Election Year or Fear!

[Geoff Parkstone]

I wonder if you will ever understand the concept of a "good German" but fail to see what relevance that has with attacks on Jews. Rather one might ponder whether the actions of the current and past governments of Israel and in particular their needless and horrific slaughter of Lebanese, Palestinian and Iranian civilians might in some small way generate hatred towards Jews by those affiliated to those citizens that have been slaughtered?

Does the ethncity or religion of a person increase or decrease the value of their life? or are they all equal?

An interesting question likely with two distinctly opposing answers. In theory it should not increase or decrease it. In practice, eons of history have shown that this sort of equality is a pipedream, with in particular hundreds of wars fought and millions of lives lost due to predominantly religious beliefs. Trying to turn back the tide of a few millenia of this attitude will take rather a long time, certainly more than an attention span of an ANTIFA supporter .....

[ramAnag]

Scams that cost people dear for sure but its a bit of a stretch to hang it on Farage's door. These things are a global phenomenon

I think you may have missed my point.

[Andy_Faber]

My late father in law - a good man despite being a City fan - used to say ‘the only good German is a dead German’. Utter nonsense of course and I often wonder what he’d have made of now having three German great grandchildren, but that’s what happens when you lose an eye, the hearing in one ear and some of your mates to a German attack during WWII. You gain a perspective none of us can, thankfully, fully understand.

Move forward 80 odd years and when people watch those, probably of the same religion and possibly related, suffering at the hands of the Israeli armed forces there might be some degree of similar resentment don’t you think? I mean, how would you feel?

In no way am I defending this morning’s attacks btw. They were atrocious. Completely unacceptable and indefensible, but you might be better off trying to understand what such violence has resulted from, how hatred begets hatred, rather than just trying to score a cheap point.

Caveats then. These responses, contrasting with earlier ones, lead me to the conclusion that some here think all victims are equal but some are more equal than others

[swaledale]

Caveats then. These responses, contrasting with earlier ones, lead me to the conclusion that some here think all victims are equal but some are more equal than others

Your response suggests your either being deliberately obtuse, or are unable to interpret correctly what has been said or worse than that are so blinded by your own prejudice and world view that you are unable to understand what is actually being said.


No doubt you will be able to bring up a post where there have been contrasting views to recent responses. But as I recall the same argument has been made on each occasion.

Namely the Hamas attack on Israel was an atrocity, Israel's response in killing in excess of 70,000 Palestinians and laying to waste Gaza was also an atrocity. More to the point, it does not seem to have achieved Israels stated objective which supposedly was to neutralise and Hamas once and for all.

Being critical of the Israeli government is not being anti semtic, supporting the right of ordinary Plaestinians to live in peace in their own country is not anti semtic.

Equally it is clear that neither Hams or Hezbollah care for or act in the best interests of the Palestinians, they know what the response of Israel will be to their actions and they know it is civilians who will bear the brunt of that.

Quite how you equate the responses as terming all people being equal but some being more equal than others is quite frankly bizarre. Every death, every act of violence is a tragedy.

[swaledale]

An interesting question likely with two distinctly opposing answers. In theory it should not increase or decrease it. In practice, eons of history have shown that this sort of equality is a pipedream, with in particular hundreds of wars fought and millions of lives lost due to predominantly religious beliefs. Trying to turn back the tide of a few millenia of this attitude will take rather a long time, certainly more than an attention span of an ANTIFA supporter .....

I'm well aware of the reality, but that is no reason why you or I should not hold the view that it should not increase or decrease it.

Whether the wars that have occurred are predominantly due to religous beliefs, or whether in a number of cases these beliefs are used asa smokescreen to disguise or indeed justify the protaganists true intentions is a pertinent question. I'd say that history shows that the majority of wars are generally about one thing power. Whether that be economic, nationalist/political, or acquisition and control of territory.

In most cases religion has little to do with it. A prime example being the US attack on Iran, which is being framed by Trump's entourage as a type of "Holy War" but is nothing more than mad people wielding power. Religon and Nationalism have long been used by leaders to whip the proles into a frenzy and send their sons into battle on behalf of the elites who rule whatever country is involved.

[swaledale]

Reform favourite Lucy Connolly is releasing a book it seems.

Making money out of being a massive hate filled racist is disgusting, sadly people will buy it.

I'm not so certain they will, the book by Matt Goodwin hasn't sold that well.

[swaledale]

GP, an innocent (honestly) enquiry. Given your knowledge of all things financial…where do you stand on the whole cryptocurrency thing?
I’ll have to admit it’s all a mystery to me, but Messrs. Farage and Harbourne, amongst other rich men, seem to be major fans, although there are suggestions of serious links to terrorism and other forms of illegality.

Literally the only reason for cryptocurrency is to create something that is beyond the control of any government, difficult to track, regulate and of course tax. All sane governments would immediately declare it illegal.

[ramAnag]

Caveats then. These responses, contrasting with earlier ones, lead me to the conclusion that some here think all victims are equal but some are more equal than others

I honestly don’t know how you’ve reached such a conclusion. Some of your responses are frankly bizarre, not least when all I’m actually saying is that hate begets hate, violence begets violence - self evidently true - and that society has to find a way of ending this cycle which is all too often increasingly fuelled by social media.

[MadAmster]

Just seen a rabbi on BBC Breakfast. Rightly condemning the attacks and demanding protection from HMG and the police so that "they can worship in their usual way and generally go about their business without being attacked". Basically, he wants the same as Palestinians in Israel want. When will those in power in Israel put a stop to the attacks on Palestinians, their land, their homes, their crop, livestock and their bodies in both Israel and Lebanon? An act which would take the wind out of the sails of both Hamas and Hezbollah as well as individuals in Germany, UK etc.

[Geoff Parkstone]

I honestly don’t know how you’ve reached such a conclusion. Some of your responses are frankly bizarre, not least when all I’m actually saying is that hate begets hate, violence begets violence - self evidently true - and that society has to find a way of ending this cycle which is all too often increasingly fuelled by social media.

Maybe a dumb question but why does society have to find a way. Hate and violence, greed and self interest has defined human history probably since the dawn of time. What makes you think that rolling stone can be stopped?