I confess that I'm not a bit sympathetic with this:
I don't ever blog about it because one is not allowed to have an opinion on the matter...
-Meagan McArdle
Here are a couple of observations, to spur you along. Rather than an "opinion", perhaps try starting with an assessment. The rush to have an opinion may be part of the problem. For starters, I'd like to see someone blog a timeline with the proposals that have been brought to the Hamas - in particular via U.S. mediation or lack of it - and their counterproposals, over the past few years.
For starters, I'd like to see someone blog a timeline with the proposals that have been brought to the Hamas - in particular via U.S. mediation or lack of it - and their counterproposals, over the past few years.
There is more ... and it involves not turning away.The basics of "the problem" are not that difficult. In the end, it always comes down to how best to get the two parties - and the neighbors - to sit down for serious, binding peace commitments.
Accordingly, you really do have to pay attention to those saying that one side is worse than the other. A parent who simply says that "you've both misbehaved, badly, so kiss and make up", is not effective. You cannot throw out redress and justice along the way, for a view of equanimity that often is so big picture it doesn't capture the facts on the ground (or the manipulation of the facts on the ground, let's not kid ourselves), of the "real-life" conflict, the impact on daily lives, the existential dimension. [So much is one reason why the U.S. needs a continual diplomatic presence - Bush-43 appointed a guy to do this, but then ... he moved on, I think, so ... well, what does that tell you?]
As for Andrew's block - he packs so much into one post that it would require line-by-line, I suspect.
