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Jack
I share your view that people are not responsible for deeds of their ancestors. But consider that those who were responsible for WWII had been your parents. How would you react to that?
In addition this generational conflict between parents and their children – which was the formative event in this entire quagmire – took place during the upheavals of the 1960/70s, as the Americans used to call it, “cultural revolution” – which furthermore questioned century-old traditions in all social areas. That altogether was an extraordinarily cataclysmic event.
The demise of the USSR eventually removed the pressure to question beliefs. And for many the lessons of the 1970s remained the last major challenge for their way of life. The rest was the so-called “peace dividend”, i.e. no necessity to learn and progress.The odd contradiction here is following phenomenon. The succeeding generation 40+, the grand-children of the “perpetrator generation”, consider themselves very sophisticated, completely above old-style clan-structure think, only following scientific, objective rules of thought and inquiry. However when it comes to emancipation from the traded “wisdom” of the 1960s “never again”-rhetoric, this scrutiny completely fails and they instead act and react in most archaic ways, of following sentiment, illogical tradition, ignoring facts on the ground – as they manifest themselves in Gaza every day, with may be – as Chris Hedges suggested yesterday – 200,000 dead now.
Good short interview by the only decent German daily, JUNGE WELT (which incidentally is on the observation list of German FBI), with Jonathan Pollak who “has served six prison sentences” in Israel for his resistance to IDF and settler violence:
““Wave of repression of historic proportions”
About colonial tyranny in Palestine and the dramatic errors of the Israeli left. A conversation with Jonathan Pollak
By Anne Herbst, Tel Aviv”
6.6.24AG, re.
“people are not responsible for deeds of their ancestors. But consider that those who were responsible for WWII had been your parents. How would you react to that?”
You made me think about it, and I’d like to share my thoughts.
Firstly, I tried to define why it’s bad. Actually we sometimes accept violence and destruction: for example, we understand violence used for self-defence.
Secondly, I thought maybe it’s motives that are unacceptable. And I thought that any society is made of individuals, so I can use analogy:
When an individual finds itself in bad position with little prospects to live a decent life (as was the case with pre-WW2 Germany), in such circumstance an individual may decide to work hard for better life. Or, he may decide to go robbing people in the streets, or other criminal actions.
Also, criminals form groups and they share common ideology, a mindset of a criminal typically says “There are predators and there’s prey. It’s not us who are baddies, it’s just natural things of life. There are masters and there are slaves. I’m too good/great/smart for work. I deserve more than a job can bring.”I find nazi ideology coincides with thinking of a criminal very much. Mein Kampf in its essence is a Mafia codex remastered, fanfic.
Well, if I knew my parents were criminal with this thinking in their heads… I think it depends on my own way of thinking. If I were brought up in criminal society, then I most likely would share criminal way of thinking, right?
But, if I grew up in a society that refused such criminal thinking, I most probably would feel that it has nothing to do with myself.
As simple as that. Not my values, I don’t support it and I’m not going to rob other people or murder them or in any way profit from their suffering.
Parents might be awful people, but I’m gonna live my own life.Disturbing video from Sweden, yesterday a swedish/palestinian student celebrated the end of the term, he pulled up a palestinian flag, quickly the principal, which is jewish, rushed up on stage and pulled the student off the scene.
https://x.com/OnlinePalEng/status/1799008732615172601Usually students in Sweden, like rest of many european cities with many non-european youth, often wave their flags from their acenstral home during these end-of-the-term celebrations. The only one that have ever had a problem with this is the right-wing forces.
While I am not a fan of flags to begin with, the brutal crackdown on palestinian flags in the west is sickening.
I do not know what happend with freedom of speech in the west but it is obviously dead.Jack…in some cases freedom of speech has been dead for a long time.
I just bumped into this old press release by the German LEFT PARTY´s cultural foundation, the ROSA-LUXEMBURG Foundation:
It´s from 2010, 14 years old. Wonder what they would comment today (I would even guess, they´d stick to it):“(…)
Press release | 17.02.2010
Finkelstein lecture not at the RLSRosa Luxemburg Foundation withdraws commitment to host planned event on the Middle East conflict in Berlin on February 26, 2010. MEDIA INFORMATION 2010/01
The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation is withdrawing its commitment to the planned lecture by Norman G. Finkelstein entitled “Israel, Palestine and the Goldstone Report on the Gaza War” on February 26, 2010 in Berlin.
The Chairman of the Executive Board of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, Heinz Vietze, and the Executive Director, Florian Weis, commented on this:
“We consider a discussion of the Goldstone Report to be urgently needed. However, we underestimated the political explosiveness of a lecture exclusively by Norman Finkelstein on this topic when we promised a room for this project in December 2009. We deeply regret this.
Our request to add a counterpart to Norman Finkelstein to the podium on February 26, 2010 was unfortunately rejected by the organizers. However, our educational mission requires, among other things, controversial and pluralistic debates.
The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation is currently preparing its own series of events for an objective and balanced discussion on the conflicts in the Middle East.”
Yours sincerely,
Henning Heine, RLS press spokesman
(…)”
And this is in fact an article on the same event in the daily TAZ which symbolizes the crookedness and break-down of the German leftist project since the 1980s.
You will find in it examples of censoring freedom of speech and assembly which have become standard by now. As well as the smearing.
This practice is therefore not new.
“Protest against Norman Finkelstein: Finkelstein is allowed to speak
Some accuse him of anti-Semitism, others consider him a clever left-wing critic: Norman Finkelstein will appear in Berlin next week. The Böll and Luxemburg Foundations have already distanced themselves.”
Febr. 19th, 2010
Yes, the Israel lobby have gone after Finkelstein for over a decade now – especially after Finkelstein exposed what a fraud Alan Dershowitz was some 10+ years ago, it is absurd because here we have a Jewish man with grandparents surviving the Holocaust and he is defamed as some type of antisemite just because he is exposing the criminal nature of Israel and yes even many to the left are not willing to embrace him, that he is allegedly “controversial”. But in my book there is no one better than him out there.
I have read almost every book by Finkelstein and if there is something that one could say about his work is that he is incredibly honest and every claim is backed up by facts/sources. He is like Chomsky 2.0 in my book, amazing human being, very odd – but that in a good sense.I remember one of the first encounter I had with Finkelstein was this video:
“I WILL NOT BE SILENT WHEN ISRAEL COMMITS ITS CRIMES AGAINST THE PALESTINIANS”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtpgGxeCGpM
So fearless, so courageous, so honest, so knowledgeable, that is how I would define him and these traits should not be considered “controversial”.
Sigh, Israel put on ‘List of Shame’ for killing kids, a long overdue move….but only after Hamas was also put on the list.
‘Historic, But So, So Late’: Israel Added to UN’s Child-Killing ‘List of Shame’
https://www.commondreams.org/news/israel-killing-children-2668478068
Some 12 kids died on the 7th october (who many was in turn killed by Hamas and IDF?). Some 15000 kids have Israel killed in Gaza. Parity?! What a joke (not to downplay the 12 israeli kids that were killed though).
Another couragous pro-palestinian voice silenced
The Hill Fires Briahna Joy Gray, Critic of Israel’s War on Gaza
Since the proIsraelis like to bring up “dangerous” “palestinian rocket” attacks against Israel, lets look at some raw data:
From 2004 to 2014, these attacks have killed 27 Israeli civilians, 5 foreign nationals, 5 IDF soldiers, and at least 11 Palestinians
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel
So in 10 years palestinian rockets killed 27 civilans. 27. In 10 years. 27! There are like 60 palestinian civilians killed EVERY SINGLE DAY in Gaza and the proIsraelis have the gall to claim that “palestinian rockets” are such a big threat?!
Speaking of more lethal “rocket” attacks however:
Amount of Israeli bombs dropped on Gaza surpasses that of World War II
Israel dropped 70,000 tons of bombs on Gaza Strip since last October, exceeding World War II bombings in Dresden, Hamburg, London combined, according to rights monitor“Israel, Offended by everything, ashamed by nothing”
Good summary on the alleged mass rape event:
Israel says Hamas weaponised rape. Does the evidence add up?
The Israeli government insists that Hamas formally sanctioned sexual assault on October 7, 2023. But investigators say the evidence does not stand up to scrutiny. Catherine Philp and Gabrielle Weiniger report on eight months of claim and counter-claim
The fact that the propaganda-prone, disinformation-ridden-regime of Israel have not been able to put up evidence for this alleged rape-spree by Hamas speak volumes. I do not doubt that there have been incidents of sexual assault – which is of course bad in itself – but this mass-rape thing? No, I do not believe that in light of pretty much 0 evidence for such claims.
Every time there is a massacre committed by Israel, I, obviously naively, believe that this this time, this massacre will make the West wake up, but no.
Even though Israel carried out a brazen massacre (once again!) against a civilian, refugee camp this weekend, the western liberal media cannot stop twisting the truth, now claiming Israel is the victim when they killed 200+ people in a massacre:German journalist whining at Die Welt:
https://www.welt.de/debatte/kommentare/plus251938026/Gaza-Krieg-Egal-was-Israel-tut-Es-landet-auf-der-Anklagebank.htmlEditorial board at WSJ whining:
Blaming Israel for Rescuing Its People
Hamas hid four hostages in a crowded civilian area and fired on rescuers.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/blaming-israel-for-rescuing-its-people-hamas-gaza-war-17581387?mod=opinion_lead_pos2When it comes to Ukraine WSJ have of course no problem claiming Russia targeting civilians even though the civilian death toll in Gaza is way higher:
Russian Forces Target Ukrainian Civilians
https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/whats-news/russian-forces-target-ukrainian-civilians/aba7bd74-a189-438f-a355-c522b2e4ed99No shame these people, these journalists will support the genocide to the end. Nothing could change their racist, demented minds.
Usual antics by the German government’s press conference:
“Chancellor Scholz on 36,586 dead Palestinians: “Israel is doing everything it can to comply with international law”
The great Site “All-Source Intelligence”
with:“The Australian ad-tech firm secretly fueling “psychological warfare” against U.S. university students
Public records reveal that the Blend AI controls the Israeli surveillance firm Sensus Ltd, which has been paid $1.9 million by Israel on Campus Coalition for its boutique surveillance software.”https://jackpoulson.substack.com/p/the-australian-ad-tech-firm-secretly
Thomas Gould, irish MP, powerful emotional condemnation of Israel the other day, really sums up the view that so many of us have:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30lBnB2cbf8a longer read:
“How an Israeli colonel invented the burned babies lie to justify genocide”by David Sheen
https://electronicintifada.net/content/how-israeli-colonel-invented-burned-babies-lie-justify-genocide/47011Considering that people usually are rooting for the underdog it should come as no surprise that with stories like these many outside Israel will leash out against Jews without knowing on what side those in fact are standing.
Since it´s the self-proclaimed Zionist state.However it is most likely that Israeli Intelligence has counted this is in and built on racist attacks on Jews that they would expect to also be part of the international outrage.
(I am though still waiting for a serious analysis of this not made by German police. I wouldn´t be surprised if the real extent of truly antisemitic act is much much lower and thus being suppressed.)Just like with the CIA predicting that war in the MidEast would turn US institutions into possible targets.
Given the US would bomb enough. But even there they had the same problem with lack of aggressive response. And therefore needed to create it in form of ISIS and Co. themselves.Interesting that the arabophobic laws by Patriot Acts all ove the world today are completely forgotten.
2001+ countless Arab students in Germany were treated like criminals.
No such thing is happening now.And furthermore the notion that Arabs – naturally – have feelings of hatred towards Israel now – too is totally lacking evidence. It´s an urban legend.
Besides that many do not concure with Hamas is almost not reported. That there is intense debate over this in the Arab community is no news. That people in fact are capable of supporting Hamas and not supporting violence against Jews or even Israeli citizens is unthinkable. Well, it wouldn´t fit our prejudice. Since what would Western superiority be worth then? Nothing.FAIR analysing media double standard:
“When Israel Burned Refugees Alive, Establishment Media Called It a ‘Tragic Accident’”
“As the world watched on social media and responded in outrage, US corporate media, once again, provided cover for the perpetrators of Israel’s genocide.”
https://scheerpost.com/2024/06/12/when-israel-burned-refugees-alive-establishment-media-called-it-a-tragic-accident/Actually it´s Germans/Europeans who are projecting their European history of antisemitism onto the Arab populations who have zero share in that episode. And at the same time degrading them constantly by exempting them from the moralism they practice towards the “Jewsish cause” (which doesn´t exist either as such). As Arab one should tell them: “this is your antisemitism, not ours. And don´t make it ours.”
Sigh, the guy that have for 9 months supported Israeli genocide now claims he want to recognize Palestine, but only if he get your votes.
Starmer vows to recognise Palestine if Labour wins General Election
https://www.gbnews.com/politics/starmer-labour-manifesto-israel-gaza-palestine
A more valuable promise would be that UK would join South Africa at the ICJ, UK would impose sanctions on Israel etc but nah the fake genocidal-enabling Keir Starmer will not actually do something of substance against Israel.
One of Germany´s largest (may be the largest) indie news sites, NACHDENKSEITEN, on German double standard re: UKR vs. GAZA:
Their reporter covering those nutty press conferences of the Scholz government, Florian Warweg –
https://www-nachdenkseiten-de.translate.goog/?p=116519&_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=de&_x_tr_pto=wapp“(…)Would the German government also insist that Russia is complying with international law if there had been a complete blackout throughout Ukraine for months due to the destruction of the entire civilian energy infrastructure, if health facilities (155), schools (516 out of 563 schools are considered damaged or destroyed, 55 percent of which were targeted by the IDF), universities and residential buildings (60 percent) were systematically targeted and the majority of casualties were women and children? Would the German government also remain silent if the Russian armed forces had killed a three-digit number of journalists, humanitarian aid workers and UN employees and if well over half of the Ukrainian population were suffering from famine (ICP Phase 5 “catastrophic level of food insecurity”)? The answer to this question is obvious. However, outside of Germany, international law standards are not based on political preferences or an alleged “reason of state”(…)”
AG
Yes the double-speak is sickening – Russia should sarcastically claim that Ukrainians “hiding behind civilians” – that is why Ukrainian civilians are being killed, then, lets see how the morally corrupt west would react. Would they believe it? No, so why do they believe when Israel claim it?!
Speaking on the western hypocrisy, here is another example I just thought about:
According to the west, only Ukraine could decide when a ceasefire/deal is to be agreed to. Meanwhile in Gaza Palestinians are expected to agree to any deal the genocidal tormentors force upon them, if Palestinians reject the ultimatums, the Palestinians are framed/blamed for the continued bloodshed against their own people!“According to Stoltenberg, only Ukraine should determine the conditions it considers acceptable for ending the war.”
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/06/18/7407359/But meanwhile in Ukraine, the occupied Palestinians are forced to accept any demands of a ceasefire put forward by the occupier:
“Time for the haggling to stop”: Blinken says Hamas didn’t accept ceasefire deal
https://www.axios.com/2024/06/12/blinken-hamas-gaza-hostage-ceasefire-proposal–
One must also ask where the loyalty of Anthony Blinken lies, is with with The US or with Israel?If you’ll permit me a personal aside, I come before you not only as the United States Secretary of State, but also as a Jew. My grandfather, Maurice Blinken, fled pogroms in Russia. My stepfather, Samuel Pisar, survived concentration camps – Auschwitz, Dachau, Majdanek.
This is like US having a secretary of state that was not only of ethnic Russian but pro-Russian stance. Would such precepts affect his politics on Ukraine/Russia? Of course.
“The Enduring, Racist Trope of Palestinian ‘Rejectionism’”
“Since the beginning of the Zionist settler colonial project, writes Fathi Nimer, Palestinians have been continuously expected to accept peace offers that deny their sovereignty.”
https://consortiumnews.com/2024/06/13/the-enduring-racist-trope-of-palestinian-rejectionism/
by
Fathi Nimer, who is Al-Shabaka’s Palestine policy fellow. He previously worked as a research associate with the Arab World for Research and Development, a teaching fellow at Birzeit University, and a program officer with the Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies. Fathi holds a master’s degree in political science from Heidelberg University and is the co-founder of DecolonizePalestine.com, a knowledge repository for the Palestinian question.AG
Good article,
“Since the beginning of the Zionist settler colonial project, writes Fathi Nimer, Palestinians have been continuously expected to accept peace offers that deny their sovereignty.”
Really sums up it.
Palestinians have no say even they are the ones being occupied, they are the ones facing acts of genocide. At the same time, it is not surprising that we are in this situation, if no one is going to stand up to Israel from the outside (western world, arab world), Israel could do and impose any will they want. After all, they have come to realize that they could slaughter thousands of kids live every day in front of the media and the outside world will do nothing about to stop it. Basically, if you could get away with murdering toddlers, there is no limit for Israel in what they could do, achieve, unfortunately.
–
In other news:
The israeli society is absolute bonkersOn @N12News
Israel’s most watched news show, former Likud MP Moshe Feiglin invokes ***Hitler*** to justify Gaza resettlement:“As Hitler said, ‘I cannot live if one Jew is left,’ we can’t live here if one ‘Islamo-nazi’ remains in Gaza.”
if you consider what Hedges talked about, stand-up comedian joking – “30,000 dead – you mean every day?”
https://x.com/MiddleEastEye/status/1768168696013275237I am for 100% freedom of speech including such jokes. (speech are not acts.)
But it tells you they are sick. After all humour above all is always to be considered in context and how its done, i.e. also who makes the joke…These things could fill news reporting in the West 24/7.
People would learn something from that.
But no one talks about it.
So, no surprise.I posted a link earlier in this thread to an essay on Israel, as a state, being psychopathic. I was wary at the time because that’s a serious accusation and painting a whole nation of individuals with the same brush seems wrong somehow. True psychopaths, as in clinically psychopathic, cannot or choose not to process empathy thus leading to “I cut him up just to see what would happen” type things. (see Jon Ronson’s “The Psychopath Test” book).
Israel , as a state, has no functioning apparatus to process empathy for palestinians. None. It’s repulsive to see and appears to be creeping into how our western leaders act. I guess when I say creeping into, I really mean it was always there but right now Israel and its polity are the focus and display no capacity for empathy. Society locks up clinical psychopaths in high security mental health institutions, usually, for life. Where is Israel going to be incarcerated?
