Hi Alan. Thanks for this superb work. I’ll take this also to thank you about your work with Simon effectively waking me up from the pseudo science bro carnivorish psychiatrist nightmare. Only point I felt is missing with regards to the effective annexation in the west bank and the reporting of Betselem is that it totally neglects the terror waves of the 80s and 90s through which I was growing in my teenage years. I don’t know how many people can grasp a reality where you seriously ask yourself if it is a good idea to go out today, maybe take a bus as you can possibly die by a Palestinian terrorist shooting, stabbing or exploding on you. This led Israel to build a wall to stop the flood of terror from the West Bank and probably to look for ways to stop those terrorist by approving the demolishing of their and their family houses (after a court marshal) as loosing their own lives was meaningless to those “Shahids”. Currently till this very moment, each “martyr” family is being paid a pension by the PA and praised.
Hi Amit, thank you for perspective. I can see how it somewhat neglected the impact you describe, particularly of the Second Intifada and the security responses to that. The main point I was trying to make was that the process of expansion preceded both Intifadas, and started almost as soon as the '67 war ended. The settlers also seem fairly impervious to consequences. Nevertheless, the threat of a death-cult you're describing is very real and important context. Part 3 will exploring how fighting Islamist fundamentalism poses an entirely different challenge to, e.g., the British fighting the IRA, and creates untenable dilemmas.
P.s., glad you found your way back from the carnivorish nightmare, that is what makes the work with Simon so worthwhile :)
On the 2017 charter, if I'm honest I thought it played language games with the same ultimately aims and intent. It softened the rhetoric from the 1988 charter, but it also contradicted itself in both appearing "recognising" the 1967 borders while also rejecting Israel and "Zionism".
It also played a language game with its purported distinction between "Zionism" and the Jewish people, i.e., it reframes overt anti-Semitism as "anti-Zionism" (which not ironically Western liberals have since adopted).
So yeah; same Hamas, different word salad. October 7th told us everything we need to know about any differences between 1988 and 2017.
Another brilliant essay, Alan, thanks a lot for your thoughtful, reasonable and humble voice in this, yes, "time of monsters", so damn necessary! I have not been aware, at least not in such detail, e.g. of the "post-war framework of minority rights", although it obviously is yet another part of this "knot" - and it is so important to keep in mind all these details that "people in the West, wholly unconnected to the conflict, comfortable and safe with their luxury radical-chic beliefs" don't want or mind to know. As another commenter said, "Everyone should read this."! Thank you, Alan, and I am very much looking forward to Part 3 of this! (to be honest, while not directly connected, I am German, usually more "leftist", and grew up, fortunately!, learning a lot about the indescribable cruelties of Nazi Germany as well as a "Never again" to Antisemitism; and I do have so many thoughts on what is going on in forms of "responses" to this hell, from all sides..)
Thanks Mel. I share that view on the very worrying trends along the Leftist/"River to Sea" crowd, and I think they are flirting with some dangerous historical precedents but entirely ignorant of how their rhetoric and actions are creating the most virulant anti-semitism we've seen since the Second World War. Frightening.
You aren't a Leftist (and no specific iteration of Leftism can be considered mature and powerful) until you start making excuses for massacres, or at least trying to brush them under the rug.
Western Leftists cheered on the Red Terror, became useful idiots for Stalin, and of course went wild for Mao and his Cultural Revolution—Godard made movies about how cool Mao was, Sartre and Foucault gave stirring speeches about the proletariat, Susan Sontag was seduced, and countless intellectuals and profs beclowned themselves supporting mass murders that others endured while they slept in their beds dreaming of tenure and book deals.
How it is that Left ideology turns one sphere of your brain into a radical humanitarian preaching equality and justice and the other into a bloodthirsty fanatic ready to excuse any abomination as long as it was "to make the world a better place" is a fascinating question I won't address.
I honestly wish that the young and aggrieved and their gurus of resentment could live in the world they're trying to bring about (a Holiday in Cambodia or a Woke Soviet Union), but unfortunately they aren't really looking to create their own societies or institutions, just destroy the ones we have now.
Thanks for this series, is great work and great writing!
Great point about the fact that this isn't an anomaly for Western Leftists, and we could add the reactions of the Left to the Iraq War, or Jeremy Corbyn celebrating Hamas and Hezbollah and toasting the Al-Assad regime in Syria, all under the guise of "but Western imperialism tho".
This is something I'm elaborating on in Part 3: the "anti-imperialism of fools".
The dichotomy of the Leftist brain hemispheres is certainly fascinating, and I often think for a side that champions atheism they seem to neglet the Christian fundamentalist zeal with which far Left movements have often taken their roots. But as you say, this contemporary "Leftism" has no interest in building anything, it is solely a project of deconstruction for the sake of it, as if real life was a relativist 'Theory'.
This is a terrific summary, Alan.
Thank you, I appreciate it :)
Everyone should read this.
Hopefully part 3 includes the USA's role and more about UN failure.
Thanks Mike, and I'll take that on board re: the US/UN, particularly in light of the current flare up.
Thank you.
Brilliant, as always, Dr Flanagan!
I appreciate that, Dr Spreckley :)
Hi Alan. Thanks for this superb work. I’ll take this also to thank you about your work with Simon effectively waking me up from the pseudo science bro carnivorish psychiatrist nightmare. Only point I felt is missing with regards to the effective annexation in the west bank and the reporting of Betselem is that it totally neglects the terror waves of the 80s and 90s through which I was growing in my teenage years. I don’t know how many people can grasp a reality where you seriously ask yourself if it is a good idea to go out today, maybe take a bus as you can possibly die by a Palestinian terrorist shooting, stabbing or exploding on you. This led Israel to build a wall to stop the flood of terror from the West Bank and probably to look for ways to stop those terrorist by approving the demolishing of their and their family houses (after a court marshal) as loosing their own lives was meaningless to those “Shahids”. Currently till this very moment, each “martyr” family is being paid a pension by the PA and praised.
Hi Amit, thank you for perspective. I can see how it somewhat neglected the impact you describe, particularly of the Second Intifada and the security responses to that. The main point I was trying to make was that the process of expansion preceded both Intifadas, and started almost as soon as the '67 war ended. The settlers also seem fairly impervious to consequences. Nevertheless, the threat of a death-cult you're describing is very real and important context. Part 3 will exploring how fighting Islamist fundamentalism poses an entirely different challenge to, e.g., the British fighting the IRA, and creates untenable dilemmas.
P.s., glad you found your way back from the carnivorish nightmare, that is what makes the work with Simon so worthwhile :)
Thank you for this insightful read. I was curious what your thoughts are on the updated hamas charter from 2017?
Thanks, Elena, glad you found it so.
On the 2017 charter, if I'm honest I thought it played language games with the same ultimately aims and intent. It softened the rhetoric from the 1988 charter, but it also contradicted itself in both appearing "recognising" the 1967 borders while also rejecting Israel and "Zionism".
It also played a language game with its purported distinction between "Zionism" and the Jewish people, i.e., it reframes overt anti-Semitism as "anti-Zionism" (which not ironically Western liberals have since adopted).
So yeah; same Hamas, different word salad. October 7th told us everything we need to know about any differences between 1988 and 2017.
Thank you, Alan
Thanks for reading, Amy :)
Another brilliant essay, Alan, thanks a lot for your thoughtful, reasonable and humble voice in this, yes, "time of monsters", so damn necessary! I have not been aware, at least not in such detail, e.g. of the "post-war framework of minority rights", although it obviously is yet another part of this "knot" - and it is so important to keep in mind all these details that "people in the West, wholly unconnected to the conflict, comfortable and safe with their luxury radical-chic beliefs" don't want or mind to know. As another commenter said, "Everyone should read this."! Thank you, Alan, and I am very much looking forward to Part 3 of this! (to be honest, while not directly connected, I am German, usually more "leftist", and grew up, fortunately!, learning a lot about the indescribable cruelties of Nazi Germany as well as a "Never again" to Antisemitism; and I do have so many thoughts on what is going on in forms of "responses" to this hell, from all sides..)
Thanks Mel. I share that view on the very worrying trends along the Leftist/"River to Sea" crowd, and I think they are flirting with some dangerous historical precedents but entirely ignorant of how their rhetoric and actions are creating the most virulant anti-semitism we've seen since the Second World War. Frightening.
You aren't a Leftist (and no specific iteration of Leftism can be considered mature and powerful) until you start making excuses for massacres, or at least trying to brush them under the rug.
Western Leftists cheered on the Red Terror, became useful idiots for Stalin, and of course went wild for Mao and his Cultural Revolution—Godard made movies about how cool Mao was, Sartre and Foucault gave stirring speeches about the proletariat, Susan Sontag was seduced, and countless intellectuals and profs beclowned themselves supporting mass murders that others endured while they slept in their beds dreaming of tenure and book deals.
How it is that Left ideology turns one sphere of your brain into a radical humanitarian preaching equality and justice and the other into a bloodthirsty fanatic ready to excuse any abomination as long as it was "to make the world a better place" is a fascinating question I won't address.
I honestly wish that the young and aggrieved and their gurus of resentment could live in the world they're trying to bring about (a Holiday in Cambodia or a Woke Soviet Union), but unfortunately they aren't really looking to create their own societies or institutions, just destroy the ones we have now.
Thanks for this series, is great work and great writing!
Thanks mate, I always appreciate your engagement.
Great point about the fact that this isn't an anomaly for Western Leftists, and we could add the reactions of the Left to the Iraq War, or Jeremy Corbyn celebrating Hamas and Hezbollah and toasting the Al-Assad regime in Syria, all under the guise of "but Western imperialism tho".
This is something I'm elaborating on in Part 3: the "anti-imperialism of fools".
The dichotomy of the Leftist brain hemispheres is certainly fascinating, and I often think for a side that champions atheism they seem to neglet the Christian fundamentalist zeal with which far Left movements have often taken their roots. But as you say, this contemporary "Leftism" has no interest in building anything, it is solely a project of deconstruction for the sake of it, as if real life was a relativist 'Theory'.
Glad you're enjoying the series, thank you!
Thanks again, looking forward to Part 3....Cheers!
Absolutely! Thank you again!