The Palestinian cause

I was reading an excellent article by Rob Marchant in The New Statesman about the growing antisemitism on the left, when the words "it hurts the Palestinian cause" popped out at me quite unexpectedly. Then it hit me. Almost every decent article or blog post about antisemitism absolutely has to remind readers that antisemitism is bad for - you guessed it - palestinians!

Funny thing is, nobody tells us what exactly this Palestinian cause is. A quick google search reveals that there are a lot of Palestinian causes. Depends on who you ask, but you shouldn't loose your time asking just anybody.

We all know what Hamas would say. They also speak for the PA, in terms of goal, although they can't agree on the means. Their version of Palestinian cause is ultimately what Israel has to deal with, since they are their people's leaders. In their struggle to liberate themselves from even the slightest scent of racism, too many western intellectuals find themselves right (or rather left...) on the opposite side, playing into the hands of racist dictatorial thugs whose goals are fundamentally different from those of their idealistic supporters.

I wonder when was the last time a journalist stopped typing to think - really think - what the Palestinian cause means. Is it too much to ask a journalist to add a few explanatory words about his/her personal views on "the Palestinian cause"?

Here, There Be iPads

Indeed. No phone, no Flash, no camera, no multitasking, and all that for $900 - after you get everything else you need to start? And then start searching hysterically for a protective cover for that expanse of glassware? Oh well... after all, you know and I know iPad is gonna win the day.

Meanwhile, almost on the quiet but with much more bang for your buck.

The "ad" filched from Zoe Brain.

Another Dmitry: The last world war

The last translation (from the Jewish journalist Dmitry Sidorov) wasn't a fact-based commentary, rather an emotional response to the goings-on here. What I said in that post. Upon second thought - there definitely is a place for purely emotional reaction to a war. Here comes another Dmitry - Dmitry Voronkov, a Russian (Muscovite) bard and writer, with an emotional outcry named "The last world war". Again, translated using Google translator with some corrections. Is it necessary to say that I may not agree with some of Dmitry's statements? I don't know and don't care.

In my opinion, the Jews don't fight for their safety. They fight for my world, for my values, for my culture. And for most of my associates, whom I consider decent people. For all of us. They are on the edge of, perhaps, the major World War - for the values, the humans and the humanity. Which is what all the recent wars are about. Not for territory, not for resources, such as some imbeciles are trying to convince us. All this is much cheaper to buy, if human life is worth as much as it should be. And people buy it, if possible, and pay by their labor and talent to those who, most often, have not earned the payment. Or just butter these other people up . It is still cheaper than war, so let them.

[They fight] for values, and chief among them - the freedom given by God. For the opportunity to be free from all those who want to keep others in bondage, themselves being talentless loafer. Perhaps it is the last and the major war.

Palestine can not be bought. To be more precise, it takes the money - many years and from the whole world, which includes the enemy that they want to destroy - Israel. And Israel gives. From Russia, Jews are seen as totally daft and even cause hatred by this incomprehensible and humiliating the other side stupidity. What are they, the most fluffy [idiom - get it yourself]? Here [in Russia] and now the vogue is our national interests, and let everybody else croak. I just do not understand, what those interests are - even if you kill me.

But life in Palestine doesn't cost anything. The word and the dignity don't cost anything too. Forgotten. And the preachings of their holy fathers do not cause sympathy. Duty and responsibility - mere words in such a situation. There is no equivalent of the main value - human life. Even their own. What is really there to talk about the life of a Jew or an American? Why wouldn't the aunties dance on September 11 when their compatriots killed so many revolting Americans in their expensive towers? Cool, fun.

And carefree life is no cure. There is only one medicine - productive work for the benefit of society, which they have forgotten long ago. And I mean their society, the Palestinian one. And, accordingly, work education. With methods of persuasion and coercion. As the commander of my company used to say - a cookie in the mouth and a slap on the ears.

Now is the time for the slap on the ears. And the Jews do it without arrogance, with patience and self-sacrifice which very few people are capable of. Many have done so much harsher in Germany, Japan, Vietnam, Iraq or Yugoslavia, including - the Russians. Not counting neither theirs nor the others' losses when they felt right and wanted to burn the infection out. And didn't pay anything - the opposite - took reparations. With Jews it is much more self-sacrificial, with dignity of a God-chosen nation. They pay for the sins of the world, other people's sins, themselves being spit upon and crucified. In the Biblical sense, we are all Jews, physically - from Adam, and spiritually - from Jesus.

True, the Jews themselves do not go for pathos. Routinely doing what they must, protecting their homes, their children, destroying blackguards and not enjoying the death of the blackguards or their compatriots. They [the Jews] losing their children, too. And they don't expect a quick and glorious victory - they will still be spit upon, as usual in history. They don't think about the higher things. This is understandable, they are holding his rifle, not I. A rifle in the hands changes the lexicon in the way of simplicity and unprintable.

They say that they simply fight for their safety.

But I feel - for me.

Cross-posted on Yourish.com.