It’s time for the regular Monday message board, where you are invited to post your thoughts on any topic. I haven’t had time to post on the competing royal tours, but I’d be interested in readers’ thoughts. Civilised discussion and no coarse language, please.
56 thoughts on “Monday Message Board”
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John Quiggin 
Michael,
Israel’s “moderate” retaliation resulted in the deaths of far more Palestinians than were killed by the Palestinian terrorists.
I’m not up-to-date on the figures but I beleive the last numbers I saw were something like 5,000 Palestinian dead and around 800-1000 Israelis.
I’ll point out at this point that I am Jewish and, like a sizeable minority amongst the Jewish population of Israel, I don’t regard the actions of the Israeli government over the last several years as moderate, justified or in the long-term interests of Israel or the Jewish people.
“Dave, you state …”
Michael, I thought you’d react that way. The funny thing is, I didn’t state anything. The quote is from a piece by Israel’s Ambassador to the UK, Zvi Heifetz, in today’s Guardian.
I can only imagine how you would have reacted to a comment from a Palestinian.
Why don’t you tell us once again how much of a moderate you are?
Dave, I don’t recall ever taking one side unlike the vast majority of critics of Israel – Like a lot of civilised democracies faced with massive violence against them and obliteration it often reacts badly, elects nasty leaders (Sharon – Israel’s Thatcher), and has some of its members go out of control – this is though still a vastly different moral universe inhabited by the Palestinians and their supporters in the Middle East.
Ian you state that Israel’s “moderate� retaliation resulted in the deaths of far more Palestinians than were killed by the Palestinian terrorists. Well Ian I seem to recall that for every bomber that gets through 10 are stopped. Also Israel has become very skilled at stopping badly blown up people from dying – although their quality of life can not be good. As for your views on public opinion well Arafat did walk away from the Clinton talks and he was warned by the Saudi’s no less that if they rejected the deal, which Prince Bander (no bleeding heart liberal or Jew lover) thought was amazing they would have to go to war and they would get Sharon elected. Most Israeli’s knno who is to blame for this which explains both the election of Sharon and the decimation of the peace movement as well as the very very small number of Israel’s who actually refuse to serve in the army on conscience reasons. Anyway I am off to watch a replay of the Chelsea versus Barcelona game.
Why have I taken to reading these open sections of John’s blog by moving to the end of longer posts, checking if they are written by Michael Burgess and skipping them?
Because you’re an apologist for Islamo-fascism and can’t face up to it, of course.
I have no freedom. I am an American on some made up watch list. I am barred from all government employment. Since 1998, I have been repeatedly fired from minimum wage jobs. I was denied the Ph.D. in English on these grounds: You are overly confident and too opinionated; Women who demand the right to their own opinions end up in a place colder than Siberia; Rebels never get what they claim they want–a teaching position.
Since December 2001, I have been under surveillance at home and work. I have been brutalized beyond my endurance by managers and adminstrators and black ops.
There are no terrorists but the U.S. government and its managerial/administrative class. I see no evidence of Arab terrorists. I have been personally terrorized by Jews in Academia because I stumbled upon a plot to dumb down the graduate students in an English Department controlled by Jews. I would very much like to sue hundreds of organizations, but the Patriot Act forbids anyone from suing an organization acting on behalf of national security, so my case has been turned down by every civil rights group in the U.S.
I have a 600 page book detailing my experiences. Of course, my book will never be published in a Zionist-controlled industry.
I am trying to leave the U.S. so that I can work. Unfortunately, I am on a no-fly list, so I cannot leave the country legally. Any country that offers me a job will be aiding a terrorist–a.k.a, a dissident. I am trapped here. This is unprecedented, is it not? I must live here and suffer whatever indignities the murderous Bush Junta wishes to inflict upon me. Why? I will never stop fighting these international war criminals. I will never submit to them, even if they kill me several times over.
I am so tired of being sprayed by chemtrails every clear day. I am sick to death of this country. This is a nightmare that I cannot awaken from.