Contradictions

Would Pres. Bush agree to al Qaeda participating in the Iraqi Elections?
You are laughing, the idea is ridiculous! Imagine Zarqawi running for
President of Iraq while still heading the insurrection. If not in Iraq,
then why would he agree that Hamas should participate in the Palestine
Authority elections? Not only agree, but pressure Israel not to interfere
in the process. Israel was merely going to indicate its displeasure with
the participation of an avowed terrorist group and an enemy that has not
renounced its intention of destroying Israel, by not allowing Hamas
candidates and others to pass thru security checks on the West Bank. But,
this is too much interference according to the US. Secty. of State Rice has
made it clear that the Administration does not want any Israeli interference
in the PA elections. This is an absurd piece of hypocrisy. Don't do what I
do, do what I tell you.
The rationalization for this little contradiction in US policy is that while
al Qaeda is an unregenerate terrorist group that targets Americans and
others, Hamas may possibly decide to drop terrorism for nonviolent political
participation. Also, they don't target Americans! But that also isn't true,
since Hamas has killed several Americans and other nationalities living and
working in the territories and Israel. But, this is a ridiculous gamble,
because its letting a listed terrorist organization have the best of both
worlds, they can remain as terrorists and at the same time participate in
elections, thus contradicting Condoleeza Rice's recent statement when she
visited Israel and the PA, that you cannot have a true democratic process
while armed gangs are still allowed to remain in the vicinity. Particularly
if those armed gangs are supposedly participating in the democratic process.
Nevertheless this is the kind of thing that the US has always done to
Israel, "we know better than you," " you must take risks for peace."
Meanwhile we take the risks and it will be our people, our children, our
family members whose blood will flow.
Another strange contradiction is that the pressure of immigration into
western Europe and the US is always increasing, all the poorest Muslims in
the world want to go there. Also, the richest Muslims from all over the
world want to vacation in London, Paris, New York, as any visit there shows.
Yet, at the same time the Muslim world generally hates America and the West,
and this is manifested in the bombings of 9/11, the underground attacks in
London of 7/7, the riots in Paris, and the continued bias in most Arabic
news reports. I am sure many poor Muslims would happily exchange places with
the rioters in France or the second generation bombers in the UK. How to
explain this strange contradiction? It reminds me of the relationship
between the USA and the USSR towards its end, when officially the Communist
Party was excoriating the situation and culture in the US, but KGB officials
were competing for the opportunity to visit the US and came back loaded down
with American goods unavailable at home. There is definitely a large
element of envy in this complex relationship between the west and the
Muslims.
Within these contradictions hopefully lies the potential for future
accommodations.