We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
The appointment at Brooklyn College of an adjunct, Kristofer Petersen, to teach Middle East politics in the Political Science department was defended as academic freedom. This was despite his involvement in touting Gazans as virtual lambs and Israel as a beast, and his heavily slanted reading list.
He continues. In brief, Petersen tells us, Israel is limited to some degree in its oppression but it is “beyond the threshold of atrocity,” and Israel’s oppression of Gazans is largely to maintain its own false identity “myth”, to create cohesion within Israel by creating and demonizing an “Other.”
Is anyone in Brooklyn College’s administration seeing, and is the Political Science department embarrassed? We’ll see, if he is re-appointed.
Kristofer Petersen’s latest is his posted draft of a paper he is to deliver at the American Political Science Association. Petersen asks that his draft not be quoted or cited without his permission. Sorry, Kris, but you posted it and there is a legal concept called “fair use.”
Wrapped in a discussion of two radicals' views of nationalism, Petersen’s piece titled “Beyond The Threshold Of Atrocity: Nationalism, Biopower and Israel’s Occupation of Gaza” offers us this:
While one may desire the Other’s total annihilation, it is impossible to do precisely because the Other helps the nation to imagine itself. The Other tells juridical society in part who they are as a group, as a nation, as an idea – but only insofar as they are permitted to exist as an idealized object of hatred.
Thus,
For late-modern society to derive any value at all from racial oppression, its enemies must be brought to a condition as close to total eradication as possible – without either crossing into conventional genocide or manufacturing suffering in such a way as to contradict myths of the national self-image.
Israel needs Hamas and Gaza to justify its existence!
In his other utterances, Petersen does not support terrorist acts by Hamas. But, Peterson does defend the Gazans who perform them. Rather a thin veil for, in effect, supporting terrorist acts. I’ve read almost all I can – or can stand -- of Petersen’s comments and writings I could find online, and nary a critique of Gazans. Rather he concentrates his focus on single-minded attacks upon Israel.
Israel did not create an “Other” nor does Israel oppress Gazans to serve its racist, colonialist needs.
Brooklyn College, indeed any even semi-credible academic, should recognize that Kristofer Petersen represents the rot within that must be reversed if academia is to retain any self-respect or respect from society or taxpayers.
We are pleased with the killing of Bin Ladin, the murderer of so many of our neighbors and neighbors' family members here in the Northeast. It had to be done. Whether it makes a difference or not, only time will tell. Let's hope so.
President Obama takes over all the TV networks and other media to tell us that Osama bin Laden is confirmed dead. Osama bin Laden is reported to have been in a mansion outside Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
Yaaay! And, what difference did it make when we captured Saddam Hussein? The evil had metastasized. And, Hussein was hiding in a hole in the ground.
In this case, as if any more evidence is needed, the evil metastasized into Pakistan's highest levels. -- Why the US Acted Alone
The credit is owed to the perseverence and dedication of those in our extraordinary intel and military in the region. -- And, getmo' Gitmo, or wherever they're being held, some of the intel came from detainees.
The question is whether President Obama has the intestinal fortitude and focus to follow through, and deserve credit. The Pakistan government has loudly complained about US actions, but has been playing both sides, including some help to the US behind the scenes. The double-play must end and not be tolerated, and the sanctuary of Taliban in Pakistan's border with Afghanistan be more heavily penetrated by US and Afghan forces. The Pakistan sanctuary is key to the prolongation of the war in Afghanistan. Pakistani ISI intelligence has been critical to the Taliban's emergence from out of the mujahideen that fought the Soviet Union, and often shelters its deemed asset.
Al Quaeda is much diminished, but its tentacles and their plans for terrorism in the West continues. Western security forces are on alert. Islamabad should be on alert for far less tolerance from the West.
Instead, there's speculation that Pakistan offered up bin Laden -- a figurehead, anymore -- as a sweetener to speed US withdrawal from Afghanistan. (Charles Krauthammer just speculated similarly, on Fox, that President Obama may well use OBL's death as an opportunity to decare victory and withdraw.)-- Actually, administration officials say the US did not tell Pakistan before going in. -- I'm purely guessing that's cover for Pakistan's government to so many Pakistanis who supported bin Laden. -- Hope: Pakistan better get hopping in the NW provinces; Reality: Don't hold breath. -- Confusion about Pakistan. -- Afghanistan's Karzai points finger, at US and Pakistan.
President Obama takes credit, saying he directed our CIA to make the taking or death of Osama bin Laden our priority. That had been a priority before his presidency. Typical Obama. Followed by President Obama reminding us that we are not at war with Islam but with mass murderers. Those mass murderers hide among a sea of many Moslems who smile at the murders.
A suggestion: embalm Osama bin Laden, no cosmetics, and display -- next to a urinal -- at the memorial at the World Trade Center. -- Muslim "scholars" say burial at sea only benefits the fish. I say, flushing his ashes is another way to the sea. I feel sorry for the fishes.
Update: More operational details. The guy was truly hiding in plain sight, next door to a police station.
All members of the team that put a bullet into Bin Laden's cranium and then took the body out with them deserve honors, medals, ticker-tape parades, and all bar tabs covered for life.
Somebody referred to the royal wedding as "chick crack." I think it was. I keep hearing about the hats, and I have learned over the years that hats and shoes are crack to females even though guys rarely notice them. Here are some good clips from the pageant.
Speaking of weddings, a horny Insty linked this piece on hot marital sex. Daily sounds pretty good to me. When I was younger, I was a twice-daily guy, or at least a would-be twice-daily guy. However, back then, one time did not mean just "once."
It doesn't take much to keep a guy happily married: lots of sex fun, decent and abundant meals made with love if not with expertise, letting him have his alone time, no nagging about his many flaws, some interesting conversation, no inquiring about his "feelings," and otherwise just generally appreciating his unique wonderfulness. Create a beautiful life for him to live in, and make home a soft, loving haven without the negativity and hassles of life out there. That's all we ask for, ladies. Without those things, our lives aren't very pleasant.
The problem is that the Mrs. is now imagining herself at age 24, marrying Prince William or Duke William or whoever he is. He's a military pilot, too, and most of us guys are neither prince nor military pilot. However, being a hard-working, honest, decent, horny, God-fearing, self-reliant American citizen ought to be enough for any lucky woman.
Yom Hashoah Ve Hagevurah (Devastation and Heroism Day) is each year on the Hebrew calendar the 27th of the month of Nissan. When it occurs on Sunday, as this year, technically it is observed on Monday. However, as most people are off work on Sunday, most observances will be today.
Yes, there was heroism among the devastation. Most of the heroes died in battle or revolt, as in Warsaw. Most died unsung as they gave of themselves to make others' last moments more comfortable; there's a special recognition for some survivors who helped others survive. Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust museum and documentation center, each year highlights the stories of some of the survivors. Here's a fighting hero, for example, and here's one saved by one of the caring Righteous Gentiles.
Here's a photo of Jews collected in one of the ghettos before their slaughter. Just look at each individual face, then multiply: the future and contributions of 1 1/2 million children and 4 1/2 million adults wiped out.
A popular singer and group in the 60’s was Jay and The Americans. Jay Black (Real nameDavid Blatt) was from an Orthodox Jewish background. His most famous song was Cara Mia. They had many top hits. His voice had an operatic/cantorial quality.
He recorded a famous Yiddish song called “Where is the little street?” (Vi iz dus geseleh?) in 1966. Jay adapted it into a version to demonstrate his feelings about the Holocaust. After a long struggle with the record company, he convinced them to let him record it. While recording it he worked with Artie Butler to help him with the arrangement. He added Chagall’s paintings to provide sentimental visions of the Jewish villages in vivid colors.
Hope you enjoy this! The Chagall pictures are spectacular.
The song is performed in English and Yiddish.
Excellent essay on the distinctiveness of the Holocaust from other genocides or everyday intolerance.
20:19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."
20:20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
20:21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
20:22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
20:23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
20:24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
20:25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
20:26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."
20:27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe."
20:28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"
20:29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
20:30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.
20:31 But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
President Obama takes over all the TV networks and other media to tell us that Osama bin Laden is confirmed dead. Osama bin Laden is reported to have been in a mansion outside Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
Al Quaeda is much diminished, but its tentacles and their plans for terrorism in the West continues. Western security forces are on alert. Islamabad should be on alert for far less tolerance from the West.
Somebody referred to the royal wedding as "chick crack." I think it was. I keep hearing about the hats, and I have learned over the years that hats and shoes are crack to females even though guys rarely notice them. Here are some 
C. Larry Pope, CEO of the world's largest pork producer, explains
