Son of Hamas co-founder: “There is no difference between Hamas and the Palestinian people.”

But wait, you say. How does he know that? The very last thing a tyrant would do is take an honest poll of his subjects. But that’s not what he meant. The concept of “what the people want” is foreign to the thinking of tyrants. I doubt they understand what we mean when we say “democracy.” Their idea of government is that they decide what to do, based on their interpretation of Islamic law, and of course the subjects comply. What choice do they have?

When American and British bombs fell on Germany during World War II, they fell on Nazis and anti-Nazis alike. Germans had elected Hitler as their leader, and they were stuck with the consequences. Israel forcibly removed every Jew from Gaza in 2005, and Gazans elected Hamas to rule them. Gazans have had 19 years to build the state of their dreams. And here it is. Now they, too,  are stuck with the consequences.

You can call it Karma if you like. But it’s just the way things work. It’s the Pottery Barn Rule: If you break it, you own it. It’s also Murphy’s Law of Excretion: If you throw enough manure at your neighbor, some is sure to splatter on you.