Premium Blogad
RSS / XML
Subscribe to our feeds!
Always know what we're chatting about.
Credentialed State Blog for the
Democratic National Convention
Subscribe to our feeds!
Always know what we're chatting about.
Credentialed State Blog for the
Democratic National Convention
On Israel
A call to boycott, divest and sanction by Naomi Klein. I have to say, my own sentiments have moved in this direction. Maybe our new State Treasurer might have an opinions on this topic?
I don't buy it, James.
Ms. Klein's article reads like an advocacy for "tough love" except without the love and without any proposal or suggestions on how to also get the Palestinians to behave appropriately.
Without all the conflicting details that might be presented it seems to me the big picture is:
Israel is our one dependable ally in the middle east. They are not governed by a religious ideology that condones hate, murder, and terror....and it is not their avowed goal to drive anyone into the sea or annihilate them...as opposed to Hamas' stated objectives.
I'd like to believe it is the nature of humans to be reasonable and thoughtful of the well-being of their neighbors...and that if those who behave badly were simply given more assistance and counseling, or if those who resent and punish their bad behavior slacked off a bit, the bad behaviors would cease.
History doesn't offer many supporting examples.
Broadly speaking, governments (and judicial processes) guided by religious ideology rather than respect for individual rights (and with religious law trumping civil law) aren't usually friendly to our concepts of right and wrong. They will use our concepts when it temporarily is to their own advantage to seek protection under our laws...protections they themselves would not give to us if they were in charge.
There is always a better way to fix problems other than dropping bombs on each other. We need to help find an answer for this problem. Ms. Klein's solution simply creates more problems...and creates another set of desperate circumstances, and ill will between Israel and the US.
We don't need any more enemies. We have more than enough.
Stan Bozarth
"When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that justifies it." Frederic Bastiat
Gotta agree with most that, Stan
I must say that I agree with most of your presentation. Truth is, if the Palestinians were truly interested in "peacefully coexisting" with Israel, they had a number of chances in past years to do so getting the vast majority of what they wanted in the way of land and autonomy.
And, correct me if I'm wrong here....but aren't these "spats" between Israel and the Palestinians..Hamas currently...started most of the time because the Palestinians start the bombing/rocketing? Now...I said "most of the time", so an exception won't disprove what I've said here.
I agree also that rockets/bombs/killing is NOT the way to solve this. That's been going on since like FOREVER. Nothing is solved.
If I had the answer to this age-old problem, I'd be in line for a Nobel Peace Prize and could "bond" with Al Gore.
Ugh !
(All in fun, guys)
The best thinking is independent thinking.
The US Government won't do anything of the sort
never in a million years. We'll stand beside Israel even if that country were walking into the furnaces of hell.
Kind of sounds a little bit like Israel, no?
Don't get me wrong. I've been a long-standing supporter of Israel and I completely understand their worries. But killing hundreds of Palestinian women and children doesn't seem like a winning strategy to me.
"Kind of sounds a little bit like Israel, no?"
No, James, it doesn't.
Religious law doesn't trump civil law in Israel. Israels's Judeo-Christian beliefs are not comparable to the extreme, and often inhumane, tenets of those who oppose them.
One can't support women's rights, religious freedom, gay rights, the rule of law, and so on and in the same breath also say Israel is not fundamentally different than it's neighbors.
That's not to say the Israeli government is perfect...certainly no more than our own...but it's better than any other in the region.
Killing women and children is not a winning strategy. It shouldn't even be an option. But...
You're a student of history. Name me the wars (excluing our Civil War), where the aggressor didn't intentionally target civilian populations to attempt to terrorize, demoralize, and reach their objectives. And what happened...We, the English, the French, and others struck back killing millions of civilians...oft because the Germans, Japanese, Koreans, Vietnamese and others hid amongst the civilian populace...and there wasn't any other way to root them out.
It's all well and good to be opposed to war and killing...and to propose solutions that don't involve any penalty to ourselves. We, however, are not on the line. We are not dying from the rockets...or even losing any sleep. We don't have to walk around armed (yet) to prevent ourselves and our loved one's from being brutally murdered by some religiously/politically motived lunatics.
No one can make this simple. I'm not saying the other side doesn't have some legitimate beefs. I am saying that as long as Hamas, and those who support Hamas, trys to win it's case by terrorism and brutality, they can expect no better.
Stan Bozarth
"When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that justifies it." Frederic Bastiat
You're right. It's not simple.
Both sides are grievously at fault. That said, this seems an awful lot like the actions of a theocracy to me.
I don't pretend to have an easy answer. And I don't know how I would feel if I were a Jew living in Israel right now. But I do know how I would feel if I were a Palestinian living in Gaza. I've said it before: I would be a so-called terrorist.
Goodbye, Mike
I was looking for a good wrap of Governor Easley's gubernatorial tenure. The Winston Salem Journal says it all.
Just wanted to say a few things
about party organization and the desire to grow the grassroots.
There appears to be a lot of really dedicated and motivated folks out there, who've put in countless hours doing the not-so-glamorous and mostly thankless tasks of party recruiting and organizing on the local level. I think it's safe to say that, without such structures and energetic individuals already in place, Barack Obama could not have won North Carolina, and some of the down-ballot races would have been lost as well. I gave you the lollipop first, so maybe the tooth-drilling wouldn't hurt so much.
Whenever you have a relatively small organization that chooses its own leadership, there's a good chance personality conflicts and hurt feelings will result. When that organization is made up of individuals who are all strong-willed, which is exactly what it takes to step out of the crowd and join the political arena, those personality conflicts and hurt feelings are inescapable. You make great sacrifices, but then somebody who hasn't sacrificed as much as you (or at least you think they haven't) is "promoted" above you by people you thought should choose you. Sides are drawn, accusations and counter-accusations are made, and pretty soon people have forgotten what brought them together in the first place.
Sacrifices come in many forms. It's not just the late nights and miles driven, or the out-of-pocket expenses and lost family time. Sometimes you have to sacrifice your ego, too. Conflict can break the heart of an organization much quicker and more longer-lasting than who's sitting in what chair, and soon the day may come around where the hall is full of empty chairs and there's only 3 or 4 people looking at each other, wondering what the hell happened.
You want to grow the grassroots, and encourage people to be a part? Then show them the good they can do and how it will make them a better person. Engaging in bitter conflict, whether during actual meetings or at online venues such as BlueNC, is not the way to grow your organization. And when you do it on a site like ours, that has a state-wide audience, you could actually be hurting the building of organizations in counties and districts halfway across the state.
That's...a little longer and stronger than I'd originally intended, but I hate to see good people at odds with each other. You volunteers are the best of the best, and working together you are ten times more effective than going it alone, and a hundred times more effective than when you're at each other's throats.
Why do people shop there?
hmmm... Price? Quality? Convenience? Location? REALLY???
I would submit that it makes sense to follow the money.
Wal-Mart Stores
U.S. advertising spending $1,102.5 million
If spending that money weren't a necessary part of getting us in their doors, you can bet your Mama's banana pudding they wouldn't spend it.
So I'll ask again, why do people shop there?
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it." - Goethe