How Beligerantly do you Defend your Position on Israel and the Middle East

[bryant69]

I don't care what your position is on Israel or the Middle East (meaning Hezbollah and Palestine and the connection those groups have to the rest); how belligerently do you defend that position?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. I voted for chicken pot pie!

Seriously, though, I'm not at all beligerant about my views: I think every country there is fucked up and wrong, they've all been wrong for hundreds and thousands of years, and the history goes so far back, and it's all so mixed up currently, including American fault and the fault and of every other Western and/or modern nation, that's all just a great big clusterfuck and it isn't worth pointing fingers, placing blame, or trying to determine who's right and wrong.

[SteppingRazor]

2. Other:

Clearly, your even asking this poll question marks you as both anti-Semitic and anti-Arab.

Why do you hate America?

[oberliner]

4. this comment

Comments like this minimize that seriousness of the fact that there have been numerous unquestionably antisemitic comments made in GD in the past few days.

[bryant69]

7. Yes we must not stop

until such individuals are punished to the full extent of the law. Even taking a second to lighten the mood makes a mockery of this pursuit of justice!

Remember a sense of humor is a crime against the state!

[SteppingRazor]

10. On the contrary, I wholeheartedly agree that there have been...

both anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim comments in GD over the past few days -- believe me, I know this a lot more than you do. I see just about every one.

But I'm also a strong believer in the use of humor to diffuse tense situations, especially here, where, as progressives, we should be able to find a great deal of common ground. Life is much, much too important to take seriously.

For the record, though, my own views on this situation tend to fall rather near those of BOSSHOG elsewhere in this thread. I don't believe a meaningful peace accord can be reached at the present time, and I am less than optimistic about the foreseeable future. But that shouldn't stop us from persuing a ceasefire as soon as possible. Less death and destruction is always a good thing.

[oberliner]

12. fair enough nt

[BOSSHOG]

3. I have no position on this issue

It has been going on long before I was born. I wish for a thousand year timeout, so the future generations of participants can forget why they hate each other. But that won't happen. However I am an insane proponent of cease fires and negotiations in any conflict. Hard to believe that all those who value cells don't give a fuck about the kids on either side of the border on this dispute who are being slaughtered.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

6. Right across the bow!

Well said!

[porphyrian]

5. The first one.

I'm always right. However, sometimes I have to radically change my position in order to be more right.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. I'm ok with disagreement

if it doesn't erupt into flames. I've learned a lot more about this complex situation by listening to viewpoints different from mine.

[Poll_Blind]

9. It really depends on the poster. Even the most strident personalities...

...have days when they are more moderate. There are a few posters who may be completely enraged with you in one thread yet moderate or even acquiescing to a point made in another thread. There are a few, of course, who have built up a hard layer of scar tissue around themselves and only exist to quack a particular talking point when squeezed, like a hateful rubber duckie.

  Again, it really depends on the poster and the topic and where discussion leads you. Sometimes threads start out flame-baity but evolve into rather frank, low-emotion, high-content discussions. Others are framed in noblest terms and devolve quickly into the jejune.

  Two posters may argue the exact same point but for completely different reasons or motivations. There is a poster, for instance, that I know has had a very troubled life...very troubled and who, during a process of healing, incorporated a number of ideas, unnecessary conflations, into their selves. Because I am aware of this, I wouldn't say, level a point as harshly against them in countering whatever point they made, as opposed to someone who clearly was a hack with a smoldering bromide, repeated endlessly like a mantra.

PB

[BayCityProgressive]

11. Well I am more on the side of Israel

in the conflict HOWEVER, I do think we all share a lot of common ground as progressives on the issue. MOST of us want a two state solution. MOST of us want civilian casualties to be as limited as possible, MOST of us want terror organizations disarmed, MOST of us want an end to all racism in the area. MOST of us want Palestine, Israel, and Lebanon to be stable friendly democracies, and MOST of us want better lives for the poor citizens of all these places. Now how we get there is the big point of contention.