ReplyDeleteEXIT RUMSFELD
ReplyDelete"That's Not Exactly What We Had Planned."
Can one really claim that failure is an "unintended consequence" of a Feckless CIC?
"On his watch, the United States military helped the Iraqi people establish a constitutional democracy in the heart of the Middle East, a watershed event in the story of freedom," said Bush, who hugged Rumsfeld.
ReplyDelete"This man knows how to lead, and he did. And the country is better off for it."
I do not know, doug.
ReplyDeleteIt does indicate that "Catch & Release" has failed, both on the US frontier and the streets of Iraq.
Catch a radical extremist,
turn the radical extemist over to the approved "Justice System"
Watch them release the radical extremist, 90 to 120 days later.
No Justice, No Peace!
Know Justice, Know Peace!
Everyone knows that, no?
Even that nephew of Saddam that escaped.
Seems Saddam lives, still.
He has fallen from view, while his trial is under review.
Still no signatures on the Execution Order.
Christmas is coming, so perhaps they've all gone to do their shopping, no?
ReplyDeleteI certainly am.
In my opinion every person ought to browse on it.
ReplyDelete