Tuesday, June 19, 2007
The Week in Review - Gaza, the BEEB, and Baseball Ticket Prices
An important week but one where the meaning of the events is not clear because time has not yet shown how things will shake up.
This week we have the take over of Gaza by the Iranian backed Hamas
The BBC is discovered to be overwhelmingly liberal
And denver sports writers and talk show host complain about Rockie ticket prices
The end of hope for Gaza
The events last week culminating with the full takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas is simply sad news for all who really care about a solution for the Palestinian people. Hamas is a terrorist organization, who began their “rule” by murdering Fatah militia in the good old fashioned manner of murderous regimes throughout the ages.
The simple fact is that Hamas is the choice of the people. The Palestinian people, beginning with Oslo in 1993 and going through the efforts of Bill Clinton at the end of his presidency, have been led to reject every possible option, and have consistently returned to violence. And now, those in Gaza have the full and uncontrolled rule of that chosen group. What will be the outcome? Apparently a less corrupt, more brutal, Islamic centred government.
Has Israel made serious mistakes in its treatment of the Palestinian people? Of course they have. Are they primarily to blame for the current situation? Well, not when you consider that the state of Israel was the product of the United Nations. Once it was created (yes, with the pushing of the Zionist movement and with the belief that something must be done to both reward the Jews and make it up to them after the Holocaust), the problem of what to do with the people who lived there was going to be an issue. But the Arab states of the region did not want those people. They have worked very hard for the past half decade to make the problem of the Palestinian people their benefit.
Could we all do more? You bet. But until the Palestinian people say no to violence and yes to some sort of two state solution, we are stuck. Should the West have given dollars to the Hamas government when they were elected? No. We have no requirement to support governments who openly support terrorism. So, now…supporting Fatah and working for a two state solution with Israel and the West Bank is…possible? Hopeful?
And what of Gaza? It is going to be a mess until Iran stops supporting the leadership. If Iran goes away maybe Lebanon, Gaza and the rest of the region might, stress might, have hope. Yes, Hamas is Sunni, but they have found genuine connection with Iran and its Republican Guard. So, the whole thing ends up with us trying to support those that might want to find away to get along while Iran supports those who want to have violent death cult power. Should be an interesting next few years.
The BBC and Anti-Semitism
If you want to read the best blog site about the events of the Middle East, especially Lebanon, read Michael Totten’s website. http://michaeltotten.com/
One of his comments in response to a comment on his post regarding Hamastan states that everyone knows the BBC is anti-Semitic. Then we get a report on the BBC that states the obvious: the BBC is indeed biased in the liberal direction:
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article1945850.ece
The Times story start by saying: BBC bosses must break free from a straitjacket of political correctness, a highly critical report of the public broadcaster’s impartiality will conclude.
The 80-page inquiry will report today that the BBC’s drama, entertainment and factual output is dominated by a liberal consensus that frequently fails to recognise that impartial coverage is best served by espousing a diversity of views.
Now, as someone who is beyond an Anglophile (I have been listening to the BBC Worldservice since I got serious about the internet) and a conservative, I can tell you that yes, the BBC is seriously liberal. This has become more and more apparent since I first started listening and watching in 1998.
And in the United Kingdom, the “politically correct” attitude is anti-Semite. It is not virulently anti-Semite, like Europe of the 1930s. But it there is a core belief that somehow, if it were not for the Jews, well, then the world would be safer, more peaceful, and well, better. Perhaps they are right, but so what. There are Jews, and they deserve the same respect and concern that people of any ethnic or religious group.
Lets hope that the BBC, now that the truth is out, will move back towards a fair and balanced approach and a little skepticism of the “excepted version of life” (i.e., the politically correct model). And in that, maybe the U.K. can regain its role as a moral force in the world.
Gouging the Baseball Fans. Not Really!
The New York Yankees are coming to Coors Field. Tickets are $75/ a piece. And all over the Denver sports pages they are complaining that the Rockies are over-charging the fans.
Yes, they charge far more for Yankees games than the Royals. But that is supply and demand. The stands will be filled for the next three games. The stands would not have been filled with the fans during the Royals games even if they gave seats away. Its simple supply and demand.
This is the problem with the world of journalism. They do not understand the “real world.” Newspapers are dying because the internet gives more supply at zero or low cost versus limited and time-delayed news for a price.
If I am the Rockies, I would charge for games that will be sold out. I would cut prices for those that are “uninteresting.” But gouging? No. Just like the $7/beers at the stadium and $9 pizzas at the airport, if there is limited supply and limited choices (the Rocks are the only games in town right now), then prices will be higher. I don’t like it, but its just the way things work.
