You see, it's all in the head, this claim about Muslim hatred of Jews. If it does exist, it's just a few, extremists, which does not include the Muslim Brotherhood, which is moderate and meets with our government officials.
Pro-Israel advocates, Israel, the Jewish people are in fantasy land. There is nothing to be concerned about.
Indeed, the above is a simply a figment of the imagination or
a Zionist deception and existential threat against 1.5 billion adherents of Islam.
So it goes.
I am suddenly put to mind of an individual on dkos who went by the name of Deaniac. The mob had decided that Deaniac was an "Islamophobe" and he was routinely ridiculed and demeaned because of this charge.
ReplyDeleteOne day he wrote some comments about how PA television indoctrinates children into hatred and posted some irrefutable video examples.
In response they kept chanting at him, "You're a racist! You're a racist!" And then they would troll rate the comment, making it disappear.
And Deaniac kept saying things like, "What are you talking about? It's right here in the videos! Just watch the videos!"
And then they would yell at him and smack him around some more.
It is racist to show racist behavior. Only some are entitled to feel oppressed and deserve protection. Only some should be held accountable. This is the world of humanitarian racism.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of DKos, when I go there its impossible not to be put off by the extent of hate and cruelty expressed. The site is littered with diaries by a relative few self-anointed "progressives" that promote a kabuki characterized by demonization of Republicans or those that reject the kabuki.
Apparently, players there seem to think that only Republicans spew hate or have the ability to raise money and engage in manipulation for power. So much that they can't see how much they emulate the ones they consider evil or how quickly they toss away principles they are supposed to care for. It is a reality check on the ill affects that occur when activists take control.
I understand.
DeleteIt seems to me that if we want to have a true liberal politics then we need a politics which explicitly refuses to demonize those with whom we disagree.
It also must be a politics that values truth above ideology.
I agree that tolerance is a core component of what it means to be a liberal. Too many pay lip service to tolerance. Ideologues are not interested in searching for truth, but in promoting their ideology as truth. They are intolerant to others as such.
ReplyDeleteIf we could get rid of demonization and gratuitous conduct, it would be much easier to address the substance of differences in policies. The reality is that too often otherwise compelling arguments lose effect because they contain unnecessary disparagement.
I understand... but the ostrich stays!
Delete;O)
btw, I can't help but notice that allowing VB to post, but insisting upon civility, seems to have driven him off entirely.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame, actually.
I wanted to be able to talk to that guy in the long-term. I don't even blame him, entirely. I can be quite contentious, quite blunt, and he took offense. I also have a temper that leads me to make occasional mistakes.
But, I have to say, for so many weeks the guy was writing this really nasty, really sarcastic and vicious bullshit, that I was deleting and deleting and deleting. I stopped reading any of it because it just seemed filled with malice and contempt.
If he is gone, then that is fine. But if he is not, then we need to hold him to the civility standard and to question him along the lines that we recently have.
Let him answer a few questions if he honestly wants to participate.
He has never posted here, and I cannot relate to your experience. I do not like talking about others, but get the sense of immaturity from his manner of communication. He does not seem to understand that just because Obama is better than Romney, it does not make him an 11th dimensional chess player as it seems he is made out to be.
ReplyDeleteI would love to hear his views on the Progressive-Zionism tension, and where he comes out.
I don't care so much for civility, but seek eradication of unnecessary disparagement that creeps in to the dialogue, ending in total rejection of others' ideas, even good ones. Sometimes it can get surreal.
Y'know, I thought that Jewish people were known for being contentious and argumentative, but from what I can tell (present company excepted, of course) what I see are a bunch of pussies.
Delete