Middle Eastern Lament

As I write this, it is morning in the Middle East, and the latest warfare continues to rage from Gaza to Israel to Lebanon, with Iran and Syria barely in the shadows. It seems to me impossible to summarize this seemingly eternal mess. But at least a few observations:

* When Bush had to stop extemporizing about WMDs in Iraq, he turned up the volume on his grandiose dream of bringing about democracy in the whole region.
* Elections have happened there. In Iran, the result was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president. He has denied that the Holocaust ever took place and has said he wants to see Israel destroyed. And then there is the Iranian nuclear standoff...
* The much-touted election in Lebanon gave substantial slots to Hezbollah, which operates a militia in Lebanon that is much more powerful than the Lebanese army. Now, while Israel bombards southern Lebanon and Beirut, Hezbollah is firing longer range missiles into Israel and threatening all out war. (Hezbollah gets about $100,000,000 a year from Iran, along with thousands of rockets.)
* In Gaza the election put Hamas in charge. Their incursion into Israel brought fire down even on the impoverished Palestinians' infrastructure.
* Now Shiite Hezbollah and Sunni Hamas have turned from their mutual antipathy and formed a coalition.
* Despair is not an option. But it is sure a big temptation.