A friend sent me a really interesting article today about the recent victory of Hamas in the Palestinian elections. I've been reading up on this, mainly because I know little about the whole Israel-Palestine conflict, and this is a very… refreshing and enlightening view.
What really surprised me was that, despite the militant side of Hamas, Izzeddin al-Qassam, it has done much work to improve living conditions (in a country where 64% live under the UN poverty rate):
People who voted for Hamas emphasize not only the heroic acts of its combatants, but also its reputation for clean conduct, modesty, and honesty, which have been pointedly contrasted with the corruption of the Palestinian Authority.
Read Neve Gordon: "Why Hamas Won"
(Via Robert Scoble) Rick Segal has written (what I think is) a very insightful post on America and its failings - a point he draws from the fact that 25 of the 100 U.S. Senators refused to sign an "apology resolution" for the victims of lynching.
(Normally I'd post something like to my to "linkblog" (on the right of the main page), but I wanted to draw some attention to it.)
Thanks to Joi Ito: Kofi Annan recently gave a speech on terrorism… I'm making my way through the full text now, but this passage really stood out for me:
"…the United Nations must continue to insist that, in the fight against terrorism, we cannot compromise on the core values I have listed. In particular, human rights and the rule of law must always be respected. As I see it, terrorism is in itself a direct attack on human rights and the rule of law. If we sacrifice them in our response, we are handing a victory to the terrorists."
Guantanamo Bay, anyone?
Dan Gillmor has some criticism in relation to the $40 million spent on parties for George W. Bush's inauguration (to be held today). "Celebrating freedom". Pffft.
Aaron Swartz: Pick A Side
Boy on a Stick and Slither: "The Messiah"
Courtesy of Rich Manalang: "Fuck The South" [WARNING: Extremely coarse language, if the title didn't tip you off to that.]
(Last one, I swear!) Matthew Baldwin at Defective Yeti throws in his opinion of the outcome of the US elections. He makes some very interesting points, especially the fact that Bush will now have to clean up some of the mess he made in his first term.
Paul Thurrott: God help America (For once, I agree with Paul :))
Jason Kottke: How Bush won
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