Via Dave's daily update, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Douglas Murray on this BBC show doing a wonderful job attempting to educate the vacuous fools he's surrounded by. It's two, or really three, to one, and still he seems to have them outnumbered.
I agree that Douglas Murray was the most intelligent of the lot. The problem with this kind of format, however, is that if you're giving a point of view that's not generally accepted, you have a hard time getting it out because of the interruptions. I kept on wanting to say, "let him talk!"
As far as Israel being there as a foothold of the British and Americans...that was completely inane. The Balfour Declaration did not really reflect the views of the British establishment, which distanced itself from the document pretty quickly. Also, those concerned with British or American political interests saw Israel as an obstacle to those interests, which were much better served by courting the more numerous and richer Arabs. Herzl was not thinking "foothold."
When discussing the situation in Gaza, no one could speak long enough to show how Gaza was awful or okay. The New York Times admitted that there is no shortage of goods there, but said there was unemployment. Okay, that sounds realistic. But these nuances were lost in this discussion, which were hampered by having a moderator who was not neutral.
The moment of stunning stupidity, however, was when one of the participants said that Israel should try to be like Singapore, and should try to work with its neighbors, including Hamas. What an idiot! Wasn't it Peres who came up with the idea of a new Middle East based on a shared economy powered by technology? Israel is like Singapore, but the rest of the region isn't like SE Asia. And Israel should be more willing to talk to Hamas? Even when Murray pointed out that there was nothing one could do with Hamas, the ladies just refused to listen.
This reminds me of a joke an economics professor once told, a joke that shows that economists can deal with theory more than with stubborn reality. There are three shipwrecked people on a Pacific island--an economist, a chemist, and a physicist--and all they had to eat was a can of beans. But they had no can opener. So they discussed how to open the can. The chemist said to heat up the can, the contents will expand and force the can to burst open. The physicist suggested throwing the can up in the air and letting it open on impact when it lands. The economist said, "Let's assume there's a can opener."
In a sense, these women, especially the oldest one who made the inane statement, didn't get that, with Hamas, there's no can opener. One cannot talk to them because nothing is up for negotiation.
And as for that Jewish anti-Zionist saying that Israel supported every dictator...I don't remember Israel supporting Pol Pot, Kim Il Jong (or Jong Il), Mao, et al. Yes, Israel did trade with South Africa (much to its shame), but so did tons of other countries, including the USSR, the black African states, and the Arab states. This woman really apparently thinks that Israel is the worst country in the world. My jaw was dropping.
Thank heaven for Douglas Murray and people like him. I would never agree to go on a show like that, with three stacked against one.
I'm sure that the show convinced no one of anything, however. Those against Israel walked away thinking the women were stronger, and those more pro-Israel thought the women were foolish and Murry sensible. I count myself among the latter.
I agree that Douglas Murray was the most intelligent of the lot. The problem with this kind of format, however, is that if you're giving a point of view that's not generally accepted, you have a hard time getting it out because of the interruptions. I kept on wanting to say, "let him talk!"
As far as Israel being there as a foothold of the British and Americans...that was completely inane. The Balfour Declaration did not really reflect the views of the British establishment, which distanced itself from the document pretty quickly. Also, those concerned with British or American political interests saw Israel as an obstacle to those interests, which were much better served by courting the more numerous and richer Arabs. Herzl was not thinking "foothold."
When discussing the situation in Gaza, no one could speak long enough to show how Gaza was awful or okay. The New York Times admitted that there is no shortage of goods there, but said there was unemployment. Okay, that sounds realistic. But these nuances were lost in this discussion, which were hampered by having a moderator who was not neutral.
The moment of stunning stupidity, however, was when one of the participants said that Israel should try to be like Singapore, and should try to work with its neighbors, including Hamas. What an idiot! Wasn't it Peres who came up with the idea of a new Middle East based on a shared economy powered by technology? Israel is like Singapore, but the rest of the region isn't like SE Asia. And Israel should be more willing to talk to Hamas? Even when Murray pointed out that there was nothing one could do with Hamas, the ladies just refused to listen.
This reminds me of a joke an economics professor once told, a joke that shows that economists can deal with theory more than with stubborn reality. There are three shipwrecked people on a Pacific island--an economist, a chemist, and a physicist--and all they had to eat was a can of beans. But they had no can opener. So they discussed how to open the can. The chemist said to heat up the can, the contents will expand and force the can to burst open. The physicist suggested throwing the can up in the air and letting it open on impact when it lands. The economist said, "Let's assume there's a can opener."
In a sense, these women, especially the oldest one who made the inane statement, didn't get that, with Hamas, there's no can opener. One cannot talk to them because nothing is up for negotiation.
And as for that Jewish anti-Zionist saying that Israel supported every dictator...I don't remember Israel supporting Pol Pot, Kim Il Jong (or Jong Il), Mao, et al. Yes, Israel did trade with South Africa (much to its shame), but so did tons of other countries, including the USSR, the black African states, and the Arab states. This woman really apparently thinks that Israel is the worst country in the world. My jaw was dropping.
Thank heaven for Douglas Murray and people like him. I would never agree to go on a show like that, with three stacked against one.
I'm sure that the show convinced no one of anything, however. Those against Israel walked away thinking the women were stronger, and those more pro-Israel thought the women were foolish and Murry sensible. I count myself among the latter.
Douglas Murray is THE MAN.
Israels primary mission is to show Jew haters that the Israelis are NOT the unarmed Jews of WW2 nazi vermin infested europe.
That vile whore on the left is upset that the Israelis are not playing their age old role of victim.
Tough shit tootsie.
P.S. great britain, get out of Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, the Caribbean, the Land Down Under (I like Australia), pay reparations to India, China...