...
Despite a drop in its fourth-quarter earnings and collapsing oil prices, Exxon Mobil, the world’s largest publicly traded oil company, still managed to set a record as the most profitable American corporation ever last year.
The company has started up eight major projects last year, including a huge offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico, called Thunder Horse, and a large liquefied natural gas terminal in Qatar, called Qatargas II Train 4.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
what did it all accomplish?
Time will tell, but it looks like absolutely nothing. As expected, invasion just led to civilian deaths, rising Arab resentment, and growing polarization on both sides (Netanyahu seems poised to be elected president on Feb 10th, and Hamas is more popular than they were before the war).
What's more, according to the NYTimes, Fatah and its leader, Muhammad Abbas have lost legitimacy among many Palestinians because of their passivity in condemning is Israel. This war delegitized and put unnecessary stress on all the Arab moderates and mediators (Abbas, Mubarak) that are so essential to brokering a two-state solution.
In short, a stupid war set to eradicate Hamas (which was a naive, virtually impossible goal--you can't bomb away political beliefs), has achieved the opposite. It has strengthened Hamas. What's more, it has strengthened radicals within Hamas, rather than the more conciliatory, pragmatic members.
After all, if I was living in Gaza, who would I want to support--a Hamas leader that fought against what appeared to be an overreacting, staggering, oppressor, or one who cowed to their violent demands? Sure it's an oversimplification, but I think it's a completely justified stance for Palestinians who hold it.
Hamas is a reality. Israel, the US, and the world must accept this. As I said earlier, you can't bomb away political beliefs. Instead of ignoring or fighting Hamas, the world must force Hamas to be held responsible to its constituents. The world must allow Hamas to hold the political power that it was democratically given, and must force Hamas to prove to its people that its deserving of being elected to power.
This way, when Hamas chooses to focus on rocketing Israel instead of building hospitals, Palestinians can vote them from office. This is the only way to get rid of Hamas. By bombing them, their true deficiencies are ignored.
Giving Hamas power will de-radicalize them. It sounds counterintuitive, but:
Giving power to radicals deradicalizes them.
Violently taking power away from radicals further radicalizes them and gives them popular legitimacy.
Thus, in response to the New York Times article, For Obama, Choice is Unified Palestinian Government or an Isolated Hamas, I think that a Unified Government is the best choice. It's not a perfect choice. As the article writes, Hamas is stronger than before the war, and would likely win an early election, thus bringing it to power in the West Bank as well as Gaza. But this is democracy. It's not perfect, but how can we preach it if we throw it aside every time the result looks ugly to us? That's why a unity government must be forged.
The details of the government (the date of the next elections, the electoral rules, etc) will be divisive, but if Hamas and Fatah can be overcome, then the world must support a united Palestine and work with them.
This could also be a great opportunity. Israel, the US, and the world can achieve greater peace and understanding if they lend a helping hand to a unified Palestine. Infrastructure must be rebuilt, schools must be strengthened, and employment opportunities must arise in order to eliminate the socioeconomic tensions and ill will that lay beneath much of the conflict. And if the US and Israel can put aside their paranoia, and support the democratic ideology that they laud so frequently, then real peace can be achieved.
This is how I feel.
What's more, according to the NYTimes, Fatah and its leader, Muhammad Abbas have lost legitimacy among many Palestinians because of their passivity in condemning is Israel. This war delegitized and put unnecessary stress on all the Arab moderates and mediators (Abbas, Mubarak) that are so essential to brokering a two-state solution.
In short, a stupid war set to eradicate Hamas (which was a naive, virtually impossible goal--you can't bomb away political beliefs), has achieved the opposite. It has strengthened Hamas. What's more, it has strengthened radicals within Hamas, rather than the more conciliatory, pragmatic members.
After all, if I was living in Gaza, who would I want to support--a Hamas leader that fought against what appeared to be an overreacting, staggering, oppressor, or one who cowed to their violent demands? Sure it's an oversimplification, but I think it's a completely justified stance for Palestinians who hold it.
Hamas is a reality. Israel, the US, and the world must accept this. As I said earlier, you can't bomb away political beliefs. Instead of ignoring or fighting Hamas, the world must force Hamas to be held responsible to its constituents. The world must allow Hamas to hold the political power that it was democratically given, and must force Hamas to prove to its people that its deserving of being elected to power.
This way, when Hamas chooses to focus on rocketing Israel instead of building hospitals, Palestinians can vote them from office. This is the only way to get rid of Hamas. By bombing them, their true deficiencies are ignored.
Giving Hamas power will de-radicalize them. It sounds counterintuitive, but:
Giving power to radicals deradicalizes them.
Violently taking power away from radicals further radicalizes them and gives them popular legitimacy.
Thus, in response to the New York Times article, For Obama, Choice is Unified Palestinian Government or an Isolated Hamas, I think that a Unified Government is the best choice. It's not a perfect choice. As the article writes, Hamas is stronger than before the war, and would likely win an early election, thus bringing it to power in the West Bank as well as Gaza. But this is democracy. It's not perfect, but how can we preach it if we throw it aside every time the result looks ugly to us? That's why a unity government must be forged.
The details of the government (the date of the next elections, the electoral rules, etc) will be divisive, but if Hamas and Fatah can be overcome, then the world must support a united Palestine and work with them.
This could also be a great opportunity. Israel, the US, and the world can achieve greater peace and understanding if they lend a helping hand to a unified Palestine. Infrastructure must be rebuilt, schools must be strengthened, and employment opportunities must arise in order to eliminate the socioeconomic tensions and ill will that lay beneath much of the conflict. And if the US and Israel can put aside their paranoia, and support the democratic ideology that they laud so frequently, then real peace can be achieved.
This is how I feel.
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