You seem to be a fan of Hezbolah and Hamas.

But the Likud was never the student of 19th Century US Bureau of Indian Affairs bureaucrats, while many of its leaders, including Begin, had brutal exposure to the lessons of the Nazis, including the lesson of collective punishment and the ruthless methods of the SS. Israel does not have the same degree of impunity that the Nazis arrogated unto themselves, so, instead of a final exterminating assault, as on the Ghetto of Warsaw, they are proceeding more slowly and with lower intensity with Ghaza. But both operations involve collective punishment. Likud claims to want the Palestinians to elect a government more to their liking. As they are so obstinate as to refuse, they have placed them under seige and blockade. It is impossible for me and many others to believe that the Likud government has any concern for Palestinian lives other than that they leave or die. Leibensraum? Freud could have described this response as "a repetition-compulsion neurosis"--doing unto others as you have been done unto. Einstein said of the Palestinians "If we don't treat them better than the Germans treated us we will deserve what ever befalls us" to    

Likud is the political successor of the Irgun, which officially disbanded in September 1949 under an ultimatum from the new Israeli Government. There was a religious component to the Zionism championed by Irgun and there is a religious dimension to Likud. To me, and, I believe, to the early governments of Israel, the methods and practices of the Irgun were incompatible with a democratic society. Likud leaders would proclaim that they had and have no alternative to the violent and ruthless methods they and Irgun have employed. I and a large minority of Israelis appear to disagree.

Albert Einstein the last word on the subject of Irgun and fascism: (From an Open Letter to The New York Times to which he, Sidney Hook, Hannah Arendt and others were signatories:

"Among the most disturbing political phenomena of our time is the emergence in the newly created state of Israel of the 'Freedom Party' ... a political party closely akin in its organization, methods, political philosophy, and social appeal to the Nazi and Fascist parties. It was formed out of the membership and following of the former Irgun Zvai Leumi, a terrorist right-wing chauvinist organization in Palestine.

The current visit of Menachem Begin, leader of this party, to the United States is obviously calculated to give the impression of American support for his party in the coming Israeli elections, and to cement political ties with conservative Zionist elements in the United States. Several Americans of national repute have lent their names to welcome his visit. It is inconceivable that those who opposed fascism throughout the world, if currently informed as to Mr. Begin's political record and perspectives, could add their names and support to the movement he represents ... A shocking example was their behavior in the Arab village of Deir Yassin ... this incident exemplified the character and actions of the Freedom Party. Within the Jewish community they have preached an admixture of ultra-nationalism, religious mysticism, and racial superiority. Like other fascist parties, they have been used to break strikes, and have themselves pressed for the destruction of free trade unions.

The discrepancies between the bold claims now being made by Begin and his party, and their record of past performance in Palestine, bear the imprint of no ordinary political party. This is the unmistakable stamp of a Fascist party for whom terrorism (against Jews, Arabs, and British alike) and misrepresentation are means, and a 'Leader State' is the goal.
In the light of the foregoing consideration, it is imperative that the truth about Mr. Begin and his movement be made known in this country. It is all the more tragic that the top leadership of American Zionism has refused to campaign against Begin's efforts, or even to expose to its own constituents the dangers to Israel of support to Begin. The undersigned therefore take the means publicly presenting a few salient facts concerning Begin and his party, and of urging all concerned not to support this latest manifestation of fascism." [pp. 352-353]

A scanned image of this Open Letter from the New York Times is available at this link.

The Official Einstein Archive contains the draft of an address Einstein prepared for a dinner for the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in 1950. Zionists seem to have drafted an earlier version of the text, which contained "eulogistic expressions" about Israel. The original draft stated: "The people of America will welcome this great orchestra because it is sent to us in a spirit of gratitude for the part we have played in helping to establish a democratic state of Israel. Israel's contribution to the beauty of living, like all artistic creations, will help not only Israel, but the entire Middle East." Einstein crossed out parts of the original draft, including the reference to Israel as "a democratic state," and stated his consistent view that "The meaning of Israel lay always and still lies in the spiritual values which it creates and embodies. The new state should only be seen as a means to serve these ends efficiently, not as an end in itself or even as an instrument of political ambitions." The document is dated almost two years after the State of Israel was founded. It seems Einstein did not consider Israel to be a "democratic state" and did not see the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine being a "help" to the "entire Middle East." Einstein had a different dream than the dream of political Zionists. His early support for a Jewish presence in Palestine clearly did not extend to Jews seizing control of the region and subduing or displacing the Palestinians. While some commentators seem to see Einstein as either an ardent political Zionist, or a man who vacillated on the subject of a Jewish state, to me he seems remarkably consistent. His dream was always of a form of Judaism that lived up to the visions of the Hebrew prophets who called for chesed [mercy, compassion, lovingkindness] and social justice. As he saw the nature of the Jewish state that emerged, he distanced himself from the racism, nationalism and militarism which soon became its watchwords. Einstein turned down the presidency of Israel when it was offered to him, and he continued to give voice to his fears "for the soul of Israel." A few months before his death, he remembered his "great hopes that Israel might be better than other nations," only to conclude that "it is no better."

From the same link:

Just before he died on April 18, 1955, Einstein signed what became known as The Einstein-Russell Manifesto. In it, the theoretical physicist and the philosopher-mathematician Bertrand Russell went beyond vague moral arguments for pacifism. Instead they posed political choices: "There lies before us, if we choose, continual progress in happiness, knowledge, and wisdom. Shall we, instead, choose death, because we cannot forget our quarrels? We appeal as human beings to human beings: Remember your humanity, and forget the rest. If you can do so, the way lies open to a new Paradise; if you cannot, there lies before you the risk of universal death."

_{aspiring to genteel poverty}

Craig Murry as more info inside Nato:

I was in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office for over 20 years and a member of its senior management structure for six years, I served in five countries and took part in 13 formal international negotiations, including the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea and a whole series of maritime boundary treaties. I headed the FCO section of a multidepartmental organisation monitoring the arms embargo on Iraq.

There are already deep misgivings, especially amongst the military, over the Afghan mission. There is no sign of a diminution in Afghan resistance attacks and no evidence of a clear gameplan. The military are not stupid and they can see that the Karzai government is deeply corrupt and the Afghan "national" army comprised almost exclusively of tribal enemies of the Pashtuns.

You might be surprised by just how high in Nato scepticism runs at the line that in some way occupying Afghanistan helps protect the west, as opposed to stoking dangerous Islamic anger worldwide.

But what kind of mutual support organization is NATO when members must make decades long commitments, at huge expense and some loss of life, to support the Unted States, but cannot make even a gesture to support Turkey when Turkey is attacked by a non-member?

Even the Eastern Europeans have not been backing the US line on the Israeli attack. The atmosphere in NATO on the issue has been very much the US against the rest, with the US attitude inside NATO described to me by a senior NATO officer as "amazingly arrogant - they don't seem to think it matters what anybody else thinks".

It is amazing what Israeli hubris can accomplish.

_{aspiring to genteel poverty}

I bet nutella is on the unabridged lists. It's a kind of pesticide.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

this particular quote implies governments of Israel and Egypt cooperated to re-open a border to Gaza.

That's the IDF just telling the world to fuck off, isn't it?

confiscated at Newark airport. But when I showed one to a security guard at an Israeli embassy, explaining that the Americans thought it was a weapon, he just laughed. I guess things have changed.

Beside the chemical weapons - chilli powder.

I'm trying to diagnose some problems with ET performance that affect users and admins differently. ColmanTestUser is Colman.