Three Blind Mice - Bush, Ohlmert and Abbas

Hickory – dickory – dock,
It's Bush, Ohlmert, and Abbass.

To the three stooges listed above, this is no fairy tale. It is a matter of the life and death of their legacy. Rarely in history have three absolute failures, grasping at straws for their own political survival, find themselves in a position to shape the future of the world. Like three blind mice, scrambling for food, these individuals happened across the mother lode of a legacy, the Nobel Peace Prize. Like starving rodents, them and many others, are trying to secure their personal stash of publicity and popularity by aligning themselves with this opportunity for peace. The Middle East has become a well worn path of diplomats and envoys all trying to secure their own piece of the Pie. However, while Bush and Abbass want to move forward at breakneck speed, Ohlmert is the more reserved rat, sitting back and waiting to see what he can get in trade for what he and Israel have horded away, using the Palestinians as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Saudi Arabia and other Arab States.

Lets start with W. He has failed at virtually everything he has touched. This is like the Midas touch in reverse, instead of turning to gold, everything he touches turns to crap. He took total world support after 9-11 and made it so everyone hates Americans. He destroyed Afghanistan and is in the process of demolishing Iraq. He and his appointed cronies have been in one legal battle after the other, resignations abound in his administration and 80 percent of the US population want to see him impeached. He has failed with every part of his foreign and domestic policy and will go down in history as the worst president ever. That is unless he manages to come away with Nobel Peace Prize for securing a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. In addition, a peace treaty between Israel and the remainder of the moderate Arab world, would be a feather in his cap.

Next is Abbass. Israel refused to even talk to him while Fatah was in complete control of the government. He was the head of the Fatah government which is corrupt from top to bottom and has been for decades. He was unable to come to any reasonable terms with Israel, during his tenure he was unable to keep his party in power, he failed to keep a unity government together and was unable to break to western blockade on his people. Israeli's to this day still invade, bully and control the Palestinian people and he is unable to do a thing about it. He will soon be out of power and will be a side note to history. That is unless he manages to come away with a Nobel Peace prize for securing a peace agreement with Israel.

Finally, Ohlmert. Hey Ohlmert, what do you say, how many kids have you killed today (actually 2, a 9 year old and 14 year old in Gaza, but I digress). Ohlmert has overseen one of the bloodiest times in Palestinian history. He has been a ruthless leader who, without a military background, felt he had to come to office and show he has no qualms about killing women and children. After the Beit Hanoun massacre, the death of the Palestinian family on the beach in Gaza and daily raids, attacks, abductions and assassinations have made him the Pol Pot of the 21st century. However, for the Israeli public, this just isn't enough blood. After Ohlmert decided to invade Lebanon and failed to kill a sufficient number of women and children there, the Israeli public has called for his resignation. After leading a government of corrupt officials, charged with embezzlement, sex allegations and bribery, it appears that people want to see his head roll next. That is unless he manages to come away with a Nobel Peace prize for securing an agreement with the Palestinians and other moderate Arab Countries.

All three of these mice, not men, are vying for a legacy. This is a final gasp at the air of decency in what history would otherwise deem as domestic and foreign policy failure throughout their administrations. All three leaders, and subsequently their countries, have deteriorated to a bunch of 5 year old fighting on the streets over a lollipop, and all three are virtually impotent in their positions. As they look around at each other, they certainly have to be thinking about Ben Franklin's quote about the American revolutionaries, at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, as they fought against their own occupation. "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." These three blind mice need to navigate together or all three legacies will be strangled in the mousetrap of history.