Political strength can lie in weakness, if only Middle East leaders embrace it

Politically, great strength is sometimes to be found in weakness. And the reverse is also true.

Overwhelming electoral triumph delivers a transient illusion of "To the victor the spoils." The reality can often be more like "To the victor, the spoilsports," as malcontents within the majority party become confident that they can take out the management without losing the company in the process.

Jack Lynch's passage to vulnerability as Leader of Fianna Fail can be traced to his stunning victory in the general election of 1977. But the potential implicit in weakness is a lesson no politician wants to learn.