WHY THEY VOTED FOR HAMAS

[Preliminary from AP: "Hamas leaders are claiming Hamas had won about 70 seats, enough for a majority in the 132-seat parliament. ... Officials with Fatah also said that Hamas had won about 70 seats, which would give the Islamists a majority in the 132-seat parliament."]

I'm surprised that anyone is surprised. After years of corruption and killing every moderate in the hemisphere, there's no one left alive but radicals.

We've seen this again and again in history, from Revolutionary France to Batista's Cuba to Somoza's Nicaragua to the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and still entrenched power reacts to this news like Aunt Pittypat at the ball, clutching their chests and swooning.

"Your explanation depresses me," I said.
"Your nonsense depresses me," said Simple.
(Langston Hughes, "Bop")