Saturday, January 07, 2006

Divide and Fall

The US Preacher Pat Robertson blames God for the critical medical condition of Ariel Sharon. According to Robertson, God is punishing Sharon for dividing the Land of Israel. Robertson (normally a close ally of the Bush wing of the Republican Party) has been chided by the White House for causing offence. [source: BBC]

Sharon recently left the Israeli Labour Party to form a new party - Kadima (which means Forward). [source: BBC]

If Robertson wants us to believe Sharon is being punished for dividing Israel, wouldn't it be just as logical to suppose that he is being punished for dividing the Labour Party? And is Sharon also responsible for the split within the US Republican Party?

Another politician who recently left another Labour Party - the UK politician George Galloway. His new party is called Respect (which means, er, anti-war). Galloway is currently neglecting the interests of his constituents (including 'Aqoul blogger Meph) in order to participate in Celebrity Big Brother.

Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad. Come in Pat Robertson, your time is up.


Update: I have just seen Robin Wilton's post You can't please all the people. I think Robin's point about the difficulty of interpreting divine retribution is pretty close to what I intended to say here, although of course he expresses it rather more clearly.

Robin continues:
While I applaud [Sharon's] resolve in pressing for a withdrawal from Gaza in the face of political opposition, I can‘t quite shake off the suspicion that it has made subsequent withdrawals from the other occupied territories less likely to be offered.
By their deeds shall ye know them ...


Update: Sharp comment about Pat Robertson by Scott Adams (creator of Dilbert).

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