So you think you know what's going on?

{link » The Gaza War: A Small Part of The Nationalist Islamist Conflict}

“Inasmuch as the West rescues Hamas from its own mistakes, the result will be strengthening radical forces throughout the region, demoralizing moderates, and ensuring even more violence and suffering in future. Vladimir Lenin, leader of the previous big revolutionary movement, Communism, predicted that democratic states would sell their enemies the rope that would be used to hang themselves. Radical Islamists are counting on it. Relatively moderate Arab nationalists fear it. Israel is fighting to prevent it.”
 — Barry Rubin

Sometimes it's more fun to party than to think. For most people that is almost always the preferred choice. Thinking, you know, is, like, hard, dude. I'd much rather get my headache from drinking.

Today's protest rally is what we called a panty raid when I was in college (yes, I know, back in the stone age). Everybody is milling around, whooping it up, yelling and screaming obscenities, and having a grand old time. Then the media blows all of it up into crisis mode and everybody is happy. Ignorance is bliss.

As a result, we establish a virtual reality for the masses to keep them busy, ignorant, and drunk, while the grownups (i.e., those who think) try to keep the ship of state on an even keel, with varying results. After all, even the grownups' mileage varies. Witness the witless Congressional "leadership". But I digress ...

Panty on, dude.