Dear Bush Administration,
[Re: Palestinian Election]
We are writing first to express our gratitude for the actions taken throughout your ruling terms to the end of promoting democracy in the Middle East. We feel that, had it not been for your actions in recent years, we would have neither the hatred necessary to institutionally legitimize our goals, nor would the burgeoning Middle-Eastern democratic scene have the respect it needs to make us a force to be reckoned with on a global scale.
Consider for a second: if you weren’t already in the process of constructing democracy in Iraq, the world might not be looking to us already implemented Middle-Eastern democracies to be leaders in your new order. But it is too late for that, hindsight is 20/20, as you Americans say, and nothing will change the fact that you have painted yourself into the corner.
Which brings us to the real concern behind this letter; you have recently demanded that we change our attitude towards Israel and disarm before you will accept us as the new leaders of Palestine. Are we to believe that is how a democracy should work? People elected us on our campaign, is it not our duty to deliver on our promises? Is this not how democracies are run in your neck of the woods? I would strongly advise you to consider the ramifications of having your cake and eating it too.
If you really, truly believe the circumstances that lead to our legitimization are not just, then what does that say about your belief in your own methods? The American Way is maybe not so powerful when its comrades-in-arms Truth and Justice are out to lunch.
We live in a brave new world, a world that is predicated on distaste towards the actions of so many administrations over so many decades on our little peice of it. If it’s not fair to be elected on a platform of hatred, why has party platform rhetoric worldwide been slipping from “these are my goals” to “I’m not the other guy?” Think of this next time you run a campaign attacking your opponents’ credibility or decisiveness.
As for your criticism that our campaign platform misrepresented our true goals–that our campaign focused on quality of life while our true platform is war–you above all others could hardly begrudge us some shifted focus in our election campaign; after all, your own 2004 election motto was hardly “Oil, and let’s get that bastard Hussein,” when, really, there isn’t a whole lot more to your government.
So please think of these words when you give your state of the union speech. Remember us here in what you would call “squalor” and we would call “righteous anger.” Remember, before you say “democracy is strong,” that democracy now includes Hamas.
Sincerely,
Hamas