Elie Wiesel: “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”
Elie Wiesel: “Action is the only remedy to indifference: the most insidious danger of all.”
It is almost impossible to comprehend the inhumanity and horror of the Holocaust and sympathy for Jews and the desire to see a better life for them is and has been axiomatic. The magnitude of this assault on Humanity is as overwhelming as the cruelty. But cruelty is its own outrage and the horrific irony is that Jews, as Israelis, are raining unspeakable cruelty on Palestinians, as they have been doing to a greater or lesser degree for 75 years, but never like this. Another irony is that the Right are almost never right and it is the Right, led by WAR CRIMINAL, Bibi Netanyahu, that is disgracing Jews and their history. The mass killing of women and children while leaving the survivors to displacement and starvation matches any cruelty delivered by the Nazi regime. The only difference is scale. It seems that some folks FORGOT and NEVER AGAIN - EXCEPT FOR THIS TIME works for them! Nice to be all choked up over a monumental tragedy of the past. Also smart, from time to time to read the news.
No, it’s not because they forget, it’s because of apathy amd fear. Remember, Rwanda in 1994? Clinton wouldn’t even allow anyone in the state department to even use the word.
I remember a democratic member of Congress asking the Secretary of State at the time; “how many acts of genocide does it take, to call genocide, genocide?”
It was a powerful question, that went unanswered as the world stood by, and close to 800,000 Tutsi’s were murdered using machetes. The words cockroaches and vermin were used to dehumanize the Tutsi’s by the Hutu militias.
Then when had the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We acted, but ignored the genocide. Even troops from the Netherlands released over 5,000 males (Bosnian Muslims) 16 and above to the Serb Christians to eventually be shot and buried in a mass grave.
Then we have Darfur in Western Sudan that killed an estimated 400k to a million in 2003; government-sponsored militias known as the Janjaweed conducted a calculated campaign of slaughter, rape, starvation and displacement in Darfur.
And the band plays on:
Cambodia, China and Myanmar come to mind, going back to 1970’s.
Quite so, Robert. The more often it happens the less the shock, unfortunately. At the same time, it is never too late to call it out. And there is a thin line to be walked. Biden is the tip of the spear where America’s blind support of Israel is concerned, but even he is calling for an end to this. I think the solution this time, though in many ways too late, is to withhold ALL financial support to Israel until BIBI IS OUT OF OFFICE and assurances given of working toward a 2 state solution. In the meantime, pour that money into relief for Palestinians. Thank you for your thoughtful response.
Thank you, Steve. Thank you, Lisa. “Action” must come in the form of voting. It is time that this pustule of hatefulness and greed be lanced at the voting booths. Citizens - DO YOUR DUTY!
Never again? Wikipedia lists 19 genocides since the Holocaust. The ICJ has ordered that Israel should take action to prevent acts of genocide.That would be genocide number 20. Maybe Democrats are and should be anti genocide, anti kidnapping or killing civilians. Anti Netanyahu is not antsemitic.
Trying to discern some clarity, some sense of prevailing sentiment to finally decide which side I can embrace a final aliegance to regarding the Palestinians vrs Israelites has become an internal, undetermined war in my mind. Both sides are guilty of a feral ferocity seemingly unknown since medeavail times. The Holocaust seems an exception, but you can't blame the Palestians for that--that blame belongs to Nazi Germany. I have decided not to determine who is the most savage, the most ungodlike, but instead to seek counsel from any source that distinguishes Israel from the fascist beast Bibi. Hard to find that distinction from MSM, the word "glossed" comes to mind.
I certainly understand that issues don't always line up nicely with people supporting a political party, but this is a Democrat subscriber site, and the Democrats are demonstrating profound anti-Israel and general Jew hating these days. This seems a very inconvenient and disgusting brand that the Democrat party has earned. How can anyone that honors International Holocaust Remembrance Day also claim fealty to the Democrat party today? And if you want to make the case that there are Democrats on both sides of this issues, well there is very little conflict within the leadership and media narrative of the party. Joe Biden is attempting to walk a razor's edge on the topic... trying to not anger his supporters. But they are angry that he is not siding against Israel enough. Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem and opposed the terrorist state of Iran. Joe Biden has supported the terrorist state of Iran and has provide very tepid and weak support for Israel. The label of anti-Israel, anti-Jew is clearly justified for the Democrats.
Thank you Steve for keeping this conversation going and bringing awareness to the same old antisemitism which has never gone away. Lately, most discussions about anti-semitism, Israel and Jews in general need to be very connected to an accurate knowledge of the complete history of the Jewish people. It’s very frustrating to listen to many discussions, read articles, and hear current political viewpoints that have a very limited context. Most of the people commenting do not have a historical understanding of antisemitism and how it has been practiced for centuries (BCE) and that the Jewish people have been scapegoated and chased from their homes in mostly every place they have inhabited for thousands of years. Israel predates Palestine for a millennium and yet people seem to have no clue about it and imagine that the Jews are interlopers in their homeland. And while all of this ignorance is flourishing, Jews are barely able to discuss amongst themselves their horror and dread for what the Netanyahu government has been doing, at the same time as being horrified by what has been done to Jews regularly.
Highly recommend this interview with professor Amy Elman. As a lifelong liberal (moderate), I'm struggling to understand the hatred I'm seeing toward Jewish people, especially Jewish girls and women. Professor Elman shares specific examples in the interview, but I have seen hundreds of clips shared by the far left online. https://youtu.be/9UNB62uha5Q?si=IlFazyhN0qlNX94_&t=63
Thank you for posting. I listened for as long as I could. Dealing with with the horror of war is not something I wish to inflict on myself but I guess I must. Her lecture makes me sad that people will support torture and rape/murder.
Elie Wiesel: “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”
Elie Wiesel: “Action is the only remedy to indifference: the most insidious danger of all.”
I recite this Martin Niemuller poem often and it so resonates with me but
also scares me. I really don’t think people get the seriousness of where we are.
They seem too busy to even think.
I saw a clip of the Patriot Front heading to New York via subway.
All dressed alike faces covered. So, so scary.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
It is almost impossible to comprehend the inhumanity and horror of the Holocaust and sympathy for Jews and the desire to see a better life for them is and has been axiomatic. The magnitude of this assault on Humanity is as overwhelming as the cruelty. But cruelty is its own outrage and the horrific irony is that Jews, as Israelis, are raining unspeakable cruelty on Palestinians, as they have been doing to a greater or lesser degree for 75 years, but never like this. Another irony is that the Right are almost never right and it is the Right, led by WAR CRIMINAL, Bibi Netanyahu, that is disgracing Jews and their history. The mass killing of women and children while leaving the survivors to displacement and starvation matches any cruelty delivered by the Nazi regime. The only difference is scale. It seems that some folks FORGOT and NEVER AGAIN - EXCEPT FOR THIS TIME works for them! Nice to be all choked up over a monumental tragedy of the past. Also smart, from time to time to read the news.
No, it’s not because they forget, it’s because of apathy amd fear. Remember, Rwanda in 1994? Clinton wouldn’t even allow anyone in the state department to even use the word.
I remember a democratic member of Congress asking the Secretary of State at the time; “how many acts of genocide does it take, to call genocide, genocide?”
It was a powerful question, that went unanswered as the world stood by, and close to 800,000 Tutsi’s were murdered using machetes. The words cockroaches and vermin were used to dehumanize the Tutsi’s by the Hutu militias.
Then when had the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We acted, but ignored the genocide. Even troops from the Netherlands released over 5,000 males (Bosnian Muslims) 16 and above to the Serb Christians to eventually be shot and buried in a mass grave.
Then we have Darfur in Western Sudan that killed an estimated 400k to a million in 2003; government-sponsored militias known as the Janjaweed conducted a calculated campaign of slaughter, rape, starvation and displacement in Darfur.
And the band plays on:
Cambodia, China and Myanmar come to mind, going back to 1970’s.
Quite so, Robert. The more often it happens the less the shock, unfortunately. At the same time, it is never too late to call it out. And there is a thin line to be walked. Biden is the tip of the spear where America’s blind support of Israel is concerned, but even he is calling for an end to this. I think the solution this time, though in many ways too late, is to withhold ALL financial support to Israel until BIBI IS OUT OF OFFICE and assurances given of working toward a 2 state solution. In the meantime, pour that money into relief for Palestinians. Thank you for your thoughtful response.
Agreed
It is all very well to say “Never Forget” and to remember history, but we must LEARN from history.
Thank you, Steve. Thank you, Lisa. “Action” must come in the form of voting. It is time that this pustule of hatefulness and greed be lanced at the voting booths. Citizens - DO YOUR DUTY!
Right on, Steve. NEVER, NEVER AGAIN. BRUTALITY,TORTURE, AND GENOCIDAL KILLING MUST BE DONE AWAY WITH.
So, lets start in GAZA.
Never again? Wikipedia lists 19 genocides since the Holocaust. The ICJ has ordered that Israel should take action to prevent acts of genocide.That would be genocide number 20. Maybe Democrats are and should be anti genocide, anti kidnapping or killing civilians. Anti Netanyahu is not antsemitic.
Trying to discern some clarity, some sense of prevailing sentiment to finally decide which side I can embrace a final aliegance to regarding the Palestinians vrs Israelites has become an internal, undetermined war in my mind. Both sides are guilty of a feral ferocity seemingly unknown since medeavail times. The Holocaust seems an exception, but you can't blame the Palestians for that--that blame belongs to Nazi Germany. I have decided not to determine who is the most savage, the most ungodlike, but instead to seek counsel from any source that distinguishes Israel from the fascist beast Bibi. Hard to find that distinction from MSM, the word "glossed" comes to mind.
Thanks to Steve and to all of you who care. It never ends.
I certainly understand that issues don't always line up nicely with people supporting a political party, but this is a Democrat subscriber site, and the Democrats are demonstrating profound anti-Israel and general Jew hating these days. This seems a very inconvenient and disgusting brand that the Democrat party has earned. How can anyone that honors International Holocaust Remembrance Day also claim fealty to the Democrat party today? And if you want to make the case that there are Democrats on both sides of this issues, well there is very little conflict within the leadership and media narrative of the party. Joe Biden is attempting to walk a razor's edge on the topic... trying to not anger his supporters. But they are angry that he is not siding against Israel enough. Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem and opposed the terrorist state of Iran. Joe Biden has supported the terrorist state of Iran and has provide very tepid and weak support for Israel. The label of anti-Israel, anti-Jew is clearly justified for the Democrats.
Thank you Steve for keeping this conversation going and bringing awareness to the same old antisemitism which has never gone away. Lately, most discussions about anti-semitism, Israel and Jews in general need to be very connected to an accurate knowledge of the complete history of the Jewish people. It’s very frustrating to listen to many discussions, read articles, and hear current political viewpoints that have a very limited context. Most of the people commenting do not have a historical understanding of antisemitism and how it has been practiced for centuries (BCE) and that the Jewish people have been scapegoated and chased from their homes in mostly every place they have inhabited for thousands of years. Israel predates Palestine for a millennium and yet people seem to have no clue about it and imagine that the Jews are interlopers in their homeland. And while all of this ignorance is flourishing, Jews are barely able to discuss amongst themselves their horror and dread for what the Netanyahu government has been doing, at the same time as being horrified by what has been done to Jews regularly.
Highly recommend this interview with professor Amy Elman. As a lifelong liberal (moderate), I'm struggling to understand the hatred I'm seeing toward Jewish people, especially Jewish girls and women. Professor Elman shares specific examples in the interview, but I have seen hundreds of clips shared by the far left online. https://youtu.be/9UNB62uha5Q?si=IlFazyhN0qlNX94_&t=63
Thank you for posting. I listened for as long as I could. Dealing with with the horror of war is not something I wish to inflict on myself but I guess I must. Her lecture makes me sad that people will support torture and rape/murder.
The PO box mailing address seen on the site seems incorrect. I tried to send a note and it was returned to me saying "Vacant, unable to forward'.