Originally posted by langeweile
Looks like things might not turn out as rosy
that any of us might have hoped.
Yes... well... I hope you appreciate my waiting to post.
Some points:
1. Find me two things LESS compatible than religion and
politics, I dare you (OR faith and rationality,
smart-asses).
2. Historically, a functioning democracy virtually
presupposes the relegation of religion/ dogma to a
non-political domain, since both systems make claim
to exclusive access to and monopoly of objectivity and
righteous motivation, as well as ultimate legitimate
authority.
3. Hamas will use means that it sees as practical and
effective to maintain and expand its power base- this
means both militant and grass-roots political organizing,
subject to the foregoing criteria- they are pragmatists,
by and large.
4. Israel's level of democracy is highly debateable.
There is no question that there are democratic elements to
their system of governance. Whether or not they are are a
functioning democracy (or would be, if not for their 'wartime'
footing) is questionable. They clearly do not have
universal citizenship rights, let alone universal suffrage.
They also censor the press very effectively, so it is unclear
whether they have an 'informed' electorate. Their system of
coalition governments, apart from being very unstable, guarantees
the inclusion of smaller fringe/extremist parties who, though
they appear to be working within a 'democratic' framework, would
never describe/label themselves this way.
It is also unclear whether Israel would function as a state at
all without massive foreign investments. Based strictly on
GDP/GNP, Israel would not have had many years 'in the black'
without these inputs.
5. To avoid any confusion, I would like to state that I am not taking
any side in the Israel-Palestinian struggle. I think it is a tragic
situation which does not benefit either population. It is a result
of exploitation and games being played by successive World Powers
(Britain, then Europe, then US and Soviets, the EU, and so on). I remind you that throught most of 'Western'
history, both the Jews and the Arabs
were viewed as rival cultures, threats to 'civilized' society- essentially aliens.
6. What Sharon has done is exactly what he did with Arafat- dictate
terms of discourse and then work directly in opposition to achieving
those terms so as to preclude the possibility of discourse. So,
when he didn't want to deal with Arafat, he dictated that Arafat
'rein in' militants- but simultaneously destroyed the security
infrastructure to make this possible (most of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs
were palestinian police at the time that Sharon ordered the
bombing of PA police stations). Same manoever, only Abbas' people
astutely pointed out that perhaps judgement should be withheld
until their man ACTUALLY TAKES OFFICE.
Lange how can you post that. The fundimential charater of any democracy is the theoritical power of the individual over the state and as such the state must regonize certain fundimental human rights. You cannot found a democracy and then jail everyone because they disagree with the state. Even the exercise of an election shows the states respect for individual human rights. They don't come forward over time, it is the main value of any democracy. 
