This is how I always know you are sincere and authentic. Sometimes you are standing amongst the left-wing I left behind. And then you are so far right my jaw drops. And I learn so much from you! So happy to be a subscriber.
The liberal Jewish folks I know would consider it extremely, eye-wateringly right-wing. Most are for a two-state solution, and some are Pacificists (who want to magically skip to the end where everyone loves each other without any violence in the meantime). But I do live in the SF Bay Area...
I used to live in Seattle (where David lives now) -- where it's even worse. Like MASSIVELY nightmarishly worse. But I was born and raised in SFBA so I am at least familiar with the crazy here (and know where the conservative pockets are).
If you say so! I enjoyed the article but most people I know, including most Jews, would call it far-right. And that includes those who self-identify as far-right.
I can tell you are not getting a pay check from any media outlet. I keep hearing "thoughtful" people saying they have no evidence of the horrors on Oct. 7th. No decapitations or baby burnings, my stomach turns because in this particular case they actually needed to be there to believe it. I think they simply do not have the imagination to accept what these people have been taught and what they really want to do. Here in Israel we can not afford to be so naive anymore. Thank you for your support from you safer distance.
I have surmised that Palestinians function like Arab (Muslim) rednecks/crackers/poor white trash. Their culture is backwards in comparison to their near neighbors - even their Muslim neighbors. They function as a permanent underclass in comparison to those neighbors. Violent in noticeably more extreme manner than any of their neighbors, religious in a flamboyant manner in comparison to their neighbors. (Different from rednecks in that their sexual mores are conservative and they appear to value self-education and industriousness). The Americans spent several centuries worrying about a permanent, rootless white underclass, until the early 20th century seemed to see it begin to be absorbed into a functional working class (which sadly slowed and began to reverse by the end of the 20th century). Religion is important to understanding the Palestinian’s plight, but I am wondering more and more if it’s the double threat of religion AND class.
David, you should write a column about the responses you get to this. It may be the most sensible course of action, but pragmatism is a foreign war here.
Even if we accept your point that the best thing that can be done for the Palestinians in Gaza is to undertake a long-term colonization and nation-building project like what the US did to Germany and Japan after WWII, who in the world would be willing to make that kind of investment (in both blood and treasure) on Gaza's behalf?
Japan and Germany were rational investments for the US because both countries were on the front lines against hostile communist powers.
Israel has no such incentive to make that kind of investment. From their perspective, the optimal option would seem to be reducing Gaza to rubble, letting the population starve, and then opening the beachfront property to settlers afterwards.
For the rest of the world that has a stake (the US, Arab neighbors), there is likewise no incentive for that level of investment, and their optimal solution would seem to be looking the other way while Israel "cuts the grass" one last time.
This is how I always know you are sincere and authentic. Sometimes you are standing amongst the left-wing I left behind. And then you are so far right my jaw drops. And I learn so much from you! So happy to be a subscriber.
This is not remotely a right-wing article. It is, however, not the flavor of left-wing that the Western Left prefers at the moment.
The liberal Jewish folks I know would consider it extremely, eye-wateringly right-wing. Most are for a two-state solution, and some are Pacificists (who want to magically skip to the end where everyone loves each other without any violence in the meantime). But I do live in the SF Bay Area...
I used to live in Seattle (where David lives now) -- where it's even worse. Like MASSIVELY nightmarishly worse. But I was born and raised in SFBA so I am at least familiar with the crazy here (and know where the conservative pockets are).
If you say so! I enjoyed the article but most people I know, including most Jews, would call it far-right. And that includes those who self-identify as far-right.
I can tell you are not getting a pay check from any media outlet. I keep hearing "thoughtful" people saying they have no evidence of the horrors on Oct. 7th. No decapitations or baby burnings, my stomach turns because in this particular case they actually needed to be there to believe it. I think they simply do not have the imagination to accept what these people have been taught and what they really want to do. Here in Israel we can not afford to be so naive anymore. Thank you for your support from you safer distance.
I simply can’t believe anyone had the guts to write this.
I have surmised that Palestinians function like Arab (Muslim) rednecks/crackers/poor white trash. Their culture is backwards in comparison to their near neighbors - even their Muslim neighbors. They function as a permanent underclass in comparison to those neighbors. Violent in noticeably more extreme manner than any of their neighbors, religious in a flamboyant manner in comparison to their neighbors. (Different from rednecks in that their sexual mores are conservative and they appear to value self-education and industriousness). The Americans spent several centuries worrying about a permanent, rootless white underclass, until the early 20th century seemed to see it begin to be absorbed into a functional working class (which sadly slowed and began to reverse by the end of the 20th century). Religion is important to understanding the Palestinian’s plight, but I am wondering more and more if it’s the double threat of religion AND class.
Egypt is terrified of them.
David, you should write a column about the responses you get to this. It may be the most sensible course of action, but pragmatism is a foreign war here.
Even if we accept your point that the best thing that can be done for the Palestinians in Gaza is to undertake a long-term colonization and nation-building project like what the US did to Germany and Japan after WWII, who in the world would be willing to make that kind of investment (in both blood and treasure) on Gaza's behalf?
Japan and Germany were rational investments for the US because both countries were on the front lines against hostile communist powers.
Israel has no such incentive to make that kind of investment. From their perspective, the optimal option would seem to be reducing Gaza to rubble, letting the population starve, and then opening the beachfront property to settlers afterwards.
For the rest of the world that has a stake (the US, Arab neighbors), there is likewise no incentive for that level of investment, and their optimal solution would seem to be looking the other way while Israel "cuts the grass" one last time.
One incentive lies in nuclear risk—given enough risk and Israel will find the cost worthwhile, given enough time and the risk will approach certainty.