Bravo. So glad to see you include “Christian empathy and compassion” as one more tool of classical liberalism. In courting his crucifixion Jesus conquered a metaphysical Enemy; his followers since 1965 or so, who appear not even to believe in the existence of that enemy, have conquered nothing.
Thanks. I’d like a restoration of Christianity, but in an unapologetic mode. The Christianity of clearing the moneylenders from the Temple, instead of the ‘turn the other cheek’ version. Christian empathy has been corrupted to a leftist agenda.
"Official conservatives have been somewhat like the dreadfully naive ‘soft left’ youth of Israel, who attended a Peace concert full of love and concern for their Palestinian neighbors, while those Palestinians were tooling up ready to rape and slaughter them..." Evidence?
Evidence that conservatives have been naive or evidence that the rapes and murders were planned? In either case it’s a bit like being told ‘water is wet’ and then replying ‘evidence?’.
You're quite right about the ambiguity although the question does pertain to the latter reference.
I enjoy your writing and the way your mind works, with the exception of the quoted sentence, which I find to be shockingly zionistic. It is not as though the attack of October 7 was unprovoked after 48 years of Israeli abuse of Palestinians. I've not been a long-time reader of your substack, but from what I've seen thus far I would have expected more balance from you.
My work is balanced by being the result of logical thought and conclusions, but its not the least bit politically balanced in terms of treating multiple sides equally. I have a side, and that side is western civilization. I'll criticize western governments and culture heavily when they betray what they were or betray their own people (and under globalists I recognize that this betrayal is constant) but if a western nation is attacked by Islamic barbarians I back the western nation.
That doesn't include backing a dumb policy. So, for example, I both condemn the Islamisation of the West and detest Islam AND I opposed the Iraq wars, Afghanistan, Syria and Libya interventions.
When neocons mass bomb foreign countries in perpetual war policies it is barbaric. Its barbaric both because of civilian death tolls and because the aim seems to be about profit to the military industrial complex rather than an end to Islamic terrorism or an improvement of western security.
But the Israeli experience is different. They face an Islamic enemy on their doorstep and they have tried peace for 70 years. Every major outbreak of fighting bar perhaps one has been launched by the Arabs and Palestinians, not the Israelis, for 70 years. The Israelis have signed up to a 2 state solution multiple times. It hasn't helped. They have withdrawn from contested areas. It hasn't helped. They have delivered aid to their enemy. It hasn't helped. They have pulled troops out of areas they are attacked from. They have let Gazans and other Palestinians rule themselves. It hasn't helped. Do you get a theme here? 70 years of trying for peace has got them 70 years of terrorism. The Israeli's slaughtered on Oct 7th, raped, tortured, murdered in the most brutal and sadistic fashion, were either in their homes peacefully or at a PEACE CONCERT.
The depth of barbarity unleashed makes ANY sympathy for the perpetrators morally repugnant to me. The fact that Israeli's follow strict codes of conduct and try to reduce casualties makes ALL criticism of them, compared to their sick, barbaric enemy, revolting to me.
So yes I'm on the Zionist side. People who support the Palestinians disgust me.
I think the context made it abundantly clear that Palestinians was shorthand for the Palestinian majority, who seemed very happy to show how happy they were with the slaughter of October 7th. If I condemned any group I would excuse those who oppose the evils of that group. Unfortunately very few Palestinians do, since even the ones who aren’t Hamas support and are represented by very similar terrorist groups.
Look, there’s no comparison that a rational person makes here, no equivalency. The IDF try to limit civilian casualties. Large numbers of Israelis protest against their own government if they think Palestinians are treated harshly. On the other hand we have 70 years of terrorism and madrasahs where 3 and 5 year olds are being taught how to slit throats.
I detest Islam and the vile murderous fanaticism it creates. Palestinians could have had a nation and a lasting peace generations ago, so don’t talk to me about their suffering, which is self inflicted. As soon as they stop murdering and kidnapping and raping Israelis, they would have peace. Hostages were held in ‘civilian’ homes. Palestinian civilians did all the scouting work for Oct 7th. There’s no equivalent with Israeli civilians doing stuff like that, because they don’t.
I don't know where you get your information my friend. Of course I'm not there either, but there are other sides to be seen and read, since AI has not yet rendered everything suspect. Ie, re your sentiment that the IDF tries to limit civilian casualties, it might be more successful doing so if it avoided bombing residential areas and refugee camps. "The requirement to select means and methods of warfare that avoid or at the very least minimise to every extent civilian harm appears to have been consistently violated in Israel’s bombing campaign," said High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk." If there's a way to link postings I don't know it, so my apologies but here's that link: 'https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/un-report-israeli-use-heavy-bombs-gaza-raises-serious-concerns-under-laws'
Exactly! People unwilling to recognize unalienable individual rights in others are unworthy of individual rights for themselves. I was willing to fight for freedom during covid more than the freaks were willing to fight to force me, therefore victory was mine. The more consistent wins.
Islam swept through Christian north Africa offering Islam or death and instead of offering get off my lawn or death in return, Islam won.
But what if there's more going on than flaws in earlier virtues? The Christians believe it's Satan, the Objectivists believe it's Kant or altruism, what if the answer is simpler?
In 334 B.C. Alexander marched through Persia capturing cities filled with barely defended gold. Are we in the West not similar to Persia offering riches to anyone willing to take it?
Imagine you're an evil dictator or cabal of dictators who wants to rule the world. How could you do it? Fighting the military might of the Wesr is unrealistic, but you've got an international spy network and you're willing to kill. How many leaders would you need to reach with the ultimatum: submit or death? Ten thousand? A thousand? A hundred? A dozen? Ex-KGB Yuri Besmonov spells out the rest. Fund insanity to undermine from within. Pay for it all with the captured "Persian gold": reach those printing at the Federal Reserve and direct it to your ends.
Sooner or later the wolves are going to find the sheep and that's where we are now.
"How did the world I admire create the world I detest?"
It didn't. The world is always - even in times of apparent stability - a battlefield between contending ideas, and the paradigms of one previously dominant group or tendency within it can always be partly or completely overturned by those of an emergent or newly installed group.
This is an excellent post, Daniel.
Thanks Jim. 😀
Bravo. So glad to see you include “Christian empathy and compassion” as one more tool of classical liberalism. In courting his crucifixion Jesus conquered a metaphysical Enemy; his followers since 1965 or so, who appear not even to believe in the existence of that enemy, have conquered nothing.
Thanks. I’d like a restoration of Christianity, but in an unapologetic mode. The Christianity of clearing the moneylenders from the Temple, instead of the ‘turn the other cheek’ version. Christian empathy has been corrupted to a leftist agenda.
"Official conservatives have been somewhat like the dreadfully naive ‘soft left’ youth of Israel, who attended a Peace concert full of love and concern for their Palestinian neighbors, while those Palestinians were tooling up ready to rape and slaughter them..." Evidence?
Evidence that conservatives have been naive or evidence that the rapes and murders were planned? In either case it’s a bit like being told ‘water is wet’ and then replying ‘evidence?’.
You're quite right about the ambiguity although the question does pertain to the latter reference.
I enjoy your writing and the way your mind works, with the exception of the quoted sentence, which I find to be shockingly zionistic. It is not as though the attack of October 7 was unprovoked after 48 years of Israeli abuse of Palestinians. I've not been a long-time reader of your substack, but from what I've seen thus far I would have expected more balance from you.
My work is balanced by being the result of logical thought and conclusions, but its not the least bit politically balanced in terms of treating multiple sides equally. I have a side, and that side is western civilization. I'll criticize western governments and culture heavily when they betray what they were or betray their own people (and under globalists I recognize that this betrayal is constant) but if a western nation is attacked by Islamic barbarians I back the western nation.
That doesn't include backing a dumb policy. So, for example, I both condemn the Islamisation of the West and detest Islam AND I opposed the Iraq wars, Afghanistan, Syria and Libya interventions.
When neocons mass bomb foreign countries in perpetual war policies it is barbaric. Its barbaric both because of civilian death tolls and because the aim seems to be about profit to the military industrial complex rather than an end to Islamic terrorism or an improvement of western security.
But the Israeli experience is different. They face an Islamic enemy on their doorstep and they have tried peace for 70 years. Every major outbreak of fighting bar perhaps one has been launched by the Arabs and Palestinians, not the Israelis, for 70 years. The Israelis have signed up to a 2 state solution multiple times. It hasn't helped. They have withdrawn from contested areas. It hasn't helped. They have delivered aid to their enemy. It hasn't helped. They have pulled troops out of areas they are attacked from. They have let Gazans and other Palestinians rule themselves. It hasn't helped. Do you get a theme here? 70 years of trying for peace has got them 70 years of terrorism. The Israeli's slaughtered on Oct 7th, raped, tortured, murdered in the most brutal and sadistic fashion, were either in their homes peacefully or at a PEACE CONCERT.
The depth of barbarity unleashed makes ANY sympathy for the perpetrators morally repugnant to me. The fact that Israeli's follow strict codes of conduct and try to reduce casualties makes ALL criticism of them, compared to their sick, barbaric enemy, revolting to me.
So yes I'm on the Zionist side. People who support the Palestinians disgust me.
"People who support the Palestinians disgust me."
You're disgusted by people who support not just militants or Hamas, but any Palestinian, by virtue of his or her residency?
I think the context made it abundantly clear that Palestinians was shorthand for the Palestinian majority, who seemed very happy to show how happy they were with the slaughter of October 7th. If I condemned any group I would excuse those who oppose the evils of that group. Unfortunately very few Palestinians do, since even the ones who aren’t Hamas support and are represented by very similar terrorist groups.
Look, there’s no comparison that a rational person makes here, no equivalency. The IDF try to limit civilian casualties. Large numbers of Israelis protest against their own government if they think Palestinians are treated harshly. On the other hand we have 70 years of terrorism and madrasahs where 3 and 5 year olds are being taught how to slit throats.
I detest Islam and the vile murderous fanaticism it creates. Palestinians could have had a nation and a lasting peace generations ago, so don’t talk to me about their suffering, which is self inflicted. As soon as they stop murdering and kidnapping and raping Israelis, they would have peace. Hostages were held in ‘civilian’ homes. Palestinian civilians did all the scouting work for Oct 7th. There’s no equivalent with Israeli civilians doing stuff like that, because they don’t.
I don't know where you get your information my friend. Of course I'm not there either, but there are other sides to be seen and read, since AI has not yet rendered everything suspect. Ie, re your sentiment that the IDF tries to limit civilian casualties, it might be more successful doing so if it avoided bombing residential areas and refugee camps. "The requirement to select means and methods of warfare that avoid or at the very least minimise to every extent civilian harm appears to have been consistently violated in Israel’s bombing campaign," said High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk." If there's a way to link postings I don't know it, so my apologies but here's that link: 'https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/un-report-israeli-use-heavy-bombs-gaza-raises-serious-concerns-under-laws'
Exactly! People unwilling to recognize unalienable individual rights in others are unworthy of individual rights for themselves. I was willing to fight for freedom during covid more than the freaks were willing to fight to force me, therefore victory was mine. The more consistent wins.
Islam swept through Christian north Africa offering Islam or death and instead of offering get off my lawn or death in return, Islam won.
But what if there's more going on than flaws in earlier virtues? The Christians believe it's Satan, the Objectivists believe it's Kant or altruism, what if the answer is simpler?
In 334 B.C. Alexander marched through Persia capturing cities filled with barely defended gold. Are we in the West not similar to Persia offering riches to anyone willing to take it?
Imagine you're an evil dictator or cabal of dictators who wants to rule the world. How could you do it? Fighting the military might of the Wesr is unrealistic, but you've got an international spy network and you're willing to kill. How many leaders would you need to reach with the ultimatum: submit or death? Ten thousand? A thousand? A hundred? A dozen? Ex-KGB Yuri Besmonov spells out the rest. Fund insanity to undermine from within. Pay for it all with the captured "Persian gold": reach those printing at the Federal Reserve and direct it to your ends.
Sooner or later the wolves are going to find the sheep and that's where we are now.
"How did the world I admire create the world I detest?"
It didn't. The world is always - even in times of apparent stability - a battlefield between contending ideas, and the paradigms of one previously dominant group or tendency within it can always be partly or completely overturned by those of an emergent or newly installed group.
Hmmm . . . . You appear to be embracing that “unavoidable determinism” that our author finds amoral and defeatist.