Meanwhile in North Korea: "Full Play to Heroic Spirit of Songun Korea Called for"

An interesting interweaving of the "great leap forward/prosperous nation" rhetoric and the more bellicose variety of Songun rhetoric:

Rodong Sinmun Monday editorially calls upon all the people to more dynamically step up the advance for a great surge in the spirit of wiping out the enemies as required by the prevailing situation and thus decisively frustrate their provocations and war moves and bring about great innovations and leap forward in building a thriving nation.

No force on earth can break the will of all the servicepersons and people of the DPRK to react to the "retaliation" of the enemies with stronger retaliation and to "punishment" with indiscriminate punishment of their style, the editorial notes, and goes on:

The anti-DPRK smear campaign being desperately staged by the U.S. imperialists and the Lee Myung Bak group of traitors is nothing but an extremely ridiculous farce orchestrated by them to hurt the high dignity and international prestige of the DPRK at any cost, much upset by its ever-increasing might. The U.S. imperialists and their servants have run the whole gamut of despicable plots to realize their aggressive and black-hearted intentions, wantonly violating the dignity and sovereignty of other countries and nations through lies and deception. This trite trick can never work on the DPRK.

The more frantic the enemies are getting in their moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK, the further it will intensify the drive for a great surge under the uplifted banner of self-reliance to decisively frustrate the enemies' sanctions and blockade and open the gate to a thriving nation without fail.

Single-minded unity means the strongest power of the DPRK and an ever-victorious treasured sword. No force on earth can break the single-minded unity of all the servicepersons and people around the headquarters of the revolution. [...]

The Imperialists are upset at the ever-increasing might of the latest Haveil Havalim.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry on the Flotilla skirmish

The following is the proper reply to all the current ranting about the Flotilla skirmish. My source is IMRA, but it is not their original content, so I am going to reproduce the whole thing. I assume the Israeli Foreign Ministry wanted it distributed:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs 31 May 2010 - distributed May 31, 2010 5:18 PM

A maritime blockade is in effect off the coast of Gaza. It has been imposed, as Israel is currently in a state of armed conflict with the Hamas regime that controls Gaza.

1. A maritime blockade is in effect off the coast of Gaza. Such blockade has been imposed, as Israel is currently in a state of armed conflict with the Hamas regime that controls Gaza, which has repeatedly bombed civilian targets in Israel with weapons that have been smuggled into Gaza via the sea.

2. Maritime blockades are a legitimate and recognized measure under international law that may be implemented as part of an armed conflict at sea.

3. A blockade may be imposed at sea, including in international waters, so long as it does not bar access to the ports and coasts of neutral states.

4. The naval manuals of several western countries, including the US and England recognize the maritime blockade as an effective naval measure and set forth the various criteria that make a blockade valid, including the requirement of give due notice of the existence of the blockade.

5. In this vein, it should be noted that Israel publicized the existence of the blockade and the precise coordinates of such by means of the accepted international professional maritime channels. Israel also provided appropriate notification to the affected governments and to the organizers of the Gaza protest flotilla. Moreover, in real time, the ships participating in the protest flotilla were warned repeatedly that a maritime blockade is in effect.

6. Here, it should be noted that under customary law, knowledge of the blockade may be presumed once a blockade has been declared and appropriate notification has been granted, as above.

7. Under international maritime law, when a maritime blockade is in effect, no boats can enter the blockaded area. That includes both civilian and enemy vessels.

8. A state may take action to enforce a blockade. Any vessel that violates or attempts to violate a maritime blockade may be captured or even attacked under international law. The US Commander's Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations sets forth that a vessel is considered to be in attempt to breach a blockade from the time the vessel leaves its port with the intention of evading the blockade.

9. Here we should note that the protesters indicated their clear intention to violate the blockade by means of written and oral statements. Moreover, the route of these vessels indicated their clear intention to violate the blockade in violation of international law.

10. Given the protesters explicit intention to violate the naval blockade, Israel exercised its right under international law to enforce the blockade. It should be noted that prior to undertaking enforcement measures, explicit warnings were relayed directly to the captains of the vessels, expressing Israel's intent to exercise its right to enforce the blockade.

11. Israel had attempted to take control of the vessels participating in the flotilla by peaceful means and in an orderly fashion in order to enforce the blockade. Given the large number of vessels participating in the flotilla, an operational decision was made to undertake measures to enforce the blockade a certain distance from the area of the blockade.

12. Israeli personnel attempting to enforce the blockade were met with violence by the protesters and acted in self defense to fend off such attacks.

The morality of Israel's actions in this incident is the same as that of Israel's Gaza blockade.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Flo-toon

Courtesy of MPAC.ie and MPAC-UK:

Flotilla boarded: Some number killed

This is going to dominate the news and the blogs for a while. The Jerusalem Post headline reads "Gaza flotilla: 2 dead, dozens injured in navy boarding."

Passengers tried to wrest weapons from soldiers, Army Radio reports; Turkish leadership call emergency meeting to discuss response to attack at sea, call in Israeli ambassador.

Passengers tried to grab weapons away from soldiers boarding the Gaza protest flotilla, starting the violence, Army Radio reported Tuesday morning, responding to accusations that Israeli commandos assaulted the ships guns blazing.

Activists aboard the ships repeatedly said they would not respond with violence to the navy's interception of their flotilla.

At least two activistswere killed and dozens more were wounded in clashes as hundreds of Israeli commandos boarded the ships, firing guns and employing gas, Turkish media and Al-Jazeera reported earlier Tuesday morning. [...]

There may be further clarifications to come. In the meantime, Iran's PressTV is reporting ten were killed:

sraeli forces have attacked the international aid convoy Freedom Flotilla en route to the besieged Gaza Strip, killing at least 10 people and leaving more than 50 injured.

The attack came on Monday morning after one of the six ships in the convoy was hit by Israeli navy forces before being stormed by commandos descending from helicopters.

The interception reportedly took place in international waters, more than 150km (90 miles) off the coast of Gaza. [...]

Al Jazeera is reporting "up to 16 people" killed:

Israeli forces have attacked a flotilla of aid-carrying ships aiming to break the country's siege on Gaza.

Up to 16 people were killed and more than 30 people injured when troops stormed the Freedom Flotilla early on Monday, the Israeli Army Radio said.

The flotilla was attacked in international waters, 65km off the Gaza coast.[...]

The news accounts probably won't vary so widely in the morning.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Update: IRIB Radio: "Israel attacks Gaza aid flotilla, 20 killed"



Update: J-Post is now reporting "at least 10" deaths.

Update: NY Times: "14 Deaths Reported as Israel Attacks Aid Flotilla"

Chomsky compared to Apartheid supporter

Angry Arab. (Who else?) So I suppose that blocking him from crossing into Israeli-controlled territory was a deeply progressive act.

MPAC.ie: making MPAC-UK look moderate

I've taken a keen interest in recent months in comparing the two Muslim Public Affairs Committees: MPAC.ie and MPAC-UK (MPAC.ie is actually a "Council.") Both have blog-like websites, and it happens to be an interesting moment for comparing the two. Both have posts, for instance, about the new Muslim Miss USA. MPAC.ie declares "Miss USA is NO MODEL for Muslim Women":

Of course Fakih’s no representative for anyone but her pitiable deluded self, but the hullabaloo and the mad rush by the kuffar to hail her as the ‘example’ Muslim woman speaks volumes, at least now they have revealed why they want to ban the hijab and other modest clothing options that cover Muslim women.

In contrast, the MPAC-UK article doesn't once use the word "kuffar," and it is even accompanied by a large picture of her smiling face. Their title: "Miss USA Targeted by Zio-Nazis." Isn't moderation grand?

A constant theme at MPAC-UK is that Muslims should get involved in the political process, and they are sometimes scathing against Muslims who think that "democracy is kuffar," as MPAC.ie puts it. MPAC.ie admits to once coming out in favor of voting, but they seem rather penitent in a recent article:

While accepting that democracy is kufr, we considered the act of voting as a lesser of two evils and considering the experiences of our brothers across Europe we felt that some participation might forestall anti-Muslim legislation . . .

Having witnessed the ineffectual and futile attempts of Muslims to influence the politics of kufr, in fact quite the opposite happened – the kufr of democracy unduly affected Muslims, led to compromises in the religion and with some even denunciation of the Divine Shariah, we have come to the conviction that political participation in democracy is not in the Muslims best interests.

MPAC-UK loves leftists who make common cause with Muslims. Perhaps the more conservative MPAC.ie might at least espouse something that we would consider conservative economic principles? No such luck. Another recent post is entitled "Beware the evils of Capitalism." Let us end with the most jaw-dropping current post at the MPAC.ie site: "In Praise of the Mutawwa":

There are few jobs in life that can be as rewarding as that of the Hai’ah (religious police), those tasked with enjoining the good and forbidding the evil. One can only look upon such individuals who risk life and limb with admiration as they work tirelessly to ensure that the insidious kufr of the west does not infiltrate the blessed land of the haramain.

And it’s a constant battle, as those desirous of introducing evil choose ever more clever methods. For example the Harry Potter books were rightfully banned in bookstores across the Kingdom, and the covers were instantly recognizable even to those Hai’ah who could not speak or read English. However some stores would import similar books that were not as ‘famous’ in the hope that they would go undetected and that is where Muslims from the west helped play a role in keeping the Kingdom kufr free.

The article is accompanied by three YouTube videos showing the admirable efforts of the Mutawwa. The titles: "DESTROYING AN ILLICIT KUFFAR ALCOHOL FACTORY," "ARRESTING SORCERERS," and "DEALING WITH FREE MIXING." I don't have the patience to watch. Feel free to watch and tell me what they're like in the comments section.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Someone at Pakistan Daily blogs about that mosque

This was inevitable, I suppose. Here's a paragraph:

Unless the Israel lobby groups succeed in their crusade to block the move – a group of Muslims under the guidance of Kuwait-born Muslim cleric, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, are planning to perform a miracle. They intend to build a 13-storey Muslim community center on the old site of Burlington Coat Factory at an estimated cost of US$100 million, just a few blocks away from the destroyed WTC – an Israeli false flag operation on September 11, 2001 for which Muslim were blamed. One Hasbara idiot even found out on EuropeNews (May 20, 2010) that Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf has Eyptian Muslim Brotherhood roots, just like several of Hamas leaders – I propose that building of the long-awaited Third Temple of Mount at WTC site would be more appropriate than an Islamic Centre 500 yards away from the WTC. And I bet, like the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC – American taxpayers’ would be more than glad to foot-in the bill.

When the Great Leader met the Supreme Leader

Oh, to have been there! I mean the original meeting, but these round-table talks were probably swell as well:

A photo exhibition, a film show and round-table talks were held at the Iran-Korea Friendship Magsal Agro-Stock Farm on May 19 to mark the 21st anniversary of President Kim Il Sung's meeting with Seyed Ali Khamenei, leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran.

On display in the venue of the events were photos showing the revolutionary histories of Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il and their immortal exploits.

Attending the events were personages of the farm and the Islamic Revolutionary Proletarian Organization of Iran. Staff members of the DPRK embassy in Teheran were present on invitation.

The participants of the events looked round photos on display and watched a Korean film.

The manager of the farm said in a speech at the round-table talks that Kim Il Sung helped Iran both materially and morally when it was undergoing difficulties, thus greatly encouraging its people.

The Iranian people will always remember the immortal exploits performed by the President for the development of the friendly relations between Iran and the DPRK, he added.

I hate to bring everybody down after that exhilarating article, but the DPRK is not happy about this business with the torpedoed South Korean ship:

. . .the "story about the north's torpedo attack" is a whopping lie cooked up by the group of traitors to weather its crisis in a bid to kick off "north wind" and that the investigation into the cause of the sinking of the ship was not conducted on a scientific basis but unilaterally done to serve its purpose and it was not objective but was based on bias and arbitrariness. [...]

The group of traitors employed all control means, persistently brushing aside various conjectures and opinions not serving the purpose of the scenario worked out by it and threatening and blackmailing people in the whole period of investigation. [...]

The puppet group is working with bloodshot eyes to peddle story about "north wind" defying scientific evidence and objective procedures after cooking up such mean and clumsy charade in a bid to tide over the present crisis. [...]

All facts prove that the "story about the north's torpedo attack" is, indeed, a poor anti-DPRK farce orchestrated by the group of traitors to harm and stifle fellow countrymen and an undisguised burlesque for confrontation in a bid to realize its despicable ambition and black-hearted intention.

Its brigandish farce is a hideous crime to be recorded in the history of inter-Korean relations as it is an open negation and total rejection of the June 15 era of reunification.

The army and people of the DPRK are sharply watching the moves of the group of traitors, which seeks to stifle fellow countrymen while linking the cause of the sinking of the warship with the DPRK, and keeping themselves ready to take decisive counteractions.

If the south Korean puppet forces show any sign of the slightest provocation, political, military and economic, against the DPRK, backed by the U.S. imperialists, we will immediately react to them by the just tactics of wiping out one by one, eliminate all rubbish of the nation from the Korean Peninsula and build on it rich and powerful reunified Korea where all Koreans enjoy prosperity. [...]

Ah, so the South Koreans will get wiped out "one by one" and then live happily ever after in the bosom of the brilliant Songun Commander?

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Juan Cole post title: "Israel offered Nukes to Racist South Africa for Use on Black Neighbors"

This story is all over the place, but this offering by Juan Cole has the most apocalyptic-sounding title I've seen so far. In the body of the post he refers to "potential use against Black African neighbors." Are "use" and "potential use" the same thing? They weren't going to just load and fire the minute they had those nukes?

He also refers to "Iran’s peaceful nuclear enrichment program" and states that "Iran appears not to have a nuclear weapons program, according to US intelligence . . . " That appears to be a reference to the controversial 2007 National Intelligence Estimate. According to a February CNN article, "A soon-to-be completed U.S. assessment of Iran's nuclear program is expected to conclude that the government has resumed limited work on a nuclear weapon, according to a U.S. official."

Juan also informs us that the argument that Iran might proliferate to terrorists has been "demolished," but I'm not so reassured. Terrorist groups continue to pursue innovative delivery systems, and we wouldn't want to face the prospect of a nuke-laden donkey.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Founder of Jews for Molech dies

Source: LA Times--additional reporting by Yitz:

Marduk Rosen, a flamboyant and controversial convert to Molech-worship who founded the missionary group Jews for Molech, died Wednesday in San Francisco. He was 78.

"I don't like to think of the people he converted as con-victims--I prefer to think of them as customers of a successful salesman" explained Vernon Grounds, High Priest Emeritus at the Denver Molech Temple.

Rosen appealed to potential converts with music, humor and human sacrifice, an approach that resonated in the hippie culture that by the early 1970s was developing a strong spiritual component, with some youths turning to Eastern religions and others, like those in the "Ba'al people" movement, to forms of ancient Canaanite Idol Worship. Rosen saw himself as a kind of hybrid who did not regard a Jew who practiced human sacrifice as a contradiction.

Mainstream Jewish leaders never let up on their criticism, arguing that a Jew for Molech was as impossible as kosher pork. But Rosen insisted otherwise.

"You can take from me everything but my Jewishness and my belief in Molech," he said. "You can say I'm a nuisance, a cannibal, out of step with the Jewish community, but you can't say I'm not a Jew."

Rabbi Mark Twainsky, a spokesman for a certain Jewish organization, commented "We don't bear him any hostility in his current habitation. If we could give him a drink of water, we would."

"Kim Jong Il, genius of music and arts"

Can you imagine what his musical "field-guidance" must have been like? "Rule number one: All songs must be about me!"

The musical anecdotage "General Kim Jong Il and Songs" (second volume) was recently published by the Art and Literature Publishing House.

The five-part book contains 126 musical anecdotes about General Secretary Kim Jong Il's energetic guidance over the work of music and arts.

Part 1 carries episodes in him who provided tireless guidance to make sure that such songs praising the revolutionary life, undying exploits and noble personality of President Kim Il Sung as "Cantata to Marshal Kim Il Sung", "We Live in the Embrace of the Leader" and "Leader, the Night Is Far Advanced" resounded forth.

Part 2 deals with historic episodes which were told in the days when songs calling for devotedly defending the leader and songs praising the country, loved by our army and people, were created and disseminated under the far-reaching plan and energetic leadership of Kim Jong Il.

Part 3 carries touching episodes saying that Kim Jong Il, genius of music and arts, developed the Juche-oriented music and arts onto a new higher stage suited to the emotion of the era and the thinking and sentiments of the Korean people.

Parts 4 and 5 deal with moving stories telling that he wisely guided the work to make every song created in the era of Songun a powerful weapon encouraging the revolutionary cause of Juche to victory and a solemn march for the building of a great prosperous and powerful nation and that he showed profound trust and warm love for the creators and artistes.

The latest Haveil Havalim is "a powerful weapon encouraging the revolutionary cause of Juche to victory."

"Poems of Kim Jong Il's China Visit Created"

In which we learn that Kim is "revered by all people." Actually, almost all people think he's icky. His subjects do, too, I imagine, but they're obviously too scared to reveal what they really think.

Poems were created in the DPRK in congratulation of General Secretary Kim Jong Il's successful visit to China.

Lyrics titled "A Path Traveled with President Kim Il Sung" and "The Northeastern Fields and Mountains" impressively represent the personality of Kim Jong Il as a great man who left sacred footprints on the vast Chinese land true to the noble intention of Kim Il Sung who provided the tradition of the DPRK-China friendship.

Poems titled "Our General, the Great Man of the Century", "Though He Visited Quietly", etc. make poetic depiction of the energetic foreign activities conducted by Kim Jong Il, highly praising him as the sun of Songun and the peerlessly great man revered by all people.

There are also poems representing the iron will of the army and people of the DPRK to glorify Kim Jong Il's feats with achievements in building a thriving nation and the feelings of the Korean people eagerly longing for him who continues his field guidance without taking a rest after the long journey of visit.

Lucky North Koreans. He's back with them now.

Evil Zionist product in my cupboard of the week

I'm not in any position to buy a Caterpiller, and I don't have any use for a tractor or a bulldozer or a backhoe anyway. So I'll have to make do with these:

I call them "soup-nuts." My kids make faces at me and explain that they're called "mandelen."

Happy Shavuos!

The next two days, starting at sundown tonight will be the holiday of Shavuos (or Shavuot if you like), commemorating the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. One custom involves staying up the whole first night (tonight) reading something called Tikkun Leil Shavuos, which contains selections from the various parts of the Torah--something from every parshah, something from every tractate of the Mishnah, the Book of Ruth, some mysticism, etc. The idea is that the Jewish people fell asleep the first time, but we can make up for it every year by staying up since a holiday is a spiritual repeat of the original event. Sometimes I make it all the way through without falling asleep, sometimes I don't.

We also eat dairy foods for the festive meal of the first day, such as the blintzes and sour cream pictured above. There are numerous explanations for this practice, but it is worth noting that blintzes and cheesecake taste good. More info here and not just about blintzes. See you Thursday night (or Friday). Chag Sameach!

Chocolate Milk "one of the most powerful weight-loss tools in the nutritional universe"

Now they tell me.

Date-seekers phased out

What's the deal with Iranian military and security types and stubbly beards?

The Tehran police plans to start implementing a new phase of the Social Security Plan next week.

In this phase, the police will deal with people who drive down the street looking for dates, Tehran Police Chief Hossein Sajedi told the Mehr News Agency on Sunday.

These people will be taken to court and their cars will be impounded for two months, Sajedi said. [...]

Then they'll have to walk down the street?

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Juan Cole's little Nakba narrative

This is just one paragraph from a longish post, but it stands on its own, a little bauble of bias:

Thousands of Palestinians rallied in Gaza on Saturday to commemorate the Nakbah or national catastrophe of 1948, when European Jewish settlers brought into the Mandate of Palestine by imperial British policy expelled 700,000 Palestinians from what is now Israel and then sealed the border, confiscating all their property without compensation. These actions turned the bulk of the Palestinians into poverty-stricken camp dwellers and/or stateless persons living under the rule of others, and prevented the rise of an independent Palestinian state such as was envisaged by the League of Nations and the British government just a decade before.

Are Cole's academic employers capable of embarrassment? And speaking of those whose academic employers should be embarrassed . . .

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Chomsky unmuzzled?

There has been a big uproar on the left lately over a report that Noam Chomsky was prevented from entering the West Bank. Now it appears that Israel may let him in after all. Shucks!

Militant light comedy performed

I guess this was sort of an interlude while the heavy comedy shock brigade prepares its next offering to instill the youth and service-persons with revolutionary optimism:

The light comedy "Echo of Mountain", winner of Kim Il Sung Prize, has been staged before full house in Haeju, South Hwanghae Province since May 13.

The first day performance of the light comedy was given at the South Hwanghae Provincial Art Theatre. It was enjoyed by leading officials of party and power bodies and working people's organizations, officials in the field of agriculture and working people of different strata in the province.

The audiences were deeply impressed to watch the light comedy, noting that it is a masterpiece imbuing people with confidence that they can surely build a thriving nation on this land to be proud of when they make steady advances and bring about uninterrupted innovations by learning from the spirit of revolutionary optimism and enterprising and militant work style displayed by the people of the preceding generations. [...]

The latest KCC imbues people with confidence that they can bring about uninterrupted innovations by learning from the spirit of revolutionary optimism.

"'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less.'"

Here.

Manchester Israel-Palestine Forum: We now have the problem with intimidation of pro-Israeli viewpoints relatively under control

Remember the attack on Talya Lador-Fresher? Some Jewish activists at Manchester University feel that as a result of coverage in the Jewish and Israeli press (the only coverage there was) "a marginal event overshadow[ed] positive developments." According to Marco Schneebalg (guest posting at Harry's Place):

After the events, the Jewish Chronicle, Britain’s main Jewish weekly, and all of the big Israeli newspapers reported the attack in a very alarmist tone, making no further investigation on the matter. All the things reported in the articles are true. However, the talk went on quite peacefully and I feel that the situation in Manchester University is easing rather than getting more tense.

The rest is on the same vein, but you should enjoy the comments. You should also enjoy the latest Haveil Havalim.

Some guy at Huffpo: "Israel and North Korea: Separated at Birth?"

How's that?

Neither is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and both employ their nuclear weapons in elaborate games of peek-a-boo with the international community. Israel and North Korea are equally paranoid about outsiders conspiring to destroy their states, and this paranoia isn't without some justification. Partly as a result of these suspicions, both countries engage in reckless and destabilizing foreign policies.

Oh, I see. Well, he missed some obvious parallels: Both are achieving a great powerful prosperous nation with the might of Songun. They're both rallying close around the headquarters of the revolution and holding the leader in high-esteem. They're both flying like the wind with great revolutionary upsurge. Dancing parties of youth and students in both places demonstrate the militant stamina of the young vanguard. David Ben-Gurion is the eternal leader and benevolent teacher of humankind, just like Kim Il Sung. The Tel Aviv Symphony Orchestra is just like the Art Squad of the Hungnam Fertilizer Complex. Both have Youth Hero Motorways. I could just go on and on. (h/t: Protein Wisdom)

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Matthew Yglesias on Conservative Jews

Matthew Yglesias explains why Jews should not be Conservatives:

די פּראָבלעם מיט זייַענדיק אַ קאַנסערוואַטיוו איז ניט אַז עס קאַנטראַדיקץ ייִדיש אלנגעסזרטע. די פּראָבלעם מיט זייַענדיק אַ קאַנסערוואַטיוו איז אַז קאָנסערוואַטיווע ידעאָלאָגיע איז טעות און די קאָנסערוואַטיווע באַוועגונג איז שעדלעכע. וואָס איז ניט צו זאָגן אַז קאַנסערוואַטיווז זענען שטענדיק פאַלש. אָפטענטימעס יחיד קאַנסערוואַטיווז שרייַבן ינסייטפאַל ארטיקלען, אָפֿט אויף דעם ענין פון ווי די מיינסטרים קאָנסערוואַטיווע נעמען אויף עפּעס איז טעות (וואָס עס יוזשאַוואַלי איז). פונקט נעכטן, פֿאַר בייַשפּיל, וויליאַמסאַן זיך איז פּוינטינג אויס אַז קאָנסערוואַטיווע שטייַער פּאָליטיק איז לאַרגעלי וואָווען אויס פון מיטס. אבער ווי אַ פּראָגרעסיוו, איך טראַכטן קאַנסערוואַטיווז זענען פאַלש. סעפּאַראַטעלי פון וואָס, איך בין אויך ייִדיש. און ווי אַ איד, איך בין ניט ימיון צו אַ ביסל פון כלל שטאָלץ אין דעם פאַקט אַז אידן זענען אָוווערוועלמינגלי פּראָגרעסיוו און אַז זייער ווייניק יידן קלייַבן צו צייכן זיך פֿאַר די ראָנגכעדיד און שעדלעכע קאָנסערוואַטיווע באַוועגונג אין די פאראייניגטע שטאַטן. אבער עטלעכע יידן באַק דעם גאַנג און אַנדערמיין מיין מי בייַ כלל שטאָלץ, וואָס איך געפֿינען אַנויינג איבער-און-אויבן די פאַקט אַז קאַנסערוואַטיווז זענען נאָר פאַלש אַלגעמיין.

צו ציען אַ אַנאַלאַדזשי, קיינער זאָל זייַן עסן שלעכט בייגעלעך, אָבער עס ס ספּעציעל טרויעריק ווען איר זען יידן טאָן עס.

נו, איך טרעפן איך בין צופרידן ער טוט ניט ווי געזען יידן ינוואַלווד אין זאכן וואָס זענען "טעות" און "שעדלעכע," אָבער
געבן מיר אַ ברעכן, מתיא. מיינט איר קען מאַכן דעם אַ ביסל עמפּטיער ווו פאַקטיש ייִדיש וואַלועס און קאַנסעפּס זענען זארגן? קען יידישקייַט מיינען עפּעס בייַ אַלע צו איר ווייַטער פון פּראָגרעססיוועיסם און, אַהעם, בייגעלעך? (h/t: memeorandum)

School choice is good in and of itself

The last paragraph of an editorial you should read at the NY Times:

There are millions of parents out there who don’t have enough money for private school but who have thought just as sensibly and care just as much about their children’s education as affluent people do. Let’s use the money we are already spending on education in a way that gives those parents the same kind of choice that wealthy people, liberal and conservative alike, exercise right now. That should be the beginning and the end of the argument for school choice.

It has ring to it, don't you think?

MPAC-UK: "Foolish Anti-voting Brigade Will Allow Zionist Lobby Total Power." I didn't even watch the video attached to the post. I just don't have the patience.

Techiyas HaMeisim?

From Iranian Students News Agency. Which Rabbi Stephen Wise is this article talking about?

Anti-Zionists Jews Leader Rabbi Stephen Wise said Iran has always been friend of other countries despite the West’s false media propaganda.

In a meeting between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and a number of leaders of the US anti-Zionists Jews on the sidelines of the UN Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference, the rabbi appreciated Iran’s stance in the conference. [...]

Update: I've figured it out, I think. They are confusing Yisroel Dovid Weiss of the Neturei Karta with Stephen Wise! Here is Fars:

President Ahmadinejad, heading a high-ranking delegation, was in New York to take part in the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference at the UN headquarters.

At the meeting with the anti-Zionist rabbis, President Ahmadinejad stressed that supporting the rights of the oppressed people against the arrogant powers sets a priority for the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He also reiterated Tehran's support for minority rights, and added, "We have always underlined the rights of minorities in Iran and we are supporting their rights."

During the meeting, Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, spokesman of Neturei Karta International thanked Ahmadinejad for the stances adopted and declared by Iran in the NPT review conference.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran have always been a defender of the right and despite the false propaganda launched by the western median, the government of Iran is a friend of the world nations," Weiss stressed.

Neturei Karta (Aramaic for "Guardians of the City") was founded nearly 70 years ago in Jerusalem by Jews who opposed the drive to establish the state of Israel, believing only the Messiah could do that. Estimates of the group's size range from a hundred thousand to less than a million. [...]

A lot less than a million, I'd say.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

No More Mister Nice Blog and the War on Murdoch-ism

Leftist blogger No More Mister Nice Blog has a current offering entitled "Oh, Now It's OK To Blame Terrorism on U.S. Actions?" What provoked him? A New York Post article stating that the Times Square bomber claimed to be retaliating for drone attacks against the Taliban in Pakistan. According to the Post:

Admitted terrorist Faisal Shahzad ... said he was driven to evil by the slew of deaths among leaders of the terror group, law-enforcement sources revealed yesterday....

Quoth NMMNB:

Wait -- "driven to evil" by American deeds? Hasn't it always been an ironclad rule in Murdoch Land that nothing we do can be the reason for anything terrorists do? Isn't any statement that asserts or implies anything to that effect an example of a "blame-America-first" mentality?

Shouldn't the Post be denouncing this attempt by Shahzad to fob blame off on brave, freedom-loving America, which seeks nothing but peace and righteousness and good for all the innocent people of the world?

One thing you have to say about NMMNB is that he's a lively writer. His "gotcha" point seems a little forced to me, however. The "blame America first" explanation for Shajzad's actions goes something like this: Muslims are born free but everywhere they are under occupation. Time Square bomber Faisal Shahzad proves once again that the true cause of terrorism is U.S. (or British) foreign policy. No longer able to stand his righteous indignation after his life unraveled, Faisal snapped . . . I may be just a dumb wingnut, but I don't think anyone worth arguing against denies that successful attacks against a terrorist group might give their subsequent operations a certain revenge-orientation. There is a difference between the motivation for this or that attack and how America got to be in the war to begin with. (h/t: Memorandum)

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Feminism, Angry Arab News Service, and the vicissitudes of "anti-Zionism"

Angry Arab News Service recently had a post title which read "Feminism in Israel????" I suppose the point of that is to scoff at the notion that an Apartheid Colonialist Settler Entity such as Israel could ever harbor such a thing as an actual feminist. His latest post on the women's struggle is called "sexism in the Middle East" and it consists of the following three sentences from this source:

In Afghanistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Syria and Yemen, women earn 25 cents or less for every dollar men earn. Saudi Arabian and Palestinian women earn only 16 and 12 cents respectively to the male dollar. In Mongolia, women earn 87 cents for every dollar men earn and in Mozambique they earn 90 cents.

There is something missing here that we would normally expect to see, and I don't mean the failure to refer to Libya as the "Gt. Libyan Arab Jamahiriya." What about Israel? Angry Arab is obsessed with Israel bashing. Every other post is something that makes Israel look bad with the title "This is Zionism." So how does Israel do when women's salaries are compared to men's? According to Ha'aretz, which is complaining about the situation:

"the Institute for Women's Policy Research, in a report last September [2008], found that women working in full-time, year-round positions nationwide earned 77 cents for every dollar a man earned."

In that respect the Lttle Satan appears to resemble the Big Satan. In the US in 2007, something called "The National Committee on Pay Equity" stated

among full-time workers, women make only 77 cents for every dollar paid to men.

So Israel does vastly better than every Arab country listed although not as good as Mongolia? Of course, according to this, the "Gross National Income (per capita)" of Israel is "$17,046.40 per person" while that of Mongolia is "$344.88" (and that of Mozambique is "$195.82 per person"). Men and women alike, it would seem, are paid enough for mere subsistence in those enlightened places. So now, as Paul Harvey would say, you have the rest of the story. Always glad to help out a blogging colleague.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

What is the meaning of this post title?

Angry Arab: "Yemeni Jews: they dont want to leave, damn it"

Watch the Lag B'Omer parade

Here. For an explanation of the holdiay, see this. Another thought on Lag B'Omer.