At all events, what is the alternative to encouragement of democracy? The left, at least in theory (I'll overlook the left's tacit and sometimes overt admiration of certain communist dictatorships), has always supported democracy and criticized the US's willingness to prop up dictatorships. Are you suggesting that we should we have somehow subverted the Palestinian election process to prop up Fatah? Are you suggesting that we should take out Chavez a la Allende?

Democracy is a process; it doesn't promise particular results.

As for Hamas, there is some good news. Sharon's policy of withdrawing from Gaza and walling off Palestine means that Israel can afford to ignore them unless and until they acknowledge Israel's right to exist. If Hamas encourages terrorism, Israel has tremendous resources at its disposal. Moreover, the Palestinians are flat-out broke. The country -- to the extent it is a country -- has remained viable only because the "international community" gave it billions in aid. We'll see what happens when that aid is cut off. I'm linking to the best article I've seen analyzing the situation.

I don't think, by the way, that your assumption that the Iranian elections were a model of democracy is correct. As I understand it, a religious counsel approves all candidates who are permitted to run. The current Iranian leader was elected after that council rejected the candidacies of the "reform" candidates. "Reform" voters (and I understand that in Iran all terms are relative) boycotted, and Hitler (or whatever his name is) won as a result. The problem in Iran is not enough democracy, rather than too much.

What are the summit meetings you are recalling with such nostalgic fondness? Arguably it was summit meetings such as those that produced the Oslo Accords that helped create this mess in the first place.

• "Further Thoughts on the Hamas Victory"