File spoon-archives/lyotard.archive/lyotard_2002/lyotard.0204, message 38


Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2002 19:32:09 +1100
From: hbone <hbone-AT-optonline.net>
Subject: Re: European Demonstrations


Comments at **

> Hugh/all
>
> Perhaps someone can help me understand the following issue - I am
> bemused by the litiny of  pro-israeli ideological nonsense that European
> pro-israeli supporters spout about - the Palestinians and their
> supporters/sympathisers being anti-semitic. How is this possible? given
> that the palestinians are also a semitic people.
**Yes, that's what I learned in Anthropology class. Same people, and more or
less same God, omniscient and omnipotent.. Maybe it's jealousy that leads
them to
kill each other.
>
> It was forgivable of Adorno in his reserach project on anti-semitism to
> confuse the issue - it was after all just a few years after the
> holocaust and the problems of  the day were different. But how do we
> seperate anti-semitism from the excuse of running a country Israel as a
> fascist armed camp? Which is what it appears to be.... as tanks roll
> over houses on the west-bank and 20 year old soldiers talk of
> palestinian's dying couragously as 'fierce and admirable soldiers' -  I
> used to want only fascists to drive tanks into ghettos - now it seems
> that the descendents of the holocaust have become that which murdered
> them in their millions... ah well welcome to the real world.
**.No great mystery - just the acceptance of sacrificial death by millions
of humans religiously  carrying out His divine purpose - 160 million deaths
in 20th century.wars.

> As the number of deaths and mutiliations rise and the 'body count'
> mounts post 9/11 do you still feel the same about the event?
**Yes.  New events don't change old events.

Or do you  now see it as a episode in the process of globalisation - like
forcing
> the peasents of Ghana to buy American rice..
**Globalization and colonialism are abstractions. Real persons, coporations,
billionaires, in greedy pursuit of greater wealth, use sacrificial death as
a tool.  High-tech, low-tech, with our without tanks
and uniforms.  Families of dead soldiers and suicide bombers are consoled by
God's
earthly representatives.

Recent events lead to reflection on the policy whereby millions of
Palestinians were forced from their homes and homeland in order to give
Holocaust
survivors a nation of their own.

For those of us who like to dabble in theories of ethics, morals, etc.,
Arafat is an interesting figure.

One can question the divinely-inspired policy of officials who send
young people in uniform, with God's blessing  to kill uniformed opponents
who have a similar injunction from Heaven.  Collateral deaths of innocents
are accepted by both sides.

The equation is changed by a professional terrorist leader who trains
young minds for suicidal sacrifice.  Don't all religions condemn suicide?

Sending young people to a glorified death in uniform seems more
admirable than brainwashing young people for self-destruction because its
been accepted for hundreds of years.  Not many cultures (Japanese excepted)
glorify suicide.

Suppose conventional wars were refused by all nations' religious and secular
leaders, and only suicide bombings were permitted. It would be far less
expensive.  The World would not have $trillions invested in weapons. .

As to recent events, Sharon thumbs his nose at Bush, and does the job he
planned,  knowing that the U.S. Congress will not permit cutting off the
supply of weapons and spare parts to Israel, or reduce Israel's $3billion
per year in U.S. aid.

And Arafat, after decades of terrorism, from killing U.S. Soldiers to,
hi-jacking planes, to holding U.S. and U.K.hostages for long periods,
refused the best peace offer he was ever given, and would not make a counter
offer.

Instead he once more demonstrated his willingness to brainwash and sacrifce
young Palestians in the mistaken, or feigned, belief that the these attacks
will ruin Israel.

So Israel's massacre distracts from the U.S & U.K. objective of preventing
the
arch-facist in Iraq from perfecting his nuclear, bio, and chemical weapons
of
mass-destruction.

Meanwhile the EU frowns and frets and waits, watching sadly as Israel
continues its genocidal assaults. A dreary replay of watching, for months
and years on end
the genocidal TV epic of Bosnia.

Cheers,
Hugh






   

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