Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Comments on the 2004 Democratic Party platform :
The word "terror" appears 59 times.
The phrase "war on terror" 7 times.
The word "homeland" 10 times.
The word "security" 57 times.
The word "education" 29 times.
The word "hunger" appears 2 times.
The word "homeless" 1 time.
The word "unemployed" 1 time.

We are told "U.S. and international policies must take into consideration the best interests of the Iraqi people", I suppose an improvement over the Bushies but hardly a powerful statement of support for the rights of Iraqis.

On Israel/Palestine, we are told "we will ensure that under all circumstances, Israel retains the qualitative edge for its national security and its right to self-defense". The Palestinians, (of course) need to be "committed to fighting terror" while accepting that "Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and should remain an undivided city", in other words that occupied East Jerusalem will never be part of a Palestinian state.
The Democrats give away more Palestinian rights: "The creation of a Palestinian state should resolve the issue of Palestinian refugees by allowing them to settle there, rather than in Israel."
My favorite is: "Furthermore, all understand that it is unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949."
I guess I am not one of all, neither are the vast majority of the Palestinians, nor numerous Israeli activists, US Jewish groups, the United Nations, the International Court, the European Union, the Geneva Conventions, ...

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