tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post5248665242240971944..comments2024-03-18T22:21:33.261-07:00Comments on The Debate Link: I Think You're Insulting Me WrongDavid Schraubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946653376744012423noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-40288458807910933942009-02-23T19:01:00.000-08:002009-02-23T19:01:00.000-08:00Zionism is not predominantly a religious ideology ...Zionism is not predominantly a religious ideology -- the Zionism that actually led to the creation of Israel was avowedly secular, and harshly opposed by the religious Jewish community (although I also don't think it would <I>per se</I> illegitimate to base political actions on religious foundations as any other, though as applied I think it often is).<BR/><BR/>Jacobson is attacking critics of Israel whose criticism he takes to be anti-Semitic (like Churchill), not critics of Israel in general. The criticism Jacobson is referring to has created a situation where the UK faced a pandemic of anti-Semitic violence in the past month. It is in my view an expression of <A HREF="http://dsadevil.blogspot.com/2009/02/criticism-as-punishment-retribution.html" REL="nofollow">moral hatred</A> untethered to any constraining obligations, and its effects are all too predictable.<BR/><BR/>That's a legitimate target for critique. The problem is many people are so convinced that I Am So Not Anti-Semitic that they assume any critique that says they might be is <I>really</I> just an inability to allow for any criticism. Well, no. You don't have to be an anti-Semite to criticize Israel -- it just happens that you, the person we're talking to, are in fact being anti-Semitic.David Schraubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04946653376744012423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-25173585717653298232009-02-23T18:46:00.000-08:002009-02-23T18:46:00.000-08:00er, no, it looks to me like Jacobson was criticizi...er, no, it looks to me like Jacobson was criticizing those who criticize the Israeli governments policies. I admit,I'm not as bothered by the attacks on Zionism, as I think if the Israeli government is basing their actions on religious beliefs then they're taking it too far.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-27924335276122963762009-02-23T14:31:00.000-08:002009-02-23T14:31:00.000-08:00That post was idiotic, and misread Jacobson, badly...That post was idiotic, and misread Jacobson, badly (and I suspect deliberately dishonestly). "No, you don’t have to be an anti-Semite to criticise Israel. It just so happens that you [Carol Churchill] are." That's the opposite of what Caruso claims Jacobson was saying, and the opposite of "anti-Israel government = anti-Semitism". <BR/><BR/>Caruso's norm seems to be accusing any Israel critic of anti-Semitism, at any point in time for any reason is means equating anti-Israel with anti-Semitism. It's terrible, and yet another case of the "anti-Semitism card" being trumped by the "'anti-semitism card' card"David Schraubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04946653376744012423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-73933201099232760812009-02-23T14:14:00.000-08:002009-02-23T14:14:00.000-08:00I used to sort of agree with the assesment here: h...I used to sort of agree with the assesment here: http://www.tinyrevolution.com/mt/archives/002867.html<BR/><BR/>But I can now understand why Jacobson took the stance he did even though I don't think anti-Israel government= anti-semetism automatically.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com