Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Final Observations before the Electoral Results

I'll be going offline in a moment: we have this custom of spending election night with relatives, in a convocation where the number of parties voted for is hardly smaller than the number of eligible voters: we eat popcorn and disagree about what the results might possibly mean, and agree to reconvene next time which is never far ahead. As the number of our voting children grows, the spread of parties seems also to grow.

I have been voting since 1977, and have switched party allegiances at least three times myself. Being a centrist means you've got to keep on your toes, and abandon whomever strays too far from the center. Of all the times I've voted, I can't remember an election in which I was so indifferent to the results. Not, as many pundits will tell you, because of disapproval of the politicians on offer - I've been around for a while and have long since lost any illusions I had on that score. My indifference (it's not apathy) stems, I think, from the understanding that it doesn't really make much difference. Peace isn't about to happen. Unilateral disengagement, which I supported a few years ago and support still has been knocked off the agenda by the behaviour of Hamas in Gaza, which took the opportunity to build themselves an emerging state and convince us to give more, and dedicated all their efforts to destruction. Using force will be inevitable and tactically necessary, but it won't solve anything. King Obama the First, aka The Messiah, isn't.

I've known for a long time that we're in for the very very long slog; at this particular moment it isn't even clear, however, who can manage it intelligently.

I voted for Tzipi, for those of you who asked. But she can't win. And it wouldn't make any difference if she did.

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