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Rescuing the Underdog
As I watch the college students’ protests supporting Hamas and the Palestinians, I am filled with revulsion. Given their attacks not just on Israel, but on all Jews, I take their actions personally. I wonder, if they could find a way to “eliminate” me, would they try? Then my rational mind kicks in and I realize that I’m not really in any danger. Or am I being naive?
I’ve always been compelled to understand why people think and act as they do. As Dennis Prager says, he’s more interested in understanding than agreement (although that is not totally true for me as these protests continue). So here are my thoughts on what is going on.
Protestors Back the Underdogs—Hamas has done an excellent job of creating the perception that they are the victims of Israeli oppression. The fact that they have had opportunities to improve their circumstances, particularly when Israel evacuated the area, is meaningless to their advocates. That they took over successful Israeli businesses and destroyed them instead of building on them doesn’t seem to matter.
Protestors Fear Being Ostracized—Many if not most of these students have little purposeful going on in their lives. They’ve been indoctrinated by the university, and dread the possibility of being excluded because they don’t accept the current dogma. Call it the “hive mind” mentality, if you wish. It provides them with a community, a false sense of safety and acceptance.
Protestors Refuse to Acknowledge the Hamas Mission—A protestor might say, if Hamas was formed to destroy Israel and the Jews, they were only fighting back against oppression. They saw no other way to achieve their freedom and autonomy. The protestors assume they must provide at least moral support to these people.
Protestors Ignore their Acts of Terrorism—If Hamas has shot rockets into civilian Israel, it is justified; they are helpless against their oppressors, and they feel obliged to act on their anger and frustration. Israel has earned their hatred and violence.
Protestors Deny the Mass Murders—Even though in this day and age the protestors could learn the truth with the available technology, they insist that the mass murders didn’t take place on October 7. Hamas itself videotaped their violent, senseless and immoral actions to show the world their defiance of Israel. The killing of babies and burning of bodies were celebrated by their troops. That doesn’t seem to matter to the protestors.
Protestors Ignore the Taking of Hostages—I don’t know the reason for this one for a fact, but I suspect they simply disregard this information. But if any of them do know about these actions, they likely blame those who are captured: the Israelis have it coming to them, and if others were captured and killed—well, you know, collateral damage. Besides, those visiting Israel must be supporters of Israel and they deserve our disdain.
* * * *
The willingness of the protestors to go along with this savagery, based on lies and myths, is very disturbing. These actions show that the students and the Left are prepared to support the Palestinians mindlessly, and condemn the Jews, wherever they are. I wonder what they would say to me, about me, if they knew I was Jewish. Would I, too, be an oppressor? Would I be guilty due to my support of Israel?
Should I too be vanquished? Or killed?
Published in Islamist Terrorism
You’re too understanding. They just hate the Jooows.
I’ve bolded the part I think is true and drives the protests, probably along with much contained before this in your post. Mindlessly is the key word and since our government, academia, and media are filled with lies, myths, and disinformation, along with a substantial contribution of mindlessness as well, this is hardly a surprise.
I think the disappearance of mandatory military service has led to much of the mindset as well. Only the silents and the boomers actually have lived that experience and the current numbers on disqualification from service because of obesity tell a story.
You and Jews around the world are supported in your humanity and religious beliefs and endeavors by Christians everywhere.
I wouldn’t be too confident of that. Not just of the Chrisitan label, anyway. You’re probably right about actual Christians. But those “Christian” churches flying rainbow flags etc, not so much.
OK, true Christians then.
I think that military service has a chance to make a sobering impact. And I know that Christians support me, and it’s a great comfort. Thanks, Bob.
I would agree with all of your items, but I also think No Caesar is spot on: This is the ancient, perennial hatred of the Jews, dressed up in different garb.
While you re probably personally safe, you never know until you get targeted, so precautions are in order. Hate to find out the hard way, and all that.
I view this:
… as the prime mover, the thing which facilitates and reinforces all the rest. Much of the offensive mannerisms and rhetoric are actually defensive. Fragile, weak-minded, cowardly little things learn to hiss and fluff and bluster to prevent disruption to and ridicule of their unstable collection of mistakes and lies that they’ve built their fledgling identities upon.
A great many never grow up. How many times do we see footage of a grown man spouting utterly childish nonsense as he is led away in cuffs after a chase and a fight? Full-grown adolescents, and in some cases, mental children. Half-formed minds in fully-formed bodies.
There are entire nations (identity groups) like this. SJWs are one such.
One thing this comment reminds me of is all the youtube videos of attractive, usually drunk, rich young women calling for their mommies or daddies when pulled over and arrested by the police. Literally trying to call them on their cell phones and when that doesn’t work, calling out into the air.
Pretty White Girl syndrome. I’m an equal opportunity booger-flicker.
And they’re supposed to be our future leaders?
How did you know they were all white? :)
From the videos I’ve seen, the non-white ones don’t “phone home,” they start to fight.
I think this war and the war in Ukraine will ultimately result in some sort of global law enactment and enforcement organization.
In both cases, what is being disputed is the United Nations’ recognition of the independence and sovereignty of Israel and Ukraine.
What should have happened in these cases is that the countries or regions that disputed the sovereignty and borders of both countries as recognized by the United Nations is that they would have pled their case to the International Court of Justice in the Hague for a peaceful resolution. Most likely they would have lost, and they’d have to learn to live with it.
To suggest that Israel is an “occupier” or illegitimate owner of Israel is ludicrous, but that’s what these groups are saying. That’s why they support Hamas’s actions–because they see them as violence used legitimately to throw off an invading force in their land.
I don’t see any other way out of this conflict and the conflict in Ukraine, among other international conflicts, than to assemble a world congress that has the power to make and enforce laws.
This is how law and courts evolved within countries to begin with. Everyone will have to accept the final word of a democratically elected international body of law.
I’m sorry it’s come to this. I don’t want the United States subjected to an international code of law. But I don’t see any way around it.
Your suggestion is highly unlikely to happen. First, the U.S. (under Republicans) and Israel despise the International Court of Justice; they’ve accused Israel of war crimes in the past. Since the Left dominates most organizations, I can’t imagine one being formed that would be fair and just.
I appreciate your calling for fairness and justice, Marci, but neither the U.S. nor Israel will comply.
They will be no matter what. Time wounds all heels.
They know their father’s phone number?
I’m not calling for anything. Just predicting.
Their legal father, but one never really knows, does one?
In my observation, leftist activists (perhaps all of them) are basically disgusting human beings. If there is a leftist activist, expect the person to justify setting fires (e.g, BLM); to have no respect for non-activists lives or property; to revere freedom of speech only for themselves; to justify any despicable act in furtherance of the cause du jour. The are essentially narcissistic, glueing their hands to the street to disrupt traffic and so on.
I don’t think this about every left leaning person, but I do think it about the activists among them. As a group, despicable people unfit for civil society.
You’re a nice person, Marci, so I’m just reacting to the idea, not the person:
This is ridiculous nonsense. Boy, am I holding my tongue.
Only wars make peace, which is why it’s important to be prepared to win one at any time.
International law is garbage. Democracy is garbage. Treaty organizatons are mostly garbage. “Final words” are garbage.
All that any of this stuff does is convince the warlike to start pretending until the peaceful stop defending.
Of all potential solutions, including genocide, “agreement” is the least likely to produce peace.
If BOTH of two parties (not just one) cannot resolve differences, a third party does not help and typically makes things worse. From the Missouri Compromise to the League of Nations, do-gooder interventions just make the butcher’s bill far more dear. Even military intervention has only a muddy record.
Look at NATO and the UN. Whose voices actually matter? The nations with guns. Several nations including the US stupidly and timidly took China to court and DITHERED in the
South ChinaEast Vietnam Sea / Southwest Philippine Sea while China fortified islands. The “court” decided against China, and then what happened? NOTHING. China now enjoys their fortified islands in their sea.Peace for israel MIGHT come when all of Hamas is dead, and certainly not before. After, no guarantees. And that’s that.
I agree, David. Meaning the activists.
No I think you central theme that protestors “always back the underdog” is incorrect. Protesters back what they sympathize with, and it’s not always the underdog. If you think that Islam amounts to 1.8 billion people to Judaism’s 20 million at the most, why would you say that the Palestinians are the underdog? Underdog could be framed in multiple of ways. Whoever is the underdog is irrelevant to sympathies. In this situation Muslims sympathize with their fellow Muslims and leftists sympathize with anti western societies. To them western societies are evil. Otherwise why did most leftists sympathize with communism in decades past? They weren’t exactly the underdog.
I think that people will find ways to perceive their chosen side as the underdog no matter what. It’s part of the virtue-polishing that goes on beofre signaling that virtue.
I glanced back at the OP, and I don’t see where I said they “always back the underdog” (but I may have). I think the Left often backs the underdog. It has nothing to do with the population number; it has to do with whether people are seen as victims or oppressors. There have been a number of times when Jews have been seen as the underdog (most recently with the Holocaust); as soon as they became successful, though, they were seen as oppressors. Which are the anti-Western societies that the Left supports?
Some people did see that Communists helped save underdogs, so they supported the Communists to save society. And it’s not always about societies. The underdogs can be groups (BLM, proponents of the new racism) within society. And if you look at why the Left hates Western societies, they feel those societies are oppressing the people, or the oppressed. I’m pretty sure I have this right, Manny.
What if it is not Hamas or Palestinians who are the underdogs?
What if it is we Americans?
Who did Jeffrey Epstein work for?
Why do Mockingbird US media outlets rarely mention who Maxwell’s dad was, and who he worked for?
With James Clapper revealing that Paul Ryan is fully controlled by handlers, with Epstein’s name coming up in the conversation, and his also stating that SCOTUS member Roberts is controlled for the same reason, I find it very convenient that suddenly a war occurs. Especially given that this war came about because for some reason a nation’s border with Hamas, one of the most surveilled spots on the earth, was basically unattended, allowing in the terrorists who went on to slaughter Israeli civilians.
I’d love to say “Well, we certainly have the ability to do several things at once,” except over the past few years I have seen absolutely no proof of that.
Both wars and pandemics allow for us Americans being stripped of our civil liberties, which sad to say, are already in tatters.
And it is those civil liberties that are needed, on so many levels, from preventing further excess deaths and injuries from a vaccine program to protecting us from lack of response when entire Ohio towns are toxified, as well as preventing the financial takeover of our lives via CBDC, and the total total destruction by censorship of an indie media such that the PTB are now focusing on Joe Rogan, Tucker Carlson, and other up-and-comers.
What if it’s both? The difference is that we brought our lower status on ourselves, or allowed others to do it to us.
I agree about Israel, but I can’t be that confident about the US.
Harsh, but fair.
Heck they apparently know their father’s NAME.
It’s a human failing.
For example, calling all pro Palestine protests pro Hamas protests. If it’s repeated often enough it becomes ‘true’ in a narrative – but it isn’t actually true.
You will find protesters supporting Hamas, but what proportion of all the protesters are these? You may not want to look into this, given the situation, but if you don’t perhaps ask yourself why.
Can we really think we brought this on ourselves when we are given so little information?
We have our perceptions, formed inside the dismal way we are taught about life in school. The political perceptions are usually embodied in that same educational system.
Our perceptions are also reflected by the Mockingbird media. Our media operates under the same philosophy as Hitler’s strategy of having a Big Big Lie.
For instance, think of Pres John F Kennedy. He was a smart man, and he took on the problems of the Oval Office with the belief that the CIA and National Security officers were looking at things in terms of what would be good for the nation.
After the Bay of Pigs, he was no longer of that opinion. Why? Because they’d been lying & treacherous in their discussions with him. I guess they were figuring that he was a high society party boy and nothing more.
The knowledge he gained over that initial crisis informed him of the absolute certain need to distrust those agencies.
Then when the Cuban Missile crisis came about, he ignored their advice that the only way forward was to initiate a pre-emptive strike against the Soviet Union.
Instead that president picked up the phone & started negotiating with Prime Minister Kruschev. Their bargaining brought about the crisis’ end. (Which spared perhaps 2/3rds of The USA from entering a new stone age, survivalist level.)
Except for some in the government, most Americans are unaware of the realities of the DoD, the CIA, The National Security Agency. Most of us lack any possible way of being aware of the secret government and its activities.
Our secret government is running us. Mention its existence & you are a “tin foil hat” wearer. Accept the official narrative, brought about by our secret black ops people, and promoted by our Mockingbird media, and you will be treated with respect in political discussions.
Even when someone says “Some of what is being said makes sense. But I need more. If the CIA killed Kennedy, then name who did it.” That is not usually possible above the level of speculation. And should someone have that info, then the skeptic wants to know what each member of the assassination team ate for breakfast.
Apply the above occurrences to every other topic today in the USA.
Also, note: most Americans think that our government is run by people we elected.
It is not. It is run by the perpetual bureaucratic adjudication of the agency officials. The are supposed to protect us from industry’s misdeeds, but instead they are held hostage by industry. So they regulate us rather than industry, whose profit margin they protect.