Archive for March, 2011

Bret Stephens asks the question

Posted: March 15, 2011 by datechguy in Uncategorized

Are Israeli’s Settlers human:

A few years ago, British poet and Oxford don Tom Paulin offered a view on what should be done to certain Jewish settlers. “[They] should be shot dead,” he told Al-Ahram Weekly. “I think they are Nazis, racists. I feel nothing but hatred for them.” As for Israel itself, it was, he said, “an historical obscenity.”

Stephens points out correctly that as long as “Palestinians” pay no price for silting the throats of infants and then publicly celebrating such slaughter they will continue to do so with impunity.

Even worse is that Palestinians have grown accustomed to the waiver the rest of the world has consistently granted them over the years no matter what they do. Palestinians ought to have expectations of themselves if they mean to build a viable state. But their chances of doing so are considerably diminished if the world expects nothing of them and forgives them everything.

Betsy’s Newmark make a point that the west seems to be missing:

The moral degradation of these elites who will praise any thug as long as it gives them an opportunity to bash the West of Israel has led to a Palestinian culture that justifies slaughter and celebrates murder. These are the same people who danced in the street after 9/11. Do those silent European elites think that these dancing Palestinians wouldn’t dance at the news of slaughter in European capital cities?

As long as they are killing Jews that will never enter into it. One of the greatest pieces of historical revisionism was that the west cared about the slaughter of the Jews in Europe by Hitler. It was the individual American troops who found the death camps that actually cares and were incensed it was that fact that caused the west to act. Why is anyone surprised that the children and grandchildren of those who didn’t care still don’t?

I think it is the height of Racism, not just toward the Jews but also toward the Arabs, why is it that we think so little of them that we don’t expect better?

Update: Mark Steyn comments:

But sometimes, as when a baby has her throat slashed, what’s not said is just as telling. Recently I was talking to a Hungarian Jew who lived in hiding in Budapest during the Second World War: By 1944, the pro-German government was running short of ammo, so they were obliged to get a little creative. They’d handcuff Jews together in a long chain, stand them on a bridge, put a bullet in the ones at each end, and then push them into the Danube to let the dead weight drag down the ones in between. You have to have a strong stomach for such work, perhaps almost as strong as for killing three-month olds. But, as my friend told his tale, I thought not of the monsters on the bridge, nor even those on the banks cheering, but about the far larger numbers of people scurrying about their business and rationalizing what was going on. That’s what made the difference, then as now.

I interviewed several small business people at the Worcester Spring Home show. One was the folks at Pro Stone.

Take a look at that guys arms. They just scream “I carry huge pieces of stone for a living” You can find pro stone here.

Now that the entire attention span of the world is on Japan, the Gaddafi family is taking full advantage to thrust forward.

The chaotic collapse of rebel positions in eastern Libya in the past week is sapping the morale out of the rag-tag rebel troops that had been rapidly driving west just days ago.

The optimism of a few weeks ago that Col. Muammar Qaddafi, who has ruled Libya through the torture and execution of political opponents since 1969, would be swept by a flexing of people power similar to the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia is now a distant memory.

The Arab leagues proposed no-fly zone is apparently not going anywhere and now that the headlines are all thousands of miles away the British and the French moves on Libya are dissipating. Neither will bother to act if the world isn’t watching.

This is analogous to the four state strategy from Yes Minister clip that I posted before. It’s designed to make sure nothing is done. In case you missed it here is the The four stage strategy via Yes Minister:

Dick: “In stage 1 we say ‘Nothing is going to Happen'”

Sir Humphrey: “In stage 2 we say ‘Something may be going to happen but we should do nothing about it'”

Dick: “In stage 3 we say “maybe we should do something about it but there’s nothing we can do.'”

Sir Humphrey: “In stage 4 we say ‘Maybe there was something we could have done, but it’s too late now'”

A variation this is now being played out in Libya we are currently at stage 2.5 and climbing.

Here is the clip again if you’d like.

Update: We are in stage 3 and rising

Update 2: Linked at Questions and Observations and the Green Room.

…he’ll be a guest on Morning Joe by the end of the week. Anyone in the GOP willing to hit her is guaranteed such a seat.

Anyone care to make book against me?

BTW I have to disagree with Stacy. It isn’t a case of Palin Phobia it’s a case of Gregg doing legwork for another GOP candidate so he doesn’t have to get his hands dirty with a grass-roots that won’t forgive or forget.