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It is amazing to read such a refreshing piece of unvarnished reporting - giving us a glimmer of the situation on the ground in Gaza - and a real glimpse of culture that has infected the area.
1) You have the legacy of Arafat in the current condition of Fatah - divided into many small militias so that none could be too powerful – now unsuccessfully fighting against a larger organized group - Hamas.
2) You have the corruption of groups fighting over the spoils of government - which there translates into who controls the cash "donated" from the outside world.
3) You have militias - the "arm" of the political party - or more likely a family - each with it's own agenda (at this point - just to get paid)
4) You have tribalism - in the sense that no one seems to care about cooperation - just how I can maximize my pile of money and power.
5) You have the raw emotionalism that seems to rule out common sense and calculated behavior to build instead of to shoot off a gun at every occasion.
Anywhere else in the world you would call this for what it is – Warlords in action. For a people so dedicated to having their own state, their ability to wreck their dreams is breathtaking. It is said that the Palestinians "never miss a chance to miss a chance." They were given Gaza lock stock and barrel with the potential to show the world what they could accomplish by themselves. They are - and it is not pretty.
If the most educated peoples in the Middle East can't govern themselves without a strong man - what hope is there for the rest of the area?
