Conflict between Palestine and Israel escalates

Silvanus

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Are you aware of the history of your homeland and the island immediately adjacent to it? Like, within the last century.
Yep. You seem unaware of the history of most modern European nations, however.
 

crimson5pheonix

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These are the wrong questions. Starmer isn't pandering to "the Zionist lobby" in doing these things. The press successfully created an atmosphere in which any action from Labour that could conceivably be spun as antisemitism gets spun as such.
But why would the press spin anti-Zionism as antisemitism?
 

Gergar12

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Generally no; Anti-Zionism isn't always antisemitic. That said the Jewish state of Israel should exist, but it shouldn't expand. But apparently, I am to the right left of AOC.

 

Silvanus

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But why would the press spin anti-Zionism as antisemitism?
Because its a cudgel with which to beat Labour.

Same reason they'd use any excuse to label Labour as anti-worker, without ever once giving a solitary shit about workers.
 

crimson5pheonix

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Because its a cudgel with which to beat Labour.

Same reason they'd use any excuse to label Labour as anti-worker, without ever once giving a solitary shit about workers.
But where would they get the idea and the reasonable clout to make that argument?
 
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Silvanus

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I feel the word "obvious" is obscuring the answer here.
Really? To conflate criticism of a state with an associated group is an extremely common tactic, with which anyone who has cursory knowledge of spin and smear tactics is familiar. That approach has been extensively used for centuries-- and I've repeatedly been accused of 'russophobia' for criticising the actions of the Russian government and military in another thread on this very forum.
 
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crimson5pheonix

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Really? To conflate criticism of a state with an associated group is an extremely common tactic. It's been extensively used for centuries-- and I've repeatedly been accused of 'russophobia' for criticising the actions of the Russian state in another thread on this very forum.
Are you trying to imply that supporters of a particular state policy might try to artificially conflate hatred of their policy for hatred of a country or ethnic group?
 
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Seanchaidh

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Really? To conflate criticism of a state with an associated group is an extremely common tactic, with which anyone who has cursory knowledge of spin and smear tactics is familiar. That approach has been extensively used for centuries-- and I've repeatedly been accused of 'russophobia' for criticising the actions of the Russian government and military in another thread on this very forum.
This seems like you've just checkmated yourself.

You really can't stand to admit I'm right about even the tiniest thing, can you?
The Troubles did not end because the UK were finally able to drive all the Irish out after razing Dublin, what is the point of your example?
 
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tstorm823

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The Troubles did not end because the UK were finally able to drive all the Irish out after razing Dublin, what is the point of your example?
If the IRA had organized a day of mass rape, murder, and kidnapping of the English, that definitely could have happened.
 

Silvanus

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Are you trying to imply that supporters of a particular state policy might try to artificially conflate hatred of their policy for hatred of a country or ethnic group?
Supporters of a state policy might do it. Or any cynical actor looking for a cudgel might do it. Its a remarkably common tactic.

You really can't stand to admit I'm right about even the tiniest thing, can you?
You're simply wrong if you think every modern nation started in brutal conquest, and that this therefore justifies Israel acting with brutality against the Palestinians.

This seems like you've just checkmated yourself.
I can only assume you've failed to follow the point being made, then.
 

XsjadoBlayde

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The imminent threat of UN school building has been annihilated, evil has been defeated, pop the champagne!


feels like am completely losing my mind, it just won't stop getting worse
 
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Eacaraxe

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Really. And what do you even mean by "Zionism", precisely?
This is, flat out, an attempt to distract and obfuscate the discussion and its point. Now that you've been faced with a contention you know you cannot challenge, you're trying to keep it away from active discussion.

Kier Starmer spent a lot of time working for Liberty and as a human rights lawyer.
Then he should be excruciatingly aware of the approximately seventy years' worth of international law and legal precedent that indisputably identifies what is going on in Gaza now as genocide, and the treatment of Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli government as apartheid. This goes so far as to include recorded, public, usually live, verbal and written statements by Israeli public officials speaking as representatives of the Israeli government and military, indisputably proving intent which is almost always the most difficult legal prong and that with the highest burden of proof.

He's done more concrete work to protect people from injustice than you or I probably ever will. Whilst this doesn't give him an unlimited pass, I think it does give us good grounds to not assume he favours genocide off the evidence of one brief and unclear statement on a radio show.
Except, it's not just about "one brief and unclear statement on a radio show", is it. It's about continued political and materiel support for Israeli over the past twenty years as Likud (and Netanyahu's political faction) drug it towards neofascism. It's about other statements being made now in support of Israel and its genocidal actions. It's about his ties to Labour Together and Third Way-ism. It's about leading the right-wing purge of left-wing Labour members under false pretense, whilst simultaneously disregarding the actual racism actively committed by his own faction.

No, the preponderance of the evidence is that Starmer actively supports this. What he may or may not think behind closed doors and away from cameras is entirely immaterial to the political positions and policies he presents. Of course that's hardly more than cold comfort, the Labour files leaks and Starmer's public disregard for the Forde report except for those excepts which helped him seize the party and purge dissent clearly demonstrate what he thinks when cameras and mics aren't on.

You have a very narrow political tolerance with strict morality, and you don't like people outside that morality, or accept bending for pragmatism.
Ah yes, the infamous political purity test known as "opposing genocide and genocide apologists/deniers/enablers".

You are inclined to be unfair to Starmer - that is the real issue here.
How unfair it is to judge neoliberal politicians on the disgusting political positions they publicly endorse.
 

Ag3ma

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This is, flat out, an attempt to distract and obfuscate the discussion and its point. Now that you've been faced with a contention you know you cannot challenge, you're trying to keep it away from active discussion.
Zionism could be considered in many ways, which run anywhere from belief in a Jewish state at all, to much more specific claims about what the Jewish state should be. Early Zionists, for instance, looked at options for a Jewish state in places all over the world. Modern Zionism means Israel, but does not necessarily in the minds of many people mean that Israel gets to occupy the entirety of old Mandate Palestine, especially at the further cost of the Palestinian Arabs.

Then he should be excruciatingly aware of the approximately seventy years' worth of international law and legal precedent that indisputably identifies what is going on in Gaza now as genocide,
So you think that on 11th October 2023, more than two weeks before Israel launched its invastion of Gaza, Starmer should have taken into account all the crimes by Israel up to 13th December 2023?

Except, it's not just about "one brief and unclear statement on a radio show", is it.
You appear to not realise that the primary function of the Labour Party is to work for the interests of the British people and country as a whole, preferably by getting elected.

Ah yes, the infamous political purity test known as "opposing genocide and genocide apologists/deniers/enablers".
You have no moral high ground here, because anything I have said about this issue isn't a patch on your implicit support for Russia attempting to erase Ukraine. You want to throw that accusation at others then you are just a hypocrite.

How unfair it is to judge neoliberal politicians on the disgusting political positions they publicly endorse.
Yes, and the same goes for leftists and their disgusting political positions.
 

XsjadoBlayde

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Podcasts are sanity's last refuge and palliative care. far more available and consistent than NHS mental healthcare under current Tory rule as well 👌



In the first of three episodes about the right wing grifters exploiting Israel's crimes in Palestine we look at the conditions on the left that made their rise possible



In part 2, Mia, Robert, and Garrison discuss how the injection of conspiracy culture and the structure of left media allowed leftist media figures to make hard right turns.



In part 3, Mia and Gare discuss the rise of increasingly fascist media figures who exploit the suffering of Palestinians to build careers off their media brands
 
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crimson5pheonix

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Supporters of a state policy might do it. Or any cynical actor looking for a cudgel might do it. Its a remarkably common tactic.
And said cynical actors are able to make that accusation because of the supporters. Said supporters are also going to try and make this claim in general in public to create an air of it being true. So guess what? The pressure came from Zionists.
 

Silvanus

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And said cynical actors are able to make that accusation because of the supporters. Said supporters are also going to try and make this claim in general in public to create an air of it being true. So guess what? The pressure came from Zionists.
What...? Cynical actors don't need genuine supporters of the ideology to make the argument. They just need people who're disposed to condemn racism, and also can't very well tell the difference between criticism of a state and racism.

Hence why the accusation of 'russophobia' was thrown at people who criticised the Russian government's invasion. That accusation didn't require loads of casual readers to be sympathetic with Russian imperialism. It was just a lazy smear.