As of today, I have officially added Gaza to the litany of names and places in my personal rendition of 'another one bites the dust'.
After reading how Hamas is making a killing off the economic and trade embargo imposed by Israel by taxing smuggled goods from Egypt - the only way to get general necessities into West Gaza - an import tax of 14.5% (August 16th, Christian Science Monitor, "Hamas Profits from Israel's Gaza Blocade")and using the revenue to alledgedly buy land and clout amongst the powerful business elites, I found myself just shaking my head in all-too familiar recognition. Another one does bite the dust.
I sat, surprised at my silent mourning of yet another still-birthed revolution despite the layers of dusty cynicism accumulated from fleeing three different countries in my short two decades and a half of life, and I found myself contemplating power and corruption all over again, how it always emerges in such predictable fashion. Of course Hamas was going to veer away from its focus on the Palestinian people and start preening and strutting its radical feathers for all the wrong reasons, namely, playing the Israel card to exhaustion and getting fat on rhetoric. Like so many other names and organizations that line the well-trodden road of broken promises (nothing is more inherent in revolution than broken promises), Hamas stopped healing in the food shelters and make-shift hospitals that had endeared them to their communities and started making war with worn words and fiat both claiming to trust God...
Its sounds cynical, but I am not. I wholeheartedly believe in the power of human beings. I believe people are born good. What I do not believe in is the redemptive value of power - unless you are a saint or a god, but then, thats why you are referred as such. I was not amongst the throngs that danced in the street when Obama won because, although I believe he does his best to steer with morality, interests of power are bigger than him and the siren song can be intoxicating. I was happy to see someone who could inspire pride and hope in our all-too vast ghettoes and our 'Dark' Continent, but I fear for the blindness that adoration sometimes begets.
(And should anyone accuse me of exaggerating, here are some random tidbits covering some recent issues that have direct relevance to his well-meaning campaign promises: the EPA under Obama will be undertaking less environmental clean-ups in highly toxic sites than the heavily-criticized Bush administration did (August 10th, NY Times); and yes, we may be getting out of Iraq, but its not a scale-down, its merely an upsurge in another country (Afghanistan). And since Im on the topic, pray someone explain why BlackWater - despite facing several criminal and civil lawsuits, being 'kicked' out of Iraq (where they are still armed & present), founded by a 'Christian crusader' who is currently under investagation for murder (August 4th, The Nation) STILL works internationally under OUR name & debt, receiving over $175 millions in contracts since January?
No, I am not cynical, I am just distrustful of the ultimate seducer of all, the most ancient of mistresses and strongest of drugs. In the hands of many (communism, mob justice) or in the hands of a few (capitalism, religion), power thrives on imbalance and everything - from the seasons down to our biological existence- depends on balance. So we can only expect tragic disappointment when we claim a different face on the other side of the same coin; in this age of the apathetic 'i-', lets not get lulled to sleep by the comforts of 'promises'. Unless, of course, you are a terracotta warrior.
Hamas reminded me: Question power. Maintain balance. And one day, when you are in a position of power - at work, at play, in thought or action - pray someone questions you too.
with Peace,
a pilgrim
