Confession: I am an anti-Semite

This is one of my last posts before a richly deserved vacation (well, in fact, a typical Elders' covert operation in the Big Satan's Homeland Security jurisdiction). So I have decided to come out of the closet at least on one facet of my complex personality: I am an anti-Semite. And this is final.

The final step on the way to self-discovery was made today, when I have read a post at Harry's place on "the lunatic fringe of the National Union of Journalists". It's about another pro-boycott notion re Israel or something in this vein. As usual, the tempers when discussing the subject run high, and one of the commentators with a moniker Stanislaw came up with the following:

This is why it’s hard to do anything but laugh when British journalists are kidnapped or killed.

The result of this... er... colorful observation was that one of the more respected British bloggers, a physicist, a jourmalist a science writer, an editor and a mensch, Francis Sedgemore, posted a perfectly reasonable and intelligent response* to other contributors in general and to Stanislaw in particular. I am copy/pasting the response as a whole here (hope HP folks wouldn't mind):

Why do some people in this place react to a few lunatics mouthing off as if hoards of barbarians were massing outside the gates of the City of the Enlightenment?

The NUJ Left is a small, noisy activist faction within a large and pretty staid trade union. I guess that the rest of us could do with being a little more active to counter the shenanigans of this group, but sometimes, you know, life is just too short to get hot under the collar about the antics of a few gobshites with poor dress sense and personal hygiene problems.

One positive development within the NUJ is a move to lessen the influence of conference-obsessed activists’ by holding fewer conferences. This sounds like a splendid idea to me. I attend my branch meetings to discuss issues of importance to members. By and large that is exactly what we do, and long may it continue.

Even if the NUJ Left manages to bulldoze through an anti-Israel motion at an ADM, this does not mean that the NUJ as a whole is going to boycott Israel. Get real, people.

“This is why it’s hard to do anything but laugh when British journalists are kidnapped or killed.”

Does being a cunt come naturally to you, Stanislaw, or do you have to work at it?

Well, as it frequently happens, the gentle reproach addressed by Francis at Stanislaw, caused an extravagant outpouring of hurt feelings mixed with highbrow analysis of Francis and accusations in all mortal sins, including the positive diagnosis of antisemitism. Not a single one of the commentators (or HP moderators) addressed so far the last point made by Francis, that of Stanislaw being a cunt. I have looked at that quote from Stanislaw several times at several angles, and the result was the same every time: yes, Stanislaw is a cunt.

On the other hand, since several commentators diagnosed Francis as an anti-Semite, I don't have any other option than to confess to the same malady (or is it a feature?). Yes, I am a raving and rabid anti-Semite too, since I share Francis' views as expressed in the above comment in general and on Stanislaw in particular.

So get at me too now.

(*) Aside of Francis addressing them lunatics as "NUJ Left", when "NUJ left" will suffice.