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This is a continuation thread, the old thread is [split]317021[/split]
Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, recently said that anyone who critisizes Israel is anti-Semitic![]()
I fail to see how anyone can think Israel is an innocent victim in all of this.
What is Harper's connection to Israel? Is he an Evangelical or something?
Like most things Canadian, I know nothing about Canadian politics.
Like most things Canadian, I know nothing about Canadian politics.
Harper is an evangelical Christian, and there is a strong core of his governing party that are hardcore fundamentalist Christians. However, in day-to-day government terms, those representatives are mostly marginalized, and most of his most senior advisors and ministers are more Wall Street than Bible Belt.
That stated, despite being in power for quite some time, Harper hasn't done anything to roll back gay rights, abortion rights, or any of the typical pet social causes. In some ways, his government has done more to speak out on gay rights than the previous Liberal governments (particularly in the international human rights arena). In Canada, those issues are radioactive, so my guess is the only bone he can throw his fundamentalist constituents is unabashed, unquestioning support of Israel.
Although to be honest, I believe Harper really does believe what he says, and it probably is more of a political liability in Canada than a benefit.
Right, but in America that would just mean you'd have a fascist party, a moderate party, and a communist party. And nothing would get done.
Right, but in America that would just mean you'd have a fascist party, a moderate party, and a communist party. And nothing would get done.
...so, the status quo, basically.
Israel seems to be a big thorn in the US's side. They keep picking fights and then want US support in many of their endeavors. They receive billions from the US yearly, and then turn right around and spend the most money in lobbying in the US government. If the Israelis don't get their way, they become a little extra shady. One example would be the USS Liberty. The Israelis attacked the ship and killed US sailors in an attempt to get the US to go to war with Egypt. Now with the Palestinians, the Israelis are just awful to them. It is almost like they feel that since the holocaust happened they have the right to mistreat the Palestinians. I feel that Israel is a corrupt and terrible government. I know this may sound awful, but the way they took land from the Palestinians and continue to kick them around would make Hitler say "I told you so".
Israel seems to be a big thorn in the US's side. They keep picking fights and then want US support in many of their endeavors. They receive billions from the US yearly, and then turn right around and spend the most money in lobbying in the US government. If the Israelis don't get their way, they become a little extra shady. One example would be the USS Liberty. The Israelis attacked the ship and killed US sailors in an attempt to get the US to go to war with Egypt. Now with the Palestinians, the Israelis are just awful to them. It is almost like they feel that since the holocaust happened they have the right to mistreat the Palestinians. I feel that Israel is a corrupt and terrible government. I know this may sound awful, but the way they took land from the Palestinians and continue to kick them around would make Hitler say "I told you so".
Israel seems to be a big thorn in the US's side. They keep picking fights and then want US support in many of their endeavors. They receive billions from the US yearly, and then turn right around and spend the most money in lobbying in the US government. If the Israelis don't get their way, they become a little extra shady. One example would be the USS Liberty. The Israelis attacked the ship and killed US sailors in an attempt to get the US to go to war with Egypt. Now with the Palestinians, the Israelis are just awful to them. It is almost like they feel that since the holocaust happened they have the right to mistreat the Palestinians. I feel that Israel is a corrupt and terrible government. I know this may sound awful, but the way they took land from the Palestinians and continue to kick them around would make Hitler say "I told you so".
But it comes down to who wins in districts. It's like how in the United States where Democrats got 48.8% of the vote for the House to the Republicans' 47.6%, and yet the GOP still holds a firm majority.In Canada you have a center right party, center left party and left party, so when center left and left combine for 60% of the vote the center right squeaks through and wins the election with 40% of the vote. That's one of the downfalls I guess of a 3 party system
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_federal_election,_2011
looking at this I forgot to mention the French Left party(6%) and the extreme left party(4%) that is part of the 60%
This argument is literally the most contentious issue anyone can discuss. The pop-politics associated with it makes it even murkier, and blatant anti-semitic propaganda that's still rife all over the world makes it a not-so-despicable notion that "The shadowy Jews are in control of everything" is a belief held by many. I mean people still quote the Protocols like they're facts
On a more practical level, I don't condone Israel's excessive use of force in a lot of cases, and their constant expansion is certainly not something that I support. That being said, if I were a small country in the middle of a region where almost every leader (Explicitly stated or implicitly believed) wants nothing more than to "wipe my people off the face of the earth" I'd also react to any and all threats with excessive force. What some people don't understand is that in the long run a single moment of weakness from Israel might result in them literally being annihilated. And by extension, the inclusion of Jews in global society would become even more tenuous.
You don't seem to have given this any critical thought. The highlighted part is some of the most ridiculous rhetoric I've come across.
Yes, it does sound awful. Totally uncalled for. And you're making no distinction between the 6 million Jews from wildly diverse backgrounds and beliefs that Hitler exterminated and the orthodox neocons who make up Netanyahu's rightwing government. I'm Jewish and my grandparents lost cousins in the holocaust and I definitely don't support occupation of the West Bank or the settlements in general. You almost had some good points there, but you ruined it with that really messed up, insensitive and just bizarre Hitler dig.