Problems, problems from head (figuratively) to foot (literally)

Well, I've been thinking a lot about the upcoming elections, trying to decide who to vote for. And of course, that gets me thinking about a possible future disengagement-- Good or bad? If good, now? If good, and now, is it doable?-- geez, you could think yourself in circles over this issue alone!-- and the Israeli economy, which are the two issues most important to me. Like most other Israelis, I have no pretence of voting for a party that might bring peace at this point, but rather thinking about what is the least evil of our options right now . . . given that there can't be peace in anyone's wildest imaginations . . . because Hamas won the frickin' elections next door. So it's about disengagement. And the economy. And, boy, is my head is full of election-related thoughts. Must. Write. An. Election. Post.

I'm also thinking about the humanitarian crisis among the Palestinians, but every time I think about that, my mind reminds me that they voted in Hamas, and then an internal struggle ensues in which I try really, really hard to focus on the children who are about to run out of food, instead of mentally giving their Hamas-voting parents the finger. Mentally giving them the finger is really immature and unproductive. It's just that, well . . . even if they voted for Hamas because to them Hamas represents stability and lack of corruption, it means that for them, the destruction of Israel -- the destruction of me in a bombing or a stabbing or a shooting-- is acceptable collateral damage. And so all the brain cells that I used to spend worrying about their humanitarian crisis, I'm now more inclined to spend worrying about any of the other dozens of humanitarian crises on this planet. Except that the Palestinians live next door, and our lives and economies and destinies are so intertwined with each other's, that their crisis is our crisis. I actually really don't want them to go hungry-- we must be better than that-- and yet . . . and yet . . . they voted in Hamas. The voters have spoken, and they don't really care if I die. So why should I care if they are hungry? Why should I expend effort voicing concern for them, if my death is something they were willing to vote for? And yet . . . if small children are running out of flour and other basic necessities, right next door, then how can I not care?

Damn, damn, damn.

. . .

. . .

Damn.

. . .

Anyway, back to the election, I definitely have a lot of posts about this. However, they'll have to wait because I seem to have sprained my ankle this afternoon. It's not very bad (doesn't even look swollen), but it hurts to stand on it. So instead of writing an election post, or doing anything else productive, I am sitting at my desk with my foot on a chair with a bag of ice, watching the first four episodes of Babylon 5 on DVD.