Pardon a rather navel-gazing morning, but I have been thinking about blogging. I am not sure how the Leverson Inquiry got into discussion of blogging, but apparently the editor of the Daily Mirror has described bloggers as “cowboys”.
If you read this blog you would, even in the last few months find definite and documented evidence that Jack Straw is lying about his complicity in torture, that Gus O’Donnell lied spectacularly about Adam Werritty’s number of meetings with the FCO, that there was a secret diplomatic deal between the US and Saudi Arabia that provided for the NATO attack on Libya and the Saudi invasion of Bahrain. You would not know any of those things from reading the Daily Mirror, or any other mainstream paper, with an honorable partial exception for the Independent.
Yet to my knowledge the only blogger to appear at Leverson has been the ultra right pin-up boy Paul Staines.
I have entered this blog for the Orwell Prize this year. I have never done so before. I had not realised, until I received an email last week, that the Prize accepts entries purely on the basis of self-nomination. That presumably rules out most decent people from the start. But I did have to select eight blog entries from 2011 for the nomination, and I found a dozen or so of which I am quite proud. This gave me impetus to move forward with an idea I have had for some time. I wish to bring out a book of collected writings.
My working title is “Zionism is Bullshit – Craig Murray and the Need for Dissent 2005-2011“. I want to bring together not just the best entries of this blog, but published articles, and transcriptions of speeches and talks, as well as highlights of evidence to parliament etc. I probably won’t be able to incorporate comments from the blog, as copyright and permission issues look a bit nightmarish.
A book called “Zionism is Bullshit” is going to have to be self published and sold via the internet. That worked fairly well for The Catholic Orangemen of Togo. There are now 74 left of the original 1200 hardbacks printed. Please buy a copy or two, using the buttons on the right. My hubris has been punished, and in the two months since I announced I will be donating 10% of my income to Scottish Independence, my income has been nil (except £64 profit on Catholic Orangemen sales). Like “The Catholic Orangemen“, “Zionism is Bullshit” will be available for free download.
“Thats rich coming from the mouth piece for new labour. How is the criminal allegations of phone hacking coming along against the Mirror ?.”
Guest – I thought the Mirror took quite a brave stand against New Labour on several occasions – Iraq, firemen…
Craig – rubbish title for a book. Far too Dave Spart. And not a patch on your previous titles.
Well said Rose. My own view of Craig Murray is that he is too bright to stick with his original title, which is schoolboyish. He is a clear thinker and in the light of clarity will make an amendment that is headline-fgrabbing for the right reason.
“Guest – I thought the Mirror took quite a brave stand against New Labour on several occasions – Iraq, firemen…”
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Alan Campbell, yes, so does the Guardian on occasion!, they don`t want it to look that obivious to their readers, they both tread a sophisticated tightrope keeping readership and given full support to their masters, its a trade-off with them. Both are still mouthpieces for new labour when the fat hits the fire.
How about Zionism is Fascismn! A split cover with a red line top to bottom, one picture on the right showing emaciated faces in a concentration camp, the one on the left showing emaciated faces behind the razor wire of Ghaza, or a photo from the shooting on the Gholan hights of peace protesters, an apt cover for the title,imho.
You would have inumerate posts trying to relive WW2 in all its dour aspects, a right historical slanging match. The central argument of Zionists was to create a homogenous jewish society that is a bollwerk to all influences from below. Below meaning those not chosen. One has to get to the psychological framework behind the whole idea, how much its like the ideology of those Arians setting themselves above others and what dastardly deeds they are prepared to do for it. what was done to us we now freely do to the Palestinians under the name of security and anti terrorism.
What are the underlying notion of a book on zionism is bullshit?
Who are the anticipated readership of zionism is bullshit?
What is the aim of zionism is bullshit?
What is the scope of zionism is bullshit?
What zionism is bullshit will add to the current body of knowledge?
What style of writing is going to be deployed in writing zionism is bullshit?
What is the format of contributions, and cooperation is going to be in writing zionism is bullshit?
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So far the only arguments forwarded are all too fucking puerile protestations about the bullshit in the title! In fact Bullshit is really the only way of describing zionism, is going missing, and rendering the potential book to be berated by the usual hasbara brigades, all the while giving respectability to the vile and racist mind virus of zionism.
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To what degree of disarray and ignorance have we descended into? Have you people lost your fucking marbles? Are you fucking serious, just to moan about the title?
Genius Craig. Do it. Zionism is Bullshit. The mainstream media hate us Bloggers because we are challenging their cosy status quo.
http://www.johnpilger.com/articles/the-world-war-on-democracy
“Hectoring, large-scale verses”, certainly, but bang on the money, as he usually is.
Unfortunately, unless we stop blogging and start doing something, it’s only going to get worse. And then, eventually, we won’t even be allowed to blog.
ingo “what was done to us we now freely do to the Palestinians under the name of security and anti terrorism”
In fact, think you’ll find that the actions of the Israeli government are those of a minority elected government; not the desire of the people of Israel as a whole. But of course, someone should be able to whip up generalised hatred against you, Ingo (or me) because of the actions of Blair or Cameron. Seems fair.
This youngster Jesse has worked it out for himself.
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2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. Writing Awards
Prose: High School
First Place (Tie)
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Fighting a Forbidden Battle: How I Stopped Covering Up for a Hidden Wrong
Jesse Lieberfeld
11th grade, Winchester Thurston
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I once belonged to a wonderful religion. I belonged to a religion that allows those of us who believe in it to feel that we are the greatest people in the world—and feel sorry for ourselves at the same time. Once, I thought that I truly belonged in this world of security, self-pity, self-proclaimed intelligence, and perfect moral aesthetic. I thought myself to be somewhat privileged early on. It was soon revealed to me, however, that my fellow believers and I were not part of anything so flattering.
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Although I was fortunate enough to have parents who did not try to force me into any one set of beliefs, being Jewish was in no way possible to escape growing up. It was constantly reinforced at every holiday, every service, and every encounter with the rest of my relatives. I was forever reminded how intelligent my family was, how important it was to remember where we had come from, and to be proud of all the suffering our people had overcome in order to finally achieve their dream in the perfect society of Israel.
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This last mandatory belief was one which I never fully understood, but I always kept the doubts I had about Israel’s spotless reputation to the back of my mind. “Our people” were fighting a war, one I did not fully comprehend, but I naturally assumed that it must be justified. We would never be so amoral as to fight an unjust war. Yet as I came to learn more about our so-called “conflict” with the Palestinians, I grew more concerned. I routinely heard about unexplained mass killings, attacks on medical bases, and other alarmingly violent actions for which I could see no possible reason. “Genocide” almost seemed the more appropriate term, yet no one I knew would have ever dreamed of portraying the war in that manner; they always described the situation in shockingly neutral terms. Whenever I brought up the subject, I was always given the answer that there were faults on both sides, that no one was really to blame, or simply that it was a “difficult situation.” It was not until eighth grade that I fully understood what I was on the side of. One afternoon, after a fresh round of killings was announced on our bus ride home, I asked two of my friends who actively supported Israel what they thought. “We need to defend our race,” they told me. “It’s our right.”
“We need to defend our race.”
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/…
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/thread/1326956457.html
Thousands in Jerusalem protest racism against Ethiopian Israelis
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Supremacy cannot be focused only on one group; pals pejorative term for Palestinians. Black Jews also find they are not allowed to rent houses, have to go to certain schools, to face limits of maximum of two blacks in certain other schools.
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Not very publicised racism in the land of the settlers, tanks, and plunder.
Book title : Milk, Honey and Lies?
PS Anon, spot on! “If you consider this blog challenges the prevailing intellectual left wing orthodoxy in the way that Homage to Catalonia and Animal Farm did – then might I suggest you take something of a reality check.”
i love this blog and the people who post, always food for thought and some great “high-brow” (for me anyway) put downs, lovely stuff. However I think many, if not all should read ‘The Road To Wigan Pier’ for a closer understanding of what GO’s thoughts were on those that hid behind the title of liberal. If you havne’nt got the stomach to drink with the unwashed pack up your liberal bag and…
There must be plenty of decent people in the Jewish community, in Israel also, normal people who don’t want any violence etc. What about them? I worry this whole anti-Zionist thing may get out of hand.
Thanks Fed up and Mary for showing that there is some sense and understanding amongst the jewish diaspora and at home, I expected nothing else.
Technicolour, I have reitereated many times that it is a small minority of ultra zionists that run israel backwards, the ‘we now freely do to others’, is not to be taken as a generalisation, its the psychological drive behind their outrages, a pseudo justification for their barbaric actions, whether its on road blocks, in their prisons, the Golda Meir mindset is governing the Knessets, the cabinets hardliners have a free run at whatever they want to do and they are using the judiciary to instal Stasi types regs in housing. Not having your permanent residence papers renewed is just one judicial lever, there are many others.
Zionism is fascism. using the term bullshit, as much as it fits, could have bulls red with rage.
Hi Craig,
I inadvertently thought you erased my 2 comments, but I was mistaken . . . sorry. I was looking on the wrong post for my comments! Silly me.
Oh, and good luck on the Orwell Prize competition.
My full apology and plug for your site are both here.
http://heddinout.com/?p=5403
Oh, and thanks, Mary, for the Orwell info. I nominated myself too!
Driver Brother . . . and sister
Still absorbing this fully, but perhaps the Title will drive deeper as a question:
“Are You A Zionist Patty?”
Posting that cost me a 0.2c stamp, but I have no pension plan.
“How odd
Of God
To choose
The Jews” …. Boniface Goncourt 18 Jan, 2012 – 6:51 am
Another truth revealed is the obverse ….
The Jews
To choose
Of God
How odd …