Airstrip One

In Defence of a Blair

Now I'm not going to pretend that Cherie Blair was anything but stupid to say what she did, or that party politics should not be a blood sport. However was what Cherie said either wrong or extremist? Here's what she actually did say:

As long as young people feel they have got no hope but to blow themselves up, you are never going to make progress.

So:

Do young people "feel they have got no hope but to blow themselves up"?

As it involves a thing as personal as hope, it is a subjective test. However, the act of suicide would indicate that they have no other hope. If they did feel that they had any other hope then they would surely stay alive for it.

Of course Israeli occupation is not the only source for the hopelesness, the useless leadership of the Palestinians, the money going to often destitute families and the propaganda pumped out in the school and mosque must share some of this blame.

But the very act of blowing oneself up surely should be taken as proof of hopelesness.

Will there ever be progress towards when there is suicide bombing?

According to many Israelis there won't be. I think that they are right on this.

Now she did not say that this was reprehensible and that innocent Israelis die, and she should have said these things. However what she did say was perfectly reasonable, and if anyone thinks that suicide bombing will lead to peace or that blowing oneself up is not a sign of despair then they would be the extreme ones.