1970s Israel helps create what would become Hamas, purportedly as a counterweight against other factions it deemed unfriendly. The main beneficiary was Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a half blind, half paralyzed cleric who hated the PLO.
1980s USA supports Afghani mujahideen in a guerrilla war against the USSR. Its top leader was a Saudi son of a billionaire, Osama bin Laden. bin Laden gathers many men to join in his peculiar brand of Wahhabism, known for its austere, fundamentalist, even puritanical approach to the Koran and Islam.
2000s The GOP begins a pseudo-grass-roots organization based on abortion, gun control, prayer in schools, anti-liberalism, and anti-government. After finally renaming themselves the Tea Party, they continue to wreak havoc, not only on their initial targets (Democrats), but have turned rabidly and rapidly to bite the hand that feeds them. (National GOP)
Here are a smattering of quotes from various Israeli spokesmen, leaders, and politicians, on the issue of Hamas:
They are terrorists, and have no right to live.
Exterminate them!
Wipe them off the map!
They are subhumans, incapable of rational behavior. There is no dealing with them.
Here are a smattering of quotes from various US pols discussing the children of the Mujuhideen, now known as the Taliban:
They are terrorists, and have no right to live.
Exterminate them!
Wipe them off the map!
They are subhumans, incapable of rational behavior. There is no dealing with them.
Here are a smattering of quotes from various Tea Party officials, discussing, in no uncertain terms, their newly targeted GOP enemies:
Traitors!
Wipe them off the political map!
They are compromisers and lovers of government. We have no patience for such treason.
"Unintended Consequences" is a term used to describe a set of "results" that was not intended as an outcome.
Despite warning to the contrary, there was no indication that Israeli leaders took to heart the warnings about what the creation of Hamas could do years, even decades later. I suspect that they would have avoided this path, if given the same choice.
Despite warnings to the contrary, US Congress cut all funding, including schools, roads, and jobs programs for the families ravaged by a long and bloody Soviet invasion. The small investment we could, and should, have accomplished would have costs pennies on a million dollar. Instead, we left them hanging, starving, and with no foreseeable future. No wonder bin Laden's promises and investments were so well received.
There were no warnings to the GOP leaders about their creation, underwriting, and support of the TeaBaggerers. To the contrary, they applauded the initial mass meetings, they supported the anti-government stances, and they used the faux-populism to cow and attack their political opponents.
In return for temporary peace, the GOP had no problems joining hand with them and moving to the right, especially in the face of a black man being elected as president. Initially, they uniformly and happily adopted the constant "NO!" response to any effort at governing or compromise by the president or the Democrats. Now, the tarnish is off, and they see the TeaBuggerers for what they truly are, petulant, childish, illogical, willfully ignorant, ungovernable, uncompromising, unread, uneducated, and unable to grasp the bigger picture.
Much like a hungry rabid dog that lives solely on red meat, their TeaBuggerers have now set their sights on the GOP. Perceived insults, insufficient anti-goverment positions, even the slightest willingness to compromise, even in the face of broad support throughout the country - these are all sufficient crimes, in those wee and rusty minds of the TeaHaddists, worthy of throwing GOPers out of office.
I wonder. Which of these was the biggest failure?
Which of these would have occurred without missteps and massive misreading by those in power? Could another group have coalesced, forming something akin to Hamas? Possibly. Could the Taliban have been so successful, but for the wrong-headed ineffable stupidity of Congress? Possibly. Could the TeaHaddists become a fact without the massive investment and donations by the Kochs and other evil billionaires? Doubtful.
What a weird world in which we live.