Thursday, September 07, 2006

Cherniak Whines


Liberalblogger Jason Cherniak, who organizes purges of fellow Liberals who question Israeli Imperialism and its illegal occupation of the Palestine, is upset.....I'm sick of the insults

And then he goes on to say this.....

Not too long ago, I was defending Liberal Jews against a young man who said we should all leave the Liberal Party. In response to my comments, the head of the Blogging Dippers called me "anti-Semitic" because I said that it is not "normal" for Jews to spend all their time protesting Israel in a group such as Jewish Women Against the Occupation. This is the same person who once wrote "F--k the Jews" on his website. As far as I am concerned, the continued support of this man by the NDP and much of the blogging community is reprehensible. I have been trying to ignore his comments for a while now.

Now who is being insulting?

I also commented on Cherniaks post about defining JWAO as not being 'normal jews' quote unquote. He actually tones it down here. He called them 'nutbars'.
Which if anyone else had called them that Jason would have screamed 'anti-semitism'.

Somewhere along in this debate I also asked Jason if he considered the Refuseniks and Peace Movement in Israel as being nutbars also. To which I got no reply.

However it is important to note that opposition to Israeli Imperialism does exist in the homeland, even if the Israel lobby here disavows it.
Israeli opposition to Lebanon War

Though he didn't take issue with my comment at the time he did and does with a similar comment at MyBlahg.

Firstly Robert from MyBlahg set up the Dippers aggregator, to call him the head, is to imply we all agree with Robert, and are all following the leader. It's an aggregator for those who identify with the NDP whether they are members of the party or not. Anyone could have set it up. Robert is just another contributor.

There are many blogs on the Dippers aggregator that are not official blogs of the NDP, ie. a constiuency blog or a candidate blog, and so the party has no say over them nor do they represent the party. I don't. Robert doesn't.

So demanding the party purge Robert, well thats a bit much, since I don't know if he is a member of the party. Anyways whether he is or not his blog is his, it is not the official blog of the NDP.

And it's not very liberal of Jason to demand we all drop association with Robert because of his post on F***k the Jews. It's a red herring as far as I am concerned. Besides I can disagree with him and defend his right to free speech. Something it appears neither Jason nor Kinsella apparently can, thus thrusting both of them to the right of all real progressives and classical liberals.

But it's typical of the Stalinist mentality that scurries throughout Jasons diatribes. Of course he has been successful in purging his party of dicontent. Even if it was misplaced.
Hubert was vilified for the usual utterances

How proud he is, so now he demands others purge those whom he disagrees with. If one reads between the lines of the purge of poor Thomas Hubert, one sees that Jason was as upset over him being an ex-NDP'er as he was over the questionable comments made by Hubert that Jason decided were anti-semitic. You see Jason has no love for the NDP as a true blue Liberal.

One has to ask is Jason blogging as himself or as Communications Director for the Dion campaign? I remember when he blogged for the Martin Camp. So who does he speak for? In his confusion between being a blogger and being an official 'Liberal' blogger, he miscontrues others who blog and support poltical parties.
I do not speak for the NDP even though I am on the Dipper list. I am also on other blog aggregators as well. Ones blog affiliation does not construe that we accept all our fellow travelers. Nor should it construe party affiliation. Except i guess it does in Jasons case. All Liberalbloggers should be true blue Liberals, err red....and if not Jason who runs the Liberal aggregator purges them.....

Apparently he now takes issue with my comments on his opinion that the JWAO were nutbars.

Now I also have a bunch of people on the left-side of the spectrum who disagree with me, but they do so by calling me names. A surprisingly large number of them even insult my religious ethnicity. What is wrong with these people? Didn't their parent's teach them any manners?

I have manners and I never insulted his religious ethnicity. Can one have a religious ethnicity? One can be an ethnic Jew or a Religious Jew, they are not necessarily the same thing. And one can be an athiest Jew, many anarchist Jews were. Jews can be opposed to anti-semitism with out being a Zionist nationalist. However with the death of the anti-Zionist movement within the larger Jewish community in the post WWII diaspora in North America, the Zionist Nationalists dominate. And they use anti-semitism as an epithat to cover any criticism of their sacred state; Israel. But again not all Jews are Zionists.

Zionism is the last of the nineteenth century European nationalisms. Since there was no piece of territory where Jews could establish a homeland in Europe they were forced to look outside, mainly to Palestine because of the historical and religious connections. Early Zionists were largely secular and were opposed by the religious leaders since the latter believed the return to Zion should be only through divine intervention. Political action would usurp the divine prerogative. Since the establishment of the state of Israel most religious Jews have become Zionists though many religious Jews still oppose the state of Israel. Zionism has the failing of other ethnic nationalisms. Those in the homeland who do not share the ethnic paradigm become second class citizens. However, support for national liberation movements and self-determination and opposition to Zionism means national liberation and self-determination are only for gentiles.Anarchism and National Liberation

I said by Jason's standards his own words accusing the JWAO of being nutbars could be considered anti-semitic if uttered by anyone else. So depite his protestations let's be clear about one thing, Jason speaks not in defense of Jews but the State of Israel and its official ideology; Zionist Nationalism. That is a political position, and all politicial positions are open to being challenged. And such political debates and challenges should not be subjected to perjoratives or epithats like 'anti-semitism'. That's whats really insulting.

Ideologically, Zionism affirmed the Nazi belief that Jews were an alien race that could never be fully accepted and welcomed into European society. This was contrary to the Bundist attempt at Jewish emancipation and normalization, which proclaimed Jews full-fledged members of the nations in which they lived, and ergo, fully entitled to the same rights as all other citizens of those nations. This is very much the ideology underpinning the American Jewish experience: That we are fully American and not strangers in someone else’s house. The Zionists were all too eager to concur with Hitler that the Jews simply did not belong. (Interestingly, when Avraham Avienu declared, “I dwell among you but I am an alien,” he did not then conclude “And therefore I do not belong among you and should leave and form my own state.” He intentionally went to where he would be seen as alien so that he could employ his identity as an outsider to foster cultural criticism and provide a light unto the nations.) Zionism archive at Orthodox Anarchist


Also See:

Israel

Lebanon


Zionism


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Secret Prisons Secret Torture

Bush admits to secret prisons The only reason to have secret prisons is to practice torture in secret. And nothing that Bush said yesterday will change that. The CIA will be allowed to operate secret prisons, rendition programs, and yest torture...despite the assurances of President Bush to the contrary....The president declined to disclose the location or details of the detainees' confinement or the interrogation techniques. Bush insisted that the detainees were not tortured. "I want to be absolutely clear with our people, and the world: The United States does not torture," Bush said. "It's against our laws, and it's against our values. I have not authorized it, and I will not authorize it."

Nope the U.S. doesn't torture on its soil it outsources torture...the reason for secret prisons...

Director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, said: "President Bush's speech was a full-throated defence of the CIA's detention program and of the 'alternative procedures' - read torture - that the CIA has used to extract information from detainees.

"Although the president adamantly denied that the US government uses torture, the United States has used practices such as waterboarding that can only be called torture.

"The draft military commission legislation he announced today would allow the use of statements obtained under coercion, and would allow the accused to be convicted on the basis of secret evidence."

And Bush says that the information they got from the prisoners helped stop attacks on America. Didn't stop the attacks in Spain, Indonesia, India,Russia or London though.

Yesterday the White House announced a no torture of prisoners revision to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Because of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and the scandal over GITMO. In the case ofAbu Ghraib, the abuse by Military Police aside, the torture and interrogations were conducted by the CIA and outsourced to Military Advisors aka mercenaries. Neither the CIA nor private contractors are covered by the US Military Uniform Code of Justice. So it will be business as usual.

At the United Nations and other international forums, Washington has long officially opposed torture and advocated a universal standard for human rights.

Simultaneously, the CIA has propagated ingenious new torture techniques in contravention of these same international conventions, a number of which the United States has ratified.

In battling communism, the United States adopted some of its most objectionable practices -- subversion abroad, repression at home and, most significantly, torture itself.

From 1950 to 1962, the CIA conducted massive, secret research into coercion and the malleability of human consciousness, which, by the late 1950s, was costing $1 billion a year. The hidden history of CIA torture



Meanwhile it appears that Bush has some international support ....Australia backs US use of secret prisons for terrorist suspects Can the Harpocrites be far behind in applauding torture and secret prisons...



Also See:

CIA



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No Invite To White House

Guess after you say this you don't expect to get an invite to visit the Rose Garden......Ex-Iranian leader blames Bush policies for terrorism Ironically the visiting Iranian reformer Mohammad Khatami was supported by the Bush White House attempting to influence the Iranian elections. Not that he was expecting any red carpet treatment upon his visit to the U.S. Though if the White House had any political smarts they would have invited him to talk.

Of course then again George is afraid to debate the current Iranian President. This maybe why.

Washington has said the call for a debate is a diversion.

But Ahmadinejad's office said in a statement that he told his cabinet he was ready to debate in the U.N. General Assembly and that Bush could bring his advisers if he wished.

A presidential official told Reuters that Ahmadinejad's remarks were partly to rebut a Bush speech on Tuesday in which the U.S. president said Shi'ite "extremists" were subjecting Iran to "a regime of tyranny", backed terrorists, sought atomic bombs and threatened the United States.



Afraid to talk to the Iranians....yet willing to declare economic , and possibly military, war on them...typical of the Bush foreign policy of; America Only Decides The Fate Of The World, Nyah, Nyah, I Can't Hear You I Have My Fingers In My Ears.....




Also See:

Iran

Bush


War


US Imperialism



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Free Button

Bring Our Troops Home....just copy and past to your page. It links to the NDP petition to bring our troops home.

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Also See:

Afghanistan

NDP





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Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Environment Good, Bad, Ugly

The Good

Wolves return to eastern Germany

The Bad

Carbon dioxide levels are substantially higher now than at any time in the last 800,000 years, the latest study of ice drilled out of Antarctica confirms.

The Ugly

Rona's posse rides
OTTAWA -- Environment Minister Rona Ambrose's office is mum on why it took four political staffers to tag along with her to a trade conference in Vancouver

Why the Conservatives are doing so poorly

The Conservatives had been blindsided by the environment, or at least were themselves blind to the issue. As part of their touch-it, feel-it, vote-for-it populism, they treated the environment as smog and clear water, easily understood manifestations of pollution.

On climate change, they knew rather incoherently what they did not like -- the Kyoto accord -- but not what they wanted. The interest in the issue caught them by surprise.

That the Environment Minister's chief-of-staff and deputy minister were replaced, and that a PMO factotum has been assigned to work with Rona Ambrose on the file, means the government belatedly knew it needed something to put in the climate change window this fall. It's an especially important political file in Quebec


Also See

Arctic

Environment

Rona Ambrose

Green Plan

Kyoto

Oil

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US Declares Economic War On Iran

In case you missed this. Since the UN resolution on Iran is going nowhere, well nowhere the US wants it to go once again the US is out on their own promoting their economic war on Iran.

A U.S. Treasury Department official who has called Iran a major financial backer of terrorism will travel to Europe next week for talks on how to dry up that money flow, the department said on Tuesday.

Of course the real nation that is supporting terrorism in the region is America's ally Pakistan. The US continues to use Iran as its whipping boy since its hard pressed to criticize the military dictatorship in Pakistan.

Also See:

Iran

Bush


War


US Imperialism


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Pakistan Wants Our Nukes

The Terrorist state in Pakistan wants Canada to supply it with nuclear fuel and technology.

Pakistan is expected to push Canadian Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor for help with obtaining Canadian nuclear power technology today, as he visits Islamabad for talks about the rising Taliban insurgency in southern Afghanistan, a Canadian newspaper reported on Friday. Pakistan wants N-bargain with Canada

Hello these guys have the bomb. They have missle delivery systems. And unlike Iran they do not belong to the Non Proliferation Pact. Oh yeah and they make deals with the Taliban while declaring war on the nationalist/autonomy movement in gas rich
Balochistan province

But of course our Foreign Policy is now being dictated by the White House so why should this be a surprize? The US will supply India with Nuclear fuel, and Canada will supply Pakistan. Both countries are rogue when it comes to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act. But hey they are allies in the war on terror. Thats the justification for all immoral acts.


Oh yes and Pakistan has decided to censor blogs, again. What was that about Freedom and Democracy spreading in the Middle East and surrounding areas?



Also See:

Afghanistan

War




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Big Canada

This is Ken Drydens catch phrase for his campaign. Big Canada. Oh be still my beating heart it makes a tear well up in my eye, I can feel the Trudeau era returning with that phrase. Like Trudeau used Just Society, taking off from of course LBJ's Great Society. Big Canada needs Big Government is Drydens subtext.

Big Canada. Hmm reminds me that yes Canada is a big country. Second biggest in the world. So a suggestion to Dryden ( cause he has no campaign workers) You should have made your messaging/slogan; Big Country.

Cause his is a campaign that is all things to all Liberals...


h
e dismissed media analysis of the leadership contest that has generally had him trailing MP Michael Ignatieff, one-time Ontario NDP premier Bob Rae, former environment minister Stéphane Dion and former Ontario education minister Gerard Kennedy.

In other words he is desperately seeking a niche in the Leadership Race by saying me too!

Big Canada, whoa thats a real winner. NOT.

Dryden remains at the back of the bus.

Also See:

Liberal Leadership Race


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NDP And Workers Control


You can tell that the Socialist Caucus has influenced the resolutions for the upcoming NDP convention this weekend. Tory Hack Stephen Taylor once again is outraged, outraged I say, over NDP Resolutions coming forward for the Convenetion.He is all upset over the fact that the caucus has submitted resolutions for nationalizing all Canadian industries. What Steve failed to highlight is this....

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a NDP government place all new public enterprises under democratic control by their workers, instituting direct election of plant managers and enterprise directors, with the right of recall by their electors, and have significant and meaningful participation in decision-making by consumers, environmental groups and local communities;

Same thing I said here over the need to put big oil and gas under worker/community control. This is the new left accepting that Statist Nationalization eg. Crown Corporations, are just the same old same old monopoly capitalism. Worker and community control is directly from the anarchist movements demand for self management. Something the left has finally accepted. And of course something those promoting private monopoly capitalism like Steve never will....


Also See:

Oil Crisis

Nationalize Big Oil


Workers Control

NDP


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Better Late Than Never


Seventy years later and it is finally ok to publish Hitler Jokes in Germany.

Hitler visits a lunatic asylum. The patients give the Hitler salute. As he passes down the line he comes across a man who isn't saluting.
"Why aren't you saluting like the others?" Hitler barks.
"Mein Führer, I'm the nurse, I'm not crazy!" comes the answer.



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