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Late-night re-runs
26-Nov-2007
In June 2006 I wrote a piece here entitled “Is This Anything?” It opened with a reference to a shtick on Late Night with David Letterman, in which the curtain rises and a person or two perform an act or display something and then the curtain descends a few moments later. The host, Mr. Letterman, and his musical director, Maestro Paul Shafer, then engage in light banter in order to decide if what they just witnessed was “anything.” The choice is either “something” or “nothing.” Because these days the late night fare is in re-run mode, I figured, hey, what the heck I, too, will recycle this opening to discuss the upcoming re-run of American peace efforts in the Middle East. I am talking about the Annapolis summit that begins on Tuesday, November 27, 2007, in order to forge yet again a lasting peace between the Israeli state and the Arab world. Is this anything?
To answer the question of the summit being anything, one must refer to another popular shtick on Letterman, in which he and his musical director wager to see if a certain article would float or sink as a pair of heavenly-clad maiden drop the object into a tank of water. Because Annapolis, Maryland, is a naval-maritime port, I guess this “floating” thing is a good metaphor by which to gauge the success and failure of the Annapolis summit. Will it float?
No, it will not float. The summit is not about peace between Israel and the Palestinians. It is about the Bush Administration wanting to show the Chinese and Russians and Iranians that it can still command other governments to a round table.
The summit will sink because Israel and Palestinians cannot have peace. If they were capable of or desirous of peace, then they would have consummated something a long time ago, just like Jordan and Egypt did with Israel. This summit is designed to achieve nothing and it will not achieve a thing other than to let the participants say, “we tried.” Nothing ventured, nothing lost.
Like all the others before it, this summit will sink because Israel has no intention of giving up the settlements and withdraw to its pre-June 1967 borders. Israel is not willing to get out of the West Bank, Gaza and Golan Heights without precondition. Israel wants the Palestinians to disarm each other before Israel will do its part – that would not happen because no Palestinian trusts Israel to then follow through with its part of the deal. And Israel does not want to allow Palestinians who got kicked out or left Israel to return to Israel because Israel would like to be a purely Jewish state.
This summit will fail also because not all the “adversaries” are invited. If this is about Israeli survival, then by Israel’s own admission Palestinians are not the only threat to reckon with – there is also Hamas, Hezbollah (in Lebanon and elsewhere), the Sunni street, and the Iranian government, to name a few. Exactly what will the summit do in order to bring these folks to the side of the peace process? Not having invited them is tantamount to ignoring them. Ignoring them will not make them go away, nor diminish their grievances, some of which in a just world would be deemed as legitimate. They will be further marginalized, cornered, spurned and therefore all the more militant and dangerous.
As far as the Palestinians are concerned the summit is about them getting their state. This has been the dream of every Palestinian leadership – which is, the Palestinian statehood come about in his time in office. That motivated Arafat and his successors in Fatah and now also in Hamas. But Israel will not allow a Palestinian state to emerge if it means that Israel as a Jewish sate would have to transform or vanish.
There is another way to promote statehood for Palestinians. Let us say Gaza declares its independence as state under the current Hamas government. A smattering of countries would recognize it and it would apply for membership to the United Nations. That membership, if granted, will bring Gaza into the promise of the UN Charter that no member state should attack another member state, which would also mean no attacks against Israel, or vice versa. Thereafter will come about, by negotiations or violence, the gradual accretion of territories from the West Bank onto the Republic of Gaza. Nothing precludes that a similar scenario not unfold in the creation of the Palestinian state on the West Bank and gradually the two “states” merging into one union. But all this depends on local initiative, not international horse-trade.
Naturally, one cannot judge the value of the summit by its floating because shit too floats. Nor can one judge its value by its sinking because diamonds sink, don’t they? The only measure of success of this gathering would be if Saudi Arabia comes to recognize Israel. The Saudi’s have had a peace plan for some time now, by which the state of Israel will cough up all the land it seized in June of 1967, the same demand as in UN Resolution 242. If that happens all else will follow eventually. If that does not happen, then kiss the summit goodbye just like all the others. If the UN could not bring peace to Israel what should give anyone the hope or expectation that the Annapolis frat party will?
At best, the Annapolis summit will be George W. Bush’s farewell tour, without him going on the road -- a lazy man’s way to get off an international scene that he neither embraced nor engaged. As for the participants who are American client, “money talks.” As for the non-client participants, politesse oblige!
For the foregoing reasons, the Annapolis summit is “nothing” and therefore it will not float.
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This is really a nice
by DingDong2 (not verified) on Thu Nov 29, 2007 08:39 AM PSTThis is really a nice thread, here. Sorry, I am late to comment, but I had to spend a lot of time trying to figure out why Fred calls Mirf a counter-culture person. What does this term mean? If he is not like Iran, then why the pro-Iranian-language media have him on.I listened to his talk on Golgahst a while back in LA and he sounded wonderful. In fact he has been on a few times on that program and everytime I am amazed at how much he knows and how clearly he states his postion and briefly, too. I just saw the clip of his stuff on RadioFarda and he sounded more resonable than any of the others, including the host who sounded rude to him -- granted, I do not agree with him on all the things he said, but the guy did not sound anti-Iran or counter-culture). I have a tough time with some one called "Fred" calling this guy counter-culture! Fred, or is it Farahd, get back into this discussion, don't pout.
Roo ke neest. "Has it
by To Anonymous436 (not verified) on Thu Nov 29, 2007 06:13 AM PSTRoo ke neest.
"Has it occurred to you that maybe the Azarbaijan postion is the corecet one?" You're full of .... As for G. Mirfendereski (siding with the newly made country of Azerbaijan, and against Iran), he too like you, is full of ... (your true colors are coming out).
Please forgo my comments,
by Fred (not verified) on Wed Nov 28, 2007 12:59 PM PSTPlease forgo my comments, enjoy his writings and have a blessed life. Bon voyage
Mirfenderski
by Anonymous436 (not verified) on Wed Nov 28, 2007 12:39 PM PSTSo what if his view is the same as Azarbaijan's, whatever that is. Just because their views may be the same about the Caspian, why should Mr. Mirfenderski be necessarily in the pay of Azarbaijan? Has it occurred to you that maybe the Azarbaijan postion is the corecet one, as same as the other countries' and Iran's is the wrong one? If Iran thinks it is right why does it not go to court to prove its case? I have been told that change of circumstances as a legal concept may actually help Iran's case if a court can be made to go along with it. But then circumstances change all the time and if verytime a country made that an excuse then the world would be in chaos.I also asked around and am told that the hissy with the IRI guy (as you put it in London) was over the guy stealing Mr. Mirfendrski's work. If you think Iran has the right to complain in Caspian and Persian Gulf about its rights being trampled or stolen, then why shouldn't Mr. Mirfenderski have the same right to satnd up for his work. I think you have a persocanl axe to grind with this man or are a very ignorant person. As a matter of curiosity, what did you eman by he "forgoes some relevant actors in that national betrayal/tragedy" in his book about Persian Gulf. Lastly, what have you contributed to any discussion in an academic way other than this poisontalk on this thread?
Nothing personal
by Fred (not verified) on Wed Nov 28, 2007 04:34 AM PSTYes Mirfendereski has written two historic overviews of diplomatic exchanges on the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea. Both I’ve read and they are the genesis of my comment rather than personal animosity of your presumption. In the Caspian Sea one contrary to the conventional and overwhelming opinion of the experts he in defense of Azarbaijan’s position sticks to the old tired Hossein-gholi demarcation line and does not recognize the superseding events. And in the Persian Gulf book which he got onto a hissy fit over it with the Islamic Republic’s man in London, Mojtahedzadeh, he conveniently forgoes some relevant actors in that national betrayal/tragedy. I also like to remind you that having written a book or two is no representation of ones behavior. Before the revolution Rafsanjani wrote a book on the life and times of Amir-Kabir and Khamenei has written a book on Hafez.
MG is so full of it...
by Imam Hossein (not verified) on Tue Nov 27, 2007 05:34 PM PSThis eyes are turning brown...
You misunderstand...
by DonQuixote (not verified) on Tue Nov 27, 2007 11:14 AM PSTI do not know about the program. Who were the other people on that program? Did they make a passing comment about him or referred to proof of this other his opinion on a subject. Didn'y he write a book on the subject awhile back, which was acurally well received? If you, Fred, do not like Mr. Mirfendereki or what hw rote about Anapolis, why do you see the need to skewer him over his view on that program?
Misunderstood comment
by Fred (not verified) on Tue Nov 27, 2007 09:11 AM PSTYou’ve misunderstood my comment. I simply reminded the author of this mishmash that when he goes on the deep end for the sake of uniqueness this kind of issues arises. That issue of Aliof came up during a televised roundtable on Caspian Sea. The other guests, both imminently qualified on the issue were dumbfounded by the skewed utterances of this author and finally ventured aloud about the possibility of him working for the Azerbaijani’s.
Fred, what proof or evidence
by DonQuixote (not verified) on Tue Nov 27, 2007 08:38 AM PSTFred, what proof or evidence do you have for your allegations and claims about Mr. Mirfenderski being a part of a cabal or working for Azarbaijan, etc.
Counterculture
by Fred (not verified) on Tue Nov 27, 2007 02:03 AM PSTRecognition and admittance of an independent Hamas government to the UN will make Hamas abide UN charter and not attack another member country (Israel). These guys kill their own Palestinian kin like there is no tomorrow and you think UN recognition will change that. Is this peace idea of yours anything like the time you defend Republic of Azerbaijan’s right to the Caspian Sea resources over Iranians on VOA, prompting other guests to publicly venture that you are working for the Aliof cabal? Counterculture has a limit and must be in realm of reality.
ریشه لغات
اختر سادات (not verified)Mon Nov 26, 2007 06:07 PM PST
بهترین قسمت آنستکه دوباره در مورد ریشه لغات مطلبی ننوشتی. برای مثال:
اسم شهر اناپولیس از دو لغت "ان" و "پولیس" مشتق شده است. هردو لغت ریشه فارسی دارند.
"ان" بمعنی گُه است و مدفوع و غائط.
"پولیس" لغت اصیل فارسی (آره) و بمعنی "شهر" است. مثل شهر کرد، شهر ورامین و شهر فرنگ و غیره.
آناپلیس، بنابراین بمعنی "شهر گه و مدفوع" میباشد و ریشه ایرانی آن انکار ناپذیر است! .
ANSWER TO MOZDOUR M.D. !
by IROONI (not verified) on Mon Nov 26, 2007 04:22 PM PSTLet's see:
PROSTITUTION:
Iranian women (inside the country) & crossing our borders to sell themselves in order to eat...
DRUGS:
Our youth addicted to all kinds of drugs BROUGHT IN BY the criminal
PASDARS...
HUNGER & HOMELESSNESS:
Men, women & children in the streets begging for food & shelter:
CORRUPTION:
The Iranian people's money STOLEN BY THE MULLAHS & THEIR ELEMENTS
AND GIVEN AWAY TO OUR ARAB ENEMIES...
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES:
Men, women & children (that means anyone under 18) beaten, raped,
tortured & murdered...
AND ALL IN THE NAME OF RELIGION !!!
BRAVO TO THE REVOLUTION !!!
TAKE YOUR ISLAMIC REPUBLIC AND MOVE TO GAZA WITH YOUR PALESTINIAN
MASTERS !
THE SECOND ARAB TAKEOVER OF IRAN IS OVER !!!
Job well done
by Mahmoud Ghaffari (not verified) on Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:16 PM PSTGuive as usual a very nice and professional job. I am not sure the Palestinians are all blamless in this endeavor though.
Also to the M.D. who posted his tirate on the greatness of the IRI how the revolution saved the country. Get a life, the regime is doomed and can do nothing short of kissing the Arab ass to gets its legitimacy to stay in power. The great Iranian (Persian) Nation have had it with them and those who support it. They are living on borrowed time.
LATE NIGHT:::::::::::::::::::
by Faribors Maleknasri M. D (not verified) on Mon Nov 26, 2007 11:47 AM PSTThe first passage of the article is exactly what i want to write since a long time. But first: I have not the capability to write what i am eager to explain and second: I have not dared myself. Because nothing in "IRANIAN" is sacred but there are things which are even less sacred. they are not alloud to bementioned. otherweis a shower of "nice words" rains upon the one who has dared. anyhow the times as the great satan could order are passed. See Abbas is not the most accepted politician in Palestine and olmert? It is no secret that he has alot of affairs which - for an iranian politician for example woulf bring the death sentence. and the little little nice and cute bushy bushy? well he is president because a court wanted him to be. Not the american nation. and the american nation? what kind of nationare the americans? they are apolitical, most consuming and indifferent to most serious affaires of life. Neaqrly all americans are convinced that only 10.000 irakis are dead since war. in the reality are more than 70.000 dead. On the other hand nearly all arab governments have declared they are not willing to fight against IRI and they are not interessted in giving military bases to ones who will or would fight IRI. and these dicisions they have made because of the arab nations. thanks the enormous activities of the IRI to pull the opressed nations together the richness of the country and its military power and its geopolitical topography has helped the neighbours and arab nation to realise which is the right way for them to go. And all that is the BLESSING of the Revolution iranians pulled through almost 30 years ago. Greeting.
yes, I agree
by Anonymous8 (not verified) on Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:45 AM PSTI also think this is the chance for the Bushies to bribe the Arab governments into supporting war with Iran. something very similar happened before attackign iraq too.