I hold here, in my formerly nicotine-stained fingers, that singular strategy which may be Republicans’ last and only hope of maintaining relevance in post-Bush American politics. As a registered Republican, I speak for the majority of Republicans, and I speak to that majority, as an act of identity-preservation. Radical extremists have formed a splinter cell within the party. Because the extremist element is in the minority, it must be isolated and disenfranchised. Lest their malignancy poison the entire body, amputation is preferable to systemic failure and eventual death.

The Palestinians are in a parallel situation, where the Fatah majority have constructed a functioning, internationally recognized organization, while simultaneously shedding their associations with the most violent elements of their society. Take note: this strategy has survived the recent test, in which Israel isolated Hamas without involving the Palestinians as a whole. Rush Limbaugh is Hamas. The Republicans are now being tested.

Everyone is served by the Hamas/Fatah split. Those individuals who become extremists now have a well-defined destination. As a result, the healthy, functioning majority can use the political process to advance their cause without the liability imposed by extremists. Make no mistake: the Limbaughs (and there are several) do attract a certain audience, but that audience consists of political invalids, with radical and ineffective beliefs that do not agree with mainstream Republicanism. This particular audience does not want to be Republican, any more than Republicans can afford to accommodate these radical extremists.

Quite simply, it is time for both parties (Republicans and Republinots) to recognize that they have fundamentally different tactics, and that they will get farther without the other.

For Limbaugh, mainstream Republicans are just another target of his criticism, and he’s been seeking to break apart, whether consciously recognizing it or not. Admit it, Republicans: Limbaugh is an unconvicted serial drug addict; a man at war with himself, with society at large, and with Republicans in particular.

More than anything, it is critical for both parties to recognize that, so long as they are considered part of the same group, they are doomed to be blamed for the others’ shortcomings. The division is mutual, complete, and beneficial.

RTFA: http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htart/articles/20…

Hamas Has A Secret Weapon
May 20, 2008: Israel knows that Hamas has been stockpiling an arsenal of rockets in Gaza, and may be bringing in some with a range of up to 40 kilometers. Israeli intelligence officials believe Hamas currently has, in Gaza, several hundred factory made BM-21 rockets, each with a range of 20 kilometers. They also have some shorter range (six kilometers) B-12 rockets. These are not smuggled in much, because the locally made Kassam II has about the same range. However, the B-12 is more reliable (more reliable trajectory and fuze, so more are likely to land where aimed and explode.)

The B-12 is a 107mm, 42 pound, 107mm, 33 inch long, Russian designed rocket that is very popular with terrorists. This rocket has a range of about six kilometers and three pounds of explosives in its warhead. Normally fired, from a launcher, in salvoes of dozens at a time, when used individually, it is more accurate the closer it is to the target. This 107mm design has been copied by many nations, and is very popular with guerillas and terrorists because of its small size and portability.

The 122mm BM-21s weigh 150 pounds and are nine feet long. These have 45 pound warheads, but not much better accuracy than the 107mm model. However, these larger rockets have a maximum range of 20 kilometers. Again, because they are unguided, they are only effective if fired in salvos, or at large targets (like cities, or large military bases or industrial complexes.)

Most of the rockets fired are the homemade “Kassam” (or “Quassam”, or “Quds”) rockets. These began landing in Israel during late 2001. The Hamas Palestinian terrorist organization designed the first Kassam in late 2001. This was the Kassam I, and is a 60mm weapon, about 31 inches long, weighing twelve pounds and carrying a one pound explosive charge. Its range is about three kilometers, and it is unguided. You aimed it and hoped for the best. In early 2002, Hamas began firing these at Jewish settlements in Gaza, and into southern Israel as well. By 2003, larger versions were built. There was the Kassam II, which weighed 70 pounds, is 150mm in diameter and six feet long. It has a range of eight kilometers, and a 11-15 pound warhead. It wasn’t until June, 2004, that one of these Kassam rockets actually killed an Israeli. By then, about 200 Kassams had been fired into southern Israel.

Later came the Kassam III, which is 6.7 feet long, 170mm in diameter, has a range of about ten kilometers, and a warhead of 22-44 pounds. This one weighs about 200 pounds. There are many variations in these designs, and larger rockets have apparently been used as well.

By the end of 2005, over 400 Kassams had been fired at Israeli targets. In the next six months, another 600 rockets were fired. About a third of them were the short range Kassam Is, fired at Israeli settlements in Gaza. The rest were larger Kassams fired into southern Israel.

About a thousand Kassams were fired into Israel during 2006. This doubled, to two thousand in 2007, and during the first four months of 2008, another 2,000 were fired. To date, over 7,000 Kassams have been fired, plus a few dozen factory made rockets and nearly a thousand mortar shells. For every 30-40 Kassams fired, an Israeli is killed or wounded. Until this year, for every 2-3 Kassams fired, a Palestinian is killed or wounded by Israeli military operations against the firing sites and workshops that build the rockets. For the last six months or so, the Israelis have been more precise in their retaliation, trying to limit Palestinian civilian casualties. For the Palestinians, causing Israeli civilian casualties is their main goal.

This article was written before the current Gaza Strip crisis, but I found the description of the rockets Hamas uses fascinating. Also, this article taps into some Hamas military strategy that I have not heard before.

Here are some pictures I found of the described rockets:

Picture of Kassam Rockets

Picture of a Kassam Rocket Launching

Picture of a Russian made BM-21 Rocket Launching

RTFA: http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/15/news/economy/g20_m…

Remembering Bretton Woods

With the crisis showing no signs of abating, several leaders have been trying to advance an agenda for the talks, which some observers have referred to as “Bretton Woods II” – a nod to a similar global economic summit held in July 1944 to reverse some of the painful trade and foreign exchange policies enacted in the wake of the Great Depression.

There have been calls, for example, to create a global accounting standard to replace the current mark-to-market standard, which some have blamed for the billions of dollars of losses suffered by banks.

Credit rating agencies and hedge funds have also become a target. French President Nicholas Sarkozy, who has embraced a hard-line approach toward regulation, has publicly said he is in favor of greater oversight of both industries.

And there has also been speculation that additional countries could enact economic stimulus packages of their own in the wake of the talks.

One underlying fear that President Bush attempted to address in recent days, including in an op-ed piece he wrote in Saturday’s edition of The Wall Street Journal, is rising protectionism.

There is concern that some countries could levy harsh tariffs on imports to prop up their ailing economies, or that some governments could try to restrict capital flows, which spelled disaster for many emerging economies as the crisis gained momentum.

But what is expected to remain front and center is the subject of regulation and how to best modernize the global financial system for the 21st century.

One approach could involve granting greater powers to the Financial Stability Forum, which represents central bankers and regulators, or the International Monetary Fund, which has played a large role in recent weeks helping to bail out struggling countries.

From CNN, a brief introduction to the meetings today.

…a continuation of the RTFA Bretton Woods II Series.