Letters to the Editor
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Persecuted Anonymous commenter;
Hows the clickrate, Glenn?
I mean other than that was there a reason for this?
I would say that posts I write about Israel, such as this one, probably receive fewer links, and therefore less traffic, than almost any other topic I write about with any regularity. How does that make you feel, having just accused me of writing about this for "clicks"?
And, of course, it's not like Israel and its discussion in the U.S. is an important topic or anything -- so trying to obtain traffic is the only possible reason anyone would ever write about it. That's just obvious. That must be why Haaretz wrote about that poll.
But leave all those annoying facts aside and just remember the most important thing -- you're persecuted. The whole world is against you. Everything is really, really unfair.
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Lexsali
I know you're heart was in the right place, but that was an unfortunately patronizing metaphor.
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omooex.....
I can tell you from experience, unfortunately, that you can find people who want to eliminate another people anywhere. There is a broad range of reactionary discourse in Palestine, as there is obviously one here in the good ol' US. Words are cheap, anyway.
Please reference my second to last paragraph. Maybe I was not clear in stating that very issue. Clerics with eliminist rhetoric can be found everywhere. Time to stop that shit.
Don't make us into Saints, just stop killing us.
Past time for the US to level the playing field and stop feeding the beast.
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get real
"....nothing but vermin.
.... If that shall be the case, the Arabs could only run around like cockroaches in a bottle, like drugged cockroaches inside a bottle."
And I suppose if he had said something like "like shooting fish in a barrel", that would mean he thought Palestinians were nothing but fish?
Isn't there enough real substance to talk about without going to extreme lengths to find offense?
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Irrational Opponents...
Glenn-
as always, wonderful work. The issue is not whether we or Isreal should negotiate with Hamas- it is that the question is framed in such a way that nothing can change!
The mindset of the neo-cons (both in the US and in Isreal)in terms of dealing with opponents can be summed up as:
"admit you are the bad guys. You are wrong, and you know it. You know the difference between good and evil, and you choose to be evil. We are good and our only motive in destroying you is altruism (well, and the billions of dollars we self-righteously deserve...). ONCE YOU ADMIT YOU ARE WRONG WE CAN TALK (about how you will surrender without a fight)".
The concept that there are other points of view totally escapes them. I am a pretty fair psychologist (and Jewish by the way) and I can tell you, the ONLY way to get people to change is by convincing them that you understand and accept as valid their worldview as a starting point. Then you can get them to look at where things aren't working for them, and suggest incremental changes consistent with your now-shared worldview. The authoritarian "I'm the doctor, do what I tell you" model is utterly ineffective, producing at best passive and sullen token changes that never last.
These folks really are spoiled, petulant children in adult bodies. Scary.
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methinks...
that both the citizens of this country and Israeli citizens need to make a joint effort to hold Pro-Likud forces(politicians, msm..) both here in the US and in Israel accountable to high crimes and misdemeanors, war profiteering.
The citizens of Israel are subjected to the fearmongering and constant warmongering at the hands of the Likud movement-just as the citizens of this country are being subjected to it here-with all of the false, undisclosed, bogus reasons as "WMD,..."
The real people making a buck off this fear-is the defense industry of both countries.
Let's call it what it is.
Doesn't mean Israel does not have to worry about its' security-does not mean we shouldn't either.
But to be exploited by playing on fears is an obomination.
A good government model of any country should be in easing the fears of it's citizens-not raising them.
To me that just should send the signal that the govt. has not done a very good job of upholding the national security of its' country through diplomatic and military means-not that it has (in some twist of irony).
It also sends a psychological message (perhaps Straussian)to it's citizens that they are victims-that they need to cower and depend on ther govt. as the only means to protect them...that many come to believe as fact.
We/they don't realize the personal freedoms given up in such belief.
A dangerous recipe for putting too much authority into the hands of corrupt officials with thier own self-interest to look out for-iow FOLLOW THE $$.
If govt. had their constituents interest at heart---would they be willing to see and ignore other problems in thier country (here:economy, Katrina,vet benefits, healthcare) in lui of having military budgets that =all of the other countries defense budgets combined?
Or could this be an example of overkill(by a few corporate robber barons with the msm microphone)-by the military complex raiding the national piggybanks present and future for the sake of their profits-(only to put them in offshore accounts). til retirement time.
Who had the audacity to make that OVERKILL decision on military spending without consulting the citizens of either country?
Who was allowed to make the decision to spend that kind of exorbitant $$ raiding the future of both countries?
Until people wake up-and stop seeing themselves as victims(both here and in Israel)-and start fighting back and hold those accountable in govt. making decisions about their
treasurys' present and future---they can only expect to repeat the following mistakes about when and how to proceed with war.
After 40 years-isn't it about time that we did learn that lesson?
Isn't it about realizing WE(Israelis and Americans)need to take back the reigns of our own future and happiness-not let the govt make that decision.
I for one, will not let anyone tell me I am a victim of ANYTHING.
Eleanor Roosevelt said it best (not verbatim)-the only person that can hurt you is yourself.
FIGHT BACK.
HOLD POLITICIANS ACCOUNTABLE.