[Jimmi] Carter said Hamas, besides winning a fair and democratic mandate that should have entitled it to lead the Palestinian government, had proven itself to be far more organized in its political and military showdowns with the Fatah movement of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

Far from encouraging Hamas’s move into parliamentary politics, Carter said the US and Israel, with European Union acquiescence, has sought to subvert the outcome by shunning Hamas and helping Abbas to keep the reins of political and military power.

“That action was criminal,” he said in a news conference after his speech.

The political philosophy behind Carter’s statement is that “democracy” is sacred, regardless of the ideology of those in power. I wonder, would Carter have called the Allies “criminals” if they had refused to deal with Hilter when he seized power? The similarities between the NSDAP and Hamas are eerie:

  • Lack of economic development due by statism and totalitarianism was blamed on:
    • An external political entity (Israel, the Allies)
    • “Die Juden sind unser Unglück!”- the Jews
  • “Arbeit macht frei”- A demand for total self-sacrifice to achieve “spiritual” freedom.
  • “Sicher ist der Jude auch ein Mann, aber der Floh ist auch ein Tier..” – dehumanization of the enemy.
  • “Heute Deutschland, morgen die Welt!” – aspirations of establishing a global dictatorship
  • The major opposition parties (Hamas and Fatah; the NSDAP, SPD, and Communists) shared the same basic philosophy, with the victory belonging to the one which observed its principles most consistently.
  • Electoral victory was quickly followed by brutal suppression of the opposition parties.

While Carter has obviously learned nothing from the mistakes of his predecessors, the Jews are not as defenseless this time around. The only culture the Palestinians are likely to annihilate this time around is their own.