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Created by a United Nations where a majority of members who believed Democracy brings freedom; Supported by a President unloved in his own party and around the United States (and looked down upon by members of the Press and Academia)-- Israel was born.
Given the trouble in the region, isn't it nice to have an ally who supports us, as we support them? A Jewish beacon in a world filled with rising Anti-semitism.
If you want to talk about the Palestinians in Israel, first tell me of all the Jews in the surrounding countries. Hint: There isn't.
So, Israel, a Democracy in an undemocratic area; an American ally when some Americans do not act like allies -- may you have 60,000 more celebrations!
Erik, you're in big trouble. You just violated the orthodoxy that the far right has laid down about how you are allowed to discuss Israel without being labeled an antisemite. How dare you question the integrity and common sense of a country who is such a good friend of ours that we let them get away with spying on us? Now that you have been outed as an obvious Nazi, please proceed directly to JSF for your spanking.
ReplyDeleteI went to see the new film adaptation of the Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and the conflict between the Telmarines and the Natnians reminded me the conflict between Israel and her Arab neighbors.
ReplyDeleteI know well that in the conflict both sides often behave in a manner that borders on a state of apoplectic irrationalitym a state in which, reason and rational behaviors have no place, and are cast aside with alarming frequency. Both sides only choose to comport themselves in restrained and rational manner when and only when all other options fail to produce beneficial outcomes
In closing I would ask both sides to take to heart the words Eusebius of Caesarea:
May I be an enemy to no one and the friend of what abides eternally.
May I never quarrel with those nearest me, and be reconciled quickly if I should.
May I never plot evil against others, and if anyone plot evil against me, may I escape unharmed and without the need to hurt anyone else.
May I love, seek and attain only what is good.
May I desire happiness for all and harbor envy for none.
May I never find joy in the misfortune of one who has wronged me.
May I never wait for the rebuke of others, but always rebuke myself until I make reparation.
May I gain no victory that harms me or my opponent.
May I reconcile friends who are mad at each other.
May I, insofar as I can, give all necessary help to my friends and to all who are in need.
May I never fail a friend in trouble.
May I be able to soften the pain of the grief stricken and give them comforting words.
May I respect myself.
May I always maintain control of my emotions.
May I habituate myself to be gentle, and never angry with others because of circumstances.
May I never discuss the wicked or what they have done, but know good people and follow in their footsteps.
Chess, both sides behaving irrationally? I'm sorry, but the far right says you are not allowed to say that. You don't want to be called an antisemite, do you?
ReplyDeleteJason, I have long held the view that any extreme be it far left, far right, or any other fringes are by their nature inherently perilous residences in which to live. When one lives on the edge one is liable to go over the edge.
ReplyDeleteDo I have to pay extra for the spanking?
ReplyDeleteYou're all lunatics. The fact of the matter is that Israel is no angel, but that doesn't excuse the Arabs for their behavior either. "Civility" only works if we all agree. If you launch rockets from a school you lose the right to bitch and moan when Israel blows up your school. Maybe you should become Jewish and then you'd have a better appreciation for what goes on in the life of a Jew, since you seem to have a complete lack of any real understanding of the world around you.
ReplyDeleteJason:
What's up? I've missed reading your insightful comments lately. I guess maybe I've been in hiding or something, but I thought perhaps you had taken a break of some kind.
Chess: I am planning to go and see that film shortly, so your summary is really cool.
Motek: You seem to have hit a nerve with this post. I hope you will continue to hit nerves. Israel only exists by a miracle. The truth is, the Arabs have the right to be angry, I would be too given the nature of the false promises made to them. I think that this entire topic however brings out the emotional lunatics in all cultures.
Mal every human being is to some degree a lunatic, the question that must be answered individually is to what degree am I a lunatic?
ReplyDeleteI agree neither side are angels, however, I would also say that neither side are composed off demons either.
I merely point out that both the left and the right seem to become more inclined to suffer a loss of restraint and rationality when the Arab Israeli conflict is discussed Foreign Minister Eban pointed that out many years ago.
Jason, I am not worried about labels I have done seen much in the last twelve years, I have seen the best and worst in humankind. I have also done many things some good and some evil, but, my conscience is clear and I know that when I come to be judged I will say as my mentor did: I lived my life as justly as possible, and I always strove to do what was righteous and merciful because, I am a servant of the Unknowable G-D
and before G-D I kneel on bended knee even though I am stiff necked.
Mal, I am glad you found my summary of use, although, i do hope it did not spoil the film for you because, I know how much you hate to have your enjoyment of films spoiled.
Malcot, I've been so damn busy it's not even funny. I've also recently decided that I should be focusing more energy on making music than thinking about politics. Music makes me happy while politics make me angry and frustrated.
ReplyDeleteAs for Israel, my main issue is that you cannot have an honest discussion about that country in America without being accused of hating the Jews. I happen to love the Jews. And I also happen to speak out when I see human rights being abused. The situation there is far too complex to be summed up in narrow terms, and it seems to be the only country in the world that you are not allowed to discuss honestly without being accused of hate-speak. It's more oppressive than anything the PC police on the most annoying fringe of the left could possibly pull off on college campuses.
And Chess, one label you shouldn't mind for yourself is cool.
Jason,
ReplyDeleteI fully support your decision to focus on your creative energies rather than the destructive energies of others.
Jason,
ReplyDeleteYeah I know I've been trying to write more. I'm not focused on much of anything these days.
I agree with you, any topic in the Middle East results in a discussion that becomes a disaster. If you are pro-Israeli then you hate Arabs if you are pro-Arabs then you hate Jews. I wasn't implying that you are an anti-Jewish person, I hope you understand that.
JSF wouldn't have such high opinion of you if you were anti-Jewish. My own personal opinions on Israel I can understand where the Palestinians would be angry about their situation. I think Israel should behave differently than they do, but as I said launching rockets from schools should result in schools being blown up and people not bitching about their school being blown up. I also think that trying to kill anything that moves is overkill.
Anyway, I liked what you said about my comment regarding the president reading the blog. I thought it was very funny. RAF
Malcot, I know that you and JSF are both far more reasonable than those who control the debate on Israel. My sarcasm is directed toward the few far right extremists who control the debate in very narrow terms, which I find maddening.
ReplyDeleteJason,
ReplyDeleteThanks for that vote of confidence I try to be reasonable. The far right wing extremists in Israel are now trying to control in very narrow terms who is a Jew, and they're behaving like barbarians towards people that convert in. In fact they're probably breaking their own guidelines.
It seems to me that extremists on either side are no good. I try not to be an extremist in any case because people sit there and blindly absorb crap. I prefer to think for myself and reason things out. This of course makes me the anti-extremist since extremists don't know how to function and think in any real meaningful way.
Rest assured I didn't take the sarcasm personally and if I had I'd have really nailed you on it. You can ask JSF since we've been around each other a very long time. We have similar philosophies that's what keeps us in sync I guess.
Like I said in my previous comment were you anti-Jewish my dear motek here would have a lot less respect for you than he does. I've known him long enough to know that one for sure.
What kind of music are you writing? You could write some sarcastic anti-extremist music for fun. You could even write up some sort of weird Israel-Palestinian music lol.
Look, the real issue with Israel is a non-existent issue. It is not an Arab-Israeli thing. It is a militant Muslim extremist vs Everybody else thing and Israel is the rallying cry. If it were really a Palestinian issue (I hate to say it but it is true) the Arabs would take more responsibility to help their own people.
RAF
Predictable leftist, Jason comes in with his predictable leftist taunt...I quote...'far right extremists'...Why is it that the left can't come up with anything new. Anyone who doesn't agree with them are...wait for it... 'far right extremists'
ReplyDeleteOf course, he isn't a 'far left extremist'...He's the norm.
Now that we've got Jason's bigotry out of the way, let me state my opinion. Or let's put it this way, I'm stating it whether the oh-so-moderate Jason likes it or not.
Erik, how much more land would you like Israel to give up? How many more rockets would you like them to take? How much more negotiations with surrounding neighbors who want to wipe them off the map?
Perhaps you'd like to go over and take your annual vacation in Sderot where you can convince the people there that they just have to be a little bit nicer, give just that little bit more land, allow a few more of their people to be maimed by rockets. They're just not being nice enough.
Of course, I know that I'm wasting my efforts here, but I'll give my opinion anyway, whether or not Jason slings out his mud to stave off any criticism before it gets off the ground.
By the way, JSF, don't let this twerp intimidate you.
Malcot, not writing any music as of yet. I play bass, so for me songwriting is a group effort. I'm in the process of finding band mates. There's a guitarist and drummer about 40 min away who are on a close musical wavelength to what I'm looking to do and we're going to see if we have chemistry sometime in the next couple of weeks. As for what kind of music, I'm on a big progressive rock/metal kick these days, so it's going to be heavy, dark, technical and trippy.
ReplyDeleteAs for problems in the middle east, we seem to have an easy enough time discussing it. Why are we allowing the hardline minority to control the debate? It makes no sense to me.
Jason my dear, we're NOT allowing the hardliner minority to control the debate because we are discussing it without being assholes :) RAF
ReplyDeleteAurora,
ReplyDeleteI find it intriguing that you infer I have a desire that Israel be bombed and turn over its land. How did you get there? Was it that I said peace for all people, not just Jews?
Is it because I stated that anti-semitism is often fueled by the actions of Israel? Do you think that anti-American sentiment could be fueled by the actions of the American government stepping outside the bounds of integrity and decency?
I have no desire for Israel to take more rockets and I have no desire for Palestinians to continue to suffer, either.
I believe all countries need to continue to negotiate with neighbors who want to wipe them off the map. Otherwise, it will likely accelerate that possibility.
Wishing you peace from neither the left, nor the right.
Speaking of hardliners and extremists, did you catch a whiff of the crap Aurora just spewed? JSF, when will you denounce her trash? Her extremist ways brings nothing to the table.
ReplyDeleteErik, don't bother trying to reason with Aurora. She's a nutcase. She blames pedophilia on liberalism and used a post I made about affordable health insurance for my daughter to bash Clinton. It's best just to mock her ridiculous binary thinking and point out her extremism. She thinks anyone who disagrees with her is evil, and she's really nothing more than an internet troll who thinks she's a whole lot more intelligent than she obviously is.
ReplyDeleteAnd Malcot, I agree that reasonable people like us can have a discussion about Israel without being assholes about it, but the problem is that if any public figure tries thinking outside the box laid down by these hardliners, they are immediately labeled antisemites and need to retreat to a safer position. No change is going to happen when there is such a hostile environment toward critical thinking on the issue of Israel.