Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
General Election: U.S. Journalist Chris Hedges flies in to back Blackburn candidate Craig Murray
"Craig [Murray's] central campaign issue is the genocide in Gaza. He calls for a permanent ceasefire, the establishment of a full and independent Palestinian state and backs the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against the apartheid state of Israel."
Chris Hedges went to Blackburn to support him. Hedges gives a speech full of raw emotion, and power. With deep knowledge gathered over decades as a journalist and author in many countries. Not everyone will agree with him. (I have friends and family members who may find his views and arguments shocking.) Even so, and whatever your own views, I would ask you to pay Chris Hedges close attention.
Even for an event within a General Election supposedly dealing with fundamental issues, how many speakers can we think of who could match Hedges during a local hustings?
His speech is called "Nero's Guests". In it he refers to incidents in ancient Rome. But this is not some quaint historical anecdote. Hedges applies this image to today's and tomorrow's killings. He warns and explains why it is us and our local Members of Parliament who - right now and in real time - are on the verge of being Nero's Guests.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
-
Back in 2006, David and I were amongst the first people to enter into a civil partnership. The local authority where we had the ceremony asked to interview me for their council magazine - which I did.
In the interview I mentioned that I had been involved in the campaign for the legal recognition of same sex relationships for many years. I asked if I could see the messages and emails they got as a response to the article.
Most were lovely, some were vile and told me about the special place in Hell reserved for me, but quite a number criticised me for spending my time campaigning on this when I should have been using my energies on things important to them which in their opinion were far more important. They ranged from famine to wildlife conservation.
I, and I would suggest you, have no idea of Alan’s views on Saudi Arabia or other oppressive regimes around the world. Even if he doesn’t hold a view on that particular issue how does that negate other opinions he has?
-
Permalink Reply by Don on
-
Michael: I wouldn’t disagree with you — we all have opinions on issues that are important to us but may not be as relevant to others. I’m guessing that Alan might have a view on Saudi Arabia too, and we all select the issues on which we want to comment in public. But my broader point is that Israel attracts ire and condemnation, much of it because of the UK’s perceived support, in a way that almost never seems to be directed at other nations or governments with reprehensible policies that are also supported by this country.
I’m not saying this negates Alan’s view (I reacted to a specific post about the Israel/Hamas conflict because that’s what came up), but I’d very much like to see a wider acknowledgement that HMG’s involvement with many repressive regimes appears to get a free ride in comparison with the level of public criticism directed at its support for Israel. I believe there’s a narrowness of focus which is disproportionate, and it would (in my view) be good if those condemning Israel so forcefully for humanitarian reasons acknowledged that there are repressive and totalitarian regimes to which the same level of public complaint could equally be directed in a bid to change UK policy.
-
-
So I should not have been vocal in my criticism the UK’s lack of legal recognition of same sex partnerships unless I had been equally vocal on the appalling treatment of LGBTQ+ people in other countries in the world, some of which receive funding from the U.K. and profit from trade with us? I cannot solve the world’s problems but I can focus on things where I think I may perhaps make a tiny difference.
-
Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
-
Thanks Michael. Nicely pointing out the profound logical flaws in a 'Whataboutery' argument.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WhataboutismIn my case prompted by the recent posts I've made referring to Israel/Palestine.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Such Pro-Zionist criticisms remind me of a joke I once heard about someone invited to a party by white South Africans during the Apartheid era.They whisper to their host:
"I don't want to embarrass you. But... well... there's a terrible smell in here."The host replies angrily:
How would you know? You've only just got here!"
-
-
Alan — Yes, “whataboutery” is a redundant approach. To be clear, I assume your “pro-Zionist” comment refers to a previous post from Mark Michaels, not mine; as a non-Jew and non-Zionist (to clarify) I’m as disturbed as I expect you are by the degradation of what was once a liberal democracy by a series of populist and increasingly right-wing leaders (starting, in my view, with Begin) to the point where it’s run by an ultra-right PM for his own political purposes, supported by religious fanatics who appear to want the country to be an Iranian-style theocracy. My broader point is that Israel appears to provoke levels of protest and diatribe not directed at other states with reprehensible regimes and policies that are also supported by the UK government — support that’s ostensibly the reason for pro-Palestine marches and election candidates making this their platform. Your original post highlighted one such; I think there’s a wider picture and it’s unfortunate that it rarely, if ever, gets considered. I’d question why this should be the case.
-
-
Don,
Yes, as you observe there's Pro-Zionist Mark Michaels.
Plus of course Esther Cohen calling for "No ceasefire until Hamas surrender and return the hostages." Which to my mind is a recipe for endless killing with very few hostages nor Palestinians in prisons returning to their families.
Esther ends with a prayer to death.
"Bless the IDF!" [Israel Defence Force]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don, As I get old, I'm slower-thinking. So when I say that I didn't fully understand your latest post above, that's not a criticism of you but a confession about me.
I too may have once had the impression that Israel was a liberal democracy. Especially when I lived there for a year. But I was naive and ignorant.
Even later visiting during the "Oslo" period my optimism overcame essential scepticism. Then an old friend (American) friend who is a historian recommended some Israeli journalists and some academic reading and book buying. I learned about the so-called Israeli New Historians. Since then I've bought and read lots of books and articles and videos with analyses and even diatribes directed at many states and very many issues round the globe.I realise the Israelis would prefer to believe that criticism of their state is just antisemitism. And they've cooked-up a definition of "he New Antisemitism" which some gullible Haringey councillors voted through a few years ago.
Our bookshelves carry lots of criticismabout stuff we Brits got up to and not just in long ago centuries; But relatively recently. As e.g. Indians, Irish, Afghans, Chinese, Canadians. etc etc etc could remind us. It may be hard to visit UK towns and cities without seeing a statue or two of some slavers. Or sea captains who sailed around sticking flags in someone else's lands.
My dad had a good friend - a Scot - who served in the British Army in Palestine during the Mandate. In my very sketchy recollection I don't think he was entirely comfortable about his time there.
Anyway, Don. Do say something about the wider picture as you see it.
You and other peope may also enjoy (re)visiting Stewart Lee's classic diatribe.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vzbk0
-
-
I do hope you are okay Alan. Maybe it's time to focus on something else for a while. It's summer and despite the problems in the world it is still a wonderful place.
-
-
-
Apologies for posting a rough early draft with typos.
Correction tomorrow. -
-
-
I was watching a short children's cartoon with our three granddaughters. The Pied Piper of Hamelin. The story got to the bit where the piper had lured the rats into the River Weser, deep and wide. After which the Mayor and Corporation refused to pay the piper their agreed price.
As I hope all grown-ups know the piper and his music then leads away the town's children.At this point our oldest granddaughter got very angry indeed. The piper, she said, was wrong to do that. And a bad man.
Yes, I told her. She was completely right. It was wrong to punish the children because the bosses of Hamelin Town broke their promise.As the Poet Robert Browning tells the story, the Hamelin kids were not harmed.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45818/the-pied-piper-of-hamelinBut still, it was collective punishment of the wrong people. At a time when International Law had not yet developed enough.
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- Next ›
© 2024 Created by Hugh.
Powered by
