Left I on the News

Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was assassinated today in Lebanon. Immediately we heard from two of the world's biggest hypocrites.

George Bush:

"The United States remains fully committed to supporting Lebanon's independence and democracy in the face of attempts by Syria, Iran, and their allies within Lebanon to foment instability and violence."

Tony Blair:

"We need to do everything we can, particularly at this moment, to protect democracy in Lebanon and the premiership of Prime Minister Siniora.

"And it underlines once again the absolute and urgent need for a strategy for the whole of the Middle East, that supports those who favour democracy and the proper way of resolving disputes everywhere."

No reminder from either of these protectors of Lebanon (nor from the media reports of their hypocritical bleating) about the "protection" they offered back in July when they rushed weapons to Israel in the midst of its destruction of a substantial portion of the country and the murder of more than 1500 Lebanese. And no reminder from either of these lovers of "democracy" (nor from the media reports of their hypocritical bleating) about how they responded to the completely democratic election of a Hamas government in Palestine by imposing a total blockade on Palestine, a blockade that was (and is) designed to effect political change in Palestine by terrorizing its civilian population, the very definition of terrorism.

The murder of more than a thousand Lebanese civilians? Silence. The murder of thousands of Palestinians? Silence. Ah, but the assassination of one member of the Lebanese government, that they have something to say about.