Reply #104: Sure [View All]

[tinnypriv]

Though I think you misunderstood the point - the reference was not to "civilians murdered" (incidentially that happened, but lets put that aside) in the siege of Boston, but the "hiding" of "cowardly carcasses behind women and children" during the siege of Boston.

Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, you can see that the parallel is almost exact.

As for the Genocide (perhaps I should use a capital letter, just as I use one for Holocaust - i.e. not 'holocaust') of the Native Americans, if you fail to see how that was related to the national movement (not just the national liberation movement, two different things), I don't think this discussion is going to go places.

For fun, you might want to check the history of 'clearing the continent' and note the laudatory mentions of this Genocide. There are numerous references to the Native Americans 'giving of themselves' in order that the 'great nation could grow and prosper'. etc etc. Quite sick, and could not be gotten away with in the current climate I should say.

As for:

what does whatever anybody did 200 years ago have to do with the murdering going on in the Mideast now

The answer: plenty. Assuming you want to analyse national liberation movements honestly, that is. If not, forget it.

But because someone somewhere has done evil, does not excuse blowing up women and children, targeting innocent civilians

Of course not, and implying that I have ever in any way "excused" suicide bombing is slander, backed with nary a shred of evidence (as usual). Either cease making these comments, or at least have the decency to try and substantiate them once in a while.

which seems to be the only weapon, strategy, or tactic, that the Palestinians have.

I would submit you are paying zero attention to current developments in the Palestinian national movement.¹

That's the charitable interpretation. The less charitable one is that you are paying attention, simply don't care and would prefer to falsify, in order to put the best possible sheen on the savagery² and deceit³ the occupation forces are currently unleashing to combat this terrible threat.


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1. To pick virtually at random, cf. 'The Peaceful Way Works Best', Ha'aretz, 11 Feb 2004 (noting the assimilation of Hamas into peaceful demonstrations against the fence), 'As in Tiannamen Square', Yediot Aharonot, 30 March 2004 (examining roots of the anti-fence demos). In addition, see the reports of the recent Right of Return conference in Haifa, organised by Israeli doves and Palestinian activists (BADIL being the main one), or the latest campaign by Al-Haq. One other example: note the signatories of the recent call for non-violent means to oppose the liquidation of Yassin (published in Arabic) - one of which is Sibham Thabet, the widow of the late Dr. Thabet Thabet, murdered by Israel (no known or plausible connections to terror).

2. See the article by Reinhart, cited above. The contents of which should come as no surprise to anybody reading the reports on these demonstrations in the Israeli press (or the far harsher ones from activist circles - Gush Shalom's condemnations of the "trigger happy army", the same from Ta'ayush, not to mention ISM which is even more scathing).

3. For one illustrative example, see 'Telling Left From Right', Ha'aretz, 27 Jan 2004 (heb, detailing the long-known story of harassement of Israeli doves by the internal security forces in Israel, with blacklists, humiliation, threats etc). I should note for fairness that the same paper published a 'denial' a few days later, given by an Israeli government high official. 'Denial' is in quotes because he proudly admitted that such blacklists exist, but (vaguely) countered that they were not as extensive as reported.