Glimmers Of Democracy

Bob Tarantino is in fine form.

Regardless, the glimmers of democracy in the Middle East can only be a good thing. And I think now would be an opportune time to reflect on the fact that, nearly a year ago, Israel assassinated two Hamas leaders (Yassin and Rantisi), which prompted much shrieking and wailing from the usual bunch that Israel was obstructing peace, that in taking such “provocative” steps Israel was slitting its own throat, that, in the immortal words of Matt Good, Israel was “making things worse” by taking out terrorists and thugs. The Globe and Mail condemned Israel’s actions (LIB response here), as did the Toronto Star (really, no LIB response necessary), and predicted that a rain of hellfire would descend on Israel for having the temerity to defend itself.
Nearly a year later, and none of that has happened. None of it.
On a related note, the same chorus was telling us for years that to remove Arafat would have been tantamount to suicide for Israel, because those who would replace him “would be even worse” for Israel. Again, so much hot air. Arafat dies, and seemingly within twenty minutes the Palestinians are holding elections and everyone (from the US to Israel to the EU to the Palestinians) is all giggles and hugs about the “new opporunity for peace”. The usual suspects are now reduced to mewling about how “Palestinians have proved that they can be the most democratic of Arabs”.
Not quite the conflagration we were instructed to expect, is it?