Is the cry "Anti-semetic" overused? - Page 11

enlightenment · 10-23-2007, 03:40 AM

I just think it should all be settled with a game of football, and whoever wins the game, gets to keep the territory and ****....

Muslimwoman · 10-23-2007, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enlightenment

I just think it should all be settled with a game of football, and whoever wins the game, gets to keep the territory and ****....

Don't be daft, Bush would insist on being the ref then the Israeli's wouldn't even need to turn up.

bob x · 10-23-2007, 05:55 AM

19th-century Palestine supported a little under half a million people (and that includes the Transjordan!) because it had no industry and only primitive agriculture. The Jewish immigration brought investment and an economic boom, greatly (and permanently) increasing the capacity of the land to support a larger population, and drawing in a large stream of immigrants from other Arab countries, especially Egypt and Yemen: British policy in the 1920's was to limit Jewish immigration to a little less than the Muslim immigration. Many of the present "Palestinians" (for obvious reasons, the percentage is hotly debated, but it is large regardless of whose figures you use) are descended from people who were not living there before the Jews' money made the larger population possible (Yasir Arafat's family, for example, was from Cairo).
The decision in the late 20's by the Palestinian leadership, with the enthusiastic support of much of the populace, to broaden their "itbach al-Yahud" ("exterminate the Jew!") campaign from the level of murderous rhetoric but only occasional actual killing, to widespread killings directed not only against the recent immigrant Zionists but also against the Jewish communities who had been there for centuries was a fatal step. Note that at that time the imbalance in weaponry was entirely on the Palestinians' side: they had a legally recognized militia, while Jews were officially denied the right to bear arms at all (though this was only spottily enforced by the British). Nor had the Jews acquired land at that time in any way except *purchase*.
Then the Palestinians escalated the violence in the 30's, allying with Nazi Germany and promoting the Nazi campaign to kill all Jews, everywhere. This is why the Arab campaign to "push the Jews into the sea" in 1947-48 got very little sympathy, to say the least, from the rest of the world. The refusal of the "Government of All Palestine" in Gaza to honor the cease-fire, continuing to launch guerrila raids and assassinating the king of Jordan for trying to find a negotiated settlement, was intolerable even to the Arabs: it was Egypt, not Israel, which suppressed the independent Palestinian state and refused ever to consider allowing a Palestinian state again, as long as they were in control. This is how the Palestinians got themselves into the hole they are in.
Now despite all the decades of violence, until not too many years ago it was, in fact, quite common for Palestinians to commute into Israel to work, and for companies in Palestinian territory to export produce and manufactured goods to Israel. The adoption of the "suicide bomber" technique, however, made it too dangerous for Israel to allow workers to come in except in very small numbers. Then the Palestinians, by overwhelming majority, elected the bomber factions as their official leadership: Hamas attacked all the businesses in Gaza which had been exporting to Israel as "collaborators", demanding extortionate sums from them which put them all out of business. But all during this self-inflicted economic meltdown, Palestinians have been taught that it is their religious duty to have as many babies as they can, regardless of whether they have any means to support them. Largely they rely on the UN Refugee Administration to feed these children with other people's money.

flowperson · 10-23-2007, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enlightenment

I just think it should all be settled with a game of football, and whoever wins the game, gets to keep the territory and ****....

Hmmm... Ruff and Tuff Americanski football...or the sisified Euro football ?

Just wondering.

flow....

enlightenment · 10-23-2007, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flowperson

Hmmm... Ruff and Tuff Americanski football...or the sisified Euro football ?

Just wondering.

flow....

Pah, you call that thing over there, football?

It's neither skilled as real football (soccer), nor even as tough as rugby.

So there!

I, Brian · 10-23-2007, 09:44 PM

The British version would be better - a game doesn't run anywhere near as long as the US version.

Muslimwoman · 10-23-2007, 11:44 PM

May I suggest tiddly-winks - at least some skill is required and people don't feel the need to undress and snog each other when they score a goal!!

That is quite a one sided view of history you have there Bob, as usual.

enlightenment · 10-24-2007, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I, Brian

The British version would be better - a game doesn't run anywhere near as long as the US version.

What part of the Highlands are you from, Brian, just interested, as I am from Edinburgh.

Steve

flowperson · 10-24-2007, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enlightenment

Pah, you call that thing over there, football?

It's neither skilled as real football (soccer), nor even as tough as rugby.

So there!

Hey...just pulling yer chain some bragh. I don't even watch these days. You know, to someone my age it's just the same thing over and over.

Like Brian I'd probably go for Euro ball. Contests based on conflict can't end soon enough for me. Although I used to coach Euroball (soccer) when my son played lots of years ago

flow....

.

enlightenment · 10-24-2007, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flowperson

Hey...just pulling yer chain some bragh. I don't even watch these days. You know, to someone my age it's just the same thing over and over.

Like Brian I'd probably go for Euro ball. Contests based on conflict can't end soon enough for me. Although I used to coach Euroball (soccer) when my son played lots of years ago

flow....

.

Meh, I know you were just messing, mate.

But can you imagine, if Israel and Palestine did settle it via football.

Do you think Israel would win, by a nose.....

flowperson · 10-24-2007, 02:41 AM

Yeah Bragh...you remember of course that in some of the more "civilized" parts of pre-colonial E. Africa, when two tribes had a beef with each other, they would choose a "token" warrior from each tribe.

They'd deck them out in all of their warrior finery, and whip them each into a bloodthirsty frenzy with tribal chanting. Then they'd send them out against each other to dance and symbolically try to scare the crap out of each other. Whichever guy backed down first was the loser.
War over.
And probably shorter than even Euro ball Brian.

And if the Palestinians brought in some ringers from Rome, even the nose thing would be all even up mate.

Flow....

enlightenment · 10-24-2007, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flowperson

Yeah Bragh...you remember of course that in some of the more "civilized" parts of pre-colonial E. Africa, when two tribes had a beef with each other, they would choose a "token" warrior from each tribe.

They'd deck them out in all of their warrior finery, and whip them each into a bloodthirsty frenzy with tribal chanting. Then they'd send them out against each other to dance and symbolically try to scare the crap out of each other. Whichever guy backed down first was the loser.
War over.
And probably shorter than even Euro ball Brian.

And if the Palestinians brought in some ringers from Rome, even the nose thing would be all even up mate.

Flow....

Yeah, but you know what, I think that when the game kicked off, Israel would move the half way line right up to the other end of the park!

bob x · 10-24-2007, 03:22 AM

Quote:

That is quite a one sided view of history you have there Bob, as usual.

As you know perfectly well, I have also written summaries of the history including the wrongs on the other side. But the question here was about Palestinian behavior and the extent of their own responsibilities for their own situation. One of these days they will stop pointing fingers at everybody but themselves and then something may be done.

Pathless · 10-24-2007, 04:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob x

But the question here was about Palestinian behavior and the extent of their own responsibilities for their own situation. One of these days they will stop pointing fingers at everybody but themselves and then something may be done.

Wow! Substitute "Palestinian" with "American" and you get my perspective on the "war on terror." But that's another thread...

I guess.

Pathless · 10-24-2007, 04:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flowperson

Yeah Bragh...you remember of course that in some of the more "civilized" parts of pre-colonial E. Africa, when two tribes had a beef with each other, they would choose a "token" warrior from each tribe.

They'd deck them out in all of their warrior finery, and whip them each into a bloodthirsty frenzy with tribal chanting. Then they'd send them out against each other to dance and symbolically try to scare the crap out of each other. Whichever guy backed down first was the loser.
War over.

I've heard speculation (in The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight by Thom Hartman) that this practice was known in the Americas also, pre-colonization. I'm all for settling spats this way. I think it could be a lot of fun, and a nice way for people to blow off excess testosterone.