No future

OK so here's the way I'm seeing things right now.

Hamas got into power in the Palestinian Areas a couple of weeks ago, and I genuinely believe that most of the people that voted for them did so because they're good in local government. Most of them.

I also believe that most of them would _not_ have voted for Hamas if they'd anticipated their being in control of their 'national' government.

Doesn't every place screw up this way, some time or another?

But the problem is Hamas themselves, who now have a mandate, and whose external ticket is pure homicide - toward Jews in particular, but also toward anyone else not part of Islam.

And the Arab states are wetting themselves through joy, and the rest are wetting themselves through fear.

If the West drops PA funding because Hamas is what it is, Muslim fundamentalist states will pick up the tab. And I truly believe that will lead us all directly to World War III (the official version).

If the West doesn't drop PA funding because it thinks Hamas doesn't really mean it, there will be a localised war between Israel and the PA areas. Maybe not immediately, but very soon. This will eventually lead to World War III (the official version).

So call me an optimist...