Comment on: Re: Noam Chomsky equivocates

Bigthink — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:24:36 +0100

Coyote... your thoughtfulness is impressive.

I don't know enough about Chomsky to be honest, but some of what I've heard seems confused.
I think regardless of whether you think Israel is a legitimate entity or not, and where that leaves the Palestinians (whoever they have been or are).. the situation edifies no one at present, yet wither a solution?
It just seems ironic that the Tibetans are media darlings while the Palestians can rot in hell for all the rest of the world cares?
to the person catching a beating, a bullet, or being oppressed in other ways, the point of the Dalai holding forth at Radio City is probably moot.

It took a long time to sort the mess of Nth Ireland, and most thought that intractable even 15 years ago... so is there reason for hope?

In a multi-media world, everyone needs a spin doctor, or PR face.. I mean JC got there years ago for the Xtians!

Comment on: Re: Noam Chomsky equivocates

Bigthink — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:21:25 +0100

Chomsky IS NOT IT

musycks: I think that is a very timely observation.

The Palestinians from 1948 on chose the path of war and Intifada, of suicide bombs and of murdering civilians; and when Israel withdrew from Gaza (in effect creating a de-facto state), responded with almost daily rocket attacks.

If a Palestinian state can be seen within the elected Hamas government of Gaza then these daily attacks are aggrieved acts of WARFARE: the attack by one state of another.

The Palestinian economy has been effectively destroyed by this endless violence as Israel has effectively locked out Palestinian workers from its economy, locked down travel and has blockaded trade to control the flow of instruments of war to the rebels. In contrast, Tibet's economy has been modernized.

But where the left accuse Israel of apartheid for this security lockdown, they have ignored the apartheid actions that China has imposed upon Tibet, not as a reaction to recent violence, but as a reaction to historical NON-VIOLENT RESISTANCE.

And, where Tibet has gotten very little traction from non-violence, the Palestinians have made great political strides from violence and self-sacrifice which has mobilized much support from the far-left's empathy for martyrdom.

Evidence that violence works is the recent Tibetan protests which gained world-wide media coverage. And not only is that sad, but it is a stinging indictment of the far-left which has seemed to be almost exclusively focused on the issues affecting Islam: e.g.: that Islamic land has (through a mistaken UN decision) fallen into the hands of Jewish people.

The far-left has largely ignored the suffering of Africans, of women, children (20,000 die every day from filthy drinking water), workers and the desires for independence of sundry peoples. They have failed to wholeheartedly embrace environmentalism and the approaching issues of Climate Change, Energy Scarcity with the needed Non-Consumption ADVOCACY. (Excessive consumption has created these problems; consumption control is necessary to solve them.)

Okay, I am sorry. I have changed the question from 'Do the Palestinians need a Dalai Lama' to does the far-left need a 'Dalai Lama'? And yes, the unelectable left, the Antifascist left, the extreme left needs a spiritual leader to help find its soul, and equivocating Chomsky IS NOT IT.

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Comment on: Re: Noam Chomsky equivocates

Comment on: Re: Noam Chomsky equivocates