Commenter Profile

Total number of comments: 124 (since 2010-07-10 18:37:50)

Showing comments 124 - 101
Page:

  • 'NPR' suggests that opponent of Syrian intervention has dual loyalty
    • Edward Q May 3, 2013 at 2:25 pm

      Someone from WINEP accuses another person of bias?? Since when has WINEP been a bastion of objectivity and neutrality? Where does Tabler's salary come from?

  • My guide was a righteous radical
    • Edward Q April 16, 2013 at 9:04 pm

      I wouldn't feel too bad. The problem with this argument is that in this critic the validity of your advocacy depends on whether or not the broad public agrees with your views, not on their correctness. Being passionate about something is how things get done. I am sure there are movements in the past that you admire which only succeeded because the people involved were determined and willing to be out of the mainstream. It seems to me this essay raises two issues: 1) how dogmatic to be and 2) how many moral demands you want to absorb.

  • 'FEMEN' and the suppression of native voices
    • Edward Q April 8, 2013 at 9:19 am with 1 replies

      FEMEN may literally be a tool of western imperialism. I read an article somewhere arguing that they were part of a CIA effort to manipulate Russian politics.

  • The Palestinian Authority's role in the occupied territories
    • Edward Q April 5, 2013 at 8:31 am

      Well, I am glad to know about this effort to reform the PA. Its not something I hear much about. Thanks for your work on this important topic.

    • Edward Q April 4, 2013 at 12:42 pm

      I was told this by a Palestinian from Hebron.

    • Edward Q April 3, 2013 at 12:56 pm with 2 replies

      Accentitude,

      The PA can probably get away with torture more easily then Israel. Do you think there is much hope of anything changing? I have seen an occasional protest against the PA here in the U.S..

    • Edward Q April 2, 2013 at 9:43 pm with 8 replies

      After the Oslo accords were signed, U.S. "advisors" guided the PA's security arrangements. I would like to know exactly what the PA was being told to do with prisoners. I have been told the PA treats prisoners worse then the Israelis.

  • In Iraq, and now Syria, US seeks secular outcome by... promoting sectarian division
    • Edward Q March 29, 2013 at 8:50 pm

      "Were the Neocons responsible for the destruction of Yugoslavia?" Some or all of them probably supported the intervention. As far as I am concerned the Clinton administration had an imperialist foreign policy. Have you noticed how little difference there is between Bush and Obama? At any rate, Iraq and Yugoslavia do not make a good comparison. Serbia had a fascist government with the goal of ethnically cleansing neighboring territories of non-Serbs. Annie Robbins point is that Iraq did not have these extreme sectarian conflicts until the Americans occupied their country.

  • Tough Brooke Gladstone gives media a pass for supporting Iraq war
    • Edward Q March 20, 2013 at 1:46 pm

      Maybe Gladstone should listen to these people:

      link to gloveandboots.com

    • Edward Q March 20, 2013 at 12:41 pm

      P.S.-- the reasons Powell's presentation seemed persuasive was that there was no opposing view to question it. Iraq sure wasn't allowed to defend itself from powell's bogus allegations in the Security Council.

    • Edward Q March 20, 2013 at 12:35 pm

      Gladstone is being goofy, which I guess is a privilege of belonging to the Washington establishment. When it comes to gossipy issues like Howard Dean's "shout" or Monika Lewinski they are perfectly happy to question politicians. When the issue is some "party line" topic like war, not so much. The British press managed to raise some questions about Iraq's WMD without the sky falling on their heads. In the lead up to the invasion many Americans were reading the Guardian.

  • Covering Hamas and Palestinian society: A response to Peter Beinart
    • Edward Q March 11, 2013 at 5:23 pm

      Another point is that if Beinart wants to speak about the rights of Palestinian women, he should first speak to them to learn what concerns they have and if they want his "help".

    • Edward Q March 11, 2013 at 5:16 pm

      Why is Beinart concerned about Hamas and not the PA.? A Palestinian from Hebron once told me that the PA is worse then Israel when it comes to treatment of prisoners. After the Oslo accords were signed, which were a recycled version of the Alon plan, and the PA was created, the U.S. and Israel repeatedly demanded that the PA prove it was "serious" about cracking down on terrorism. I think this was code for "use torture, kidnapping, and other forms of oppression against Palestinian resistance." Lisa Hajjar has probably written about the PA "justice system".

  • Sen. Graham is merely enforcing Sen. Schumer's 'behind the scenes' deal with Hagel -- Fineman
    • Edward Q February 14, 2013 at 11:37 am

      One of the obnoxious features of U.S. discussion of Iraq is how Iraqis are excluded. Why doesn't Fineman ask what Iraqis think about the war?

  • Trump says Netanyahu is 'terrific leader, great for Israel'
  • 'It is a grave disservice to Israel and Jews to confuse criticism of Israel’s behavior with anti-Semitism' -- Richard Falk
    • Edward Q January 3, 2013 at 12:08 pm

      You hear the same rhetoric from white supremacists. Instead of "self-hating Jews" they talk about "weak whites" and "race traitors".

  • Israeli army releases video of Dec. 12 killing of Palestinian youth at Hebron checkpoint
    • Edward Q December 17, 2012 at 5:58 pm

      I think the toy gun accusation is now the Israeli excuse for killing Palestinians. There was a similar excuse over the killing of a Gaza Palestinian. It reminds me of how U.S. soldiers would plant shovels on civilians they killed in Iraq and accuse them of being militants.

  • Rightwing Israeli group accuses human-rights orgs of 'emasculation' of soldiers
  • Roots of Resistance: Israeli repression reminiscent of the first intifada may provoke a new uprising
    • Edward Q December 12, 2012 at 10:38 am

      Elie Wiesel wrote an editorial in the Washington Post about the first Intifada, stating that the Jews would never forgive the Palestinians for forcing them to such brutality.

  • IDF spokesman posts blackface photo of himself as Obama, then issues non-apology
    • Edward Q November 26, 2012 at 9:12 am

      The interesting thing about Dratwa's defense is that he doesn't try to discuss the reasons for the criticism and explain why they are wrong. Rather, he claims everyone else is defective and is treating him unfairly.
      He reminds me of Archie Bunker.

    • Edward Q November 26, 2012 at 9:03 am

      I think this phenomenon is discussed in "The False Prophet", a book about Meir Kahane.

    • Edward Q November 26, 2012 at 9:01 am

      This is my impression as well, that there is a narcissistic quality about zionism. The U.S. is Israel's "enabler".

  • Gazans are 'ho-hum' about the deaths of relatives -- NYT's Rudoren
  • Torturing a Palestinian, a literary titillation
    • Edward Q August 29, 2012 at 7:20 pm

      I think this category means "fictionalized accounts of real events".

      I think we are used to reading books or watching movies in which we dismiss the carnage is escapist fantasy, but in this case the atrocities may have been real. Her line justifying the torture, "He killed a boy in my unit once", reminds me of her defense of the IDF in the New Yorker story, in which Palestinians seek to be shot for publicity. Why are most Palestinians tortured by the IDF?

    • Edward Q August 29, 2012 at 2:10 pm with 2 replies

      What I wonder is how much of all this actually happened? Her story for the New Yorker was a thinly disguised account of real events. Based on the fairness and objectivity she displayed in that story, I can count on her to judge people like the man they tortured fairly. I am not surprised she doesn't dwell on torture in her novel; it would not paint a pretty picture. Her behavior makes me think of the Americans of 150 years ago who lived their lives as though slavery was normal.

      What are the "people of forever" supposed to be afraid of? It sounds like the "people of forever" are victims in this novel.

  • A modest lexicographic proposal
  • Exile and the Prophetic: When the (Jewish) student is ready
    • Edward Q August 26, 2012 at 11:13 am

      When I first learned about the Holocaust I was shocked, but I have been put off on the subject by the way it has been used by the Israelis. I feel Americans such as myself need to be focused on the crimes being perpetrated by our government every day-- our own guilt rather than someone elses. Nevertheless, the topic may not be all that esoteric given the rise of far right, even fascist, politics in Europe, although not necessarily Germany.

      The global warming problem is worse then any of us realize. Twenty years ago scientists were debating the possibility of global warming and now they are debating whether we will have "runaway" global warming that heats the planet to 1300 C, killing all life. Where is the news media on this???

  • My correspondence with NYT's Rudoren
    • Edward Q August 22, 2012 at 2:34 am

      Rudoren's profile of Dayan sounds like one of the submissions in the "New Yorker parody contest"; she is profiling a cog in a system of oppression as an "everyman". It reminds me of the Anne Frank parody in that contest, among others.

  • 'Guardian' sparks uproar by hiring writer who urged murder of flotilla participants
    • Edward Q August 20, 2012 at 3:19 pm

      O.K. Fredblogs, you are about as unobjective as one gets. The IDF attacked the flotilla, not the other way around. The "violent, armed activists" did not kill the soldier they captured, whereas the IDF executed some activists. Does the truth matter to you?

    • Edward Q August 20, 2012 at 11:53 am

      Treviño sounds as bad as Ann Coulter. I used to read the Guardian website regularly at the time of the Iraq invasion. When I look at it now it seems much more centrist and "establishment", unfortunately, and not a reliable debunker of official B.S.

  • Follow the money, stupid
    • Edward Q August 15, 2012 at 10:48 pm

      This is new. Back in 1992, Martin Indyk wore a tee shirt with "85%" written on it just to make sure Bill Clinton never forgot 85% of the Jewish community voted for him.

  • Geller's 'savage' bus ad meets strong resistance from the Bay Area
    • Edward Q August 16, 2012 at 11:33 pm

      Try a little harder to see where Muslims are referred to in the ad, Fredblogs. Here is my substitution:

      In any war between the civilized man and the savage Jew, support the civilized man.

      Support Gentile Nations

      Defeat Jewish Aggression

    • Edward Q August 15, 2012 at 10:46 pm with 2 replies

      The ad is a racist smear, plain and simple. To get around your bias, you could try substituting "Jew" for "Muslim". There aren't any facts in the ad, so what does the innuendo imply? Do you consider yourself a "savage" or a "civilized man"?

    • Edward Q August 15, 2012 at 2:12 pm with 1 replies

      The fact that the zionist "organized Jewish community" opposes these ads tells you how counterproductive they are.

  • 'NYT' publishes op-ed saying there are 'too many Palestinians and Arabs' in Israel
    • Edward Q August 14, 2012 at 5:41 pm

      "Part of the Arab case against Israel was too many Jews in the Holy Land."

      I think you are misconstruing the Palestinian argument with a straw man argument. My understanding is they did not object to Palestinian Jews living in Palestine, but with outsider Jews colonizing the land from the outside, with a view toward creating a "Jewish State" which disenfranchises everyone else.

      "Arabs have been attacking Israel since before its founding..."

      How backwards. You can't even get yourself to say that before the ethnic cleansing of 1948, Palestine existed, where it was being destroyed by the zionists.

  • Settler Marc Zell talks Jewish identity at the King David Hotel
  • Updated: Support for Iraq war is crucial resume-builder for columnists
    • Edward Q August 11, 2012 at 11:38 am

      These poll results do not sound that surprising because all of these people probably share the same ideology. It is like polling members of a political party about who has the best ideology. Such a poll would favor their comrades. These columnists would be damned if they were judged according to accuracy or prescience. The media system, though, primarily rewards ideological conformity.

  • Richard Cohen and the Jewish man's burden
    • Edward Q August 10, 2012 at 9:33 pm

      Gad, I think I zapped my reply; here is a 2nd attempt:

      I read those figures in a pamphlet in the 1990's. I don't recall exactly how they were calculated but they were meant to represent services provided by the government to its citizens such as roads, the post office, ect. Military spending did not count. It should also be kept in mind that there is official and hidden U.S. aid to Israel. The $1000 figure was probably determined from the official values.

      Do Americans really benefit from military spending abroad? I take issue with the idea that the money spent in Israel returns to us because some of it is used to support Israel’s armaments industry, which competes with U.S. firms. Unlike aid to any other country, Israel is not required to spend this money on U.S. products. Israel has also transferred U.S. military technology to countries such as China, which undermines these companies. They have blocked U.S. arms sales to other countries in the Middle East.

      Personally, I think the military-industrial complex is a plague on this country that can’t go away fast enough. They are responsible for wars, corruption, and enabling sociopathic behavior from our politicians. There was a study from the late 1990’s that found the military had lost track of $1 trillion during that decade.

    • Edward Q August 10, 2012 at 8:47 pm

      I don't recall exactly how those figures were arrived at; I read them in a pamphlet back in the 1990's, but they were supposed to represent the value of services provided by the government to its citizens, such as roads, the post office, ect. The military would not count. It should also be kept in mind that there are explicit and hidden forms of U.S. aid to Israel and the $1000 figure probably only takes into account the explicit aid.

    • Edward Q August 10, 2012 at 5:08 pm with 1 replies

      I don't know if this is a fact or not, but a group's political rights should not depend on whether they "deserve" them by virtue of their collective talents.

    • Edward Q August 10, 2012 at 3:15 pm with 8 replies

      Palestinians are a highly educated group; they are more educated then Americans. Are Americans "culturally deficient"? An old variation on the "cultural deficiency" argument is the "making the desert bloom" argument.

      What this whole discussion reminds me of is how there are media haves and have-nots. The zionist establishment is free to broadcast their self-serving prejudices far and wide and nary a word is heard from Palestinians or people sympathetic to them.

      A huge transfer of wealth took place in 1948 when most Palestinians were left destitute and their property transferred to zionist colonists. That just might have something to do with the disparities in wealth. Israelis also enjoy substantial economic support from America. I once read that Americans receive about $452 in support from our government while Israelis receive on average a largess of $1000.

  • To understand the history of Palestinian dispossession look to the words of Zionist and Israeli leaders
    • Edward Q July 31, 2012 at 10:37 pm

      "Does any of it really matter?"

      Does any injustice really matter? It amazes me how the same people who often decry anti-semitism ask this question. But then hypocrisy seems to be a signature feature of right-wing politics.

      "Now what?"

      There are a large group of Palestinians and a larger group of Arabs, Muslims, and others that are not just going to forget what happened.

    • Edward Q July 31, 2012 at 7:42 pm

      Try the excellent "Facts and Fables" by Clifford Wright.

  • Canadian band attacked by Israel lobby group after playing song titled 'Apartheid'
  • Exile and the Prophetic: Revered to radioactive: peace gardens of the world beware!
    • Edward Q July 25, 2012 at 12:16 pm

      "Can you imagine a Rabbi from the 13th century..."

      Martin Luther may have been an anti-semite, but was this degree of religious intolerance the norm for that time period among the various religious faiths? In "Jewish History, Jewish Religion", Israel Shahak raises the question of the historical attitude of Judaism toward gentiles.

  • Is the mainstream press ignoring the Congo because there is no ‘Islamic threat’?
    • Edward Q July 24, 2012 at 2:46 pm

      I think U.S. reporting generally reflects the agenda/propaganda of the U.S. government. Not only is the war in the Congo one of the worst bloodbaths of our time, but it has gone on for decades without eliciting much international outcry.

  • We need another name for the occupation
    • Edward Q July 18, 2012 at 7:32 pm

      "One must take advantage of the war conditions..."

      Netanyahu made a statement along these lines in reference to the Gulf war or maybe another war. When there have been wars Israel has used the opportunity to expel Palestinians. I think Israel does basically have a fascist program.

    • Edward Q July 18, 2012 at 7:21 pm

      According to an article today by Jonathan Cook, Israel wants to reduce the Palestinian population in area C, in preparation for annexation. He contends the Levy report is part of the ground work for this. Currently, less then 150000 Palestinians live in area C and they could be absorbed by Israel without ending the Jewish majority.

      link to counterpunch.org

    • Edward Q July 18, 2012 at 1:35 pm with 3 replies

      The Serbs gave us the term "ethnic cleansing". Maybe Israel will provide a good name. Sometimes they describe the occupation as "Judiazation". Politicide is an intriguing term. The 10th Crusade? The Palestinians are being "disappeared"? I have a hard time thinking of a word that captures what is happening.

  • Exile and the Prophetic: Tighter than tight
    • Edward Q July 6, 2012 at 1:52 pm

      "They rejected partition"

      That is convenient. So Israeli misconduct is excused if this claim is true.

      In general, morality is based on the idea of a similar set of rules and standards applying to everyone. What exactly was the value of the property taken from the Palestinians in 1948? Is that a standard that everyone or anyone should accept?

  • Presbyterians overwhelmingly vote for boycott of settlement products; endorse 'choice of conscience' option for pension holders to screen CAT, Moto, and HP from portfolios
  • Police officer kicks 9-year-old boy, and Israeli commenters cheer him on
    • Edward Q July 4, 2012 at 3:50 pm

      I am sorry but that kid must be faking this for sympathy. Where is Boianjiu when you need her? Drinking a coffee?

  • Reminder: 'New Yorker' fiction parody contest ends in 3 days!
    • Edward Q July 2, 2012 at 10:44 am

      I wrote another parody this weekend that I thought was a more direct satire of the New Yorker piece. My internet was knocked out Friday so I am not sure what the status of the contest is.

      The “Rape” of Nanking

      Corporal Yoshiro Takamura of the Japanese Imperial Army flattened himself against a wall and prayed they had given their pursuer the slip, the fear in his face mirrored in the eyes of his squad mates further down the alley. Alas a shadow fell across the alley entrance followed by the dreaded form of a boy wearing a malicious grin, filling them all with panic. The boy had chased them more then two miles through the streets of Nanking, threatening to kill himself while someone else photographed more “proof” of Japanese atrocities. Now he crept towards them knowing utter triumph was close at hand.

      Yoshiro’s squad was franticly trying to form a human pyramid to reach the rooftops above, leaving fingernail scratches on the wall, but it was too late. Desperately, Yoshiro pointed his rifle at his head and spoke in broken Chinese, “Stop or I’ll shoot myself!” But the boy only laughed; “where is your camera?”, he chortled between gasps for air and then proceeded to taunt them. Pointing his pistol toward and away from his head the kid jeered, “maybe I will, maybe I won’t”. “Be reasonable”, Yoshiro pleaded, as sweat dripped down his strained face, “I will give you my rifle if you leave us alone!” “Too late”, the boy replied, shooting himself and collapsing on the ground, while above them, from a window, a camera snapped a photo of the grisly scene.

      Yoshiro felt like he was being simultaneously crushed by 1000 tons of bricks and pulled apart by the hard vacuum of outer space. As he slipped to the ground he seemed to have an out-of-body experience. When he could move again he noticed there was a commotion to his left. Private Hiru had snapped and now believed he was Han Yang, citizen of China. This was happening all the time now. Yesterday another member of his squad had gone crazy and decided he was a Fuji-Nikon 800B camera. How long would the army last at this rate?

      In desperation, General Omu had made an emergency request for 100,000 cameras so they could retaliate, but it would take weeks for them to reach Nanking. Even if they arrived, all Nanking had to do was evacuate its male citizens. Then it would be Japanese males versus Chinese women, children, and the elderly. Who would be blamed for the atrocities in that situation? Yoshiro reflected bitterly that they would have to break their arms and legs and use wheelchairs to have any hope of parity. Even then, would it work?

      Yoshiro felt his insides turn to ice and started to gibber as a woman appeared at the alley entrance holding a knife.

  • Announcing the 'New Yorker' parody fiction contest -- put your spin on history!
    • Edward Q June 29, 2012 at 6:23 pm

      Isaac sat down for a moment on a stool to drink from a bottle of abandoned orange juice he had found earlier that morning. What he really needed was a bottle of wine but these heathen Muslims foreswore such beverages. Maybe a Jewish residence would turn up soon? The loaf of bread sitting three feet from him only filled him with revulsion. He had been stuffing himself with food all morning, because there was a limit to what he could carry, and now he was suffering.

      Downstairs he could hear two of his fellow crusaders quarreling over some abandoned jewelry. Idly he wondered if the remission of sin for undertaking this sacred war applied to stabbing a fellow soldier who was trying to cheat you out of your loot. He decided he didn’t want to test the idea, although as far as he knew there were no restrictions.

      An interminable, heated debate had been dragging on for ages over whether the remission only applied to those who died during the conquest of Jerusalem, or if mere participation was enough. He fervently hoped for the latter, especially after the widespread cannibalism during the siege of Ma’arra, when their supply lines ran short. He much preferred solving problems with his sword to these frustrating theological disputes.

      Out of the window he spotted the German Hans entering another abandoned property and glared at him with suspicion. Hans did not speak French and had strange habits. Was he a true Christian? In his own village someone like that would have been burned as a warlock in a split second. Right now his ruler, Baron Leopold, and Hans’ lord, Baron Frederick, were engaged in a bitter dispute over the size of the domains they would acquire from this conquered land.

      Isaac stood up and resumed looking for valuables. It would take weeks, even months, for them to finish searching Jerusalem for abandoned property. Their sacred mission, however, was now nearing an end. Now that Jerusalem had been captured and the infidels expunged everything would be different.

  • Gary Ackerman blasts NYU divestment campaign, NYU students and faculty blast back
    • Edward Q October 20, 2011 at 6:08 pm

      When it comes to Palestine, U.S. politicians follow in the mold of George Wallace. Actually, there isn't much evidence they care about human rights anywhere.

  • Rep. Steve Israel's anti-Israel, anti-Semitic record on Occupy Wall Street (which must be news to him)
    • Edward Q October 17, 2011 at 11:02 pm with 1 replies

      What is ridiculous about this accusation is that the I/P issue is of secondary relevance to the Wall Street protests. These demonstrations are mainly concerned with economic issues and it is in that context that they should be discussed. By the way, when is Crystal concerned about racism in general and not just anti-semitism?

      Crystal must be running out of topics to write about.

  • Boycott update: Champion fencer Sara Besbes stands down rather than plays Israeli
    • Edward Q October 14, 2011 at 8:40 pm

      Woody,

      Yes, I had in mind Owens and you are correct that he never made a statement. According to Wikipedia, just the fact that a black person defeated several German athletes at an event in Berlin had political significance. I think what this illustrates is that there can be a political message without an actual verbal statement.

    • Edward Q October 14, 2011 at 7:13 pm with 2 replies

      There is a history of mixing sports and politics. Probably Muhammad Ali is the best example of this. There was a black American sprinter who made a statement against the Nazis at the Olympics in the 1930's.

      Besbes sets an example for people everywhere to make a personal sacrifice for justice. The real crime is Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.

  • Do we really need another 'Gandhi'?
    • Edward Q October 14, 2011 at 7:23 pm with 1 replies

      If Americans want to lecture the Palestinians about following Ghandi they should first set an example themselves. America is one of the most jingoistic countries in the world.

  • Fragile Egypt
    • Edward Q October 12, 2011 at 1:05 pm

      I think in the Middle East religious identity has traditionally substituted for national identity; the different sectarian communities have historically been able to coexist. In modern times xenophobia seems to be developing.

  • Do you deny Israel's right to exist in a lowcut red dress?
  • Peres awaits, Shakira
  • Syrian arrest of 'A gay girl in Damascus' commands international attention
    • Edward Q June 8, 2011 at 8:21 pm

      I have not followed this story but the attention to anti-gay actions in the Middle East seems to me a form of orientalism. It is a way for the U.S. to feel culturally superior to the Middle East. This was the issue used to attack Ahmadinejad when he spoke at Columbia.

  • Wait-- did Israel lay a minefield in Golan in last 3 weeks to kill protesters?
    • Edward Q June 8, 2011 at 8:51 pm with 1 replies

      East Germany actually constructed minefields on its border with West Germany to deter dissidents from leaving. Of course this is not Israel's border. Anyway, there may be a legal argument against it, although I am not holding my breath for the U.S. or Europe to protest. It seems to me placing mines against non-violent protesters in occupied areas should be illegal.

  • Mr. Spock says 'beam up the two state solution,' but ignore the asymmetry
    • Edward Q June 8, 2011 at 8:14 pm

      In this case, though, Israel's defenders like to refer to antisemitism and the holocaust, which is analogous to "working in the mine". This is actually fairly typical of right-wing movements.

    • Edward Q June 7, 2011 at 8:36 pm with 2 replies

      There was a Star Trek episode about a society of privledged cloud-dwellers and downtrodden mine workers. I think that would have made a better comparison to the I/P conflict.

  • America is fed up with the 'old man's commiseration club'
    • Edward Q June 1, 2011 at 6:06 pm

      Gen. Boykin made some pretty crazy remarks while he worked for the Bush administration such as "my God is better than their (Islam's) God". He is definitely a Dr. Strangelove type and unfortunately not the only one. I wonder how concentrated these people are in the military.

      There is a man who has been trying to fight religious fundamentalism in the military but I forget his name.

  • Palestinians are not 'human,' says CUNY trustee who rejected Kushner
    • Edward Q May 6, 2011 at 5:53 pm

      The first two chapters of Ward Churchill's "A Little Matter of Genocide" discusses efforts to make the Nazi holocaust exceptional and to downplay other genocides.

      What gets me about such discourse is that there are many terrible things happening NOW. Instead of arguing that the holocaust is more important then other genocides what are these people doing about the crimes that are taking place today? There is something very selfish about this discourse.

    • Edward Q May 6, 2011 at 5:44 pm

      I wonder if Marty Peretz and Jeffry Wiesenfeld know each other.

    • Edward Q May 6, 2011 at 5:42 pm

      "Is this thinking part of Judaism or some interpretation of it, or did it begin with zionism?…..where exactly did this begin?"

      Israel Shahak's "Jewish History, Jewish Religion" explores this issue.

  • There's work to do
    • Edward Q March 2, 2011 at 8:34 am with 2 replies

      "...there’s still a huge amount of ignorance"

      About this and everything else. I think the problem is larger then the I/P issue, which is why it is so difficult to address.

    • Edward Q March 2, 2011 at 8:24 am

      O.K., the poll asked a variety of questions. Nevertheless, my question is still valid: Was the poll slanted?

    • Edward Q March 1, 2011 at 5:29 pm with 9 replies

      I saw a quote which suggested to me that the poll was equating "support for Palestinians" with "support for the PA". This makes me suspect the poll was designed to obtain favorable responses toward Israel and negative ones toward the Palestinians.

  • A mind is a terrible thing to waste
  • Secular Herzl sought to use 'mystic elements' to bind Jews to a place they had no living connection to
    • Edward Q December 20, 2010 at 10:15 pm with 1 replies

      Yes, I agree.

      I wasn't very clear in my comment. I was responding to this sentence:

      What distinguished Zionism from colonialism was the Jewish Question.

      I am simply suggesting that the Jewish Question be considered one example of the more general problem of racism. The writer may not have been implying anything beyond this.

    • Edward Q December 20, 2010 at 1:25 pm with 4 replies

      Is there a Jewish problem or a racism problem? Europeans do discriminate against other groups. It seems to me it is better to talk about a racism problem.

      I think what has happened to the Jewish community is that they have become a priveleged group. I believe privilieged people tend to be discriminatory and worship power.

  • The Israel National Library nationalizes Kafka
    • Edward Q October 8, 2010 at 4:15 pm

      "I want to ask the Germans..."

      The Zionists don't exactly have clean hands either. In the U.S., Zionist groups successfully lobbied against a plan by the Roosevelt administration to provide refuge to people fleeing the Nazis. Yitzak Shamir wrote a letter to the Nazis proposing an alliance.

      Anyway, my advice to Haber is to worry less about the sins of the Nazis and more about her own sins.

  • Why Obama caved (Israeli ambassador Michael Oren is his Democratic fundraising tool)
  • Gideon Levy in NYC: Israel is 'the only occupier in history that’s completely convinced of its own present ongoing victimhood'
    • Edward Q October 5, 2010 at 2:44 pm with 3 replies

      "...the only occupier in history that’s completely convinced of its own present ongoing victimhood."

      I am not sure about this; don't right wing/fascist movements tend to be obsessed with their victimization? Remember our own right wing's complaint about the "war on Christmas"?

  • Jews with guns
    • Edward Q October 1, 2010 at 8:22 am

      Maybe there is an inflation going on. In a few years it will be rocket launchers

    • Edward Q September 30, 2010 at 12:31 pm with 3 replies

      Israel is a colonial state; as in other such states, guns and the military are extolled. They are a source of privilege. I suspect the gun-toting Israelis are not that different from colonists in other states. The holocaust is a convenient excuse for aggression. Other groups, such as the gypsys, were targeted by the Nazis. Are they obsessed with carrying guns?

      I once saw a documentary, "Red in the Face", about American white supremacist groups, and they considered themselves victims. For that matter, the Nazis had a victim narrative.

      There is an interesting book on the subject of victimization, "The Politics of Victimization", by Marc Ellis.

      Incidentally, Rabbi Meir Kahane had the slogan, "Every Jew a 22".

  • Oren: Colonization benefits Palestinians
  • A 'party for Marty' greets Peretz at Harvard
    • Edward Q September 26, 2010 at 10:13 am

      Back in the 1990's there was a journalist named Lamis Andoni who wrote several articles about Harvard's Zionist bias.

  • Letter to Rachel Maddow
    • Edward Q September 24, 2010 at 7:16 pm with 1 replies

      I think the two scandals behind 9/11 are the Israeli spy ring, which convinces me Israel was aware of the plot, and the investors who also seemed to have foreknowledge of 9/11 and were able to profit from it. Who knows who else might have known about the plot ahead of time.

      Is Ahmadinejad being misquoted again?

    • Edward Q September 24, 2010 at 1:22 pm

      I guess I can see this as a "blame the victim" argument. I am so sick of the U.S. government it doesn't bother me.

    • Edward Q September 24, 2010 at 1:17 pm with 2 replies

      I think Ahmadinejad's 9/11 views are goofy but why are they offensive?

  • NYU to host debate - 'Is Judaism fundamentally violent?'
  • Harvard students: Peretz invitation 'lends legitimacy and respectability to views that can only be described as abhorrent and racist'
  • Feeling the loyalty to the Jewish state
    • Edward Q September 17, 2010 at 4:15 am with 1 replies

      Excellent work.

      During the Iran-Contra hearings one of the controversial statements from Oliver North was that he owed his allegiance to Reagan rather then the constitution or the government.

      The kind of hypocrisy in these interviews seems to be all over the place these days.

  • Pressure grows on Harvard to cancel Peretz honor
  • Rejecting the 'self-hatred' label
    • Edward Q September 16, 2010 at 5:09 pm

      This is standard rhetoric for supremacist movements. The Klu Klux Klan likes to rail against "weak whites" and "race traitors".

  • Harvard distances itself from Peretz, but event is still on
    • Edward Q September 16, 2010 at 10:56 am

      There is a lot of irony in the Harvard statement. First of all, Peretz was just arguing that Muslims should be denied free speech, while Harvard is using the free speech principle to justify honoring Peretz.

      Secondly, Peretz has essentially devoted his life to controlling speech. Because of his wealth and not his abilities, he was able to take control of the formerly progressive New Republic and turn it into an organ of Zionist propaganda. He determined who was hired and fired there and presumably censored what was written. Is that free speech?

      Thirdly, while Harvard can defend Peretz free speech rights, does that mean they must honor him?

      Finally, it is easy for Harvard to write

      As an institution of research and teaching, we are dedicated to the proposition that all people, regardless of color or creed, deserve equal opportunities, equal respect, and equal protection under the law.

      but what has Harvard done in concrete terms to fight discrimination? David Duke has claimed his proposals are in the interests of blacks but that doesn't make it true.

      I wonder how many antisemites Harvard has honored to defend their free speech rights?

  • A Jordanian complains about his king and the Zionists
  • Netanyahu said Iran was 3-5 years away from nuclear capability-- back in '95!
    • Edward Q September 12, 2010 at 12:01 pm

      Big Brother will get mad at you if you keep committing these thoughtcrimes and salvaging trash from the memory hole. Remember, we are at war now with Eastasia, not Oceana.

      Don't be lured by the reality-base community.

  • Bibi wants a Palestinian state...by 2040
    • Edward Q September 9, 2010 at 11:29 am

      I wonder what the 30 year figure is based on? Why not 50 years or 5 years or 1 year? Obama has said he wants a settlement in 1 year.

    • Edward Q September 9, 2010 at 8:02 am

      >> After thirty years of settlements, the Zionists will have driven out all the Palestinians.

      Maybe by then all of Israel's Jewish population will have moved to the West Bank and the Palestinians can settle what is now Israel.

  • 'NYT' runs Indyk, then more Indyk, and you have to go to 'Al Jazeera' for a different view
    • Edward Q September 6, 2010 at 8:15 am

      By now the NYT has probably been self-selecting its readers to be Zionists.

      Alfred Lilienthal wrote about how the NYT became an extension of the Israeli embassy in "The Zionist Connection". In the 1950's, this paper refused to run an ad for Yitzak Shamir because of his terrorist background. This led to a massive subscriber boycott which nearly bankrupted the paper. The NYT folded, changed its staff, and has slavishly promoted Israel since then.

  • Shlaim: I'm not a refugee, my family left Iraq because we felt 'insecure' after Zionists wiped Palestine off the map
    • Edward Q September 5, 2010 at 11:11 am

      "how many Subcommittee hearings had investigated zionism and its influence on US “homeland security” and/or the GWOT."

      This is ancient history at this point but Sen. Fulbright did have such hearings. Grant Smith has written quite a bit about U.S. investigations of Zionist influence. His articles can be read here:

      link to irmep.org

    • Edward Q September 5, 2010 at 10:52 am with 1 replies

      Naeim Giladi wrote an essay in 1998 about his experiences as an Iraqi Jew who went to Israel and the evolution of his opposition to Zionism. I have copied the link below, as well as the intro to his essay.

      link to ameu.org

      The Jews of Iraq
      by: Naeim Giladi
      April - May 1998
      The Link - Volume 31, Issue 2
      Page 1

      I write this article for the same reason I wrote my book: to tell the American people, and especially American Jews, that Jews from Islamic lands did not emigrate willingly to Israel; that, to force them to leave, Jews killed Jews; and that, to buy time to confiscate ever more Arab lands, Jews on numerous occasions rejected genuine peace initiatives from their Arab neighbors.

      I write about what the first prime minister of Israel called “cruel Zionism.”

      I write about it because I was part of it.

  • While Netanyahu harped on 'the blood of innocents,' Mitchell seemed to warn of Israel's demise
    • Edward Q September 6, 2010 at 9:51 am

      Shmuel,

      I share your skepticism to some extent. My impression here in the U.S. of Europeans is that they are middle class bourgeoisie types who lack the ability to empathize much with people living under tyrannies. I do think there is a positive aspect to Cameron's election, because he has been speaking about the need to normalize relations with the U.S. and not slavishly follow U.S. policies as a kind of satellite. This may not lead to much change on the I/P front, however.

    • Edward Q September 6, 2010 at 8:05 am

      Shmuel,

      You may be right with your pessimism. However, I don't think this is an all or nothing proposition. The situation right now is fluid and changing and other countries could follow the examples of Sweden and Norway. I believe the governments of Merkel and Sarkozy are in political trouble and they could be replaced by more independent-minded politicians as has happened in Denmark and Britain. I think more pressure will build up on Israel even if a European peace process never materializes.

      "Furthermore, the actions and positions of European (including Scandinavian) trade unions should not be confused with the actual foreign policies of European governments."

      At the same time, I think historically, social movements come first and then the politicians and "leaders" are dragged into doing something.

    • Edward Q September 4, 2010 at 7:05 pm with 4 replies

      I think two European countries have taken steps to support the BDS movement. More flotillas to Gaza could increase the urgency for action.

      I don't live in Europe so I don't know much about what is happening there. I agree with you that their record is not inspiring. Why does Germany want the U.S. to attack Iran?

    • Edward Q September 4, 2010 at 1:50 pm with 10 replies

      Jeffrey Blankfort has suggested a possible motive for these talks is to head off a separate effort by the Europeans.

  • More on the 'Firedoglake' controversy
    • Edward Q August 31, 2010 at 2:31 pm

      I don't want to come across as very critical of FDL; there have certainly been good articles written there by Kathleen, Philip, and others.

      I think the U.S. left is finally wising up about I/P. In the past, more often then not, you would hear a giant SHHHHHHHHH! noise from the left whenever criticism of Israel is made.

    • Edward Q August 31, 2010 at 12:23 am

      "here you are commenting on your perceptions of what we do or do not discuss"

      I do look at FDL from time to time and my impression is that mostly domestic issues are discussed. Am I wrong?

      "and should or should not discuss."

      I can comment on prejudice, can't I? I think that is one way to look at this whole question; if progressive principles are not applied in a uniform fashion then prejudice is present. In the past the left has been extremely prejudiced against the Palestinians. One example I particularly remember is here

      link to ameu.org

      but I could mention others. The situation today is not nearly this bad but I think there is still some bias present.

      I don't want to paint FDL in dark colors but I think it is reasonable to constructively raise these questions.

      On the other hand, in FDL's defense, writing on political topics is a time consuming task. The writers can probably only specialize in a few topics. This is what I was thinking about when I commented on a domestic focus (if it exists).

      The fact that you have not responded to my question about your position on zionism suggests to me that you have not studied this issue in much detail.

      "My last on all of this"

      I guess I have the last word.

    • Edward Q August 30, 2010 at 2:23 pm with 4 replies

      Philip,

      This is a good way for FDL to support the Palestinians. The BDS movement has grown quite a bit. What about zionism? Does FDL have anything to say about this ideology? My impression is most writers at FDL don't know much about this issue and are focused on domestic issues.

    • Edward Q August 30, 2010 at 11:19 am with 9 replies

      Phil,

      I don't normally read FDL but I agree with you; unqualified support for Grayson and Weiner is a problem. Do you know if FDL has taken a position on the BDS campaign?

  • 'Firedoglake' is progressive-- just don't talk about Palestine
    • Edward Q August 28, 2010 at 7:04 pm with 3 replies

      "I ... left their blogs"

      FDL seems mostly concerned with domestic politics. I never read it much either because it didn't discuss the issues I was interested in.

  • Revenge of the Nerds: Partying with the boys of Im Tirtzu
    • Edward Q August 21, 2010 at 6:51 am

      piotr,

      You can also wonder how self-described "small government" people can support our massive miltary system. They basicly use whatever half-baked argument is convenient at the time. Johnathan Schwarz at Tiny Revolution or Glenn Greenwald are fond of exposing their serial contradictions. How dumb is Pam Geller, for example, for claiming Barak Obama's father is Malcom X? And death panels or terror babies??? These people have been trained not to reason. I think this situation has developed because there are no immediate negative consequences for this stupidity. A corallary of this is that our government is pursueing equally rediculous policies. Here is another crazy example:

      link to physics.about.com

    • Edward Q August 20, 2010 at 9:53 pm

      This reminds me of a passage in the memior of Victor Weisskopf where he wrote in passing about the drunken howling of gangs of Nazi students on his college campus at night.

  • 'Cordoba House' controversy has one Pakistani American looking for a back-up plan
  • Maybe the U.S. bears some responsibility for intolerance in Afghanistan
    • Edward Q August 18, 2010 at 3:46 am

      I read a collection of essays by Nehru once where he made the point that colonialism will promote the most regressive tendencies in the occupied population. He illustrated this point with examples from Britain's occupation of India.

  • 'NYT,' Bloomberg, Lehrer lead mainstream stampede in support of mosque
  • Push for confrontation with Iran (sometimes) bears a Jewish stamp
    • Edward Q August 9, 2010 at 1:24 pm

      Actually, The New Republic did this to a photo of Saddam Hussein on the cover of their magazine in 1990.

    • Edward Q August 9, 2010 at 11:54 am with 9 replies

      Notice that this ad tries to personalize the issue into one's opinion of Ahmadinejad just as the Iraq issue was personized into Saddam Hussein. This is a standard propaganda ploy.

  • Israelis kill an American. No story here
  • Service with meaning-- the IDF

Showing comments 124 - 101
Page:

Comments are closed.