POLITICS: Hamas Victory: It's a Good Thing

So apparently it is called "Crisis Hope Theory".

POLITICS: Hamas Victory: It's a Good Thing: "Emanuele Ottolenghi, professor of Israel studies at Oxford University, has an intriguing take on the Hamas victory in Palestinian Parliamentary elections.

Contrary to initial responses, Hamas’s projected victory in the Palestinian parliamentary elections is a positive development. Not, as its apologists claim, because the proximity of power will favor a process of cooptation into parliamentary politics, and therefore strengthen the pragmatic wing of Hamas. There is no pragmatic wing in Hamas, and all differences within the movement — the armed wing and the political wing, Palestine Hamas and Hamas in Syria — are arguably tactical differences. No, the reason is, as Vladimir Ilich Lenin would put it, 'worse is better.'

This notion is what Stanley Fish once derisively termed 'crisis hope theory.' It goes like this, if things get worse, this will bring about crisis and thus, they will get better. Ottolenghi rightly notes that the elections put Hamas in 'an impossible situation,' but it is ludicrous to assume this means the end result will be any better.



This lame argument reminds me of leftists comforted by Bush's election, as this would show the limits of the Democratic Party (it has) and thus would result in a turn to the left (it hasn't). He writes:

But unless Hamas reneges on its ideology and endorses a new course, then Israel’s claim that there is no Palestinian partner is vindicated. The resulting Israeli policy of unilateralism is vindicated. Israel’s argument that the Palestinians do not want peace is vindicated. Israel’s argument that Islamists’ nuances and differences of opinion are just tactical, not strategic, is also vindicated. And the prospects of a Palestinian state will become even more remote.

He forgets to mention that Hamas might feel a bit 'vindicated' right now. Israel and Palestine can retrench further into opposition. But hey, I guess that's a good thing because 'worse is better'?

(Written by: panopiticpants)

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(Purportedly Via SuicideGirls: News Wire.)