Comments Policy
I've adopted a hands-off policy towards comments at the Belmont Club because the vast majority bring valuable insight to the discussion. Occasionally I'll get mail complaining about offensive comments; and fair enough, there are some which are pretty tasteless and a few which are downright offensive. Since I'm ultimately responsible for maintaining the 'tone' of this site the choices open to me are:
- To appeal to everyone to avoid making comments which a reasonable person may consider to be anti-Arab, anti-Semitic etc. or comments of a scatological nature.
- Confine posts to "safe" subjects which are unlikely to generate controversial comments.
- Disable comments.
I've decided to try #1 for a bit and to see how it goes. Failing that, it's on to numbers 2 and 3.
Update
Comments contribute much, perhaps even most, of this site's value. Threads at their best are very good indeed and that vitality needs to be protected. Often the best part of the discussion comes in the first 70 or so comments and the quality of the thread seems to depend on how well the first 20 do. But sometimes the discussion gets hit by an early "thread killer" and never reaches its potential. One way to prevent this, I think, is to try to keep from commenting more than twice on the same thread (myself included) and making a conscious effort to stay civil.
The choice of post topic may in some way be related to ensuing discussion, as Geraldo and Rikki Lake doubtless knew; and it is the only variable I can directly control. All I'm saying is I'll do my best to keep the Belmont Club and its threads at the level its commenters deserve.
posted by wretchardthecat at 8/09/2005 01:22:00 AM
168 Comments:
Oh, Wretchard, you've done gone PC on us!
Cedarfart had his farting fits again? Man, that boi stinks.
For God's sake, Wretchard, don't start censoring yourself. Some folks don't play well with others, it's true, but in general your blog attracts a fairly intelligent readership; most of us should be mature enough to ignore the trolls and idiots when they occasionally pop up.
One of the perils of having an enormously popular blog (not that I would know personally :-) ) is that even if only 0.1% of the blog-reading population is bugf***ing insane, a few of them will show up at your site eventually due to sheer numbers.
I agree with Barry. I wonder who the whiners are, given the nature of your topics and strong, pro-democracy, anti-islamofacist commentary coming from the vast majority of your respondents. I really would wonder who they are and what their real intent is. There are subtle ways to silence participation, and in a forum of this nature, the most affective way would be to flood it with vulgarity and racism to the point where you stop commentary and the sharing of ideas/feelings. Call me paranoid if you want, but any rallying point draws attention. You may get threatening e-mails, you may get a fatwa, you may get a letter from some pro-islamofacist organization or other such groups operating under the guise of legitimacy, like CAIR, you may get complaints to the FCC as well. Truth can be measured by the opponents it attracts, as well as the message it delivers. One respondent drew a business analogy. Well, as your business expands, it requires more time and effort to sustain. You may have to block a few trolls, but I feel confident that the audience will assist by condemning and ignoring blatant racists and crazy people. I would really hate to see you disable the comments section. I have learned alot via the comments and I would suggest again that the whiners have ulterior motives.
goesh said,
"I feel confident that the audience will assist by condemning and ignoring blatant racists and crazy people."
---
CPUAH says:
Hate Speech Will also be Banned.
Crazy people united against hate speech.
I agree with the previous commenters. The answer to speech is more speech. Very few comments are totally without merit--even if that merit is only an unintended demonstration of meritlessness. A few literate hate-mongers here and there will better than anything else warn eloquently that all trouble can't be easily dismissed as the work of morons.
CatoRenasci,
Shut Up:
The Religion of Peace brooks no commentary from Kaffir.
Discovery is home! Thank God, thank NASA, thank goodness. The old conestoga wagon of manifest destiny has eluded the space scythe once again!
Mr. Larsen!!!
My demonstration of meritlessness was *INTENDED*
(Satire)
How dare you insult me like this!
Buddy,
Have you seen the astronauts plans for using EXISTING shuttle hardward as a booster w/ separate crew rocket?
That was my Idea back when the first one blew up!
Engineer Poet has a post on it and the NY Times recently did too.
I am old enough ( or had no adult supervision) to recall when the first trolls made some usenet groups useless.
Every ecosystem requires predators.
CatoRenasci,
There are no forbidden topics, but I wonder whether there shouldn't be discouraged modes of argument. This site was made by the quality of its commenters. The atmosphere that made that possible has to be preserved.
How to do this? Some sites (including the Free Republic) use moderators as thread bouncers. Others have blogging software that delays publishing comments until they've been gated or controls access through some kind of privileges system. I have neither the time nor inclination to do any of that.
The last solution is to hope the site polices itself, strange as that may sound. But I think this has a better chance of happening if it is put forward as an explicit goal.
This is a life and death struggle between the return to primitivism, and the advance to a decent future. There is no way to "pretty that up." It is too ugly to be presented as a gentlemen's debate.
The internet is large, with sites available for all possible points of view. No one needs to be shut out. It is for each person to find his niche.
- you stand accused of inciting participatory democracy, of inflaming the passions of self and cultural survival and fostering anti-islamofacist sentiment - if there was ever grounds for a fatwa, this is it - but maybe you are just pandering to the common man whose rhetoric and thoughts are not flowery and mere regurgitation of what others have already put in print......
Wretchard:
In is really quite simple to just breeze past the "objectionable" comments quickly. The human mind is a remarkably adaptive item and can get the gist of something even at high speed, at least enough to identify things you don't want to be bothered with.
A rather more difficult issue is getting Off Thread. Sometimes this leads to quite interesting discussions in their own rights, but not really related to the original topic. This can be disappointing when you have raised an especially intriguing point, and then the discussion proceeds into the different sizes of bread pans employed in Madrid before and after the loss of the Spanish Armada. Maybe a "different channel" approach would be useful where people could carry on the breadpan discussions. I had thought this was the original concept behind the Belmont Lounge but it does not seem to be doing that.
And speaking of Off thread... Buddy and Doug: Thank God indeed that they got down okay this morning. Here at the Cape we will never again regard a Shuttle landing as casual as we once did. I never thought that it was possible to miss hearing a sonic boom so much as I did that Saturday morning.
But fact is, the Shuttle is a simply terrible vehicle, unreliable, very costly in every respect, and unacceptably hazardous. Designing it the way we did was bad idea, the accompanying national policies were utterly catastrophic and the manner in which it was operated downright criminal at times.
It is true that it has capabilities nothing else has, but on the other hand those are mostly capabilities we don't need.
We have two new rockets available, courtesy of the USAF, and they can do a better job, cheaper, and safer of launching both humans and cargo into space than the Shuttle ever could.
In 1985 I said, "When the last Space Shuttle is accepted by the Smithsonian you will be able to watch the ceremony by means of a satellite launched by an expendable booster." That is going to be true, but unfortunately the booster that launched that satellite will almost certainly not have been built in the U.S.
Shuttle did that.
Is the discussion of nuking Medina anti-Arab?
Is discussion of the situation in Sudan anti-Mohammedan
Is discussion of the situation in Zimbabwe anti-black?
Is discussion of Israel's existence anti-jew?
Is the word Mohammedan offensive?
Is discussion of WWII death campsanti-German?
Is the discussion of the Rape of Nanking anti-Jap?
It is easy to offend
doug has already broken the two post per thread request, I don't find that at all offensive.
I agree with luminary @ 5:38am
Live Free or Die
Goesh 6:11,
Well Said!
'Rat,
Don't get flirty or I'll raise my skirty.
I find the best way to counter c4's anti-jewish/anti-zionist speech is to let him go over the top like he did in gaza... when he states "zionists are liars and leeches" it just diminishes his other points...
I have encountered jew haters all my life, c4 is not exceptional...
let him hate.... let me poke fun at him and laugh
btw,
If it WAS an Italian Stallion, it's entirely umderstandable, IMHO.
Pork,
I still like Hezbollah as a Stand In for Giulianni/Bratton as a police presence for the 21st Century.
Pork,
I still like Hezbollah as a Stand In for Giulianni/Bratton as a police presence for the 21st Century.
--spitting coffee out my nose...
'Rat said,
"It is easy to offend."
---
For you, perhaps,
I've never had that problem, thank you.
Good. It's good to have a bit of civilization, don't want to descend into a bicker blog like all the rest. But, as others have said, I find the posters here to be very informative, and I find 'one way' blogs like Powerline to be sort of old-fashioned. I hope Belmont doesn't go that way.
Now, as for the one post per thread, that sort of deadens 'conversation' on topics.
I think the rule should be that you only post what you would say to a stranger in a strange club. No hiding behind the keyboard. And resist the urge to TYPE TOO MUCH.
Thanks to C4's hatred of all things Israeli/zionist, my self esteem has changed.. here i thought i was a chubby bald impodent middle aged whimpy jew boy...
now i realize i strike fear in the hearts of many, i too am "jew warrior" complete with super human messiah like abilities!
thanks c4... live in fear i may start a new israel in ohio...
Did you delete all the comments on "Eyeless in Gaza" or is it a Blogger delemia?
And, too, it's easy to misinterpret a satiric or ironic post, where the commenter makes a 'nuke Mecca' or somesuch wild comment. Things said in order to illustrate points I'm sure are often read straight on as simple advocacy. Doug, for example, often does a superbly convincing job of satirizing numbskullery.
Ohio?
What would we do with all the non-Jewish Ohioans? Send them to Nevada? Refugee camps sponsored by the UN, right outside of Vegas?
C4 may be right, you Zionists want to control the World.
First a little piece of the Middle East, now you want Ohio.
Give 'em an inch...
doug,
Offensive is always better the defensive
REW - What do you think about this?
As far as C4, what confuses him is that nobody gives a shit about the Zionist Takeover of the World. I mean, so what? We could do woise.
'Rat,
Right:
The Prevent Defense Doesn't.
(but of course, your no homeland defense initiative stinks.)
Buddy,
My neck is a very sensitive area.
It is not No Homeland Defense that I advocate, it is EFFECTIVE Homeland Defense.
In NYC they have searched over 10,000 bags so far, not one bomb.
Cost effective Defense is not found on the subway platform level.
Ohio?
What would we do with all the non-Jewish Ohioans? Send them to Nevada? Refugee camps sponsored by the UN, right outside of Vegas?
vegas is ours already... you forget we took sand dunes and nothing, turned it into vegas...
I am betting la raza will "palestinianize" their anti-usa revolt and target vegas as the new "gaza" demanding the return of their sand, the usa will then make the jews of vegas either sell out to la raza at rock bottom prices or if the jew control vegas refuses and bulldozes it, i am sure we will fund la raza to rebuild
mr x,
Yes, there were NONE of those for years, then all of a sudden, there they were.
"Very informative Blog blah blah"
'Rat,
Kyle in 2008 would do for me.
6:48 - RWE
porker
You may well be right. La Raza is infiltrating a million or so "non-combatants" into Atzland each year.
An invasion of historic proportions that is unaddressed by Washington's power elite.
Enforce the existing Immigration Laws until they are changed. That is the duty of Bush & Company, and they are failing.
'Rat, 7:02,
Amen.
I ran a couple of groups, and set up simple rules to respect one another's scholarship and maintain civility. The test I applied was straight from the nursery (or the New Testament). You don't post (twice) something you would not like to receive. Because fussing is uncongenial to me, I expelled without warning. One moment, you were calling someone a stupid shit; the next, your emails bounced. The people I banned were clearly unhappy in the group, and had largely ceased to contribute anything other than the self-referential 'Portrait of a Net-clod as a PC Middle-Aged Man.' None of them ever wanted to come back, though that gate could have been reopened. There are people who are 2 or 13 in perpetuity, and can cohere with their concept of how the universe operates only by being in eventual opposition to every group that ever accepts them.
Writ small, this my policy was one answer to larger questions of free speech versus the preservation of a community. I'm not sure it's your answer, or your community's.
There is good reason for what Wretchard states.
There is a difference between honest and blunt analysis and being anti-Arab & anti-Semitic. On the whole all that goes on here very much realizes where the lines are.
Charles Johnson brings up good points, but some of the loons that comment over there detract from the overall credibility of LGF. Wretchard simply doesn't want that happening here.
I am a free speech person at heart however there are problems with commenting here. Part of it is simply the limitations of the format; basically a thread starts and it is linear whether on topic or off. I was interested in the Gaza thread but I didn't make a post because so much of the discussion lies in real time. If I come in a day or two late, a new thread has started and that one is ignored.
On two post limit - if one is discussing something it is impossible to do a point - couterpoint effectively with only two comments. I do find Doug irritating and I long ago stopped reading his comments. Even scrolling by him he rankles simply because his name appears so often. Maybe he has something valuble to say, maybe not, I sure won't know.
The problem with the censor's deletion though is that it invariably reflects the censor's viewpoint and if nothing else gives the impression that the site is edited to reflect that bias.
Ultimately, I find the discussions my favorite aspect of places like this. No offense meant to wretchard, your insights are valuable but they become a leaping point for the discussion that follows and that is a good thing. This site would not be as good if there were no comments.
I don't believe that Blogger provides effective tools for comment administration. I don't even think that individuals can be effectively banned. Deletion of posts through constant attention to threads obviously eats time that could be spent more productively.
With commenter names at the top of posts, scrolling through the drivel is not a particularly burdensome task. Especially when you know that SuperJew will be along to do the appropriate shredding of Edsel's slower brother's musings. Henry must be proud that the road apple fell so close to the horse.
Besides, there are those who enjoy acting the sparrow, pecking through the manure pile in the hope of finding a seed. While I don't especially understand the allure, the world is a very big place.
I will try to respect whatever rules Wretchard wishes to establish for his Club. And I will continue to offer financial support in the hope that one day a proper platform can be utilized which allows Wretchard to exercise higher functional control without wasting time as a thread monitor.
Wretch,
Actually, your comment threads are civil and reasonable by average blog standards. I've bounced around on quite a few blogs, and commenters here, though they argue contentiously, are generally civil. Compare, for example, LGF.
I remember the days of the Troll-Whose-Name-Must-Not-Be-Mentioned. Things are much better now.
I'm amazed you don't get comment spam. We saw some at Gates of Vienna recently.
My advice is:
1. Kill the trolls' posts. Show no mercy.
2. If non-troll commenters become obnoxious with ad-hominem or intemperate words, insert a moderating comment or two, asking them to control themselves.
The comment threads here are really cool. Please don't get rid of them if you can possibly avoid it.
Besides, Doug would go into terminal depression if you did.
redriver said...
I am old enough(or had no adult supervision) to recall when the first trolls made some usenet groups useless.
Every ecosystem requires predators.
5:27 AM
it would appear our esteemed wretchard is now,commentator,
moderator,and predator.
though perhaps he doesn't relish the latter role.
no question in my mind
this particular ecosystem
deserves one.
it's sad to think
that in the midst of an era
of mind-leveraged-media-wars
that a site like this
could have its lights put out.
m2c-
-gumshoe
Yes Baron, we must save doug from the manic depression of living un the Islands.
It is just so hard, for Ali doug del Belmonti, to believe in allahs Paradise when he lives in one of his own.
In the Paradise of his mind he can be a Space Adventurer, in allah's he would be left with only a fruit basket, he'd have a case of sour grapes
You make an interesting point about the first 20 or so comments -- those are usually the ones I read the most carefully. That is, if I'm not just itching to comment on your post to begin with...sometimes I like to know which road the conversation is headed down before I join.
Before you make a decision, Wretchard, would you (if you have the time) look at the comments on other sites? In my experience, the ones here -- warts and all -- are a cut above those anywhere else. In fact, once you take into account the quantity here, the quality is amazing.
But people don't come to comment first. We come to read your inimitable analysis. You combine insight, knowledge, intuition and a pellucid style. Breadth and depth, old boy. So please do not make a limiting of your posts one of the considerations.
Besides, as far as the bigots and meanies go, why can't people just scroll past? You see "Cedarford" at the top of the post, glaze your eyes and move past him. One of the changes to blogger comments that I like is the fact that the name comes first -- in the old days I used to read your comments from bottom to top so I could see the name first. Now I don't have to.
I sent you a note on "koinonia" -- a thread on several places (Glittering Eye and American Digest come to mind) that is the beginning of a conversation on conversation in the blogosphere. If you're not familiar with the book, I'll send you a copy...I think the idea is going to grow over time...but look around. I've not tried to google it for info. Sure is up your alley, though, and definitely applies to this post and comments conversation.
Please don't go the Donald Sensing route. He's such a...I like his blog, but it's like having a commanding officer. He's probably a good minister for that, though. I don't go there much since the page takes an eon to load and because I don't always find his thinking in tandem with what I'm on, but he's good. However, you've a more broad-based appeal.
Kosumi- don't scare us with denbeste! Besides, he was ill when he quit blogging so it's not quite the same. Part of Belmont's appeal is W's essential optimistic gentleness. den Beste was/is not an exemplar of that mode of dialogue. Brilliant? Yes. Benign and non-reactive? No.
Oops. Someone mentioned brevity...
"Here at least We shall be free."
I regret that I missed the event that caused this introspection. I see that the "Gaza" thread has comments eliminated? From the comments here it seems the crime was Cedarford's?
Cedarford has a specific tick, of course, yet I never felt his anti-semitic tourette's would instigate anything administrative. The crescendo must have been something to behold.
Alas, it is only proper for Wretchard to watch carefully over his domain. To us our posts are inconsequential, yet they participate in a specific way in branding Belmont Club, with much value added or diminished by our conduct. Looking to Wretchard, we should follow the maestro in setting our tone.
That said, I do hope we can continue to comment here freely. Even the worst and most inaccurate statements can offer definition, if only negatively, for my own thoughts. Here's hoping.
Baron B,
This reminds me of a flamefest I kicked off years ago on soc.culture.filipino. There was a poster who was making coments that seemed like they came from one troll who had not posted to SCF in quite some time. I mentioned this fact and mentioned the troll by name. Well, what do you know that was all it took to resurect the trol and a huge flamefest commenced.
W.
In my way of thinking, I weight your post's value at 60% and the commenters'value around 20%. The extra value from comment section gives me incentive to come here often and I know how to moderate the commenters myself by establish my own rules.
Some people just by the name alone automatically triggered my censor and I hardly care what they said for the benefits if ever existed hardly worth the BS I have to endure.
For others, I confine my limit span to comments of length of 4 paragraphs max, because either the ranters need their own blog to expand their ideas or they really don't know what the hell they are talking about.
You comment section is pretty civil and very valuable relative to other blogs I frequent despite few minor problems, but I don't think it degrades the performance of your site. However if you want to strike toward a better comment section, you might ask a few volunteers to help you out in monitoring the trolls and the spams, or some nudge warnings toward some useless or ad-hominem posts. Other than that, there is nothing you can do about people self-moderating themselves, because if they do, they wouln't post such non-sense at the first place.
Marcus,
Those of us who endured it for so long made a compact not to mention its name, since it seemed to search on the name to find counter-troll commenters, whom it would then torment with yet more trolling. People who were commenters here then: remember the letter D followed by the letter S (I hope that is not enough of an invocation to invite it back!).
It is extremely difficult to discourage people from responding to trolls. I tried and tried last year to dissuade them, but some good folks could simply not control themselves. It invariably makes the problem worse.
Lan Nguyen -- but where did the other 20% go? Is it maybe for Wretchard's links to other sites?
I take it a troll is a bad thing, but today is the first that I have heard the term. Can someone give me a decent definition?
Also, the last I viewed the 'Gaza'strip, the comments were only 5 or 6 deep. What happened there?
i do apologize to the group if either I fed the trolls or I am one...
I hate to see pure anti-zionist (love the PC way to say "i hate jews") posts go unresponded...
Definition of a troll (aka "sitepest"):
1. Resorts repeatedly to ad-hominem attacks, name-calling, etc.
2. Is never, ever persuaded by anyone's arguments. Not even once. Doesn't even say "Hmm... you've got a point there."
3. When cornered, changes the subject. Example, "Well, Jefferson owned slaves! So there!"
4. Impugns the motives of those with whom it disagrees, while assuming the pristine intentions of its own side.
Summed up, a troll does not comment in good faith. And, like the Supreme Court and pornography, I know it when I see it.
Why worry if someone is offended? Being offended is not the end of the world. Tolerance is a blessing that all of us need to learn.
Pierre
pork,
Wretchard says:
"To appeal to everyone to avoid making comments which a reasonable person may consider to be anti-Arab, anti-Semitic etc. or comments of a scatological nature."
I'm at a bit of a loss as to what an appropriate response then becomes when the Thorazine dosage is insufficient. Other than just scrolling past. You do raise the most difficult issue. I can agree to play by the rules and you can agree to play by the rules but some are incapable of understanding what a "reasonable person" actually might be. And some are all to well aware of the rules of taqiyah and possess sufficient ability to engage in it with some skill.
You owe me no apology.
Baron said...
Lan Nguyen -- but where did the other 20% go? Is it maybe for Wretchard's links to other sites?
My weight is quality base so it can't be 100% because if it is then it will become an absolute truth.
The comment section springs and evolves from W.'s thought and is a subset to the total quality of the site. That doesn't mean the commenters are less quality than W's at their own thoughts, for some of them at their own places could achieve the same quality as W's in my weighting system. It is just to mean they are the supporting actors and actresses for a potential Oscar winner.
One of my complaints about posters who abuse Wretchard's hospitality are the really really L O N G posts that run on and on and on. Cedarford does that all the time. Someone else who was quoting Biblical citations has recently been doing the same. This *should* comes under polite self-censorship, but perhaps if the person is a loony-toon to begin with, maybe asking them to self-censor a little bit pie-in-the-sky.
For me, anything that's more than about three paragraphs long (and you should know internally how long that is) should be taken outside and discussed on your own blog, or by private e-mail. If you don't have anyone coming to your blog to read your stuff, maybe it's because what you write is too long-winded and tedious. And that does *not* mean it's OK for you to bring your long-winded tediousness some place else to force people to read whatever it is you think you have to say.
RE: being a troll, it's someone who is not posting in good faith, too. I've seen a particularly pernicious troll say, "Oh, yeah? Well if you say 'thus', then I'll just say 'that'" which is an out-and-out admission that the entity is merely picking at scabs, and that any scab will do, so long as it thinks sooner or later it may be able to draw blood.
However, I don't think that saying something like "Bomb Mecca" should be grounds for dismissal. Seems like a perfectly valid argument to me.
This is a typical commons problem. Some people just don't know they have too many sheep.
It is impossible to please everyone. A sermon I may find wonderful, my neighbor may find offensive. Our minister said a church was more than a social group like the elks. One person complained he was attacking the elks. Sometimes you don't get it.
An example from LGF on not how to do it. The latest PCUSA stupidity about divestment in companies that help Israel, led to cheapshots at members of PCUSA, along the lines, anyone who hasn't left is stupid. That is the kinds of comments to avoid. A better way would be to ask why someone might stay.
I enjoy the comments here. It is an amazing group of people, lead by someone with some amazing posts. I expect soon to hear the secretary of state speak of the third conjecture, and everyone know what it is.
Possible improvements:
First, a way of saving important topic and comment streams to a place like the lounge. As a permanent fixture, where comments could be encouraged on a long term basis. Extraneous comments could be pruned to focus on the meat. This may be a way of encouraging more thoughtful responses, rather than just rapid fire banter.
Second, number posts if possible.
Third, the anchoress, labels her posts by category, that might be a way to organize some of the knowledge being built up here. We are like a library that just takes in books without a sorting system. We are a conversation, but a conversation with aspects of a library, a place to find knowledge.
Forth, trusted moderators could help prune trolls, and save Wretchard's time for writing wonderful posts.
Although, we seem to have a blessed minimum of trolls, and even those we have, actually seem to contribute.
Fifth, for those with actual money, use the tip jar. Keep the wolf from the door.
I've no experience in anything that could afford a solid constructive comment to any of the topics that Wretchard has written about. I wish I did have some.
However, I have never had a problem with the trolling or other types of undesirable comments. I just scroll past, and keep on going.
I give this blog the highest value of any I read. I usually come here before I even look at Instapundit or Drudge.
Thanks,
Norm
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Wretchard, you have every right to protect your site as you see fit, acting as ruthlessly or being as accomodating as necessary.
I'm not sure if I led C4 on to one last nasty that I didn't get a chance to read, or whether my own or other comments were part of the reason for the removal of the Gaza comments. If I'm responsible, I would like to know.
In any case, I think we have to accept a degree of antisemitism as the flip side to acknowledging the truth: Judaism is not just another religion, Israel not just another nation. Quite aside from the banal PC admissions that we are all different, we should reject the PC model where everyone is, in actual practice, reduced to a bland sameness in the right not to be offended. We must have some right to offend as a guarantee of our right to distinguish ourselves, which is fundamental to any culture that wants to do its job of keeping us alive. Of course, the thing is to learn how to be well distinguished and not just a resentful person overly reliant for his identity on what he resents.
Judaism attracts a lot of hostility because it was the first fully to articulate monotheism as a declarative concept, i.e. not just a name of god, but a definition of god (what Moses heard: "I am what I am") and this discovery of a universal truth (that, conceptually, god is a paradoxical sign) by a particular person/people is what we must remember even at the cost of stupid antisemitism. Jewish particularism grates on those who come after. But coming to terms with the fact that someone always has to go first is important to mental health, and we only get there by working through our resentment of our models, and understanding the roles of those who go second and third.... Otherwise we destroy our models, just as a lot of people are trying to destroy the idea of nationhood and republican democracy in this world.
I may be guilty of certain fast and easy ascriptions to the arab or moslem world, though I try to avoid this. And I may go on at too much length under the impression that certain anthropological ideas are key to understanding our global conflict. All this can be improved, but it takes more than a vague and general warning. Without it involving a lot of time or energy, perhaps we need you or a few other duly appointed responsibles (some have more time than money to donate) doing a bit more calling out from time to time. Name names, listen to the reaction of the readers, and ban the repeat offenders.
many thanks for your wonderful site
Truepeers -- Unfortunately, Blogger does not allow the banning of commenters. Wretchard would have to delete each comment individually (as he did with those of The-Troll-Who-Must-Not-Be-Invoked), forbid comments on an individual post (as he seems to have done on the "Gaza" post), or eliminate comments entirely on all posts.
So I guess we'd better behave.
Halaoscan offers more feature-rich comenting and trackback. You can can ban commenters with it.
I use it on my blog, granted I don't get anywhere near the traffic or comments but Haloscan commenting appears to be an improvement over Blogger commenting.
Anybuddee,
I think you're right. Calling Christians pagans is a conceptual error and somewhat offensive. But there are problems with legislating against stupidity when so many people don't know why, e.g., anti-Christianity is stupid. Free discussion is our best hope for freedom, though it takes patience and time. As I say, it's better to be a little offended than resort to PC tactics where no one can stand out because no one can be offended.
Baron, I see. thanks, but i imagine this situation would not stop Wretchard from finding some people he could trust and sharing his administrative powers with them. Then it would be easier to remove repeat offenders or even first-time trolls as part of the administrators' ordinary blog reading. As long as the responsibles are known and willing to briefly explain themselves - through reference to some code of conduct - if need be. Behaving ourselves is best, but perhaps we need more feedback than most of us probably get. If there is a code, then people would have some grounds to remind each other where they are stepping out of line. But of course it is near impossible to satisfactorily define things like hate speech. But as long as you are not a court of law, but just a court of opinion, the line can be flexible and imposed by rough consensus. Though it is just as legitimate for the blog owner to lay down the law if he wishes.
Were anti-christian comments simply understood to be included or maybe they are fair game? How very Hahvahd of you.
I've listened to pork chop throw any number of insults at Jesus (pagan etc.) and His followers. Things that if C4 were to say, he be excoriated, and rightfully so.
I guess it depends on whose ox is being gored, huh?
we'll the one weird thing is that christians MUST understand, that The Jewish POV on G-d is the original monothiestic point of view, for me to insult jesus or the NT is because my group was there...
I am a Jew, and as such, our beliefs are what are being MISTRANSLATED into the koran or the "old test", it's our RIGHT to comment on other's beliefs that we are being told is OUR correct belief..
so when it comes to jesus, it's simple he was my cousin BEFORE he was your god and it's the JEWISH people's messiah, not the CHristian's messiah...
Everything is always changing, either ascending or descending, a-build or in decay. A year ago, there were far fewer "thought piece" comments on this blog, and thus it didn't seem as though falling into a long string of idle chit-chat would drive away the particular types of comments that make a comment-feature valuable in the first place: Those expressed thoughts that aspire to become attractive features of the whole. But things change. This site has obviously grown in import and influence; there's so many sharp folks writing in here now that the whole will be more valuable as a 'read' if we do follow the host's suggestion and self-edit a bit. To follow Wretchard's suggestion, the practice of the whole audience would be no different than each individual's presumably familiar practice of editing his/her own posts for interest, brevity, punch, topicality and readability. And--crucially important to the argument--I think I have carpal-tunnel syndrome, and can only manage a few brief remarks anyway.
I think you're right. Calling Christians pagans is a conceptual error and somewhat offensive.
From the jewish point of view, the ones that gave you "monothiesm" worship of a human as god is pagan, sorry we believed this for over 1000 yrs before paul had his bar mitzvah.....
as for offensive... take the cross, please...
it's a roman torture machine.......
the cool thing? it's the 1st time in 1700 yrs I can speak honestly about jesus worship as g-d and promised messiah and no one is going to burn me at a stake... how cool
Is it me, or has this plea for moderation pulled an Uroboros?
c4: I've never complained about another poster.
But, like Muslims, Zionists use their classic method of attempting to intimidate or stifle voices they disagree with. Though Muslims take it a step further by killing those who disagree with them, the Zionist tactics of whining to moderators or demanding newspapers not run stories or letters critical of Israel are also inamicable to open discourse in a Democracy.
wow... sorry to burst your bubble, never complained about you...
c4: Zionists are also somewhat unique in their regular use of lies and myths over the years that have not stood up to scrutiny, but get repeated anyways.
yes, once again, truth rears it's ugly head.. the jews are warriors.. giant land grabbers...
c4: In the Gaza thread, the poster that uses the religiously offensive handle "Porkrinds for Allah" repeated the false claims of (1)"land legally gained in defensive wars", (2)Balfour gave ALL of Palestine to the Jews,(3)Gaza doesn't have to be given up because the Zionists "already gave up 99% of land they were entitled to". (In fact, Palestine is now split 78% sovereign Israel Proper and the other 22% left is still occupied and colonized)
wow, excellent rewriting! such a skill!
c4: All claims quickly debunked.
no, but if it makes you feel good, keep saying it over and over again in front of a mirror.. "the MUST believe"....
c4:But there is a reason why all but one country, America, has peeled off supporting Israel over the years and that reason is not blind hatred, but Israel's obstinant refusal to address the refugee problem and it's creeping colonization activities over the years.
naw, the one word is OIL....
c4: Even the US is on record with 1967's UN Res 242 as opposing the massive land and water grabs that Israel subsequently did.
Massive land grabs? in Israel? it's 1% of the arab world, and smaller than new jersey, yes size is relative, i tell my wife my 6 inchs is a foot almost 2 times a week... still dont make it massive..
C4: In one sense, the Zionists and their American backers have been very sucessful in America in one aspect. Despite selling our secrets to the Societs and China, it's being the 4th largest nuclear power, despite consuming almost half of our foreign aid on it's well-off inhabitants, and use of Jim Crow system enforcing Jewish supremacy - Zionists have introduced a strong meme into America that any criticism of Israel is equivalent to "bias".
1/2 our foreign aid.. yep it's all how you paint the picture... 2 billion a year is foreign aid, our 200 billion in iraq aint, nor is our 100 billion a year to nato, nor is the billions we spend on egypt, yep the jews get half...
again, c4 distorts and mispaints...
C4: -Zionists regularly both dispense their false myths and seek to police and supress media when criticism of Israel emerges.
wow, my zog meeting warned me this would happen...
c4: And as Zionists are embroiled in another spy scandal, though the secrets are far less damaging than say Israel's sale of our Patriot missile defense system to China....The AIPAC indictments are a reminder - once again - that Israel is not our 51st state and Israel's interests should never trump America's - no matter how much money AIPAC hands out to our politicians.
Yes, aipac needs to not just give cash, it should do what the saudis do..
c4: America is now joining the countries where criticism of Israel is allowed.
I was sad to see the law against israel criticism not be renewed, dam that ZOG aint what it used to be...
c4: The long era of Zionists being able to quash open debate regarding Israel is coming to an end. And we are learning from that, in not letting the radical Muslims use Zionist-style tactics to suppress criticism of their tactics under claimed "hate-speech" grievances.
yes, the fear "zionist style" tactics... folks zionists are evil, they will invite you over, give you some soup, feed you a fresh bagel, all to trip you up! BE WARNED EVIL ZIONIST TACTICS at work!!!!
Pork rinds for allah wrote:
"c4: Zionists are also somewhat unique in their regular use of lies and myths over the years that have not stood up to scrutiny, but get repeated anyways.
yes, once again, truth rears it's ugly head.. the jews are warriors.. giant land grabbers..."
So, am I hearing you correctly Pork, Zionists and Jews are one and the same?
I see we are doing our best to try to show exactly what we shouldn't do.
What can be most valuable about this place is that we come from some wildly different backgrounds, yet have a crazy unity. Some of us are atheists, some are born again christians, some are Moses's child, some I don't have a clue. Some don't have a clue. I love you all.
We need to remember we are guests in Wretchard's living room, and we don't want him to have to ask who let the dogs out.
To have a place we can speak the truth honestly, and not waste time demolishing straw men, is important.
C4 has made numerous ACCURATE points. The Israelis HAVE taken US military secrets and dispersed them to the Chinese. The Chicom new J10 aircraft is a direct ripoff of US technology. That is right as rain. Pollard WAS an Israeli spy working in the US. It would be prudent to believe there are others.
The Israelis are also one of our allies in the War on Terror.
As Ronnie Reagan would say,
"Trust but Verify"
If the essence of Judaism is exodus, or freedom, isn't there something to be said for just letting the Christians, and their secular followers, go?
At the risk of going OT, a quick comment in response to Pork Rinds:
worship of a human as god is pagan, sorry we believed this for over 1000 yrs before paul had his bar mitzvah...
It seems to me a Jew, having respect for his peoples great contribution to humanity of a form of historical consciousness, "narrative monotheism", might expect that some people will take up the narrative in ways he would not approve. Approve or not, showing respect for his own tradition would entail acknowledging that Christianity makes some new departures in attempting to understand the God-Man relationship, taking the narrative in a new direction that, like it or not, is clearly not into a world that is much like the old pagan world, however much a certain aspect of Christian symbolism may look pagan. Looks can deceive. The difference between entering into a knowledge of sacrifice, as opposed to a practice of sacrifice, is essential to distinguish. A knowledge of sacrifice may entail playing with the imagery of sacrifice without returning to primitive times.
I am not a scholar of these things, but I have been told that early Rabbinic Judaism witnessed an awful lot of speculation on whether divinity could take multiple forms. It was only with the emergence of Christianity and its own speculations into the trinity that a strict monotheist doctrine gelled in Jewish thought. hence there is on the conceptual level some mutual dependency - e.g. self-definition in opposition to the other - between the faiths that would be worth exploring.
From a secular pov, the great advantage of the trinity is that it is a more sophisticated approximation of the tripartite, or three-step nature of representation (three steps because representation is an event, unfolding in time) than is a strictly transcendental monotheism. Judaism affirms the unfigurabiliy of g-d, Christianity explores this paradox in a way that brings some new understanding into the nature of representation, an understanding I won't go into here.
The historical influence of Christianity has been so obviously - to my mind - much more anti-sacrificial and secularizing than anything else, that to call it pagan is just an indicator that you don't know what to do with the fact that Christians make use of the symbolism of human sacrifice in a religion that has taken humanity as a whole further away from human sacrifice. This has given a lot of people trouble and there are a lot of sophisticated explanations out there you might reference before making simple statements about Chritianity divinizing men, which it does and it doesn't. It plays ambiguously on this theme, to a secularizing, not paganizing, effect. No doubt if Christianity had never emerged, Judaism would have carried the anti-sacrificial banner to humanity, but that's not what happened. None of which is to deny Rinds a right to be pissed at how Jews have been treated historically.
The Jews have faired better, historicly, then the North American Indians. The Jews, at least, have their own little country. No such luck for the Indig Americans. No, a Casino does not a Nation make.
The Kurds and the Armenians have each been treated as poorly by the World as the Jews have.
The Jews have no monopoly on persecution. They do have more influence on the MSM than any of the other persecuted minorities of the World
Listen friends, and mark my words in this moment and this hour--
God is jealous for his name for his name is jealous.
Nor is this a charming flower to set before a man
nor one of his commands.
Yet, without Jesus, this is more than we can love as we desire peace,
and less than we can know as we desire joy.
For the sacred fire
that makes us liars--
I mean, that separates speech from dreams,
and separates our flesh from the future--
is God’s power manifested.
So, in the year and the hour-- for his sake, invest your desire in Jesus.
Follow his holy fire for right now. Right now he intercedes for us in heaven!
Some will say we are people of the way.
We are people of the way.
We praise his holy name Yahweh.
I am who I am.
I cause things to be.
I am the first cause of creation.
We praise his holy name Yahweh.
And say “Thank you Jesus for your precious blood--
better, so much better than the blood of Abel.
post #70 in the 'Rest In Pieces' thread is just what W is speaking of. George M Weinert V goes on and on to the point that even I had to collapse it.
Even doug was taken aback by it.
I second Dan. Truepeers and I got into a tangential ontological debate, which I am sure not too many people wanted to read here, and we took it elsewhere.
This does not mean you can't argue from first principles, belief, and all that, but when the religious gauntlet gets thrown down, as it occasionally will, kindly step outside and work out your differences. Unless, of course, it is pertinent to Wretchard's post.
Maybe I suggest this because I don't have a dog in that fight, but it seems the polite way to go. The answers to the universe don't have to be discovered just on this blog. That's what a community is for.
'Rat,
I noticed that too. Made me cringe.
If the religious or anthropological debate has a place it is because we are fighting a war that is all about religion. However, I would acknowledge the need for concision if that's what people want. Some problems are best struggled with until they are reducible to short statements; some questions, however, need big books. Someone has to decide what people want, if only creative chaos, or provide feedback mechanisms for a stronger consensus to emerge. Blogs can be good at many things, but maybe not at all things at once.
I've always wanted Blogger to have branched thread blogs, so people can choose to read/write about their interests w/o bothering others not interested.
There used to be a bunch of free ones, Blogger is now God of the blogverse I guess, so must tend to my prayers.
I wouldn't go THAT far 'Rat: I was temporarily stunned but made a reasonably strong "comeback," I thought.
truepeers
As the President and the rest of the US Government repeatedly tells US that we ARE NOT in a religious war and we ARE NOT in a Clash of Civilizations. We are, they tell US, in a WAR on TERROR. Which, in all reality, is nonsensical, as terror is but a tactic.
It all goes back to a lack of clarity in this entire affair.
Dang! Wretchard is the only one taking his advice: try to keep from commenting more than twice on the same thread (myself included)
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Dick Turban is a jerk,
but I like Turk's Turban Squash.
Tony,
Isn't this a discussion on discussions, not a regular topic?
---
(We get to see other's opinions before they are no longer expressed.)
truepeers,
It just hit me that this thread is a great example of emergent norms. An ethic is being generated amongst the group.
Whatever we come up with will be tested against reality, and if it fails, a new ethic will emerge.
Interesting (at least to me).
Zionists and Jews are one and the same?
mostly but not exclusively...
Doug,
Yes, a discussion about discussions, that's what we're having. Reminds me of writing about writing, which is easier than actually writing.
Gregory Bateson wrote about something similar in a series of "Metalogues" which he puts in the form of discussions with his daughter. Check it out:
"DAUGHTER: Talking about talking about talking. Cosy. So this has turned into an example of logical types, all piled up. The otter story is a story about metamessages, and the stories of you growing up in a positivistic household are about learning -- because it was in thinking about learning and learning to learn that you began to realize the importance of the logical types. Messages about messages, learning about learning. I must say, even though the logic boys say they have new and better models of logical types that you don't take account of, you get a lot of mileage -- a lot of insight -- out of using them, when almost nobody else does.
But, Daddy, can you just go along at the top of the pile? I don't think you can talk about talking about talking without talking, and I mean talking about something specific, something solid and real. If you tell a story about play when I'm not part of it, does that mean we're not playing?
FATHER: Playing we may be, but you're nipping at my heels in this particular game. Look, we're getting into a tangle. You have to distinguish the logical types in the words of our conversation from the overall structure in the communication, of which the verbal conversation is only part. But one thing you can be sure of is that the conversation isn't about "something solid and real." It can only be about ideas. No pigs, no coconut palms, no otters or puppy dogs. Just ideas of pigs and puppy dogs."
Anybudee said...
pork Is that the best you can do to answer his charges? Attempted ridicule and sniggers just reinforce what he said. That HIS point!
I answered many times clearly with website look ups to maps, i quoted actual square miles of lands at issue, i quoted actual UN resolutions with their actual not imposed words...
c4 cannot understand facts, so in the end i switched to humiliation for my "zionist tactics"...
c4 may be rational in many ways, but then dispenses the "zionist and their lies" (reminds me of Luther's "The Jews and their lies" ) myths, makes me believe there cannot be real communication with him...
true: Approve or not, showing respect for his own tradition would entail acknowledging that Christianity makes some new departures in attempting to understand the God-Man relationship, taking the narrative in a new direction that, like it or not, is clearly not into a world that is much like the old pagan world,
I state: i respect all ethical people inspite of their stupid childish beliefs, including my own...
this does allow for less than monothiest peoples views, it's just not the view from Torah or the Jewish people.
Winds of Change has nominated a Sheriff's Posse to help maintain the peace on that blog. If Wretchard doesn't want to be responsible for having to take all the time for deleting Those Who Should Be Deleted, perhaps he could name a posse, too. Seeing as how you have at least two posters on this particular thread who IMMEDIATELY did exactly what they had been asked politely not to do.
....I am not a scholar of these things, but I have been told that early Rabbinic Judaism witnessed an awful lot of speculation on whether divinity could take multiple forms. It was only with the emergence of Christianity and its own speculations into the trinity that a strict monotheist doctrine gelled in Jewish thought. hence there is on the conceptual level some mutual dependency - e.g. self-definition in opposition to the other - between the faiths that would be worth exploring.
Not from what i read, check out "torah nation" (dont have the author handy) it tracks jewish thinking in bavel to israel at the time of shammai and hillel, the concept of a non-corporeal g-d goes back to abraham..
there are always jews that go astray from the basics however these are not regarded as authentic ie the saducees (painted ones - rejected the oral torah, temple cult, mislabeled as "pharisees" when actually hillel and shammai brought forth "rabbinic - non-temple cult teacher judiasm
sure, i dig anal. who doesn't?
andrew
this ain't no religion, the 'faithful' are anything but.
Tony,
When we were homeschooling our son, my wife had some "official" books from the Education Dept for the NEA Nazis in training.
Being a good boy, I gave them a try, but then noticed about 3/4 of the Book for the Teachers on each subject was about teaching, and not about the subject!
...we switched to evil Christian Homeschooling books and a neat series that ran up to 6th grade that exposed kids to a bunch of the classics:
Old, out of date, backwards stuff.
...and he learned math w/o a calculator.
Currently responsible for writing security guidelines on code classified as top secret.
...still has yet to see a classroom!
Is not being able to not read things you don't want to acongenital condition?
Some commenters have mentioned Little Green Footballs.
As I greatly admire Charles Johnson, I have contributed significant amounts of money to LGF for over three years.
In the early days of LGF I commented frequently, but rarely do now; the comment threads seem often given over to personal interaction or bickering, or in some cases, to highly predictable ranting. (And I have been guilty of these sins myself, don't get me wrong.)
While I have found most of the comments here to be worthwhile (and not a few are brilliant), I would prefer not to read extended arguments between Jews and Christians. (This is not because I think such polemics have no value; I just don't think they belong here.)
In my humble estimation wretchard is a national treasure.
Jamie Irons
Desert Rat,
C4 has made numerous ACCURATE points.
Number them for me. So far everything I read from Cedarfart has either been a blatant distortion, half truth, or a down right lie.
The Israelis HAVE taken US military secrets and dispersed them to the Chinese. The Chicom new J10 aircraft is a direct ripoff of US technology.
And you know this how?
How do you know the Chicom new J10 aircraft is a direct ripoff of US technology? And if it is, how do you know the Chinese did not steal said technology directly from the US. How do you know they did not steal it from the Israelis? Is the technology licensed from Israel? Was it codeveloped with Israel? Is the technology American, American-Israeli, or is it solely Israeli? What technology are we talking about? Do you know any details? And if not, why so quick to point an accusing finger at Israel as a guilty party?
c4: Half of our foreign aid does indeed get allocated for Israel thanks to that miserable piece of shit Jimmy Carter starting the annual welfare check to Israel and requiring payments to ANY adjacent nation that removes itself from being a threat to Isreal and instead agrees to become Israel's Partner in Peace, in return for billions a year for as long as Israel itself gets wheelbarrow loads of US taxpayer dollars.
point: if by LAW what ever is given to israel must be given to egypt as part of the camp david accords, how can egypt's aid + aid to jordan and aid to all others add up to JUST 50%? It's like the addition from the producers...
simple point, c4 doesnt count aid for AIDs as aid, he doesnt count the 11 billion written off to egypt as aid, he doesnt count the narco assistance to latin america as aid... in short, he's wrong...
c4: That is why you will never see the powerful AIPAC demand Egypt lose it's IRS-collected transfer payment - because the ME foreign aid is bundled. Though, curiously, only our "Special Friend" has worked a special deal where only Israel, of all nations, gets all it's foreign aid up front, rather than in quarterly payments.
Interesting: why would "AIPAC" make demands of Egypt's aid? AIPAC doesnt stand for "egypt" so what is the point of the comment? BIBI, when he was prime minister gave a speech to both houses of congress ASKED for economic aid to Israel to be CUT..
As for the timing of the payments, give me a break...
C4: States granting waivers so Israeli companies can get contracts - something allowed to no other country. Federal grants to Israeli universities & firms doing research that actually is in competition with American firms and universities.
great point C4, part of the camp david accords REQUIRE that the majority of aid be spent in AMERICA that israel receives... american jobs building trailers for settlements, does my heart proud!
c4: There is also the hidden aid of US billions in loans to Israel, which are typically converted to no-interest loans and carried on the Fed's books or "forgiven" completely if Israel does constructive things for the peace process now and then.
actually, never... no loan has ever been forgiven to israel (france yes, israel no)
please provide specific details
c4: And bringing up NATO is fair if one also brings up the non-direct aid costs of Israel - of two Oil Embargos the US suffered for supporting Israel, the terrorist costs associated from supporting Israel, the cost of wars and interventions the US has done with the intent of fully or partially benefiting Israel. And foregone business deals in the Muslim world - an opportunity cost to the US, since we are barred from many as Israel's only backer. And the harm to America's diplomatic interests elsewhere arising from America being associated with Zionism.
you are correct, if only the jews of israel would die, then the arabs would love us...
interesting point, you are correct, US firms do no business in the arab world, lol, please, get real..
c4: Adding Israel the nation is slowly becoming infamous as a drug money laundering, party drug making, porn, prostitution, sanctuary for Jewish violent criminals that flee there, black market weapons, blood diamond wholesaling, and sanctuary for Jewish con-artists center.
it's a jungle out there.. yes there you go with that "immorality rap"? hey folks, how can I respond to this?
c4: As well as much cost to Russia, Latin America, and Europe. A key element of Putin's popularity is his going after the billionaire Jewish oligarchs that were awarded whole industries in Russia in payment for loans given to Yeltsin cronies. Putins people have even said that sending their special forces to "get" the oligarchs that made it to Israel is not out of question if extradition talks go nowhere.
now c4 continues with the "jewish billionare" club controlling the vast wealth of europe/russia....
c4: Still, I will give Porkrinds this - ompared to Israel - Iran, Syria, and N Korea are clearly worse than what Zionists like to say is "America's special friend".
and in the end he states the simply statement, hi israel, have you stopped beating your wife type question...
iran, syria & north korea are worse than israel, how can one even attempt to discuss the subject with c4? it's almost too much, too stupid, too blind hatred...
Al Qaeda uses Web as a weapon:
The jihadist bulletin boards were buzzing. Soon, promised the spokesman for al Qaeda in the Land of the Two Rivers, a new video would be posted with the latest in mayhem from Iraq's best-known insurgent group.
As with most breakthroughs, it was a combination of technology and timing. Zarqawi launched his jihad in Iraq "at the right point in the evolution of the technology," said Ben N. Venzke, whose firm IntelCenter monitors jihadist sites for U.S. government agencies. High-speed Internet access was increasingly prevalent. New, relatively low-cost tools to make and distribute high-quality video were increasingly available. "Greater bandwidth, better video compression, better video editing tools -- all hit the maturity point when you had a vehicle as well as the tools," he said.
After Abu Musab Zarqawi swung the curved blade of his sword and decapitated Nicholas Berg, he picked up the bloodied head of his victim and screamed out praise to Allah. The camera lingered on the dead man's wild eyes.
Khattab, the Jordanian-born commander of foreign fighters in Chechnya, had used the filmed atrocity in the 1990s when he videotaped graphic attacks on Russian forces and packaged them together as videotapes called "Russian Hell," which sold in Western mosques and Middle Eastern bazaars and now circulate on the Internet.
"The Winds of Victory" opens with footage of the American bombing of Baghdad. It is nighttime, and the screen is dark except for the violent orange explosions and the wry captions "Democracy" and "Freedom" written in Arabic.
For 26 minutes, the instructional video lays out in precise detail how to construct the item that more than any other has come to symbolize the Iraq insurgency -- a suicide bomber's explosive belt.
And the bulletin boards keep track of Zarqawi's corps of suicide bombers, with long online lists of the "martyrs" compiled from various sources. Israeli researcher Reuven Paz has a list gleaned from the postings of more than 400 Zarqawi recruits who have died in Iraq. Paz said the biographies are an informal census very much in keeping with the profile of an Arab Internet user -- middle class and highly educated, "people with wives and kids and good jobs," Paz said, "going, as if by magic, after the virtual leader."
A few weeks ago, al Qaeda in the Land of the Two Rivers released the third version of its online magazine, Thurwat al-Sinam. This latest issue lectured on the recipe for a successful raid, an almost-scientific procedure involving six steps for planning and executing, with five groups of fighters designated by tasks such as "protection," "gap-making" and "pushing in."
Battles can be won in Iraq but then ultimately lost if they are not on the Internet. "The aim is not to execute an operation, which is followed by complete silence, but telling the reason why it was executed," the magazine advised. "It is a must that we give this field what it deserves. . . . How many battles has this nation lost because of the lack of information?"
Web as weapon:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8876383/
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This is Uroboros, and we need to break the cycle. If every discussion turns into an apologia for pro- and anti-Israel beliefs, or for pro- and anti-Christian posture, before long the baby will be thrown out with the bath water. It's time to find the pacifier.
It takes about five minutes to set up a new blog. If you feel strongly about Israel, Cedarford, then argue your points there. Pork Rinds, if you feel strongly against Christianity, argue your points on a "Christianity is Pagan" site. If other commenters feel strongly about such topics, they can stop by and join those particular discussions. There they should stay unless those discussions are immediately pertinent to Wretchard's post.
The fact is, this is not an open forum; treating it as one--obsessively planting your flag in non-topical issues--smells of vanity.
Wretchard is the big enchilada, of course, but the comments also draw people, and add erudition. His excellence attracts excellence, and his thoughtfulness attracts thoughtfulness; we should be mindful of that.
With every word we type we are branding Belmont Club. To a man (or woman) we can agree that people should read Wretchard's posts, yet we dishonor the spirit of his blog by letting the discussions degenerate into embattled ramparts and petty sniping. This blog is to bring us together to face the tough times ahead, with insight and inspiration. Pet issues have their place, but surely only if they have been called for.
Link to your own blog for pet issues. Let Wretchard supply the raw meat.
anybudee,
I went to your blog to respond to your previous post. Hopefully it will explain my position.
Not police, but prudence.
And an example is formed.
pc killa
There are numerous articles and links available in regard to Israeli/ Chicom arms trade
The one I use, in the interest of brevity quotes our CIA Director from that era
"...Former CIA director R. James Woolsey informed the U.S. Senate in late 1993 that he was "alarmed" by the military partnership between Tel Aviv and Beijing, and officially accused Israel of "illegally supplying China with classified defense technology from sources in the West."
Reading from a declassified CIA report while appearing before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, Woolsey added: "We believe the Chinese seek from Israel advanced military technologies that U.S. and Western firms are unwilling to provide."
Woolsey revealed that Israel has been selling military technology to China for over a decade, and that the sales may amount to several billion dollars.
During subsequent testimony, Woolsey said the CIA is convinced China also is relying on its friends in Israel to assist in developing advanced engines for the next generation of Chinese combat vehicles. He said also that China will rely on Israeli expertise to create sophisticated airborne radar that employs super-secret technology that has been entrusted to Israel for another multibillion dollar joint project—production in Israel of the Arrow missile defense program which also has been funded largely by the United States.
"[These are] systems," concluded Woolsey in his testimony, "the Chinese would have difficulty producing on their own." Now it appears that, thanks to Israeli transfer of highly classified U.S. military technology, the Chinese have done just that, setting off alarm bells among China's neighbors, and America's allies, all around the rim of Asia. ..."
one of many
Israel does not operate it's Arms Trade to the benefit of US interests. No problem with that, they are an independent country, not the 51st state.
To deny the reality though is not productive and makes ole C4 seem all the more credible
pc kill
In a more recent time frame, June '05, there is this from Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom.
" “It is impossible to hide the crisis between Israel and the United States with regard to the security industries. We are doing everything possible to put it behind us,”..."
"...“If things were done that were not acceptable to the Americans then we are sorry but these things were done with the utmost innocence,” Shalom said in comments that coincided with a visit by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. ..."
“The United States is our biggest ally and none of the things that were done were done with the intention of harming U.S. interests,” Shalom added.
there is always more...
What ever the intentions the facts are that Israel HAS supplied the Chicoms with US technology.
Then again so have some US defense firms, Loral Industries and missle guidence tech transfers in 1996 comes to mind
Why Tolerate the Hate?
By IRSHAD MANJI - Tony Blair's deportation plan in Britain will protect the West's best values: freedom and individuality.
miklos,
Some of your recent posts concerning the sexual/psychological health of the Jihadis have been thought provoking.
...always risky to spend time looking for "root causes" and deep stuff in general, but those guys are such classic cases, they deserve special mention/treatment.
pc killa
If you do not believe these there is "Forward" from NYC. I had not seen this before but they have been publishing since 1897 and there is a link to their Yiddish edition. While I do not read or understand Yiddish, I do believe that it is a Jewish language.
"... China Crisis Straining U.S.-Israel Ties
Arms Sales Flap Intensifies
By MARC PERELMAN
August 5, 2005
In what is turning out to be a rare, protracted crisis between close allies, Israel and the United States remained sharply at odds this week over the sensitive issue of Israeli arms sales to China.
In interviews with the Forward, Israeli officials confirmed reports that Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz had canceled a planned trip to Washington last month because the two sides failed to reach agreement on American demands that Jerusalem tighten its weapons exports, particularly to China. Israel had initially claimed Mofaz canceled the trip in response to new Palestinian violence.
"We are continuing our mutual efforts to solve the issue soon," Defense Ministry spokeswoman Rachel Ashkenazy told the Forward. She said it was pointless for Mofaz to come to Washington until the dispute — seen by experts as the most serious American-Israeli rift in more than a decade — is ironed out. ..."
Also available in Yiddish
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Desert Rat @6:05 PM
That testimony was given in 1993. We're now 12 years later and still there's nothing to support the claims. Nothing specific regards any specific American technology transfer.
Desert Rat @6:18 PM
You're moving the goal posts.
Anyway, if I guess correctly, those statements were given in regard to the cancelled Israeli FALCON radar control aircraft sale. The FALCON employs wholly Israeli radar and electronics suite. Israel has patents on this stuff. It's not American technology. Furthermore, the sale never materialized. Unlike AWAK radar control aircraft sold to the Saudis over Israel's vociferous objections.
InstaPundit ran an idea a week or so ago about banning people who are insufferable and then making them buy their way back into the blog. If enough people want them back, you could either set up a PayPal system where readers of the blog would contribute towards their bail, or it could be a voting thing, where readers would vote for or against.
I suspect that this might be time-consuming and that one of the things Wretchard may not have a lot of is time. Especially time spent having to herd misfits and idiots.
I just think it's interesting that the people who post things that I respect and whom I like to read seem to be unanimously agreeing that a rein needs to be put on the abusers ... who seem to be the people who do *not* want anything to be done about their playful frolic-ing.
pc
They transfered the tech in the 90's. That is not moving the goal post, that is when the points were scored. The J10/ F10 has been in development for quite a while.
There is alot of this tech transfer that has occurred, if it hadn't Mr. Shalom would not be apologizing for it.
Radar, Air to Air missles, Aircraft and air to air missle guidence tracking systems.
Just because it has been going on for over a decade does not make it good for US.
Desert Rat @6:53 PM
You were accusing Israel of providing China with illicit American technology. I want you to back that up. So far I see nothing.
Anybudee, if you 'keep feeling like the GWOT is about Christ', then maybe there's some truth to that.
Ask yourself, "Could Jesus have actually KNOWN that all 3 of His promises would point to the SAME YEAR?" If you answer No, then you scoff and deny Jesus' Divine Authority and infallibility.
Similarly, "Could Jesus have actually MEANT for us to turn toward the One Who Came at the time predicted, prophesied and promised by Jesus?"
If No, then you scoff and deny Jesus omniscience and prescience. And you know what St Peter was led by Christ to say about 'scoffing and denying'. IIPeter2:1 makes it VERY CLEAR that in this day, it is a damnable heresy to scoff and deny our Lord Who redeems us has returned.
THAT's the War On Terror! The Muslims want to 'scoff and deny', just like the Christian clergy, that the Holy One has come down from Heaven and made known the Will of God for this Day.
Muslim clergy are a bit more frantic to cling to power, and that makes them open to extreme positions, not least of which is the crushing and terrorising and killing of any who have the audacity to suggest that Jesus TOLD THE TRUTH when He said the return would happen (in what turns out to have been 1844) at the time ALL 3 promises came to fulfillment: Matt24:14, Luke 21:24, Matt24:15.
THIS is the Global War on Terror, and its being waged FAR ABOVE mere platoon or regimental level!
Desert Rat @7:02 PM
Radar, Air to Air missles, Aircraft and air to air missle guidence tracking systems.
I don't know what if anything of that sort Israel has sold to China, but I do know that all these things you itemized above, have been developed in Israel using Israeli R&D teams and are backed up with Israeli patents. IT IS NOT AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY!
pc
From The Asia Times, available online at:
http://atimes.com/atimes/China/DL04Ad01.html
Israel's role in China's new warplane
By David Isenberg
December 4, 2002
"... In March 1997, despite official denials from Israeli officials, the US Office of Naval Intelligence in its unclassified "Worldwide Challenges to Naval Strike Warfare" restated more strongly than it had the previous year its belief that US-derived technology from the canceled Israeli Lavi fighter was being used on China's new F-10 fighter. It said, "The design has been undertaken with substantial direct external assistance, primarily from Israel and Russia, with indirect assistance through access to US technologies." In fact, according to the annual intelligence report, "the F-10 is a single-seat, light multi-role fighter based heavily on the canceled Israeli Lavi program". ..."
"...However, this is not the first time accusations of illegal technology have been made. A March 1992 report by State Department inspector general Sherman Funk, "Report of Audit: Department of State Defense Trade Controls", states that alleged Israeli violations of US laws and regulations "cited and supported by reliable intelligence information show a systematic and growing pattern of unauthorized transfers ... dating back to about 1983".
The 1992 Funk report was the first time the US government had publicly released evidence that Israel was improperly re-exporting US-origin weapons technology. Israel and some of its US supporters quickly denounced it. So that their work would not be classified - and thus off-limits to the public - the writers of the report referred to Israel only as a "major recipient" of US technology, and misdeeds were not specified in detail. The classified version, of course, did name Israel as well as other states, and it cited instances of unauthorized retransfers, US officials said in interviews.
The Funk report criticized State's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs for ignoring scores of intelligence reports of apparent violations of Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and International Traffic in Arms regulations retransfer restrictions and for not reporting them to senior officials and Congress, as required by law. Israel denounced the report, especially as its release followed allegations of improper transfer by Israel of Patriot missile technology to China.
In the summer of 2000, the Washington Times reported that a memo circulating inside the Pentagon's Defense Threat Reduction Agency told analysts they no longer had to gain input from the Defense Intelligence Agency before deciding whether controlled technology should be transferred to Israel. The DIA had compiled evidence that Israel had violated US export regulations by transferring missile, laser and aircraft technology to China. ..."
If these things were not co-developed and/or funded by US, like I said, it is their business.
It does strain credibility that there is NO BASIS for these charges when Mr. Shalom apologizes for unintentional transgressions and the Israel first lobby here in US denies the transgression ever occured, in spite of the Israeli Ministers admissions.
It does make me belive that Israel operates in her best interest, not ours.
Perhaps we SHOULD cut their funding subsidies. They must not need the $3 billion per year if their scientists and engineers are so capable.
Desert Rat @7:11 PM
This all smells of a political hit job.
I don't care about a circulating internal memo. I want specifics. The technology is very specific. It practically carries its own fingerprint, so to speak. It should be very easy to id the specific technology for a match. But there's nothing of substance. If American technology was transfered by Israel to China than the American firms that have patents on that technology can very easily seek damages for patent infringement. So far I only hear crickets.
Desert Rat @7:22 PM
They must not need the $3 billion per year if their scientists and engineers are so capable.
Is that what you think that money is for? I always thought it was for not turning the neighboring desert dunes into glass.
Slovly and slovly islam is occupying
more and more territory and more and more our thinkink.Political corectnes already hit "Belmont Club."For months I am watching all Wrch.posts and comments.There is only one side not willing to accept ours comments.Direction of that "push" is:
Islam->left->NGO connected to previous two.
I am sorry for this website.After few months majority will find the fact I found today,reading WRCH.post.Good Bye.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Wow - looks like I missed quite a conflagration on the Gaza thread.
Wretchard, I hope that in the end, comments will stay. I've been around long enough to recall the Troll-Whose-Name-Must-Not-Be-Mentioned. That 'bot was eventually dealt with. If a few others insist on turning threads into their personal rants, I have no doubt that there are a couple or three regulars here who would consider it an honor and a valuable service to contribute as the gatekeepers. Were it not that the time spent raising the Little Tritons has reduced me to the status of lurker, I would toss my name in the hat.
We all, posters and lurkers, come here primarily to read what you've written. But I have no doubt that many of us have our favorite posters as well. I, for one, would miss hearing from doug, buddy larson, rwe, rick ballard, baron, mrs baron, nahncee, presbypoet, vercingetorix, and a few others whose handles escape me at this late hour.
There's truly nothing else like this blog on the 'Net. I'd hate to see it change.
dessert: Perhaps we SHOULD cut their funding subsidies. They must not need the $3 billion per year if their scientists and engineers are so capable.
as a pro-israel zionist, i see nothing better than reducing aid to israel, and the rest of the middle east, and as it goes, it's time for our arab allies to start to pony up the cash for real cost protection...
Military aid to israel is supplied so that the jeffersonian democracies of the arab world will not murder every man women and child in the state of israel, the reason for the economic aid was to help israel in light of the ARAB BOYCOTT, Bibi has made alot of free market non-socialist moves to privatize industry and reduce governmental spending, the best way to save US aid, is to get our ARAB friends to stop plotting the next war and get on with PEACE
We should ask why?Who?
I believe WRCH. is honest man and he will answer by words we could understand without disturbing his point # 1.
Harry Potter bewitches Guantanamo Bay prisoners
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050809/ts_nm/security_guantanamo_potter_dc
Harry Potter is a popular title among some of the detainee population,"
"We have Harry Potter in four languages, English, French, Farsi and Russian. We have it on order in Arabic.
One prisoner has requested the movies,"
wow gitmo is tuff....
I am sure the next thing will be "USA insensitive to Islam, pushes witchcraft as mental torture"
Triton,
It's just Gresham's Law in action. There is no mechanism for removing the counterfeit coin from circulation in this instance. He who must not be named was banned at a time when the site was on another platform (I think). The Blogger platform doesn't permit banning and the cost of enforcement through studied post deletion is too high.
So we can accept exposure to borderline pathology, leave, or increase financial support in the hope that a new platform can be established. I still read all posts and follow most comment threads. I don't comment much anymore because I have no stomach for dealing with this type of illness.
AL QAEDA MAGAZINE PUBLISHED OPENLY IN TURKEY
The weekly political magazine Tempo and some major Turkish daily newspapers such as Milliyet, Aksam and Cumhuriyet have reported that the Islamist Turkish terrorist organization “Great East Islamic Raiders Front” ( IBDA-C) began publishing a new weekly magazine named ‘Kaide,’ which openly praises Al-Qaida and idolizes Osama bin Laden. The Kaide magazine, which looks like an Al-Qaida bulletin and publishes all their announcements, is published legally in Istanbul and is sold in all the newsstands in Turkey.
The weekly Turkish magazine Tempo conducted an interview with [Ali Osman Zor], an executive of the new IBDA-C magazine Kaide, in their offices in Kasimpasa, Istanbul. Following are excerpts:
Ali Osman Zor speaks of Osama bin Laden and Zarqawi as ‘heroes’, says that the London attacks that killed over 50 people ‘were acts of revenge for Allah’ and claims that former ANAP MP Mehmet Kececiler met with bin Laden [in the early 1990s].
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=19057
More from the Turkish interview:
Following are the shocking statements by Ali Osman Zor:
Tempo: "Does Kaide magazine have relations with the Al-Qaeda organization?"
Kaide: "Even if we had ties with Al-Qaeda, given the present legal structure, I don't think you would expect from us such a declaration.
Tempo: "What are your thoughts about Osama bin Laden?"
Kaide: "We pray for all those who fight for Islam's world domination.
Tempo: "Is IBDA-C leader Salih Mirzabeyoglu acquainted with bin Laden?"
Kaide: "I think you should address this question to the former ANAP MP from Konya, Mehmet Kececiler.
Tempo: "While Al-Qaeda paints the world with blood, your headline reads 'Al-Qaeda is liberating the world'. What kind of 'liberation' is that?"
Kaide: "[…] The way they are liberating Iraq is clear. Since the beginning of the occupation of Iraq, 100,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed in the name of what Bush calls 'liberating Iraq.'
Tempo: "But Al-Qaeda kills innocent people who are on their way to work. Doesn't the killing of innocent people disturb you?"
Kaide: "No, it does not. I do not consider those killed in the London attacks as innocent.
Tempo: "So, does this mean that you were happy because of the attacks in London?"
Kaide: "Of course I was happy. Are Americans saddened by the death of children in Iraq, in Palestine?
Tempo: "Will these attacks be followed by more attacks, in your view?"
Kaide: "This fire was set by the infidels, not the Muslims.
Tempo: "Kaide magazine claims that Marcos, the leader of the Mexican Zapatistas, has converted to Islam. What is the basis of your claim?"
Kaide: "We have much evidence about Marcos becoming a Muslim. In the coming days we will make this known.
Tempo: "It is thought that [all] Islamist organizations in the world are interrelated. Does such a relationship exist between IBDA-C and Al-Qaeda?"
Kaide: "I am not the spokesman for IBDA-C. But based on my experience I can say this: No organization admits to such ties.
Tempo: "Will the wave of terror that is striking Western capitals come to Turkey too?"
Kaide: "This depends on the Turkish government's attitude.
http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP95105
"The [U.S.] has been genuinely weakened in the region, as shown by its defeat in Iraq and the failure of its plans for Lebanon and Iran. The region is now in a new situation ... Timely actions are going to be very decisive".
• Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, speaking to Lebanese Hezbollah chief Sheikh Nasrollah, 02 August 2005
Sorry Wrtch..I forgot where are you.
Fyzically.Apology.
However,hard to accept necessity.
"The roots of the IBDA-C organization go back to Islamist author Necip Fazil Kisakurek and his sheikh Seyyid Abdulhakim Arvasi and his Raiders. The first nucleus was formed on November 15, 1975 by Salih Mirzabeyoglu, around The Golge ['Shadow'] magazine. This group weeded out circles they thought were too passive from Erbakan and his [Islamist] MSP [National Salvation Party]. They took part in many demonstrations and lost some of their militants in armed confrontations prior to the September 12, 1980 [military intervention which outlawed PM Erbakan's MSP]. […] In 1979, their leadership began publishing the Raiders' Power magazine. The Raiders then built training camps for the armed struggle in Anatolia and carried out attacks under the name of IKP-C [the Islamic Salvation Party Front].
The photo of the leader of the Islamist IBDA-C organization, Salih Mirzabeyoglu, also known as 'the Commander,' is on the cover of the new magazine Kaide. In the foreword of the first issue, they introduce themselves: 'We are Islamists – we are IBDA!' […] Kaide explains its goal as 'domination' and writes, 'Our main hatred is for the Christian-Jewish-Western imperialism
"This week, Tempo published news that will be much talked about. While the debate in the world on the subject of the bloodiest terrorist organization of the 21st century mounts... a new magazine which shocks everyone who sees it is appearing for sale at Turkish newsstands. This magazine [which appeared July 28, 2005], called Kaide, is being published in Kasimpasa. [9] It is an unfortunate coincidence that this magazine is published in Kasimpasa, [a place] often identified with Prime Minister Erdogan, because this publication openly defends Al-Qaeda. While it openly praises Al-Qaeda, it includes outrageous titles like 'The Taliban Killed 600 Johnnies."
"While Al-Qaeda continues its attacks, its actions are praised by a new magazine named Kaide' published in Istanbul. There are frightening expressions and many threats in the IBDA-C magazine […] as well as Al-Qaeda's announcements. It has [article] titles like 'The Taliban Killed 600 Johnnies.' Osama bin Laden is referred to as a 'hero,' and about the London attacks, it is said that 'the bombs have been useful in urging the West to recognize their mistakes.'
http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP95105
J'accuse [Dershowitz vs Finkelstein]
The Guardian (UK) ^ | August 10, 2005 | Gary Younge
Posted on 08/09/2005 7:26:26 PM PDT by aculeus FreeRepublic
It's a dispute that involves just about every emotive issue you can think of - Israel, Palestine, human rights, freedom of speech. Gary Younge dissects the academic battle that has gripped America
In his landmark book, Democracy in America, the 19th-century French intellectual Alexis de Tocqueville commented on the fever pitch to which American polemics can often ascend. In a chapter entitled Why American Writers and Speakers Are Often Bombastic, he wrote: "I have often noticed that the Americans whose language when talking business is clear and dry ... easily turn bombastic when they attempt a poetic style ... Writers for their part almost always pander to this propensity ... they inflate their imaginations and swell them out beyond bounds, so that they achieve gigantism, missing real grandeur."
When it comes to a duel between DePaul university political science professor Norman Finkelstein and Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz over Finkelstein's upcoming book, Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History, gigantic bombast feels like an understatement. It is a row that has spilled on to the pages of most of the nation's prominent newspapers and gone all the way to the desk of California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1460224/posts
Less Is More in Iraq:
Iraqis have shown what they can accomplish without us. Today Iraqi Kurdistan is a model for the rest of the country, and yet in 1991 it was devastated by an uprising and looting. With international protection but no significant external aid for several years after, the Kurds rebuilt their region. The progress evident in Baghdad -- new stores, private banks, Internet cafes -- is largely despite us rather than because of us.
It would be nice to bring troops home, but many civilians should come along as well. A smaller embassy shifts responsibilities and accountability to Iraq's new government. That is what the country's transition to democracy should be about.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/08/AR2005080801147.html
Wretchard, I do bleeve your idea worked. Sure, it stimulated a few unloadings of emotion, but that's probably all to the good. Most folks will clear the air with themselves (that is, review their own motives for bothering to comment) only if directly asked to do so. Introspection being best consumed in practical doses, again it's all to the good to be kick-started from time-to-time.
BTW, please don't miss this:
Buddy,
You are not knocking pork and alcohol with that link, of course?
---
While introspecting, a fool has to have some relief.
"...again it's all to the good to be kick-started from time-to-time.
"
---
Not all of us are self-starters in certain areas.
If you want to see the Taliban Nutzoids of Saudi Arabia in action, see Jeff's post on Buddy's link.
Doug, to answer your question, remember that rare bird, the Foo. When the foo flies over and craps on the top of our head, we are the only one who can't see and smell it. Everyone else can, but not the crapee. Meaning, of course, that like it or not, when the foo shits, we wear it.
The news is full of a rampant Al Quaeda, but the background unreported--and unfortunately unnoticed by so very many otherwise well-informed war-watchers--is filling in with western-oriented life-lifting commerce--the invisible hand having offered itself to Araby courtesy of the the soldiers of the west.
You mean MTV or Araby?
ok,
At least I don't HAVE to watch MTV.
(and even if I did, I would still have this head on my shoulders)
...shoulders of misfortune,
but that's another story.
Hey bud,
Ya got links, so the well informed can become Larsen Level informed?
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
There's always some good info there, Doug. Link from there to the 'print edition' for even more. Being a financial paper, that will be one of the featured angles from which the war--or history itself--will be covered.
I thought Capitalists were evil.
oh well.
. "For the Glory of God"
(book)
The Dark Ages Were Not.
Aristedes, check it out.
Not to mention 'Peers, of course.
I look forward to 'Peers book someday.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anybudee, just go here, and use the second one down on the chart.
I used to visit here last year, and felt that the "regulars" had their own clique, and I didnt feel that I was welcome to post comments, so I didnt come here very often, and NEVER posted.. Recently, due to the open discussions, I have felt more at ease and freer to post.. I think that was due to the less stringent lines of discussion.. I am guilty of useing terms and phrases that may be offensive to some, I am sure, but are in no way expressed to inflame emotions.. I visit and post to other blogs on a regular basis also, and at those blogs, there never seems to be any problem with someone expressing contempt for what another says that is not proper.. If I say something that offends someone, then TELL ME, dont TATTLE to the boss !! If we cant be adults here and respect each other, then we dont need to be here.. The boss doesnt have time to be a damn babysitter, and having to tell the kids to play nice !! If somebody caint get along with the BIG KIDS, then maybe its time for them to take their toys and go play with the "Barbie Doll" kids.. We talk about a lot of ugly, nasty sheit here.. The War. The U.N. . International Relations. Tyrants, and other despots. No matter what Granma said, you caint make a silk purse out of a sows ear .. I, like others that have said so here lately, like it here, and value my time spent here as WELL WORTH IT.. I myself, dont mind sorting thru the swill to get to the meat of the stew.. I dont expect others to change their regular exchanges for me.. I hope you dont expect me to change mine.. If you do, then I'll just take my guns and ammo and go play with the G.I. Joe kids !! Wild Bill the Redneck sed dat !!
Ot: War at home: Families Nuked.
- subject of Hewitt show:
. A truth buried in the ruins of Watts
August 10, 2005 By Kay S. Hymowitz
Feminist- and black pride-inspired thinkers of the late 1960s and early '70s went much further than simply accusing Moynihan of racism. They romanticized families headed by mothers as both liberated kinship groups and a vestige of authentic African traditions. They rejected the nuclear family as a white — read: toxic — hang-up.
As it happens, both sides got to put their theories to the test. By 1980, the out-of-wedlock birthrate among blacks rose to 56%. By 2000, more than two-thirds of black children were born to unmarried women; in inner-city areas such as Harlem or Watts, where the number was closer to 90%, marriage had become virtually extinct.
And how did the ghetto fare as a nuclear-family-free zone? Well, poverty, welfare dependency, crime, drug addiction, school failure all escalated. By the early 1980s, the condition of the ghetto was so critical that experts began to talk about an "underclass" whose characteristics, lo and behold, closely resembled Moynihan's "tangle of pathology."
. Watts Links Galore
Nora,
Of all the wisdom my mom passed down, the phrase that reruns most frequently is:
"You learn who you are."
(regarding "having" and raising kids.)
It hasn't all been pretty, but it's sure been a learning experience!
If only I was a real Bull instead of just a B... S.....,
We coulda "calved" 'em!
And Bill:
I was never offended by anything you wrote and hope I was never high school snooty w/you.
Hope you stick around.
Trangbang said he had some kind of filter:
That's probably what I'll need to conform.
BTW, Bill,
In case you didn't read all 230:
Be sure not to miss Kosumi's post and link.
wretchard, can you guess at which point on This Graph that the site owner's thought is was in their best interests to start policing their threads in order to protect their good name.
You are one of the most brilliant minds in the blogosphere, but a lot of people come here to also read the comments that may be considered offensive, but only to people that dont frequent your blog.
Sometimes you got to dance with the one that brung you, even if she aint the prettiest thing in the room.
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