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Thread: A Tale Of Two Cities

  1. #1
    Fred Steeves
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    A Tale Of Two Cities

    This is an interesting little something I stumbled across recently, and I thought others may find it interesting as well. Just to be clear I'm not an Israel basher by any means, at least no more so than towards any other comparably corrupt governing body on this planet. Perception being everything, I (still) find it simply incredible how skillfully mainstream media (mis) shapes "our" perception of reality. The song sheet repeating, not reporting, on "thug" Putin and the accompanying events in Ukraine, being a real doozy of a snow job at the moment.

    Quite the opposite is true, at least here in the States, when it comes to "reporting" on Israel. The basic narrative driven home time and time again is basically: "Israel good, all it's neighbors bad. Always support Israel in whatever it does". I've been to Israel, and enjoyed my time there very much. People are people wherever you go, and I found Israelis to be no different than Americans, or the people of any other country I've been to. Of course Israel has it's very dark side as we know, just like America, and this darkness deserves the light of day whenever possible.

    Below is a snip from an article containing two *extremely* divergent looks at the city of Tel Aviv. The New York Times could have run with either of these, so which one do you think it chose?

    You can tell a lot about a media outlet by how it covers Israel. A recent case in point is the New York Times.
    The Times recently posted a short video entitled, “Free Style In Tel Aviv“, which showcases Israeli hipsters in Jaffa, a Tel Aviv neighborhood with an “eclectic style inspired by the area’s famous flea market.” Of course there’s no mention of Jaffa’s indigenous Palestinian inhabitants who were ethnically cleansed by Zionist militias in 1948 to make room for the Israeli Jews featured in the piece. Nor is there any acknowledgment that ethnic cleansing of Palestinian citizens of Israel continues at a gradual pace to this day, in an atmosphere of violent anti-Arab and anti-African racism that plagues the heart of Israeli culture. But who cares about dispossession when there are funky Israeli hipsters to celebrate, am I right?
    Here’s an excerpt from the video (transcribed by Phil Weiss at Mondoweiss):

    Omri Aviv. Hipster. “I really love the Jaffa area because it’s funky with a true Israeli look. … funky and authentic.”
    Ofir Siman-Tov, on wearing women’s clothes in Jaffa: “This neighborhood is relaxed, chilling, and there’s freedom in the street.”
    Tmima Svitelman: “There’s certainly an eclectic style here that I like very much, and I hope they preserve it.”

    In stark contrast, The Nation recently posted “Israel’s New Racism: The Persecution of African Migrants in the Holy Land,” a short video produced by journalists David Sheen and Max Blumenthal. The mini-documentary reveals Israel’s brutal racism towards African migrants in disturbing scenes of nationalist rallies led by mainstream Israeli politicians proudly declaring their hatred of Africans and leading n-word laden chants demanding “the infiltrators” return to the countries they fled, all in the name of preserving Israel’s Jewish character. This is the Israel that most major US news outlets are loathe to acknowledge.
    http://raniakhalek.com/2013/10/18/ne...ism-in-israel/

    Last edited by Fred Steeves, 23rd February 2014 at 14:21.

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  3. #2
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    i read somewhere a long time ago.

    that no earthly political government could rule this earth.

    none.

    i feel this to be true.

    as all the signs to rule mankind are failing.

    no one trusts their governments who are suppose to represent the people.

    our only trust is within ourselves and our inner knowing.

    let the governments be.they shall fall.

    let us be and we shall rise.

    no more fearmongering will put us in fear.

    let us be,and all shall be clear.

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  5. #3
    Senior Member donk's Avatar
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    let the governments be.they shall fall.

    let us be and we shall rise.

    no more fearmongering will put us in fear.

    let us be,and all shall be clear.
    Now there's the problem, a few bad apples is all it takes, maybe even just ONE...one lousy bad apple that has the desire to impose their will, to control, who just can't "let us be", with their hands on more knowledge/tech, and it's curtains. They got us talking in these generalizations like there's a such thing as an "Israel", an entity that "does this" or "does that"...

    It's not a country, it's not a "people" or "culture", it's individuals making decisions, and easily manipulated going along with, emulating, allowing it. Until we can look at these issues with a more "below" focus, they will keep the discussion "above", on abstract artificial entities we (the "proverbial WE") keep giving god-like power to thanks to our faith in

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    Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. aid since World War II. Since 1985, it has received an average of $3 billion in grants annually, about two-thirds of it for military aid. (source) In recent years, a plan to reduce Israel's economic dependence on foreign aid has led to gradual reductions in the proportion of economic to military aid. In 2005, for example, military grants amounted to $2.63 billion, and economic aid to $360 million.

    Unlike any other U.S. aid recipient, Israel receives all of its aid in the first thirty days of the fiscal year, instead of quarterly installments. And unlike any other recipient of U.S. aid, Israel is not required to account for its expenditures. Israel, thus, is free to spend U.S. aid as it sees fit, including in ways that contradict U.S. policies - as in the building of settlements in the Occupied Territories.

    The U.S. Department of State regularly reports serious human rights abuses committed by Israeli troops in the Occupied Territories, implicating such U.S. domestic legislation as the Arms Export Control Act, which bars arms transfers to human rights abusers. Yet neither Congress nor the President have ever taken serious steps to ensure that U.S. arms are employed by Israel in a manner consistent with U.S. law.

    Beyond this military and economic aid, Israel has also received support for special military research and development projects (such as $625 million to develop the Arrow missile), and for other special needs. Israeli officials have announced that they will seek $2.2 billion from the U.S. to support the redeployment of its army outside of the Gaza Strip, part of its "Gaza Disengagement Plan".

    In addition to the above aid, the U.S. government has provided Israel with over $9 billion in loan guarantees since 1992. These guarantees are worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Israel as they allow the Israeli government to borrow money from commercial lenders at more favorable rates and terms.

    Since then, the U.S. has subtracted about $773 million - the amount believed spent by Israel on illegal settlements in the Occupied Territories - from the $10 billion loan guarantees. This has left $9.26 billion still available in guarantees, against which Israel has borrowed about $6.6 billion - meaning, to date, that the sanction has had no direct impact on Israel whatsoever.

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    It's disheartening that you feel the need to prefix your post with a declaration that you don't hate Israel. It's a wretched state of affairs when the mental abuse has reached such potent levels that even mere criticism or the description of injustice is labelled hatred.

    And all this despite the fact that everybody here knows you are a person in nowise given over to hatred or unfairness. The attitude that makes these kind of preparatory declarations necessary is Israel's nauseating propensity to squeal like a victim while behaving like a bully.

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    Quote Originally posted by Seikou-Kishi View Post
    It's disheartening that you feel the need to prefix your post with a declaration that you don't hate Israel. It's a wretched state of affairs when the mental abuse has reached such potent levels that even mere criticism or the description of injustice is labelled hatred.

    And all this despite the fact that everybody here knows you are a person in nowise given over to hatred or unfairness. The attitude that makes these kind of preparatory declarations necessary is Israel's nauseating propensity to squeal like a victim while behaving like a bully.
    I agree completely with this and that in no way reflects on Fred, who is visibly kind and clued up. Unfortunately, what's been demonstrated in the initial disclaimer is indicative of the residual feeling the Western world has been fed for the last 65 odd years: a persistent persecution presumed by Israel, prevalently perpetuated proactively to prohibit pressure upon them and alas the perception of the "persecutor" is proudly presented as a preface to any potential progressive discussion.

    Prats are everywhere.....beware.

    Please forgive the a-litter-ation.

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  13. #7
    Fred Steeves
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    Quote Originally posted by Seikou-Kishi View Post
    It's disheartening that you feel the need to prefix your post with a declaration that you don't hate Israel. It's a wretched state of affairs when the mental abuse has reached such potent levels that even mere criticism or the description of injustice is labelled hatred.

    And all this despite the fact that everybody here knows you are a person in nowise given over to hatred or unfairness. The attitude that makes these kind of preparatory declarations necessary is Israel's nauseating propensity to squeal like a victim while behaving like a bully.
    SK, where did I mention the word "hate" in the OP???

    Anyone who knows my posting style knows I'm not one to hold back on what's on my mind, regardless of subject. I *do* like to lay a bit of ground work in initiating a thread, and if some personal experience is relevant to the subject to boot then all the better. The topic of propaganda is precisely what this thread was about, namely pro Israeli propaganda, and me thinks you're reading a bit much into me simply saying that I'm not an Israel basher.

    The first video shows young modern day Jews behaving very much like Ernst Rohm's 1930's Brownshirts, did you watch it?
    Last edited by Fred Steeves, 24th February 2014 at 23:01.

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    PC HAT OFF !

    In the UK, ALL the media is run by 'JEWS'> nuff said.

    No NOT nuff said, ALL the communist revolutions in the world, were run by 'JEWS'. Perhaps not the original Palestinian (Biblical variety ) Jews, more like the Cathary imposters who set up a double whammy with the WW2 persecution bizz. Not only did they wipe out their original namesakes to clear the way for an Israel they could inhabit themselves, but they set up a kind of force field around themselves that has manifested as a trigger happy response by all trendies to the dreaded "Anti Semitism" curse of speaking the truth.

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    Quote Originally posted by Fred Steeves View Post
    SK, where did I mention the word "hate" in the OP???
    You said you weren't an Israel basher, which implies criticism for the sake of criticism. I was defending you and remarking on the sorry state of freedom of speech when it comes to Israel. If you've found a way to have a problem with that, congratulations. I'm not sure how you managed it, but there you go. Either you didn't read what I said, or you didn't understand it; in either case, I am required to justify nothing. I know you're not stupid, so it can't be that you didn't understand. I can only assume you read the first sentence at most and assumed whatever you wanted to about what I was saying. If assume makes an ass out of u, keep me out of it. I don't think anybody else managed to misinterpret me quite so well.

    I said "And all this despite the fact that everybody here knows you are a person in nowise given over to hatred or unfairness". How did you read that and think I was accusing you of hatred when I was unequivocally asserting the opposite? Astounding, Fred. Absolutely astounding.

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  19. #10
    Fred Steeves
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    Me thinks we're talking past each other here Oliver, and that happens very easily via the printed word. You know it, and I know it. Maybe we'll have a chance to start over on a different subject sometime.


    Cheers

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    Quote Originally posted by norman View Post
    PC HAT OFF !

    In the UK, ALL the media is run by 'JEWS'> nuff said.

    No NOT nuff said, ALL the communist revolutions in the world, were run by 'JEWS'. Perhaps not the original Palestinian (Biblical variety ) Jews, more like the Cathary imposters who set up a double whammy with the WW2 persecution bizz. Not only did they wipe out their original namesakes to clear the way for an Israel they could inhabit themselves, but they set up a kind of force field around themselves that has manifested as a trigger happy response by all trendies to the dreaded "Anti Semitism" curse of speaking the truth.

    *Applauds from the upper tier*

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    Is that applause from the nose-bleed section?

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    ****“To learn who rules over you simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize” – Voltaire****

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    That was interesting. It's like Western and Eastern influence coincide.

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