Cash for Cooperation - Obvious Award!

At least they're obvious!

Gotta love the US government (and all our cronies) for being straightforward about incentives.

Within moments of Hamas's takeover of Gaza and the subsequent sacking of the Hamas-dominated Palestinian Authority, the US et al had suddenly found money to send in support of the Palestinian government!

This wouldn't, by any chance, be tied to a specific political agenda?

Interesting take on Democracy. Let's walk through this rationale.

1. Demand free elections take place in "Palestine" to secure diplomatic acknowledgement by the West and Israel (which is like a little oasis of Western authoritarianism in the desert).

2. Hold free elections.

3. Majority winners of the free elections are members of Hamas, or at least supported by them.

4. West refuses official recognition of the government because Hamas is "a terrorist organization" and, more importantly, thinks the West and especially Israel, should go to hell.

5. Wait for a violent coup by Hamas.

6. Elbow the sitting President to can the existing government and replace it with one that entirely excludes Hamas (and, therefore, the majority will of the people).

7. West-backed Pres selects new Prime Minister and government.

8. West officially recognizes "Palestine".

9. West finds a whole hell of a lot of money to support the new Palestinian Authority.

Sounds like US-brand Democracy to me!

Today this strikes me as funny. Tomorrow, probably not.