E!ghty

Yeah it's my 80th post and I thought I'd change the skin to celebrate. Isn't this one so much nicer? It's pink(ish), (I think), and the words are a lot easier to read than white on black, which really doesn't make for easy reading sometimes.

I'm really not good with the technical aspect of this blog business, hence the pathetic reliance on templates provided by blogger. One simple click was all it took. And yet I still managed to lose my tagboard and have no idea how to retrieve it. Oh well.

I find it an appropriate time to write about the death of Zarqawi, that loony terrorist who blew people up in the name of a god that doesn't exist. It warmed my heart to witness the applause that greeted the news of his passing. I hope he died a painful death. I have no sympathy whatsoever. But, is this really going to bring peace to Iraq. Indeed, at this point, WHAT can be done to improve the situation there? The US has to stay put. No doubt about that. But for how long? And even then, the bloodshed isn't going to stop anytime soon. I supported the Iraq war at that time, in the belief that Iraq was better off without Sadaam. Like many others, I failed to consider the consequences of the power vaccum that would result from his removal. Murderous dictator or fanatical Islamist? Ah, the proverbial devil and deep blue sea. Same thing in Palestine. Democractic elections I support. But what about when this leads to Hamas winning and forming the government? What we consider "good" and "nurturing" for the Middle East has resulted in a conundrum. At this point, there is no way back. The gates have been opened, the dam has been breached, and there is no U-turn ahead. One can only hope that continued participation in the democratic process will lead to a society where disputes are settled within the framework of democratic debate and compromise, as opposed to resorting to violence as the first and most effective means of getting one's point across. But looking at the quagmire that is Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, this would be a sanguine hope.

Two further points. Not that I'm making any new, revolutionary viewpoint or anything. Firstly, whoever said that the world would never be the same after Sep 11 was spot on. It's been nearly 5 years and so much has changed. Somehow, the pre-Sep 11 world seemed so much more carefree. Secondly, like him or hate him (I don't see how it's possible for ANYONE, save the first lady and his daughters, to actually LOVE the man), Bush has created a legacy for himself and made an impact that, dare I say, surpasses that of his much missed and highly regarded predecessor.

Enough.

I can't begin to say how pleased I am that ICT is over. Good riddance. And now it's time to actually make good on all those promises I made myself, time to actually get off my ass and Do Somethin'