Divine victory in hell

Hizbullah is screaming divine victory again. Having escaped judgment and accountability in the jungle they claim to defend, they are tapping into their enemies' democratic institutions to validate their despotic actions.

A panel probing the conduct of Israel's war in Lebanon last year scathingly criticized Ehud Olmert on Monday but the prime minister said he would not resign but work instead to put right mistakes. Olmert "made up his mind hastily" to launch the campaign last July against Hezbollah guerrillas, the government-appointed panel said in an interim report, accusing him of "a serious failure in exercising judgment, responsibility and prudence."

...A Hezbollah official said the report confirmed the group's "divine victory," while the Shi'ite Islamist party's television station said: "The heads of Olmert and Peretz have been placed on the guillotine. All that's left is for their heads to roll." (Reuters)

If the Israeli prime minister is being held accountable for failing to deliver on his promises, Hizbullah took an entire nation to war without consulting its government or people, and delivered them death and destruction. Yet you don't hear of a probe or investigation into how a militia got away with destroying the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands, and how it continues to hold a country hostage.

Why stop at Hizbullah? Soon, many "citizens" of this Arab world will be claiming victory over an enemy they never fought, in a battle they never won and in which they made no real sacrifices. A report requested by the democratic will of an enemy nation will only prove to them that "resistance" is holy and the "only option". This option, which costs tens of lives every day in Iraq, is given legitimacy only because it's "resistance" against an easy and far enemy, which was stupid enough to insert itself between ignorant foes that feed on denial. For all that, every act of "resistance" committed and supported by the bearers of the Arab and Muslim banners, is an essence an escape from the real battle: the battle for one's freedom from the slavery of forged histories and an over inflated sense of pride, which stems from the belief in one's own infallibility, instilled by oppressive mothers and fathers.

Read The Economist this week and you'll know what I mean. In an obtuse article about failed American policies in the region—an article which unconvincingly blames the regression of democratic reform in the "Middle East" on the US—the writer cites an "opinion survey" conducted in 4 "Muslim countries" -- Egypt, Morocco, Pakistan and Indonesia—where the majority of respondents said they believed the US "aims to divide and weaken the Muslim world".   The writer, based in Cairo, did not marvel at the ridiculousness of extrapolating from samples in three disconnected nations, nor did he question the results of this "survey", which presumes that there is a united "Muslim world" that outside forces can weaken and divide. But then, that's what they believe, isn't it. One "Muslim world": a parasite made attractive only because it keeps their bedrooms dark and ecstasy the undisputed property of their super egos.

So hurray, we have won. Israel is defeated. Strangely, their defeat will move them forward. As for our "divine victory", well, it will keep us where we are, which is at the bottom of the lowest circles of hell.

Comments

[JoseyWales]

Excellent AK.

Of course accountability is the missing link, from Nasser's fake resignation to Arafat's V-signs while fleeing like a dog, to Nasrallah's divine catastrophe.

The divine idiocy is perpetuated perversely, unintentionally, and counter-productively by people calling Hariri, the Ziads etc martyrs.

And the un-accountablity goes on daily from unresolved high crimes, to Raad and Aoun spewing constitutional lies to sabotage the upcoming Prez election.

BTW, I'd say God is smiling on the Israelis when he gives them discernment to get rid of their buffoons, while we are saddled with ours forever. ;)

[Odette]

Very well said Josey.....

[frankyb]

divine victory,..in hell,divine catastrophe,divine idiocy....the divine comedy!thats it,i got it,thats sounds the most appropriate label.Someone smart enough and with plenty of time should disect DANTE and infuse the divine comedy with the parallel story of all things divine in our divine part of the world.
it seems some among us are still living in the era of Romanticism,poetically labelling war outcomes as a divine victory,when in all reality,all things war are so far removed from anything in the vicinity of divine,god damn!
when Mr.ambassador of the god of war,Hassouna lost his son,again it was romanticised as a blessed martyr.This is echoed by hundreds of mothers from south lebanon upon losing their sons to the ultimate enemy.It is again reiterated by every single person that gets killed in Lebanon,as a martyr eventhough they had no intention in dying for their countries cause.It makes you wonder what those statues in martyrs square are feeling,"hey where not so unique no more,maybe we should leave this god forsaken martyr filled land."

[Jester]

If we Lebanese don’t recognize Hizbullahs’ Victory, why does western media do?

► http://theinnercircle.wordpress.com/

[Vox]

You're right Joey, unaccountability is the root of all of Lebanon's problems.

[BadVilbel]

Did you guys read the latest from Raad and co?

"Hizbullah agrees on a president who is committed to the memorandum of understanding between it (Hizbullah) and Gen. Aoun," ...

He did not rule out the emergence of two governments if a President was not elected by a two-thirds majority.

WTF? Once again. Who put these guys in charge of vetoing presidents??? Their "divine victory" has clearly gone to their heads that they now feel they get to decide who the president should be, veto who they don't like, and threaten to paralyze the country if their blackmail demands aren't met?

Can we just line up against a wall and have them executed for being enemies of the state?

[fubar]

(Ynet) As the French people went to the polls to select a president, jihadi members of an al-Qaeda online forum exchanged messages discussing their aspiration to "reinvade France (and convert it into) an Islamic country."

The internet discussion appeared as Spanish security forces warned that both Spain and France were targets of al-Qaeda terror plots.

A post that appeared on the al-Firdaws jihadi forum, submitted by a user named Faisal al-Baghdadi, contained a lengthy historical account of "the second stop of the Islamic conquest of Europe, France, after Andalusia, Spain."

*******

Sometimes you see something that makes you want to yell, why not me?

In the comments section to this article is:

"Nobody deserves jihad more than the French!"

Well, there you go, the French offered safe harbor to Khomeini where he schemed how to steal a country. The French offered safe harbor to Aoun where he schemed how to steal a country.

NOBODY DESERVES JIHAD MORE THAN THE FRENCH!

I may not have said it first, but at least I said it too.

[ghassan karam]

AK, You will get no argument from me about the benefits from self criticism , critical thinking etc... but your characterization of the Economist article is questionable. Actually your post forced me to revisit the Economist article and I do not think that the US ia "blamed" for the type of authoritarian, inefficient and despotic regimes that prevail in the ME. The author of the article who does not sound as if he approves of US policy initiatives , nonetheless is simply saying that the US has failed to change the ME and that the US policies have not accomplished their goals. That is a far cry from saying that the US policvies are responsible for the current regimes in the Arab world.

[Solomon2]

Hizbullah took an entire nation to war without consulting its government or people, and delivered them death and destruction. Yet you don't hear of a probe or investigation

As long as Lebanese value avoiding civil war above all else, why can't Hizbullah demand anything it wants of Lebanese and their country without being accountable at all? How can Hezb be held accountable? When you tell the bully that your fondest wish is not to fight, are you not giving him the right to do with your life and your property as he pleases?

[valiumjunky]

A practical and civilized way forward anyone?

[BadVilbel]

Solomon has it right. You can't back down from bullies. It gives them license to continue doing what they do.

[Charlie]

As long as HA are armed, their shenanigans are going to continue. They have pretty much taken the entire country hostage. It is one thing to put forward requests; it is another demanding them as they do while issuing threats to the rest of the country. Frankly speaking I just don't see a peaceful way out of this dilemma.

After all this time I am confused on what M-14's plan to deal with the armed presence of HA!!

[fubar]

Okay, so it's confront the bullies time? Hmmmm.

What say you AK? Has your pacifism cloak been retired (or at least been put into cold storage) or is it still firmly in place?

You know, Across the Bay linked to one of your old posts today. Funny, you seem to have a decent grip on what is coming, so I am just wondering if you think there is anyway short of brutal force to end this.

You know that Nas will never go peacefully. He lies like a whore, without shame, because he "believes" the end justifies his means, any means. You know the truth of that. Also, one of the lessons of the post-revolution period was incrementalism, keep chipping away and chipping away, until there is nothing left. Patience is the key, long term success the victory.

Nas uses his Aoun tool like some people use their pacifism cloaks, don't you think?

[BadVilbel]

I think we ALL know that it's long past time to confront the bullies. The real question, in my mind, is HOW do you confront the bullies.

[frankyb]

Americas war in Iraq was more of a victory.i think Hizbo will vanish into oblivion soon,but how soon know one knows.The patience card is the best card to play,i think the downfall of the party lies from within,the leadership ranks and its supporters.If March 14 utilize the rest of the neutral shiites,and try to expose Hizbo for what it is while playing the long and patient game,there should be an implosion and the party should wither away.Fighting them is not an option the lebanese can afford.Hizbo has to be clearly defeated politically,so that the example can be set for all people to see,and that Lebanon moulds its future with the pen not the sword.

[Shirin From Lebanon]

The current events in Lebanon disturb me terribly, how low can our nation stoop? Is there any hope for better times?
shirin-from-lebanon.blogspot.com

[BadVilbel]

Get a hold of this beauty in today's Naharnet:

---------
Hizbullah's Nasrallah Respects Israel
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Wednesday he respects Israel for issuing a damning report on last year's war against his Shiite fighters in Lebanon.
"It is worth every respect when an inquiry commission ... is appointed by (Israeli Prime Minister Ehud) Olmert ... and it condemns Olmert," Nasrallah said at a book fair in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hizbullah stronghold.

"I will not stand here to rejoice at the misfortunes of Olmert, (Defense Minister Amir) Peretz and (former army chief Dan) Halutz," he said.

"One can only respect the butchers' enemy leaders ... when they work day and night for their prisoners," he added.
---------------

Here's an idea, Nas...How about you let the Lebanese government conduct an inquiry into YOUR starting of the war? Since you respect that kind of self-criticism.
Or even better, how about you let an independent commission conduct an inquiry into Hezbollah's handling of pretty much everything they handle?

Freakin hypocrite...

[Rami]

It's hard not to look at the fallout of this summer's war, and not see how many people, across the Arab world, will see it as a "divine victory" against an arrogant and violent enemy. Many see Hezbollah as the only entity which was able to humble Israel, to the point where their leaders are being pressured out of office, and actually held accountable for their mindless, destructive, and ignorant behavior. While I beleive that this Israeli government will fall only to be replaced by something worse, it does say something about the power of their institutions, and complete absence of Lebanese institutions. While I am very critical of Hezbollah and do fear what they have in store for Lebanon and the precendent they set, I think at this point we must be MORE critical of the Lebanese government and our insitutions. We want to tame Hezbollah and any other group for that matter that monopolizes decision making by force and arms, but how can that happen without a viable alternative? The Lebanese system is a mess, and we can't blame it all on Hezbollah; one can argue they took matters into their own hands they only way they know how, as violent, brain-washing, and scary as it is. They seem to be winning the PR war with the government at this point, and this is certainly not speaking wonders for our chances of developing a strong, representative, democratic central government.

[ghassan karam]

Rami,
Your point desreves to be taken seriously but unfortunately it will not. I have been on your side of the fence/argument for a very long time. I cannot even imagine the possibility of accepting or condoning either the actions or the overriding philosophy of HA. But Ha and its cronies are a manifestation of the diseaese and not the disease itself. Ultimately Lebanon needs to decide whather it is willing to transform itself into a responsible democracy with laws and institutions or whether the anything goes tribal/sectarian mentality is to go on destroying the very fabric that it claims it is commited to. The change will not occur until the Lebanese people demand it. No meaningful solution can sustain itself from the top down. We need to march, become outraged , demand change whenever a basic principle is violated by anyone in power. We need to remind the pols that they are our servants, that they work for us and that we can fire them if they do not perform. As long as they are allowed to act as landlords and as long as we behave as the "grateful" serfs then the country; if you can call it that; will continue its march to oblivion.

March 14 has only one saving grace; they are not HA but that does not make them either democratic responsible or acceptable.

[BadVilbel]

I'll second (third), Rami and Ghassan's comments.

[R]

Just to comment on Rami and Ghassan's posts,

There was a debate among certain sides of the political spectrum in Lebanon when the Syrians where still here. One side argued that we must first rid ourselves of the corrupt political class that supposedly represents us, and then, with proper representation get rid of the Syrians... The other side argued the other point, and in my opinion made more sense. They basically claimed that there was no way that the political elites in Lebanon be changed unless the Syrian overlords were gone. Thus, gettting rid of the Syrians needed to be the first priority...

While at its surface, the debate seems to be strategic, in fact it was only a manifestation of the struggle between the "old left" and the "new left" in Lebanon, but that is not the point.

The point is that obviously, a similar debate on strategy is bubbling to the surface now. Tackling the political elite first, or Hizbulla first? Let me argue that both cannot be done simultaneously, since that leaves you with no allies or support, and hence you will lose both causes. Which leaves 2 options, you either ally yourself with Hizbulla to get rid of the current elite, but by doing so shoot yourself in the foot, because you would have created an unchecked HA. Or you ally yourself with a corrupt and inept political class, in the hopes of weakening and checking HA...
Anything else is unrealistic. Unless I am missing something.

[fubar]

R,

Yep. And no you are not missing anything, IMHO.

[Rami]

Interesting ideas by Ghassan and R. I am, and have always been, of the belief that the Lebanese political class not only cannot change the system, they absolutely WILL NOT change the system to another which will inherently put them out of business. I found R's comment on strategy particularly interesting, since it seems both methods of achieving the ultimate goal can't happen with a unresolved Arab-Israeli conflict. Lebanon cannot seperate itself without a strong central government and a military capable of defending the country, and this in turn is not possible so long as Hezbollah retains legitimacy to operate as it does, unchecked and unbalanced. Getting rid of out political class right now to get on the road to a strong central government, before tackling Hezbollah, renders them more powerful and pretty much defeats our purposes. So it seems we are in a pickle for the time being, living a precarious peace, hoping no one side drives us completely over the edge. Meanwhile, the "enemy" grows stronger- you decide who the enemy is.

(Thanks Bad)

[another_someone]

"Over 1000 leaders will be at Arab Economic Forum in Beirut"

Ok, so explain to me how is it that Lebanon is in a turmoil?

Seriously!

[BadVilbel]

I'm gonna go ahead and throw in my 2 cents on the comment by R, and the following comments:

It is true that dealing with both problems at the same time (corrupt ruling class + Hezbollah) is a daunting task. But you guys seem to think that allying with one over the other is the way to go. I have my doubts about that. As Ghassan pointed out earlier on, Hezbollah is, in truth, a manifestation/symptom of the disease (not the disease itself). The disease being the broken-down system. It is therefore, an extension of the "corrupt ruling class" phenomenon. The 2 bogeymen we're talking about tackling here are but one and the same. I don't really see how siding with one limb over the other is gonna help actually heal the body. Whether the right limb chops off the left, or the left limb chops off the right, we still end up with a crippled body that's missing a limb. (Pardon the terrible analogy).

i think the more salient point made above is that of a regional peace. None of these issues are fixable until we have an Arab-Israeli peace, on one hand, and a strong state with a strong military, capable of exercising its will independently of other Arab countries. And clearly, that last bit is a catch 22...So....in short...i think we're f***ed.

[BadVilbel]

I urge everyone to read this article by Anton Efendi.

The Islamic Revolution in Lebanon.
http://beirut2bayside.blogspot.com/2007/05/islamic-revolution-in-lebanon.html

[Charlie]

R,

Good point and not missing anything here. IMHO, corruption and political monopoly is a problem in Lebanon, however the road to rectifying it is not through HA’s agenda for the simple reason: HA’s loyalty is not to Lebanon and their agenda is not building a Lebanese nation, but rather surrender the country to the Faqieh in Iran.

[BadVilbel]

Crucial example of Middle Eastern rule of law that works:

This almost reads like something Ghassan might have written :)

LINK

[R]

Bad,

Hizbulla at some point were indeed a manifestation fo the political problem(s) in Lebanon. They grew out of the main problem of lack of a responsible government, and a convenient situation which was the lack of the rule of law (during the civil war) followed by syrian hegemony... Right now, they are no longer a symptom of the problem, they have grown into a full grown problem in their own right. To put it simply, they will not disappear if the problem of corruption is solved... moreover, the political class in Lebanon, i.e., the Hariris, Jumblatts, Franjiehs, and the many others that are there did not come to power from a vacuum. They were to some extent or another chosen by their constituents, albeit mostly on a sectarian basis. I really think that the two problems are not one and the same.

The problem of tackling the political class in Lebanon is one of mainly education and enforcement of the rule of law (which needs to be modernized by the way).

The problem of tackling Hizbulla is not merely one of enforcing the law on one person or small groups of people, it is one of enforcing the law on a militia, armed to the teeth, supported by foreign governments with an agenda of perpetual war for Lebanon (until\unless they get an insurance of regime perpetuation). There is a big difference.

I am not advocating condoning the behaviour of the elites. On the contrary. A strategy that is viable given the constraints of the Lebanese situation is to work with them on undermining HA, while simultaneously pushing your own agenda on working against corruption and modernizing the state...

As Rami mentioned, as long as the Arab-Israeli struggle is going on, there is little that one can do, since there will always be foreign interest of the worst kind in Lebanon....

[BadVilbel]

One could argue that Hizballah is also "representative of its sectarian constituents" or at least, brought to where they are today by the Shiite community.
These people don't exist in a vaccum.

[R]

Sure... I just meant that they differ from the rest of the bunch by having a fundamentalist ideology, weapons, and concrete foreign support in the form of cash and arms... That leads to them having their own foreign policy, defence policy, and social network... All I meant was that to argue that they are a manifestation of the problem of corruption in Lebanon is an understatement.

[ghassan karam]

R
I dont believe that anyone will argue that HA is a manifestation of the problem of corruption. Where did you get that from. All what can be said , and this is a tautaulogy in a sense, is that all problems arise only when the system fails. So yes HA is a manifestation of the failure of Lebanon to create a semi-functional state and that failure covers the whole gamut. If one is to assume that HA and all its allies still form under 50% of the population then creating a state with working institutions and a respect for the law will go a long way towards preventing HA and others from flaunting the law of the land and acting as hooligans. The best way to control, diminish and hopefully elimenate the need for HA or any such organisation is to remove the conditions that helped its creation. And as BV has indicated by his reference to the recent Turkish crisis, a functional state in the hood does exist.

[R]

Ghassan,

Hizbulla was created in the early eighties. At that point there was no state in Lebanon. To oversimplify, it grew quickly in the 90s thanks to Syrian/Iranian support, when our failed state was controlled by an even worse totalitarian regime. On the other hand, assuming that the state in Lebanon miraculously becomes a functioning one, Hizbulla will not cease to exist. It has established roots that are way too deep in the Shiite community and istitutions that function in parallel with the state and in spite of it.
To phrase it differently, removing the conditions that fostered HA's coming into being does not necessarily mean that it will cease to exist. Unless of course by a functioning state you mean one with an army that is willing, capable and sufficiently cohesive to forcefully disarm militias...

[R]

To clarify,

I do agree with you that until we - as citizens - are willing to express our disgust with the politicians and their offhandedness with the (outdated) laws and institutions and until we are willing to hold them responsible for their actions, lebanon will not progress. However, to be able to change the current circumstances and mindsets, you need to play the political game. At this point, this means allying with either this side or that, on the matters that are currently on the surface of political life in Lebanon, i.e., the tribunal, the presidency and so on. Simultaneously, one must try to bring the other more important things to the surface...

[ghassan karam]

Bad,
As you probably suspect, Tony Efendi and I look at the world through completely different lenses but at times our views are identical. I happen to identical views to the ones he elaborates in his post regarding HA , its roots and its ultimate goal. I have often made references to the tremendous similarity in the structure of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to that which we see in HA in Lebanon. This is no accident because I believe that HA is an extension of the Pasdaran, not a growth of the Pasdaran but an actual extension of the real thing. Some will argue that two identical structures do not necessarily mean two identical beliefs. That is true to some extent in the case of say Stalinist cells and those advocated by Qutb. However the similarity of structure in the case of HA and Pasdaran combines the same teachings, and the same set of beliefs, ideas and purpose not to mention funding and training. And that is precisely why I have been repeating ad infinitum that to believe the myth that HA is a part of the Lebanese democratic fabric and must be accomodated into the Lebanese quilt so to speak is nothing short of an act of suicide. It is an alien organism that has been allowed to grow and prosper in the Lebanese body politic only because Lebanon has failed to establish the bare minimum requirements of a state.

[Craig]

R,

On the other hand, assuming that the state in Lebanon miraculously becomes a functioning one, Hizbulla will not cease to exist.

Then Lebanon is well and truly screwed. Bottom line. And there is no hope for a "democratic" future. Your best bet is to back a reasonably sane dictator, and hope that he is able to get enough backing that he can destroy Hezbollah as ruthlessly as will be required. Either that, or just turn it all over to Hezbollah and hope that they don't let Iran provoke them into attacking the US and getting you all killed.

[Solomon2]

If Hezbullah were ever dealt with severely - if, say, it's leadership was jailed, its weapons caches destroyed, its membership disarmed, and its Syrian and Iranian controllers sent packing - what would keep Lebanon from becoming a normal, party-centered democracy?

But as long as sectarian Hezbollah is on the scene, then Lebanese are tempted to reach towards opposing sectarian leaders to deal with them. So lo and behold, a deal is produced that preserves Hezbollah and locks the role of sectarian politics into place - for who other than the sectarian leaders and the agreement they struck can protect ordinary people from Hezbollah?

Thus, these policians can remain in place and raid the till as they did before. No matter how much Western "support" Lebanese politicians receive, they will always seek to preserve Hezbollah in some vaguely threatening form, because without Hezbollah, their goose would be cooked.

So as long as Lebanon keeps to its current sectarian system, corruption will continue as before. Now do you see why I think the impetus for change must come from outside the sectarian leadership?

[Bad Vilbel]

I think i kinda-sorta agree with Solomon here :)

[Amir in Tel Aviv]

I agree with Rami:
"..While I believe that this Israeli government will fall only to be replaced by something worse, it does say something about the power of their institutions".

First, there was the mockery about the weak 'Zionist entity', along with the 'spider web' theory. Yesterday's speech was a change of tone and massages; from disrespect and contempt, to respect with amazement.
Still the Arab world don't really understands the Jewish/Israeli psychology. Hit us more, this will only toughen us; threat us, this will only empower the radical and the stubborn among us.
Melt our stone-hearts with kindness and respect. Maybe Hassan starts to understand that; better late, than never.
.

[JoseyWales]

r et al,

...as long as the Arab-Israeli struggle is going on, there is little that one can do..

Many, on all sides, agree with you there, though not I.

The situation may be hopeless for many reasons, but IMO the Arab-Israeli struggle (which does not help) is not one of them.

It's a long subject that I hope to blog on one of these day. IMO, it is another excuse to imply that fate controls us. If we continue to believe that, and Arabs/Lebs do, we will never solve anything.

[Rami]

A few comments in response to the words above-

While the debate to first tackle either Hezbollah or the political class may be an interesting one, neither will be achieved (at least peacefully or effectively) until the conditions are right. Right now, the best thing we can do is support initiatives that set a precedent for doing work through our institutions, and slowly develop a civic culture that can one day take over. So focusing efforts on approving the Hariri tribunal (under chapter 7 is my preference), presidental elections, and a new electoral law are a start.

As for the comment by Amir, you may want to think of your very words, but in reverse. Just like hitting Israelis stirs-up contempt in the extremists among you, so is the case with Lebanese, Palestineans, and all Arabs (and all people for that matter). I think that realization will serve a future Israeli government well. Speaking of the Arab-Israeli conflict, I agree with Josie that at times it seems that this conflict drags on because nobody really wants it solved (at least nobody with the power to solve it). Thus it has become an excuse for many, if not all, our short-comings. But that doesn't necessarily mean that it isn't the cause. At least in Lebanon, when we follow clientalism as a way of life, and with our clients deeply engaged in this conflict, we can never escape it so long as the conflict rages. Maybe get rid of the clientalism, but then we have come full circle, who to go first HA or the corrupt political class? Nevertheless an interesting idea, and I look forward to your blog Josie.

[ghassan karam]

Rami,
It is ineffective and even counterproductive to approach a complex problem in a complex system by contemplating whether to adopt policy "A" or whether on the other hand it should be "B" when it is not clear that the two goals are indepemdent of each other. In most cases, and obviously in this case, taming HA and erecting a viable democratic state are NOT exclusive enterprises. May I simply suggest that it is folly to approach one without the other. In my mind both are interdependent and a solution along the lines of effective democracy will by definition hold groups such as HA accountable for their acts. To treat only one side effect of a disease might have an appeal in the short run but only until another side effect erupts and causes even more pain than the one that is treated. What is needed is a cure for the malady and not a paliative. That simply dictates that one does the right thing by concentrating on the essentials and by resisting the temptation of superficial distractions. A cabinet is supposed to govern and a parliament is expected to legislate. Both will live up to their duties only if we hold them accountable. If we do not, and we don't, then we have foresaken the right to complain.

[passingthru]

Egypt has been at peace (more or less) with Israeli for more than 30 years.

It hasn't stopped them Egypt being an oppressive dictatorship.

The Arab-Israeli struggle is a scapegoat for all that is wrong with the Arab world.

How, exactly, does that situation in Gaza directly affect the inability of Egyptians to change their government to a representative democracy?

I'm missing that connection.