The depravity of the Israelis and Zionists knows no bounds. It seems that nothing is too ugly, nothing is a red line, there are no morals or ethics, and NO HUMANITY within this society.
And I hold US Empire Managers (and everyone that supports these US Empire Managers) to be every bit as culpable as Israelis and Zionists. This is a US Genocide as much as an Israeli one. The lines between the US and Israel have been blurred beyond recognition - making BOTH EQUALLY responsible, guilty, and punishable for every offense, every crime, every rape, every death, and everything else that the world has been witnessing...
I agree the US and Israeli governments are both culpable. However, most of the American population are not actively participating in or approving of this genocide whereas apparently, or so it is reported widely, the majority of Israeli citizens approve of and participate in one way or another most of the death, destruction, rape, starvation, siege, etc. going on. I do see a difference between the two populations, though not the two governments so much although more US representatives and office holders do object to what is going on, albeit the US reps seem allergic to voting their conscience. Not very many Israelis appear to have a conscience. Very disturbing. Then again, we are all capable of the behavior of the Israelis, theoretically. I will be so glad when the Israeli state fails, as it will/is. I don't know that the US can be saved since most Americans do not realize that they are allowing the far right freedom to act the same way the far right in Israel has been allowed which has resulted in the current situation. And could easily result in the destruction of this country. We too are becoming a pariah state. And it's been a long, long time coming.
My problem with blaming Israel's current decline on the "far right", is there seems to be some implication that, were it not for the "far right", Israel would be a regular, peace-loving country. That's just not the case. They founded their colony through violence, and maintained it through oppression and further dispossession. They are a society founded on supremacy, exclusivity, and expansionism, and their genocidal nature is a core part of their ideology. What's happening now is the ultimate logical conclusion of that ideology, "far right" or not.
I agree with you except that the whole Zionist part of Israel has moved far to the right. (I am making the point that a minority are NOT Zionist, including a minority of Israeli Jews.) I agree with how it began, but that doesn't mean all Israeli Jews agree with the rightward slant of the culture now--nor did they before the establishment of the state of Israel. According to Israeli journalists I read, there is neither a left nor a center left in Israel. I could say the same thing about the US, frankly. The problem is we have to use some terms--whatever they are--to describe the phenomena. And I cannot imagine an entity you could characterize as a "colonialist left". I think colonialism is right wing no matter where or what form it takes. The US also began the same way as Israel with its ludicrous ideology of "Manifest Destiny" and racial and cultural superiority. It was just part of the British "value added" economic model. And I would posit it is a fundamentally right of center nation, including what passes for the left here. The frightening thing for me is the truism that as an institution is created, so it continues forever into the future, which is why reforming institutions is fundamentally impossible. This does not give me much hope for the U.S. I cannot see most Americans I know participating in, or surviving, a real revolution. As far as Israel goes, I don't care what any Israeli says--that state is on its way out. It cannot survive this.
And this is continually obscured by reference to the Democratic Party as “Left” which is really a testament to how far to the right the US establishment has moved. Capitalism is in terminal crisis and has no answers to its dilemma as it cannot even provide the basics of life to most of its citizens: affordable food, housing, etc.
Interesting that you refer to "its citizens", referring to capitalism; theoretically we're citizens of countries, but in reality yeah--we're all citizens of capitalism, that what rules us.
Depressing how easily the media shoots down leftists with the claim of "commie" or even "socialist". We already have socialism. It's called welfare for the rich and for the military-industrial-medical complex. Most taxes of every kind actually benefit people who could pay for their own military and roads and electric grid and on and on and on. Most "welfare" goes to the upper middle class and the filthy rich, dollar for dollar. Our entire public school system (and most of the private) is a system of political indoctrination. Parents need to teach their own.
Okay, I read the whole thing. It's quite well written. But I think you're full of shit. You think the French and Russian revolutions happened because some power-hungry individuals stirred up a lower class that was perfectly content until they stirred it? You think climate change is a hoax and the environment is not in crisis? And you believe that when WEF has that "You will own nothing and be happy" somewhere on their website, they intend for EVERYONE--even themselves--to own nothing, because they're a bunch of commies? WEF is corporate heads, government honchos and billionaires--none of these people are communists, though some may indeed by power-hungry --most, probably). Your point that left vs right as a political spectrum is an oversimplification is valid, as is the claim that we have divided into camps where someone's opinion on X largely CAN be deduced from their opinion on Y--because most of us get our information from within certain bubbles. You didn't say, but I suspect, that this is not entirely because of profit-seeking algorithms on social media sites, or even the apparently instinctual human predilection for tribalism but in part has been deliberately fostered by the powerful to keep the 99% divided--and it's working very well.
Certainly the climate is changing: we are still coming out of an ice age. But it's not due to anthropogenic carbon dioxide.
The environment suffers from other forms of pollution, and overfishing, for example.
But I don't waste my time trying to convince people about the CO2 point. They have been subjected to too much repetition, and most haven't had sufficient education in degree-level physical chemistry to read the papers.
A better route is to make people aware of other lies, so that they begin to understand how much they are lied to, and why, and by whom. E.g. see talks by Mike Yeadon, which you will find on Rumble, Odysee, etc - the uncensored sites.
I read about a third of that and then had a hard time keeping my eyes open to finish it. (It's very late/early here.) You are over-thinking it. And your assumption that it fits a graph is problematic. In my experience, the "political spectrum" is actually a circle. I am pretty far left but have found myself (with considerable surprise and distaste) in bed with the far right on certain subjects. I have never experienced it as a line or XY axis. Hell. Maybe it's actually a Mobius strip! Or on an infinite loop. Or a black hole.
I agree with you: The little boy who didn't know any better than to laugh at the emperor's naked butt was essential. We need to cultivate Beginner's Mind but what our "leaders" are cultivating is the three monkeys--speak no evil, hear no evil, see no evil. Authentic truth-telling is in short, short supply.
Campaign finance reform. If we didn't have Citizens United, we wouldn't be here. Thank you Mitch McConnell. Way to GO.
Actually, no, It wasn't Citizens United--that decision did not "open the floodgates to campaign cash' as is so often claimed. Buckley vs Valeo in '76 did that--what CU did was rip the gateposts out of the ground and widen the flood. But it was already almost impossible to get someone in office who was determined to represent the people rather than the special interests. Arguably it was Santa Clara County vs Southern Pacific Railroad in 1886, which set the idea that corporations were persons with the rights of persons, into law.
Well, we can go back to the 1600's when the dissolute second sons of British nobility were given humongous tracts of land in North America to raise funds to cover their gambling debts (and to stop embarressing their families in Britain). And in the 1800's when states outside the original 13 were being formed you had to own 600 acres or $600 (a huge amount of money at that time) in order to be able to vote, not to mention being classified as "White" (i.e. British) and male. As I say, institutions cannot be reformed. We've been trying for over 400 years and it's just getting worse.
Okay. Capitalism and democracy cannot co-exist. Point taken. But CU made things much, much worse. And "Capitalism" makes serfs of us all. It's not just in the US. Most Westerners have drunk the Koolaid, spending their lives running after the golden ring. We've spread this cancer throughout the world and private capital is positioning itself right now to take ownership of all resources in the world as "payment" for outrageous "debt" and incredibly high interest on secondary debt in developing economies given by private investors so those countries could pay off already onerous post-WWII debt to the IMF and World Bank--themselves creations of Western capitalists. Those secondary debts are charging 45% interest. Ugh. Don't get me started.
Why was a former official of the IMF given the top job at Columbia University? This is nuts. Why would any person with an IQ above 100 want to attend such an institution? Educational institutions as indoctrination centers. Re-education camps. Boy, Palestine sure shines a bright light on imperialism.
Thanks for trying though! Overthinking - very likely! Beginner's mind - for sure, in some circumstances. Maybe something we can agree on is that those with power are a threat to everyone else.
Off the top of my head, homeschooling (which I began in the 80's when my kid's school was teaching History--and Politics--According to Reagan--over my dead body and which at the time was legally codified as "child abuse") and transgender ideology. I'm definitely in bed with the far right and am very grateful they're out there on those subjects. I understand Project 25 (or whatever it's called--I'm trying to ignore it) also wants to ban porn. I do like that. Porn is extremely emotionally damaging to women and children, and apparently the more you watch, the more you experience erectile dysfunction, even if you are a young man in his teens or twenties, which says a lot about the human need for novelty, which may be a big reason the Israeli behaviors keep getting worse and worse and worse. I also am very much opposed to any inclusion of religion in public schools as well as the namby-pamby teaching of government and patriotism in most elementary schools. The pledge of allegiance is ridiculous indoctrination. Why the National Anthem is played before sports games is beyond me (except that I think school sports and Scouting are ways to indoctrinate militarism in the very young). Yeah, I know. HOW un-American!
What do you mean "implicit if not explicit"? We need to boycott internally. We need to stop paying taxes. We need to boycott the sources of the billionaire Zionists' income. How about a demo outside Adelson's gambling casino? There are so many ways to boycott these people. Boycott Microsoft. Boycott Facebook. Boycott X. BOYCOTT, PEOPLE. How about a general strike. We have the power. They do not. How about an anti-military movement? It takes a lot of people to run a military.
Biden's not all there. You know that. And he's going to be gone soon. Harris is a puppet. Boycott the banks. This is all about the banks.
Does anyone with some historical perspective understand why the USA seems so beholden to Israel?
* A key military regional partner? Though so are the Brit’s and nobody finds it hard to give them a tough time?
* lobbyists and political sponsors? - Energy has them too and we flip back forward on giving them what they want
* The Jewish bloc in senate/congress? - a good number of them are progressive, so they don’t all seem always supportive of Israel?
* The Jewish vote? It’s just a few percent?
* Promises (driven by guilt?) after WW2?
* something else?
It’s a serious question. Israel’s reputation must be massively down versus 2 years ago. It has damaged their reputation big time among “normal people” which isn’t fair for many Jewish and Israelis. It might be better for them if we weren’t always so automatically supportive?
When does the US ever give the Brits a tough time? They're functionally the same state. It just happens that their island is not presently on the front line of any major regional conflicts with massive geostrategic implications.
Poor Ukraine. Dying to field test NATO weapons and strategies.The Russians got screwed. Any thinking person knows this. They were promised no NATO expansion and we bald faced lied. Like the US, they too have territorial concerns. and weapons that emit gamma rays. No Russian base in Canada or Mexico would be allowed. Hypocrisy? On steroids. Note that Zel cancelled the election. Hmm. Any different from our complaints against Maduro? Another Uncle Sam democracy. Hahahaha.
Totally correct..............not to mention the overthrow of Prime Minister in Bangladesh because the US wants an air force base to spy on China!!!!!!!!!!
You know what I've noticed? A lot of Brits are crappy writers. It astonishes me to say it, but I think that we are better writers of English in the U.S. than they are in the UK. Of course, it's a demographic thing too, with age being the great divide here and probably everywhere.
To be fair, there are many smart Brits. But let's be frank. Just as in our country, the brightest and best loath the cauldron of slime that is modern politics. So we end with sycophants, narcissists, whores, and criminals.
Though another thought is that the Brit’s, true to form, are just further down the “rise and fall of nations” path. But for the grace of God there go we?
Ok, though you can find plenty of US news stories canning the Brit’s for Brexit etc. No editor is going to stop the presses because they think some anti-Brit wisecrack has slipped in. But they have and do for Israel.
From your observation, maybe it is geo strategic… We’d be invaded by martyrs and deprived of gasoline if it wasn’t for Israel? So our polis have no choice if their first priority is the homeland?
1. Israeli is really just an American base in the Middle East. Thus it is critically important to sustaining the empire.
2. Both Israelis and Americans are indoctrinated from very early in life that they are exceptional. That they are the chosen people. Thus Israel’s actions and the USA’s exceptionalism theory and manifest destiny.
Yes, I get that. I’m not sure any other country could have maintained Guantanamo and black ops torture sites in the way we have, without much condemnation.
Don't overlook the convergence of the three Ps: Power, Profit, and Prophets. The messianic zeal that is determined to bring on Armageddon can't be overstated. From that perspective, what's a few million killed on the way to total destruction?
Yes, the prophets add a critical third priority. Prophecies seem deep routed in Israeli culture - both glory and decapitated babies are seemingly mainstream beliefs from long ago. It seems to be a problem.
I think Joy was referring to the US Zionists, most of whom are not Jews but Born Again, Rapture-ready Christians, who want Israel to rebuild its temple so Jesus can come, viciously punish all the sinners (everyone but them) and raise the holy Rapturists into the clouds naked to watch the slaughter from on high. So they get to go to Heaven without dying, and all they have to do is recite the incantation "I take the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal savior," and voila--doesn't matter how selfish and violent their lives have been. Obviously this is avery different Jesus than the one quoted in the New Testament.
Yet, if they in fact believed that Jesus return were truly imminent, why do their leaders so assiduously amass treasures for themselves on earth, where worms and robbers steal, and not treasure in heaven?
Years ago, my friend and neighbor asked about why US Congress was so fervently supportive of Israel, Her husband's daughter had married a Palestinian, who worked for WHO, and who visited a few times, so she became involved in this. "What is it? Do they have dirty pictures on these people or what?" After the revelations about Jeffrey Epstein came out, I thought, "Yes--they did and DO have dirty pictures on many of the most powerful men in the world." But that's only part of it. Much of it is that they give lots of money to candidates who pledge to support them--and supporting them means giving taxpayer money to Israel, a part of which can be used in these lobbying efforts. And those who stand up to them get an onslaught of cash given to anyone who will oppose them, which most often successfully gets rid of them. And--the Israel lobby is utterly ruthless. So are the PHarma and oil lobbies, not to mention the MIC lobbies. The difference is only that it represents a country rather than an industry--the only country with such a powerful lobby, because it's the only country that NEEDS one. Mossad also has a reputation as an effective and ruthless agency that assassinates people in other countries and has loads of information on people--which is why I think it probably allowed and maybe enabled october 7th, in order to justify its planned genocide in Gaza.
Israel seems very capable of applying power from a distance, perhaps a side effect of their diaspora. Though the US and allies aren’t impotent when it comes to secret wars. If someone was constantly blackmailing or knocking off our politicians surely the CIA/NSA would do something about it?
The funding activities of AIPAC etc are our own fault. Same with the NRA same with all of them whatever their politics. I wonder what percentage of Congress would stop such funding if they could.
"The funding activities of AIPAC etc are our own fault." Who do you mean by "our"? The US people? How? What agency do we have? This is largely allowed by Supreme Court decisions--we don't nominate or confirm SCOTUS judges. As to your last question, thing is, once there might have been Mr. Smiths who went to Washington, but the scenario now is that you have to buy office and it ain't cheap. Some very rich people can do it on their own dime--but what percentage of rich people are "good people"? Most get their on the dime of their funders, their johns, who must be paid back with favors--which ALWAYS come at the expense of the constituents the rep must pretend to care about.
I wonder how many Zionists are in the US government, Mary.
Your comment outlines the coercion done by the "Israeli" government, and of course that coercion exists, but I think there are many people that genuinely want "Israel" to do exactly what they are doing. Someone (Chompski?) was asked if the creeps that make up the mainstream media are bribed to say what they say, he replied that no, they couldn't be where they are without actually believing the stuff they say.
Your analysis implies that there are good people in US government, I disagree.
I think there are plenty of good people in government but damn few if any in Congress and none in the White House since Carter (bad shit happened on his watch, but the fact that he seems to have been trying to atone since, suggests he was the last one who wasn't a sociopath). But in agencies there are lots of people trying to save the environment or public health, or improve education or whatever--often unable to do much because the top boss is appointed by a president or governor, who got there on the dime of special interests that spell out what the price is. For example, the West Virginia DEP never denies a permit for a coal mine or a gas well--and I assume it's because the top dog is appointed by a governor who says in private, "Now you're not to get in the way of the coal industry, understand?" And if the reply is equivocal, he picks someone else. Then this person rules over the division heads, whose staff can't do anything their bosses won't allow.
We are on the same page, more or less. We always "beat up" the person that we mostly agree with because the freaks and crazies are impossible to talk to at all.
Partially due to a very high percentage of American politicians accept donations from. Israeli affiliated businesses and people who are backed by the Israeli government, the reason they can't officially accept from the Israeli government is it would create “A Conflict of Interest “ it is a conflict of interest no matter who pays them on behalf of the Israeli government! AIPAC?
Did you know the Billions paid to support Israel from America is mainly channelled back to your representatives according to at least 3 or 4 different broadcasts? That without the funding from America Israel would have still survived but possibly/ probably in a more peaceful manner! Israel is not only a strategic place for America and the west, but zgaza ,the West Bank is Rich in Oil, Gas, and other Much wanted ores needed today? There's even rumours of Lithium and uranium? If so it's a place worth having as an ally, so why isn't the USA and the west courting the Palestinians? I just don't know
I'm no expert, but I spend a lot of time with them on YouTube, lol, and here's what I've gathered: the U.S. used to be much less cozy with Israel, with a number of presidents even calling it on the carpet from time to time. But that was before the monumental rise of the Israel lobby, which I think is the main reason Biden took us down the disastrous genocidal path he did. He knew (when he still thought he'd be running for re-election) that AIPAC would crucify him if he moved to hold Israel at all accountable. Yes, he's an incurable Zio, but my understanding is that it was a political calculation, as it is with all the other critters owned by AIPAC. It is manifestly contrary to American interests to blindly side with a pariah state like Israel; one need only understand the Israel lobby to get why our government does it. This is not to mention the tragic influence of the weapons manufacturers on our foreign policy as well. If one word can sum up this perverse relationship, it is "corruption," plain and simple.
I'm putting this here as a reply to you so it will be near the top of the page of comments and be read. It isn't directed at you, Chang.
Richard Medhurst was arrested at Heathrow on Thursday under the Terrorism Act of 2000. Get the word out, Caitlyn, please, and everyone else. He'll probably need help with legal fees. They are clearly threatened by shining a light on the truth. LENNY BRUCE, WHERE ARE YOU??? Sounds to me like this is the new M.O. for the "Western Axis" (of Evil). It's a badge of honor. They're just trying to frighten everyone else. Totalitarians are so unimaginative.
The problem is - what other powers? No other powers are going to come to the rescue of the American people. The American people must unite, boycott, unionize, strike, and hold hostage the means of Capitalist production. Profits seem to be the only thing that US Empire Managers (and its backers) understand. So, to create change, they must be hit where it hurts - where it has the most impact.
Powerful stuff. And you're right--the soul of Israel is one of rape and genocide and eternal victimhood. A society built on such depravities will never become healthy in my opinion. It will implode--or explode if we allow them to have any more bombs or to use their nuclear weapons.
It's time to put Israel into a straightjacket and lock them up in a padded cell.
These people are depraved. There's no other word for it. Who can be surprised at anything they do? First, murder on an unprecedented scale. And now it transpires that they're raping prisoners of war. Will no one or nothing put a stop to them? Surely we, the international community, can do more than condemn these practices? It's beyond disgusting.
Nations have no souls, only interests. It is in Israel's interests, its very reason for existence, to tolerate and even encourage rape. It's all part of the ethnic cleansing package. Look at any ethnic cleansing or genocide operation and you'll find lots of rape.
Marital rape in Canada was legal before 1983. In the US, it was made illegal in many states in the 1970's. Not as openly accepting of sexual violence as Israel, but still there. I was raped when I was in Italy in the late 60's. The old man at the hostel was very sympathetic but when I wanted to report it to the police he said they would make it even worse for me because I was a young Canadian woman, travelling alone and my rapist was a military man. Israel is more backward than other countries, more gruesome and louder about saying sexual violence is OK. It is just possible that Israel is getting more global support for their disgusting behaviour than we would like to think.
I'm sorry you had to endure this terrible crime and that the perpetrator was never punished. I think you may have hit upon something I hadn't thought of before now--Epstein's Island was the playground for some of the sickest sexual predators in the world, and the US seemed to cover for Epstein and is still keeping his black book of names hidden from the public. There's that "good ol' boy network" going on there. Perhaps funding the genocide is the oligarchy's way of paying Israel back for all the "good times" they had on Epstein's Lolita Express and private island.
RFK Jr. reportedly was a guest of Epstein as well as engaging in babysitter rape, as have been too many members of Congress (and, oops, the Supreme Court and the Executive Branch) and Trump. Sexual assault should end a candidate's run before it's even begun. But obviously the US Congress has no problem with that. Beyond morality, I would think it would be a matter of national security, given how vulnerable it makes a candidate to blackmail. A lot of Western women experience one form of rape or another--supposedly 25% but I suspect it's closer to 50-75%. Most don't even report it because it's a waste of time and effort. They know most rapists do not face any consequences at all.
I volunteered at a rape crisis centre years later and discovered that rape is handled in a very similar way in Canada. We had one woman who was raped again by the police she called. In Canada. The attitudes of many toward rape seems to be that the people raped somehow deserve it. Israel has taken this kind of thinking to a whole other level. Israel is like a giant asylum for the criminally insane.
>>"Israel is like a giant asylum for the criminally insane."
True! And the people that support the depraved state of Israel and its rape culture, torture culture, racism, and dystopian thought processes deserve to be put in an asylum along with all such Israelis.
The only thing that matches the perfidy of Israel and perhaps even exceeds it, is the tacit acceptance and even cover up of Israel's crimes by so many who consider themselves and one another to be 'good' people.
I have no religion or respect for belief in mythological omnipotent entities, divine right to rule or 'God's chosen people' but I wonder how those who do can reconcile such cruelty and disregard for another human's person and/or life with their professed 'holy' beliefs.
I agree with virtually ever word you've written in this piece, Caitlin. The one difference of view I have is that I do believe that whilst not the sole cause, the attitudes of the Jewish Israelis is very much a result of religious conditioning. Indeed, it echoes that of Christianity which quite clearly lies at the root of an insidiously conditioned hatred and fear of women within the vast majority of males, even those who mange to control that impulse, either reflexively or through understanding and choose not to act with disrespect for sex, gender or another's very being.
I'm not an abusive person but; a pox on all those who proffer delusional and concocted defenses for those committing these crimes.
The edited video I watched on Glenn Greenwald's show may have been among the most depraved, sickening scenes I've seen in my lifetime. Male prisoners, laying prone on a concrete floor, half naked from the waste down for who knows how long, how many days, tied up half naked in that position. Then you see these Israeli sadist guards casually walk up to one of these bound men, pick him up - drag him over the side and anally rape him in the same large room as the other men who can obviously hear what's going on.
Caitlin is right, a society that supports this sick immoral act is completely lost as a people. Israel no longer has any right to exist, and ought to be scattered to the four winds of the earth.
Thank you Caitlin and Tim. We owe you. " Israel is rape", " Democrats are pigs", " Republicans are morons". Your trilogy for these dystopian times.
Isn't it a given that when the ruling classes become blinded by corruption, immorality, greed, hatred, delusion, depravity and brutality, the majority of people become like them. But there will always be the good.
I disagree with your usage of "Jews" in your comment - which seems to imply that this behavior has something to do with being a Jew or of Jewish faith.
This is Israeli behavior. This is Zionist behavior. This Israeli Zionist behavior is TRUE ANTI-SEMITISM. The Israeli Zionists' actions are against the Jewish faith (and every other faith). And they are against humanity.
It's a valid point but we still need to ask the question, why are more Jewish people around the world particularly those in the western media , government, banks, real estate etc publicly speaking out against this apartheid state? The truth is Jewish people have a lot of power in Western corporations and it would appear most are complicit with what is going on. What exactly does it mean to be Jewish? Can somebody answer that please? The rape thing is just the tip of the iceberg.
This is an ancient question with no single, timeless answer. On the one hand, being Jewish is a matter of religion – the traditional, matrilineal definition of Jewish identity is founded on halakha (Jewish religious law). On the other hand, being Jewish also may be a matter of ancestry, ethnicity and cultural background. Jews (and non-Jews) may disagree on where to draw the line. Is an adult who has Jewish parents but who considers herself an atheist nevertheless Jewish, by virtue of her lineage? What about someone who has Jewish parents and has converted to Christianity? Or someone who has no known Jewish ancestry but is married to a Jew and has come to think of himself as Jewish, though he has not formally converted to Judaism?
Various people will have their own answers to these questions.
Here are some categorizations:
(1) Jews by religion – people who say their religion is Jewish (and who do not profess any other religion)
(2) Jews of no religion – people who describe themselves (religiously) as atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular, but who have a Jewish parent or were raised Jewish and who still consider themselves Jewish in some way.
(3) Non-Jewish people of Jewish background – people who have a Jewish parent or were raised Jewish but who, today, either have another religion (most are Christian) or say they do not consider themselves Jewish
(4) Non-Jewish people with a Jewish affinity – people who identify with another religion (in most cases, Christianity) or with no religion and who neither have a Jewish parent nor were raised Jewish but who nevertheless consider themselves Jewish in some way. Some say, for example, that they consider themselves partly Jewish because Jesus was Jewish, because “we all come from Abraham” or because they have Jewish friends or relatives.
According to the American census, a person is Jewish if they practice the Jewish religion. Which means there are far fewer Jews in the US than is usually recognized. They are not counted as an ethnic group separate from "Caucasian". Nor are Arabs, for that matter.
Can we just separate the religion from the political ideology, please? It's not an ethnic or cultural group either. Israeli Jews are not considered "Israeli citizens" by the government of Israel; they are considered "Jewish citizens". And so is every other "Jew" (definition not given) in the world, even if they are not citizens of the state of Israel and have no intention of ever going there.
They're so good at confusing the issue so that they can hide under the radar.
"This report classifies approximately 5.8 million adults (2.4% of all U.S. adults) as Jewish. This includes 4.2 million (1.7%) who identify as Jewish by religion and 1.5 million Jews of no religion"
"People are categorized as “Jews of no religion” if they answer a question about their present religion by saying they are atheist, agnostic or have no religion in particular; and they say they had a Jewish parent or were raised Jewish; and they consider themselves Jewish in some way aside from religion, such as ethnically, culturally or because of their family background."
"An additional 2.8 million adults (1.1% of U.S. adults) have a Jewish background."
"An additional 200,000 identify as Jewish by religion but also identify with another religion, which excludes them from the Jewish population for the purposes of this report."
From all the above points, there seems no evidence for your claim that "a person is a Jew ONLY if they practice the Jewish religion" (there are Christian Jews, agnostic Jews, and atheist Jews not only in the US but in Israel also).
Hence, your logic for "far fewer Jews in the US than is usually recognized" falls flat. Who's doing the recognizing? Are they the "authority" on this supposed recognition?
>>"Can we just separate the religion from the political ideology, please?"
??? Don't understand the relevance of this statement in the context of my comment. My comment attempts to highlight why arriving at a concrete definition of "Jew/Jewishness" is challenging. It does not talk about Zionism (or any other political ideology)
>>"They're so good at confusing the issue so that they can hide under the radar."
How are they hiding under the radar? The issue was confusing even before the formation of the state of Israel.
Nothing in your comment refutes the historical reality around the identification of what/who a Jew/Jewish person is. I don't get what the point of your comment is. Are you suggesting everyone should use "Israel's definition of what a Jew/Jewish person is"? Why would you consider Israel to be the "de-facto" authority/arbitrator on this (or any) matter?
A Jew is a person who practices Judaism. There is no such thing as a Jewish culture. There are Polish Jews, Ukrainian Jews, Russian Jews, Iraqi Jews, Sephardic Jews, Ethiopian Jews, etc. There's no such thing as a Jewish country. I'm tired of the narcissism of Zionism. Try to figure out, looking at available statistics, how many Israeli Jews have emigrated to the U.S. since October 7. Good luck. There are so many very different definitions and ways to classify an individual as a Jew because the Zionists wanted to include as many people as possible for their experiment. They say they are the country of all these people, even if the people they call jewish want nothing to do with Israel. They do not consider Jews to be Israeli citizens. They are considered--it's in their laws--to be "Jewish citizens". And where is the country of "Jew"? It's ridiculous. The Zionist state is full of crap.
Watch some of Rabbi Yaacov Shapiro's interviews.
I work for the Census whenever it comes around. Great way to get to know the place you live and to meet everyone. Or at least to see how they are living. And meet their dogs. So I know a fair amount about the Census. Too much, actually.
>>"A Jew is a person who practices Judaism. There is no such thing as a Jewish culture"
Are you the authority on this? Why should anyone take your definition over so many better and more widely accepted ones? What grants you the right/superiority on dictating to others "your definition/understanding" as the official one (or even accepted one)?
Why do you keep repeating the same talking points? Why would you believe "Israel's definition of what a Jew/Jewish person is"? As you say - the Zionist state is full of crap - so then why are you looking up to them to tell you stuff?
You haven't answered ANY of my points in the comment I made - not provided evidence/links/resources to back up your statements or theories.
>>"Watch some of Rabbi Yaacov Shapiro's interviews."
I enoy watching his vidoes - and respect his opinion quite a bit. But that doesn't make "his opinion" the de-facto supreme authority to everything about Jews/Jewishness.
I'm beginning to have doubts about your ability for objective analysis...
Doubt my abilities if you wish. These are my opinions. I'm not going to give you citations. That's ridiculous. I am bored by this discussion and there are far more important issues at hand. Ask someone who is Jewish what they think. I am not. I agree with Shapiro. That's it. It's pretty obvious what a Jew is what a Jew is not. And how Israel uses this particular argument. Don't believe me. I don't care.
From Chang above......"This is Israeli behaviour". True. ......however
1. The Israel religion is Jewish. and without question, everyone in Israel is Jewish
2. If everyone in Israel is also a Zionist as well, they are still Jewish.
3. Those in Israel who may not be Zionists but who also agree with the majority opinion mentioned by Caitlin today, are also Jewish.
Whether they are Zionists seems totally irrelevant.
Have we heard of the clergy in Israel, asumedly also Jewish, condemning the action of the rapists in the IDF? No.
Have we heard of the local Priest or anyone in Delaware at Biden's Catholic Church state that Biden is a killer and that he will not receive absolution for his horrible crimes? No
Somewhere in the comments above is the point being made, surely.
A Zionist is Jewish but all Israelis are also Jewish. QED.
"Everyone in Israel" are most definitely NOT Jewish. Twenty percent are Palestinian Christians and Muslims. I don't really think most Zionists are Jewish. Their families may have been practicing Jews in the past but Zionism isn't about Judaism. I am sure there are rabbis who condemn a lot of things the Israeli government is doing. How many? I have no clue. Zionists are secular, which means non-religious. And not all Israeli citizens are Jewish. Please. This is an old misconception that should have been cleared up by now. The Zionist propagandists muddied those waters quite intentionally before most of us were born.
Here is some information that will add nuance (and hopefully further understanding):
(1) Most Zionists in Israel are "Secular Jews", not religious Jews. So it is incorrect to say that "Israel religion is Jewish". A country does not have a religion. The people residing in a country (and their beliefs and practices) make up the faith of a country. Also, though many Zionists profess to adhere to the Jewish faith, they do not practice being Jewish, and their Jewishness is in name only (as evidenced by so much you see in the media). There is a segment of the Jewish population that are Orthodox Jews that have a very different set of beliefs from the Zionist Jews.
(2) >>"Everyone in Israel is also a Zionist". There are many different types of Zionists. (Check out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_Zionism). There are political Zionists, religious Zionists, and atheist Zionists, and so many more. Zionism should not be equated to Jewishness (as should be evident by the number of Christian Zionists in the US and in Israel)
(3) >>"Those in Israel who may not be Zionists but who also agree with the majority opinion mentioned by Caitlin today, are also Jewish." See my comment below (if traversing by 'oldest first' comment order) about "Who is a Jew/What is meant by Jewish". Agreeing with Israeli opinion does not make someone Jewish.
>>"Whether they are Zionists seems totally irrelevant."
You have stated things the opposite way. Whether they are Jewish is irrelevant. There are many non-Zionist Jews all over the world. What is relevant is the "Zionist" part, not the "Jewish" part.
>>"Have we heard of the clergy in Israel, asumedly also Jewish, condemning the action of the rapists in the IDF? No."
Speak for yourself. Watch the interviews (on YouTube for example) of quite a few Orthodox Rabbis that condem not only Zionism, but ALL the actions of the IDF and so many of Israeli society. Don't succumb to confirmation bias.
>>"Have we heard of the local Priest or anyone in Delaware at Biden's Catholic Church state that Biden is a killer and that he will not receive absolution for his horrible crimes? No"
What does that have to do with anything? All US Presidents have been killers. Isn't that obvious? Why is some Priest's word in some Church of any significance or relevance?
>>"A Zionist is Jewish but all Israelis are also Jewish. QED"
It seems there are too many flaws in your logic/deductive reasoning. Many people conflate Zionism with being Jewish, etc. - but they are intersecting sets (not perfectly overlapping ones).
This is one of the many reasons why I want the name Israel removed and never appear on future maps. The name Palestine should appear on all future maps for the whole area! When will this carnage ever end!
I don't think he's saying there's a difference because of their gender. He's arguing that using metal rods is a more extreme form of torture, to a man or a woman.
And I am saying rape for women is a form of torture men cannot possibly imagine. A torture that keeps on giving indefinitely if they are inseminated by their rapist which never happens to men. (Or trans women.)
You know no such thing. And women (and children) are raped with solid objects too. And it's called "rape". Or sometimes it's called "sex". Sometimes it's called "religious ritual". Why don't you just talk about your feelings about it and not make such broad statements about a subject you do not understand very well, being male (I assume?). Or why don't you turn this statement into a question? Ever watch porn? Play video games? These are things ordinary people try in private. And females view them, on some level, as a very real threat.
Nosey, I think would agree that this raped man is getting public sympathy while many raped woman do not.
I suspect there have been many unreported rapes (of women) in Gaza.
But because it was a gang rape, with torture, by IDF of a male, it was more shocking to some, and leaked in the first place. Unlike others there is some grainy evidence. I hope It will help women with similar stories find believers.
I hope it forces men to feel for themselves what they put women through. And then write them off for being hysterical drama queens. It's part of the culture in the West. They call it entertainment. They even hand out Oscars for it. There are men who are millionaires for creating movies and video games that focus on torturing women. What fun!
They are beginning to make the German Gestapo look like gentleman. Don't get me wrong. The gestapo were pure unadulterated evil but these Israelis appear to be worse if that's possible.
Shoving a metal pipe or any object into a person's rectum without their consent is considered a form of sexual violence and is legally classified as rape. This act involves non-consensual penetration, which is a key element in the legal definition of rape.
Rape is broadly defined as any form of non-consensual sexual penetration, regardless of the nature of the object or body part used. The intent behind the action, the lack of consent, and the physical and psychological harm it causes to the victim are central to why such an act is considered rape. The use of force or coercion to violate someone's body in this manner is a profound violation of their autonomy, dignity, and physical integrity.
This act can cause severe physical injuries, as well as lasting emotional and psychological trauma, making it not only a violent physical assault but also a deeply damaging and dehumanizing act.
"Shoving a metal pipe or any object into a person's rectum ..." - what about a person's throat? Or a person's ear? Nostril? Eye? What is it about rectum that makes it sexual?
What it is - is torture. The sadist's arousal is what can qualify the act as sexual regardless of the orifice (or not) or object used.
How many miles separate Israel from Palestine? Don’t Israelis hear the 10 thousands of bombs that explode over Palestine every day for 10 months and question their Humanity? Indefinitely question their humanity!
Now polio has been found in a 10 month old baby and the UN has asked for a cease fire so they can vaccinate 600,000 children. WTF? No you have to get food, water and medical supplies into Gaza or the vaccine won’t do any good! Besides it won’t protect them from the bombs! The UN has lots of options to stop the slaughter. Why isn’t it doing it?
Because whoever actually runs the United Snakes will not allow aide or relief to Palestinians trapped in Gaza. Pure fucking crystallized and distilled evil of the choking kind.
"People who are deeply messed up and dysfunctional inside don’t typically have the internal resources and creativity to come up with accusations out of thin air, so they tend to just accuse people they don’t like of whatever they have going on inside themselves."
It's your ability to make political and social complications understandable that keeps me coming back to read what you think.
Thank you for your creative passions, your focus and intelligence - all sorely lacking in the DArk SiDe's corner...
Every accusation is a confession indeed. I remember when my first husband became extremely jealous and hovering. He became positive that I was cheating on him with every man I interacted with for more than about 30 seconds, or that I would cheat on him if he didn't stop me. I never cheated on him and after his death I learned that he had done so on me, which made me feel like resurrecting his body just so I could strangle him to death. But I could look back on the timeline and see this point where his extreme and irrational jealousy arose and it was right about there.
The 61% number of men who think forced sex on an acquaintance is okay is shocking. What is an acquaintance? Somebody who smiled and said hello politely? Is this only for non Jews or just anyone?
Can the justifications for an apartheid state hold much longer?
I have always noticed that the people who accuse their spouse of cheating are usually the guilty ones. Working in camps for years I saw this behaviour multiple times. I told my grand daughters multiple times that ANY forceful behaviour by Any friend means it is time to walk away. My grandsons all know that rape and murder are unforgiveable crimes not only against their victim but also themselves.
The depravity of the Israelis and Zionists knows no bounds. It seems that nothing is too ugly, nothing is a red line, there are no morals or ethics, and NO HUMANITY within this society.
And I hold US Empire Managers (and everyone that supports these US Empire Managers) to be every bit as culpable as Israelis and Zionists. This is a US Genocide as much as an Israeli one. The lines between the US and Israel have been blurred beyond recognition - making BOTH EQUALLY responsible, guilty, and punishable for every offense, every crime, every rape, every death, and everything else that the world has been witnessing...
I agree the US and Israeli governments are both culpable. However, most of the American population are not actively participating in or approving of this genocide whereas apparently, or so it is reported widely, the majority of Israeli citizens approve of and participate in one way or another most of the death, destruction, rape, starvation, siege, etc. going on. I do see a difference between the two populations, though not the two governments so much although more US representatives and office holders do object to what is going on, albeit the US reps seem allergic to voting their conscience. Not very many Israelis appear to have a conscience. Very disturbing. Then again, we are all capable of the behavior of the Israelis, theoretically. I will be so glad when the Israeli state fails, as it will/is. I don't know that the US can be saved since most Americans do not realize that they are allowing the far right freedom to act the same way the far right in Israel has been allowed which has resulted in the current situation. And could easily result in the destruction of this country. We too are becoming a pariah state. And it's been a long, long time coming.
My problem with blaming Israel's current decline on the "far right", is there seems to be some implication that, were it not for the "far right", Israel would be a regular, peace-loving country. That's just not the case. They founded their colony through violence, and maintained it through oppression and further dispossession. They are a society founded on supremacy, exclusivity, and expansionism, and their genocidal nature is a core part of their ideology. What's happening now is the ultimate logical conclusion of that ideology, "far right" or not.
I agree with you except that the whole Zionist part of Israel has moved far to the right. (I am making the point that a minority are NOT Zionist, including a minority of Israeli Jews.) I agree with how it began, but that doesn't mean all Israeli Jews agree with the rightward slant of the culture now--nor did they before the establishment of the state of Israel. According to Israeli journalists I read, there is neither a left nor a center left in Israel. I could say the same thing about the US, frankly. The problem is we have to use some terms--whatever they are--to describe the phenomena. And I cannot imagine an entity you could characterize as a "colonialist left". I think colonialism is right wing no matter where or what form it takes. The US also began the same way as Israel with its ludicrous ideology of "Manifest Destiny" and racial and cultural superiority. It was just part of the British "value added" economic model. And I would posit it is a fundamentally right of center nation, including what passes for the left here. The frightening thing for me is the truism that as an institution is created, so it continues forever into the future, which is why reforming institutions is fundamentally impossible. This does not give me much hope for the U.S. I cannot see most Americans I know participating in, or surviving, a real revolution. As far as Israel goes, I don't care what any Israeli says--that state is on its way out. It cannot survive this.
Actually there IS a genuine left in the US. But it's tiny, and has no political representation. It does have a voice, but only in alternative media.
And this is continually obscured by reference to the Democratic Party as “Left” which is really a testament to how far to the right the US establishment has moved. Capitalism is in terminal crisis and has no answers to its dilemma as it cannot even provide the basics of life to most of its citizens: affordable food, housing, etc.
Interesting that you refer to "its citizens", referring to capitalism; theoretically we're citizens of countries, but in reality yeah--we're all citizens of capitalism, that what rules us.
Depressing how easily the media shoots down leftists with the claim of "commie" or even "socialist". We already have socialism. It's called welfare for the rich and for the military-industrial-medical complex. Most taxes of every kind actually benefit people who could pay for their own military and roads and electric grid and on and on and on. Most "welfare" goes to the upper middle class and the filthy rich, dollar for dollar. Our entire public school system (and most of the private) is a system of political indoctrination. Parents need to teach their own.
Great analysis.
Absolutely agree.
Please see my article
Why You Should Stop Using the Concepts Left- & Right-wing
https://whatdoino.substack.com/p/why-you-should-stop-using-the-concepts-a49
Okay, I read the whole thing. It's quite well written. But I think you're full of shit. You think the French and Russian revolutions happened because some power-hungry individuals stirred up a lower class that was perfectly content until they stirred it? You think climate change is a hoax and the environment is not in crisis? And you believe that when WEF has that "You will own nothing and be happy" somewhere on their website, they intend for EVERYONE--even themselves--to own nothing, because they're a bunch of commies? WEF is corporate heads, government honchos and billionaires--none of these people are communists, though some may indeed by power-hungry --most, probably). Your point that left vs right as a political spectrum is an oversimplification is valid, as is the claim that we have divided into camps where someone's opinion on X largely CAN be deduced from their opinion on Y--because most of us get our information from within certain bubbles. You didn't say, but I suspect, that this is not entirely because of profit-seeking algorithms on social media sites, or even the apparently instinctual human predilection for tribalism but in part has been deliberately fostered by the powerful to keep the 99% divided--and it's working very well.
Sorry, I didn't reply about the climate point.
Certainly the climate is changing: we are still coming out of an ice age. But it's not due to anthropogenic carbon dioxide.
The environment suffers from other forms of pollution, and overfishing, for example.
But I don't waste my time trying to convince people about the CO2 point. They have been subjected to too much repetition, and most haven't had sufficient education in degree-level physical chemistry to read the papers.
A better route is to make people aware of other lies, so that they begin to understand how much they are lied to, and why, and by whom. E.g. see talks by Mike Yeadon, which you will find on Rumble, Odysee, etc - the uncensored sites.
Thanks for reading, and replying with thoughtful detail! By the end of your comment it looks as if you don't think I'm COMPLETELY "full of shit"!
As far as the revolutions are concerned, I am aware that what I'm describing isn't quite the "schoolboy" version of history.
(No, naturally I don't think what you suggest I think about the WEF).
And certainly I agree with your last sentence. Apologies if I didn't make that clear in the article.
I read about a third of that and then had a hard time keeping my eyes open to finish it. (It's very late/early here.) You are over-thinking it. And your assumption that it fits a graph is problematic. In my experience, the "political spectrum" is actually a circle. I am pretty far left but have found myself (with considerable surprise and distaste) in bed with the far right on certain subjects. I have never experienced it as a line or XY axis. Hell. Maybe it's actually a Mobius strip! Or on an infinite loop. Or a black hole.
I agree with you: The little boy who didn't know any better than to laugh at the emperor's naked butt was essential. We need to cultivate Beginner's Mind but what our "leaders" are cultivating is the three monkeys--speak no evil, hear no evil, see no evil. Authentic truth-telling is in short, short supply.
Campaign finance reform. If we didn't have Citizens United, we wouldn't be here. Thank you Mitch McConnell. Way to GO.
Actually, no, It wasn't Citizens United--that decision did not "open the floodgates to campaign cash' as is so often claimed. Buckley vs Valeo in '76 did that--what CU did was rip the gateposts out of the ground and widen the flood. But it was already almost impossible to get someone in office who was determined to represent the people rather than the special interests. Arguably it was Santa Clara County vs Southern Pacific Railroad in 1886, which set the idea that corporations were persons with the rights of persons, into law.
Well, we can go back to the 1600's when the dissolute second sons of British nobility were given humongous tracts of land in North America to raise funds to cover their gambling debts (and to stop embarressing their families in Britain). And in the 1800's when states outside the original 13 were being formed you had to own 600 acres or $600 (a huge amount of money at that time) in order to be able to vote, not to mention being classified as "White" (i.e. British) and male. As I say, institutions cannot be reformed. We've been trying for over 400 years and it's just getting worse.
Okay. Capitalism and democracy cannot co-exist. Point taken. But CU made things much, much worse. And "Capitalism" makes serfs of us all. It's not just in the US. Most Westerners have drunk the Koolaid, spending their lives running after the golden ring. We've spread this cancer throughout the world and private capital is positioning itself right now to take ownership of all resources in the world as "payment" for outrageous "debt" and incredibly high interest on secondary debt in developing economies given by private investors so those countries could pay off already onerous post-WWII debt to the IMF and World Bank--themselves creations of Western capitalists. Those secondary debts are charging 45% interest. Ugh. Don't get me started.
Why was a former official of the IMF given the top job at Columbia University? This is nuts. Why would any person with an IQ above 100 want to attend such an institution? Educational institutions as indoctrination centers. Re-education camps. Boy, Palestine sure shines a bright light on imperialism.
https://youtu.be/p5bq9tbpGaM
Thanks. Yes - a very important informant, and expresses himself much more accessibly than I!
Thanks for trying though! Overthinking - very likely! Beginner's mind - for sure, in some circumstances. Maybe something we can agree on is that those with power are a threat to everyone else.
On what subjects are you “in bed with the far right” ?
Off the top of my head, homeschooling (which I began in the 80's when my kid's school was teaching History--and Politics--According to Reagan--over my dead body and which at the time was legally codified as "child abuse") and transgender ideology. I'm definitely in bed with the far right and am very grateful they're out there on those subjects. I understand Project 25 (or whatever it's called--I'm trying to ignore it) also wants to ban porn. I do like that. Porn is extremely emotionally damaging to women and children, and apparently the more you watch, the more you experience erectile dysfunction, even if you are a young man in his teens or twenties, which says a lot about the human need for novelty, which may be a big reason the Israeli behaviors keep getting worse and worse and worse. I also am very much opposed to any inclusion of religion in public schools as well as the namby-pamby teaching of government and patriotism in most elementary schools. The pledge of allegiance is ridiculous indoctrination. Why the National Anthem is played before sports games is beyond me (except that I think school sports and Scouting are ways to indoctrinate militarism in the very young). Yeah, I know. HOW un-American!
"How the West was won" comes to mind.
Just like the good ol' USA!
I agree ... and it makes the voice of those WITH a conscience even more important.
"However, most of the American population are not actively participating in or approving of this genocide "
Their implicit (if not explicit) support of Biden funding the genocide counts.
And the idea Harris's policy will change that is dubious at the least.
What do you mean "implicit if not explicit"? We need to boycott internally. We need to stop paying taxes. We need to boycott the sources of the billionaire Zionists' income. How about a demo outside Adelson's gambling casino? There are so many ways to boycott these people. Boycott Microsoft. Boycott Facebook. Boycott X. BOYCOTT, PEOPLE. How about a general strike. We have the power. They do not. How about an anti-military movement? It takes a lot of people to run a military.
Biden's not all there. You know that. And he's going to be gone soon. Harris is a puppet. Boycott the banks. This is all about the banks.
people who know the spending is there but take no action, I call IMPLICIT
Does anyone with some historical perspective understand why the USA seems so beholden to Israel?
* A key military regional partner? Though so are the Brit’s and nobody finds it hard to give them a tough time?
* lobbyists and political sponsors? - Energy has them too and we flip back forward on giving them what they want
* The Jewish bloc in senate/congress? - a good number of them are progressive, so they don’t all seem always supportive of Israel?
* The Jewish vote? It’s just a few percent?
* Promises (driven by guilt?) after WW2?
* something else?
It’s a serious question. Israel’s reputation must be massively down versus 2 years ago. It has damaged their reputation big time among “normal people” which isn’t fair for many Jewish and Israelis. It might be better for them if we weren’t always so automatically supportive?
When does the US ever give the Brits a tough time? They're functionally the same state. It just happens that their island is not presently on the front line of any major regional conflicts with massive geostrategic implications.
I used to think that the accent conveyed intelligence. Boy was I wrong. I think the Brits might be dumber than we are. A pack of feckless popinjays
Brits. doing a lot to help Ukraine. They just cannot get over losing their status.
Poor Ukraine. Dying to field test NATO weapons and strategies.The Russians got screwed. Any thinking person knows this. They were promised no NATO expansion and we bald faced lied. Like the US, they too have territorial concerns. and weapons that emit gamma rays. No Russian base in Canada or Mexico would be allowed. Hypocrisy? On steroids. Note that Zel cancelled the election. Hmm. Any different from our complaints against Maduro? Another Uncle Sam democracy. Hahahaha.
Totally correct..............not to mention the overthrow of Prime Minister in Bangladesh because the US wants an air force base to spy on China!!!!!!!!!!
Aren't they all exhausted yet!!!!!!!! I am.
You know what I've noticed? A lot of Brits are crappy writers. It astonishes me to say it, but I think that we are better writers of English in the U.S. than they are in the UK. Of course, it's a demographic thing too, with age being the great divide here and probably everywhere.
To be fair, there are many smart Brits. But let's be frank. Just as in our country, the brightest and best loath the cauldron of slime that is modern politics. So we end with sycophants, narcissists, whores, and criminals.
Though another thought is that the Brit’s, true to form, are just further down the “rise and fall of nations” path. But for the grace of God there go we?
Ok, though you can find plenty of US news stories canning the Brit’s for Brexit etc. No editor is going to stop the presses because they think some anti-Brit wisecrack has slipped in. But they have and do for Israel.
From your observation, maybe it is geo strategic… We’d be invaded by martyrs and deprived of gasoline if it wasn’t for Israel? So our polis have no choice if their first priority is the homeland?
Two things come to mind:
1. Israeli is really just an American base in the Middle East. Thus it is critically important to sustaining the empire.
2. Both Israelis and Americans are indoctrinated from very early in life that they are exceptional. That they are the chosen people. Thus Israel’s actions and the USA’s exceptionalism theory and manifest destiny.
Yes, I get that. I’m not sure any other country could have maintained Guantanamo and black ops torture sites in the way we have, without much condemnation.
Don't overlook the convergence of the three Ps: Power, Profit, and Prophets. The messianic zeal that is determined to bring on Armageddon can't be overstated. From that perspective, what's a few million killed on the way to total destruction?
Yes, the prophets add a critical third priority. Prophecies seem deep routed in Israeli culture - both glory and decapitated babies are seemingly mainstream beliefs from long ago. It seems to be a problem.
I think Joy was referring to the US Zionists, most of whom are not Jews but Born Again, Rapture-ready Christians, who want Israel to rebuild its temple so Jesus can come, viciously punish all the sinners (everyone but them) and raise the holy Rapturists into the clouds naked to watch the slaughter from on high. So they get to go to Heaven without dying, and all they have to do is recite the incantation "I take the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal savior," and voila--doesn't matter how selfish and violent their lives have been. Obviously this is avery different Jesus than the one quoted in the New Testament.
Yet, if they in fact believed that Jesus return were truly imminent, why do their leaders so assiduously amass treasures for themselves on earth, where worms and robbers steal, and not treasure in heaven?
I must say at the age of 75yrs I am getting really tired of hearing Jesus is coming. Taking thousands of years Jesus...wake up you have a job to do.
Years ago, my friend and neighbor asked about why US Congress was so fervently supportive of Israel, Her husband's daughter had married a Palestinian, who worked for WHO, and who visited a few times, so she became involved in this. "What is it? Do they have dirty pictures on these people or what?" After the revelations about Jeffrey Epstein came out, I thought, "Yes--they did and DO have dirty pictures on many of the most powerful men in the world." But that's only part of it. Much of it is that they give lots of money to candidates who pledge to support them--and supporting them means giving taxpayer money to Israel, a part of which can be used in these lobbying efforts. And those who stand up to them get an onslaught of cash given to anyone who will oppose them, which most often successfully gets rid of them. And--the Israel lobby is utterly ruthless. So are the PHarma and oil lobbies, not to mention the MIC lobbies. The difference is only that it represents a country rather than an industry--the only country with such a powerful lobby, because it's the only country that NEEDS one. Mossad also has a reputation as an effective and ruthless agency that assassinates people in other countries and has loads of information on people--which is why I think it probably allowed and maybe enabled october 7th, in order to justify its planned genocide in Gaza.
Israel seems very capable of applying power from a distance, perhaps a side effect of their diaspora. Though the US and allies aren’t impotent when it comes to secret wars. If someone was constantly blackmailing or knocking off our politicians surely the CIA/NSA would do something about it?
The funding activities of AIPAC etc are our own fault. Same with the NRA same with all of them whatever their politics. I wonder what percentage of Congress would stop such funding if they could.
"The funding activities of AIPAC etc are our own fault." Who do you mean by "our"? The US people? How? What agency do we have? This is largely allowed by Supreme Court decisions--we don't nominate or confirm SCOTUS judges. As to your last question, thing is, once there might have been Mr. Smiths who went to Washington, but the scenario now is that you have to buy office and it ain't cheap. Some very rich people can do it on their own dime--but what percentage of rich people are "good people"? Most get their on the dime of their funders, their johns, who must be paid back with favors--which ALWAYS come at the expense of the constituents the rep must pretend to care about.
I wonder how many Zionists are in the US government, Mary.
Your comment outlines the coercion done by the "Israeli" government, and of course that coercion exists, but I think there are many people that genuinely want "Israel" to do exactly what they are doing. Someone (Chompski?) was asked if the creeps that make up the mainstream media are bribed to say what they say, he replied that no, they couldn't be where they are without actually believing the stuff they say.
Your analysis implies that there are good people in US government, I disagree.
I think there are plenty of good people in government but damn few if any in Congress and none in the White House since Carter (bad shit happened on his watch, but the fact that he seems to have been trying to atone since, suggests he was the last one who wasn't a sociopath). But in agencies there are lots of people trying to save the environment or public health, or improve education or whatever--often unable to do much because the top boss is appointed by a president or governor, who got there on the dime of special interests that spell out what the price is. For example, the West Virginia DEP never denies a permit for a coal mine or a gas well--and I assume it's because the top dog is appointed by a governor who says in private, "Now you're not to get in the way of the coal industry, understand?" And if the reply is equivocal, he picks someone else. Then this person rules over the division heads, whose staff can't do anything their bosses won't allow.
We are on the same page, more or less. We always "beat up" the person that we mostly agree with because the freaks and crazies are impossible to talk to at all.
Like a larger, richer and more organized version of the Miami Cubans.
Partially due to a very high percentage of American politicians accept donations from. Israeli affiliated businesses and people who are backed by the Israeli government, the reason they can't officially accept from the Israeli government is it would create “A Conflict of Interest “ it is a conflict of interest no matter who pays them on behalf of the Israeli government! AIPAC?
Did you know the Billions paid to support Israel from America is mainly channelled back to your representatives according to at least 3 or 4 different broadcasts? That without the funding from America Israel would have still survived but possibly/ probably in a more peaceful manner! Israel is not only a strategic place for America and the west, but zgaza ,the West Bank is Rich in Oil, Gas, and other Much wanted ores needed today? There's even rumours of Lithium and uranium? If so it's a place worth having as an ally, so why isn't the USA and the west courting the Palestinians? I just don't know
I'm no expert, but I spend a lot of time with them on YouTube, lol, and here's what I've gathered: the U.S. used to be much less cozy with Israel, with a number of presidents even calling it on the carpet from time to time. But that was before the monumental rise of the Israel lobby, which I think is the main reason Biden took us down the disastrous genocidal path he did. He knew (when he still thought he'd be running for re-election) that AIPAC would crucify him if he moved to hold Israel at all accountable. Yes, he's an incurable Zio, but my understanding is that it was a political calculation, as it is with all the other critters owned by AIPAC. It is manifestly contrary to American interests to blindly side with a pariah state like Israel; one need only understand the Israel lobby to get why our government does it. This is not to mention the tragic influence of the weapons manufacturers on our foreign policy as well. If one word can sum up this perverse relationship, it is "corruption," plain and simple.
I'm putting this here as a reply to you so it will be near the top of the page of comments and be read. It isn't directed at you, Chang.
Richard Medhurst was arrested at Heathrow on Thursday under the Terrorism Act of 2000. Get the word out, Caitlyn, please, and everyone else. He'll probably need help with legal fees. They are clearly threatened by shining a light on the truth. LENNY BRUCE, WHERE ARE YOU??? Sounds to me like this is the new M.O. for the "Western Axis" (of Evil). It's a badge of honor. They're just trying to frighten everyone else. Totalitarians are so unimaginative.
It's sickening hypocrisy that negates America from any talk of truth, justice, and Democracy. We must look to the other powers to save us.
The problem is - what other powers? No other powers are going to come to the rescue of the American people. The American people must unite, boycott, unionize, strike, and hold hostage the means of Capitalist production. Profits seem to be the only thing that US Empire Managers (and its backers) understand. So, to create change, they must be hit where it hurts - where it has the most impact.
Powerful stuff. And you're right--the soul of Israel is one of rape and genocide and eternal victimhood. A society built on such depravities will never become healthy in my opinion. It will implode--or explode if we allow them to have any more bombs or to use their nuclear weapons.
It's time to put Israel into a straightjacket and lock them up in a padded cell.
These people are depraved. There's no other word for it. Who can be surprised at anything they do? First, murder on an unprecedented scale. And now it transpires that they're raping prisoners of war. Will no one or nothing put a stop to them? Surely we, the international community, can do more than condemn these practices? It's beyond disgusting.
In America, we prefer to attack the countries that are trying to stop it.
They are not even "prisoners of war." Many are people just captured off the street.
You're right about that. The IDF do what they like without fear of any consequences.
Soul? Israel has no soul. Israel has soul-destroying depravity and hatred instead of a soul.
Nations have no souls, only interests. It is in Israel's interests, its very reason for existence, to tolerate and even encourage rape. It's all part of the ethnic cleansing package. Look at any ethnic cleansing or genocide operation and you'll find lots of rape.
As they crow, that they are the most moral army in the world, their actions prove they are a Satanic entity!
Poor Satan. Still getting blamed for all the bad things we humans do.
Marital rape in Canada was legal before 1983. In the US, it was made illegal in many states in the 1970's. Not as openly accepting of sexual violence as Israel, but still there. I was raped when I was in Italy in the late 60's. The old man at the hostel was very sympathetic but when I wanted to report it to the police he said they would make it even worse for me because I was a young Canadian woman, travelling alone and my rapist was a military man. Israel is more backward than other countries, more gruesome and louder about saying sexual violence is OK. It is just possible that Israel is getting more global support for their disgusting behaviour than we would like to think.
I'm sorry you had to endure this terrible crime and that the perpetrator was never punished. I think you may have hit upon something I hadn't thought of before now--Epstein's Island was the playground for some of the sickest sexual predators in the world, and the US seemed to cover for Epstein and is still keeping his black book of names hidden from the public. There's that "good ol' boy network" going on there. Perhaps funding the genocide is the oligarchy's way of paying Israel back for all the "good times" they had on Epstein's Lolita Express and private island.
RFK Jr. reportedly was a guest of Epstein as well as engaging in babysitter rape, as have been too many members of Congress (and, oops, the Supreme Court and the Executive Branch) and Trump. Sexual assault should end a candidate's run before it's even begun. But obviously the US Congress has no problem with that. Beyond morality, I would think it would be a matter of national security, given how vulnerable it makes a candidate to blackmail. A lot of Western women experience one form of rape or another--supposedly 25% but I suspect it's closer to 50-75%. Most don't even report it because it's a waste of time and effort. They know most rapists do not face any consequences at all.
I volunteered at a rape crisis centre years later and discovered that rape is handled in a very similar way in Canada. We had one woman who was raped again by the police she called. In Canada. The attitudes of many toward rape seems to be that the people raped somehow deserve it. Israel has taken this kind of thinking to a whole other level. Israel is like a giant asylum for the criminally insane.
>>"Israel is like a giant asylum for the criminally insane."
True! And the people that support the depraved state of Israel and its rape culture, torture culture, racism, and dystopian thought processes deserve to be put in an asylum along with all such Israelis.
My condolences for your terrible experience, Susan.
That goes for me also
Terrible experience
Thank you for your comment.
I am so sorry that happened to you.
The only thing that matches the perfidy of Israel and perhaps even exceeds it, is the tacit acceptance and even cover up of Israel's crimes by so many who consider themselves and one another to be 'good' people.
I have no religion or respect for belief in mythological omnipotent entities, divine right to rule or 'God's chosen people' but I wonder how those who do can reconcile such cruelty and disregard for another human's person and/or life with their professed 'holy' beliefs.
I agree with virtually ever word you've written in this piece, Caitlin. The one difference of view I have is that I do believe that whilst not the sole cause, the attitudes of the Jewish Israelis is very much a result of religious conditioning. Indeed, it echoes that of Christianity which quite clearly lies at the root of an insidiously conditioned hatred and fear of women within the vast majority of males, even those who mange to control that impulse, either reflexively or through understanding and choose not to act with disrespect for sex, gender or another's very being.
I'm not an abusive person but; a pox on all those who proffer delusional and concocted defenses for those committing these crimes.
Depraved. Vile. Evil. Fucks.
The edited video I watched on Glenn Greenwald's show may have been among the most depraved, sickening scenes I've seen in my lifetime. Male prisoners, laying prone on a concrete floor, half naked from the waste down for who knows how long, how many days, tied up half naked in that position. Then you see these Israeli sadist guards casually walk up to one of these bound men, pick him up - drag him over the side and anally rape him in the same large room as the other men who can obviously hear what's going on.
Caitlin is right, a society that supports this sick immoral act is completely lost as a people. Israel no longer has any right to exist, and ought to be scattered to the four winds of the earth.
Thank you Caitlin and Tim. We owe you. " Israel is rape", " Democrats are pigs", " Republicans are morons". Your trilogy for these dystopian times.
Isn't it a given that when the ruling classes become blinded by corruption, immorality, greed, hatred, delusion, depravity and brutality, the majority of people become like them. But there will always be the good.
How many? Let's all vote for Dr. Jill Stein so we can find out.
Now you know, everybody. 80% of Jews in Israel and no doubt around the world, agree with rape as a weapon in Gaza.
Surprised, anyone?
I disagree with your usage of "Jews" in your comment - which seems to imply that this behavior has something to do with being a Jew or of Jewish faith.
This is Israeli behavior. This is Zionist behavior. This Israeli Zionist behavior is TRUE ANTI-SEMITISM. The Israeli Zionists' actions are against the Jewish faith (and every other faith). And they are against humanity.
A truly arrogant bunch these merciless Israeli zionists be.
I think a whole new dictionary needs to be invented just to describe Israeli Zionists...
The list keeps growing.
It's a valid point but we still need to ask the question, why are more Jewish people around the world particularly those in the western media , government, banks, real estate etc publicly speaking out against this apartheid state? The truth is Jewish people have a lot of power in Western corporations and it would appear most are complicit with what is going on. What exactly does it mean to be Jewish? Can somebody answer that please? The rape thing is just the tip of the iceberg.
“Who is a Jew?”, "What is meant by Jewish"?
This is an ancient question with no single, timeless answer. On the one hand, being Jewish is a matter of religion – the traditional, matrilineal definition of Jewish identity is founded on halakha (Jewish religious law). On the other hand, being Jewish also may be a matter of ancestry, ethnicity and cultural background. Jews (and non-Jews) may disagree on where to draw the line. Is an adult who has Jewish parents but who considers herself an atheist nevertheless Jewish, by virtue of her lineage? What about someone who has Jewish parents and has converted to Christianity? Or someone who has no known Jewish ancestry but is married to a Jew and has come to think of himself as Jewish, though he has not formally converted to Judaism?
Various people will have their own answers to these questions.
Here are some categorizations:
(1) Jews by religion – people who say their religion is Jewish (and who do not profess any other religion)
(2) Jews of no religion – people who describe themselves (religiously) as atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular, but who have a Jewish parent or were raised Jewish and who still consider themselves Jewish in some way.
(3) Non-Jewish people of Jewish background – people who have a Jewish parent or were raised Jewish but who, today, either have another religion (most are Christian) or say they do not consider themselves Jewish
(4) Non-Jewish people with a Jewish affinity – people who identify with another religion (in most cases, Christianity) or with no religion and who neither have a Jewish parent nor were raised Jewish but who nevertheless consider themselves Jewish in some way. Some say, for example, that they consider themselves partly Jewish because Jesus was Jewish, because “we all come from Abraham” or because they have Jewish friends or relatives.
Sources:
(1) Who Is A Jew?: Reflections on History, Religion, and Culture (https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt6wq61q)
(2) Jewish identity and belief (https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/05/11/jewish-identity-and-belief/)
(3) Defining 'Who Is a Jew’ (https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2013-09-04/ty-article/.premium/defining-who-is-a-jew/0000017f-f723-d460-afff-ff67fa6f0000)
As you can see, answering the question "Who is a Jew" is a complex endeavour with a lot of nuance.
According to the American census, a person is Jewish if they practice the Jewish religion. Which means there are far fewer Jews in the US than is usually recognized. They are not counted as an ethnic group separate from "Caucasian". Nor are Arabs, for that matter.
Can we just separate the religion from the political ideology, please? It's not an ethnic or cultural group either. Israeli Jews are not considered "Israeli citizens" by the government of Israel; they are considered "Jewish citizens". And so is every other "Jew" (definition not given) in the world, even if they are not citizens of the state of Israel and have no intention of ever going there.
They're so good at confusing the issue so that they can hide under the radar.
Here are a few issues I have with your comment:
>>"According to the American census, a person is Jewish if they practice the Jewish religion."
(1) Do you have a citation for this? I couldn't find any link that verifies your statement.
(2) [https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/race-and-ethnicity-in-the-united-state-2010-and-2020-census.html] does not separate Jews into its own ethnicity - so where did you get your "Jewish if they practice the Jewish religion" assessment?
(3) https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/05/11/the-size-of-the-u-s-jewish-population/
"This report classifies approximately 5.8 million adults (2.4% of all U.S. adults) as Jewish. This includes 4.2 million (1.7%) who identify as Jewish by religion and 1.5 million Jews of no religion"
"People are categorized as “Jews of no religion” if they answer a question about their present religion by saying they are atheist, agnostic or have no religion in particular; and they say they had a Jewish parent or were raised Jewish; and they consider themselves Jewish in some way aside from religion, such as ethnically, culturally or because of their family background."
"An additional 2.8 million adults (1.1% of U.S. adults) have a Jewish background."
"An additional 200,000 identify as Jewish by religion but also identify with another religion, which excludes them from the Jewish population for the purposes of this report."
From all the above points, there seems no evidence for your claim that "a person is a Jew ONLY if they practice the Jewish religion" (there are Christian Jews, agnostic Jews, and atheist Jews not only in the US but in Israel also).
Hence, your logic for "far fewer Jews in the US than is usually recognized" falls flat. Who's doing the recognizing? Are they the "authority" on this supposed recognition?
>>"Can we just separate the religion from the political ideology, please?"
??? Don't understand the relevance of this statement in the context of my comment. My comment attempts to highlight why arriving at a concrete definition of "Jew/Jewishness" is challenging. It does not talk about Zionism (or any other political ideology)
>>"They're so good at confusing the issue so that they can hide under the radar."
How are they hiding under the radar? The issue was confusing even before the formation of the state of Israel.
Nothing in your comment refutes the historical reality around the identification of what/who a Jew/Jewish person is. I don't get what the point of your comment is. Are you suggesting everyone should use "Israel's definition of what a Jew/Jewish person is"? Why would you consider Israel to be the "de-facto" authority/arbitrator on this (or any) matter?
A Jew is a person who practices Judaism. There is no such thing as a Jewish culture. There are Polish Jews, Ukrainian Jews, Russian Jews, Iraqi Jews, Sephardic Jews, Ethiopian Jews, etc. There's no such thing as a Jewish country. I'm tired of the narcissism of Zionism. Try to figure out, looking at available statistics, how many Israeli Jews have emigrated to the U.S. since October 7. Good luck. There are so many very different definitions and ways to classify an individual as a Jew because the Zionists wanted to include as many people as possible for their experiment. They say they are the country of all these people, even if the people they call jewish want nothing to do with Israel. They do not consider Jews to be Israeli citizens. They are considered--it's in their laws--to be "Jewish citizens". And where is the country of "Jew"? It's ridiculous. The Zionist state is full of crap.
Watch some of Rabbi Yaacov Shapiro's interviews.
I work for the Census whenever it comes around. Great way to get to know the place you live and to meet everyone. Or at least to see how they are living. And meet their dogs. So I know a fair amount about the Census. Too much, actually.
See my comment here: https://open.substack.com/pub/caitlinjohnstone/p/israel-is-rape?commentId=66048271
(You seem to have replied to the wrong comment)
>>"A Jew is a person who practices Judaism. There is no such thing as a Jewish culture"
Are you the authority on this? Why should anyone take your definition over so many better and more widely accepted ones? What grants you the right/superiority on dictating to others "your definition/understanding" as the official one (or even accepted one)?
Why do you keep repeating the same talking points? Why would you believe "Israel's definition of what a Jew/Jewish person is"? As you say - the Zionist state is full of crap - so then why are you looking up to them to tell you stuff?
You haven't answered ANY of my points in the comment I made - not provided evidence/links/resources to back up your statements or theories.
>>"Watch some of Rabbi Yaacov Shapiro's interviews."
I enoy watching his vidoes - and respect his opinion quite a bit. But that doesn't make "his opinion" the de-facto supreme authority to everything about Jews/Jewishness.
I'm beginning to have doubts about your ability for objective analysis...
Doubt my abilities if you wish. These are my opinions. I'm not going to give you citations. That's ridiculous. I am bored by this discussion and there are far more important issues at hand. Ask someone who is Jewish what they think. I am not. I agree with Shapiro. That's it. It's pretty obvious what a Jew is what a Jew is not. And how Israel uses this particular argument. Don't believe me. I don't care.
From Chang above......"This is Israeli behaviour". True. ......however
1. The Israel religion is Jewish. and without question, everyone in Israel is Jewish
2. If everyone in Israel is also a Zionist as well, they are still Jewish.
3. Those in Israel who may not be Zionists but who also agree with the majority opinion mentioned by Caitlin today, are also Jewish.
Whether they are Zionists seems totally irrelevant.
Have we heard of the clergy in Israel, asumedly also Jewish, condemning the action of the rapists in the IDF? No.
Have we heard of the local Priest or anyone in Delaware at Biden's Catholic Church state that Biden is a killer and that he will not receive absolution for his horrible crimes? No
Somewhere in the comments above is the point being made, surely.
A Zionist is Jewish but all Israelis are also Jewish. QED.
"Everyone in Israel" are most definitely NOT Jewish. Twenty percent are Palestinian Christians and Muslims. I don't really think most Zionists are Jewish. Their families may have been practicing Jews in the past but Zionism isn't about Judaism. I am sure there are rabbis who condemn a lot of things the Israeli government is doing. How many? I have no clue. Zionists are secular, which means non-religious. And not all Israeli citizens are Jewish. Please. This is an old misconception that should have been cleared up by now. The Zionist propagandists muddied those waters quite intentionally before most of us were born.
Here is some information that will add nuance (and hopefully further understanding):
(1) Most Zionists in Israel are "Secular Jews", not religious Jews. So it is incorrect to say that "Israel religion is Jewish". A country does not have a religion. The people residing in a country (and their beliefs and practices) make up the faith of a country. Also, though many Zionists profess to adhere to the Jewish faith, they do not practice being Jewish, and their Jewishness is in name only (as evidenced by so much you see in the media). There is a segment of the Jewish population that are Orthodox Jews that have a very different set of beliefs from the Zionist Jews.
(2) >>"Everyone in Israel is also a Zionist". There are many different types of Zionists. (Check out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_Zionism). There are political Zionists, religious Zionists, and atheist Zionists, and so many more. Zionism should not be equated to Jewishness (as should be evident by the number of Christian Zionists in the US and in Israel)
(3) >>"Those in Israel who may not be Zionists but who also agree with the majority opinion mentioned by Caitlin today, are also Jewish." See my comment below (if traversing by 'oldest first' comment order) about "Who is a Jew/What is meant by Jewish". Agreeing with Israeli opinion does not make someone Jewish.
>>"Whether they are Zionists seems totally irrelevant."
You have stated things the opposite way. Whether they are Jewish is irrelevant. There are many non-Zionist Jews all over the world. What is relevant is the "Zionist" part, not the "Jewish" part.
>>"Have we heard of the clergy in Israel, asumedly also Jewish, condemning the action of the rapists in the IDF? No."
Speak for yourself. Watch the interviews (on YouTube for example) of quite a few Orthodox Rabbis that condem not only Zionism, but ALL the actions of the IDF and so many of Israeli society. Don't succumb to confirmation bias.
>>"Have we heard of the local Priest or anyone in Delaware at Biden's Catholic Church state that Biden is a killer and that he will not receive absolution for his horrible crimes? No"
What does that have to do with anything? All US Presidents have been killers. Isn't that obvious? Why is some Priest's word in some Church of any significance or relevance?
>>"A Zionist is Jewish but all Israelis are also Jewish. QED"
NO! There are many different types of Zionists - Christian Zionists, athiest Zionists, etc. (again, refer to https://open.substack.com/pub/caitlinjohnstone/p/israel-is-rape?commentId=65941109 for more details).
It seems there are too many flaws in your logic/deductive reasoning. Many people conflate Zionism with being Jewish, etc. - but they are intersecting sets (not perfectly overlapping ones).
1 "everyone in Israel is Jewish"?! Clearly not true in the literal sense.
1 "everyone in Israel is Jewish"?! Clearly not true in the literal sense.
This is one of the many reasons why I want the name Israel removed and never appear on future maps. The name Palestine should appear on all future maps for the whole area! When will this carnage ever end!
And remember— Jordan was Palestine also before it was artificially created by English rulers and imported Saudi family as its “royals”.
Very similar for Lebanon which used to be Syria.
Colonial borders and their divide et impera.
Or in English — divide and rule
I hope everyone reads Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab Jew. In it you will find what I found: Isreal should not exist.
Using a word rape for the extreme torture by iron bars and metal tube is — WRONG.
Such torture causes extreme and lasting body injuries to victims who survive.
It's rape, Boris. It's also torture for women. Rape of men is not more traumatic than rape of women. It's just treated as more significant. It's not.
I don't think he's saying there's a difference because of their gender. He's arguing that using metal rods is a more extreme form of torture, to a man or a woman.
And I am saying rape for women is a form of torture men cannot possibly imagine. A torture that keeps on giving indefinitely if they are inseminated by their rapist which never happens to men. (Or trans women.)
Dear Nosey - nobody wants to minimize horror of rape…
But physical injuries using long iron bars or pipes cant be compared.
We both know that very well.
You know no such thing. And women (and children) are raped with solid objects too. And it's called "rape". Or sometimes it's called "sex". Sometimes it's called "religious ritual". Why don't you just talk about your feelings about it and not make such broad statements about a subject you do not understand very well, being male (I assume?). Or why don't you turn this statement into a question? Ever watch porn? Play video games? These are things ordinary people try in private. And females view them, on some level, as a very real threat.
Nosey, I think would agree that this raped man is getting public sympathy while many raped woman do not.
I suspect there have been many unreported rapes (of women) in Gaza.
But because it was a gang rape, with torture, by IDF of a male, it was more shocking to some, and leaked in the first place. Unlike others there is some grainy evidence. I hope It will help women with similar stories find believers.
I hope it forces men to feel for themselves what they put women through. And then write them off for being hysterical drama queens. It's part of the culture in the West. They call it entertainment. They even hand out Oscars for it. There are men who are millionaires for creating movies and video games that focus on torturing women. What fun!
They are beginning to make the German Gestapo look like gentleman. Don't get me wrong. The gestapo were pure unadulterated evil but these Israelis appear to be worse if that's possible.
Shoving a metal pipe or any object into a person's rectum without their consent is considered a form of sexual violence and is legally classified as rape. This act involves non-consensual penetration, which is a key element in the legal definition of rape.
Rape is broadly defined as any form of non-consensual sexual penetration, regardless of the nature of the object or body part used. The intent behind the action, the lack of consent, and the physical and psychological harm it causes to the victim are central to why such an act is considered rape. The use of force or coercion to violate someone's body in this manner is a profound violation of their autonomy, dignity, and physical integrity.
This act can cause severe physical injuries, as well as lasting emotional and psychological trauma, making it not only a violent physical assault but also a deeply damaging and dehumanizing act.
"Shoving a metal pipe or any object into a person's rectum ..." - what about a person's throat? Or a person's ear? Nostril? Eye? What is it about rectum that makes it sexual?
What it is - is torture. The sadist's arousal is what can qualify the act as sexual regardless of the orifice (or not) or object used.
So even impaling is “just a rape”? So much for your “legal definitions”
"The right to rape."
Can Israeli society sink any lower?
How many miles separate Israel from Palestine? Don’t Israelis hear the 10 thousands of bombs that explode over Palestine every day for 10 months and question their Humanity? Indefinitely question their humanity!
Now polio has been found in a 10 month old baby and the UN has asked for a cease fire so they can vaccinate 600,000 children. WTF? No you have to get food, water and medical supplies into Gaza or the vaccine won’t do any good! Besides it won’t protect them from the bombs! The UN has lots of options to stop the slaughter. Why isn’t it doing it?
Because whoever actually runs the United Snakes will not allow aide or relief to Palestinians trapped in Gaza. Pure fucking crystallized and distilled evil of the choking kind.
From the article:
"People who are deeply messed up and dysfunctional inside don’t typically have the internal resources and creativity to come up with accusations out of thin air, so they tend to just accuse people they don’t like of whatever they have going on inside themselves."
It's your ability to make political and social complications understandable that keeps me coming back to read what you think.
Thank you for your creative passions, your focus and intelligence - all sorely lacking in the DArk SiDe's corner...
Every accusation is a confession indeed. I remember when my first husband became extremely jealous and hovering. He became positive that I was cheating on him with every man I interacted with for more than about 30 seconds, or that I would cheat on him if he didn't stop me. I never cheated on him and after his death I learned that he had done so on me, which made me feel like resurrecting his body just so I could strangle him to death. But I could look back on the timeline and see this point where his extreme and irrational jealousy arose and it was right about there.
The 61% number of men who think forced sex on an acquaintance is okay is shocking. What is an acquaintance? Somebody who smiled and said hello politely? Is this only for non Jews or just anyone?
Can the justifications for an apartheid state hold much longer?
I have always noticed that the people who accuse their spouse of cheating are usually the guilty ones. Working in camps for years I saw this behaviour multiple times. I told my grand daughters multiple times that ANY forceful behaviour by Any friend means it is time to walk away. My grandsons all know that rape and murder are unforgiveable crimes not only against their victim but also themselves.