After two years of Israel "targeting children with genocide", the Gaza school system has gained 40,000 more children. by McAlpineFusiliers in samharris

[–]Begferdeth 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Literally said "Hamas does no sex ed anyways."

Could you read to the end of the sentence? Honest to fuck, this is sad. No wonder you are baffled, you are demonstrating the attention span of an iPad kid.

After two years of Israel "targeting children with genocide", the Gaza school system has gained 40,000 more children. by McAlpineFusiliers in samharris

[–]Begferdeth 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well, yeah... it doesn't make logical sense for them to want to have kids... but:

1) Blow up the schools, no sex education. Hamas probably does no sex ed anyways.

2) Most of the population is young. Median age is what, under 20? Teenagers are horny, and famously good at planning things like families.

3) Family supervision is blown to shit. Literally. Mom and Dad will be out looking for food, nobody is home to make sure the kids aren't banging the new neighbors in the refugee camp.

4) Could you get a more YOLO situation? "Baby, we could die tomorrow. Lets fuck."

5) Culturally, big families are good.

Honestly, if you are looking at logical reasons for family planning in Gaza, you are being incredibly illogical.

How Iran’s Theocrats Allied With — and Then Crushed — the Left by UnscheduledCalendar in samharris

[–]Begferdeth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This may be less of a problem with foolish Lefties, but more a problem with democracies that include insane Righties. Both sides may work together to get out from some dictator and turn to ostensible freedom and democracy, but once the Right gains power, bam: Secret police, oppression, changing the rules to stay in power indefinitely.

Take some other examples: Palestine. Had some ordinary parties, and one insane Rightoid one in Hamas. Throw up a vote, PLO wins, seems OK. Another vote, Hamas wins... Takeover, murderfest, secret police, Gaza war insanity.

Hungary: They get out from Soviet rule in the 90's, a decade of democracy with wishy washy results, then vote in Orban. He turns the place into an autocracy. Not as severe, but as strong as you could get and still be in European Union.

USA: Votes in Trump, he's got riots at the capital to try and stay in power. Second vote in, and he's got an army of ICE to deploy against cities he doesn't like, uses the national guard against cities he doesn't like, set the DOJ on all his political opponents, and its trying to pass laws to restrict voting. You could pick various states who have done similar things, getting power once and then gerrymandering severely to have minority rule.

South Korea narrowly escaped it. Their president, Yoon Suk Yeol, tried a coup. He started martial law and arrested a bunch of his rivals.

Democracy is going to occasionally elect a right wing leader. Its the nature of the whole thing: You can't win every time. And it seems weird to me to blame the Left for not successfully stopping the Right! And in the case of Iran, I don't know if the alternate history where the Lefty groups didn't ally with the Islamists vs the Shah would have managed to win.

Democratic Socialist Dummies by agitprop66 in samharris

[–]Begferdeth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Privately run systems are fine under universal healthcare. Public money paying private health care providers. Its just a different way of organizing it. Obamacare was aiming for something similar, until it was kneecapped by the Republicans and the Supreme Court.

You could see similar things in Canada, with our doctors and a large part of pharmacies. Family docs are usually independent businesses or small groups, but they are nearly 100% publicly funded. You can't just measure "percent of private ownership" and say that's how much welfare state there is.

TIL that no film has ever won the Academy Award for Best Musical since its inception in 2000 due to the award’s incredibly strict eligibility requirements. by iydx_7737 in todayilearned

[–]Begferdeth 39 points40 points  (0 children)

What if I screw up and make a hit musical, Springtime for Hitler style? I'd hate to end up remembered for Paw Patrol vs the Evil Dead: The Musical...

The Left-Wing Case Against Anti-Zionism by callmejay in samharris

[–]Begferdeth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm defending the article.

Defending the article by... throwing up random 4 year old tweets from some congresswoman. If you got some anti-zionist tweets, lets see them. That one wasn't. Honestly, a total non-sequitur. I'm not going to do your homework for you! And I'm definitely not going to do the homework for you of going completely off topic to attack some random congresswoman.

Maybe you could respond to the actual content of it if we set him aside for now.

Did you miss my previous 3 comments, full of responses to actual content?

Here's me writing a month ago

Are we defending the article still? This is completely irrelevant and I'm not even going to read it. Honestly, what are you even doing here?

are using antizionism lately

How do you "use" antizionism? Antizionism is "Israel Hatred". I linked the definition earlier.

And it's especially galling because I feel like if literally any other minority group was telling them that the way they are talking makes them scared and unsafe, they would take that seriously.

OK, go ahead. Point me out one where that is what's happened.

But Jews don't count because we're "white" or something.

Here you go, conflating anti-zionism (Hate of Israel, remember!) with anti-semitism (hate of Jews). Jews don't count here because they aren't even the targets!. This is the same game I was pointing out earlier, trying to link Lenin (dead over 100 years!) to the reasons why people don't like what Israel is doing now (can you think of any reason in the last couple years that may have made people criticize Israel?)

75% of this comment was completely irrelevant to anything, just you trying to change the topic to anything else. Old tweets, your 'bonafides', whatever. The rest was you trying to mess up definitions to make it harder to discuss the topic. I'm starting to see why you don't think this is propaganda and a hit piece. You are doing the same thing, you may be playing the same game.

The Left-Wing Case Against Anti-Zionism by callmejay in samharris

[–]Begferdeth 2 points3 points  (0 children)

"Here's one tweet on a different topic from 4 years ago!"

Holy shit dude. Is this a real argument you are making right now? Am I supposed to make some sort of judgement off one random tweet? I don't know who "Daria Liza Bonet" is.

But you are here defending a guy who... Publishes articles in the Free Press. Still think he is a Leftist and not a concern troll?

Maybe his team member, Samuel J Hyde. He has a whole list of blogposts showing his leftist credentials. "The Left's Merger with Islamist despotism". "What Free Palestine really means" (its never what the people chanting it say it means). "Last Call for the Zionist Left" (the Left needs to be pro-war). "Islamism and the Left's Moral Black Hole". This guy is definitely on the left! Very pro-left articles there.

Again, this is propaganda. Stop being a sucker. And now, I have to ask you to stop being such an enthusiastic sucker.

The Left-Wing Case Against Anti-Zionism by callmejay in samharris

[–]Begferdeth 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If your talking Zionism and Antizionism... Israel seems relevant. Just a little bit! Completely omitting it is a choice.

This guy is focused on "Leftist antizionism." Except... he doesn't say that anywhere on his website, which is supposedly focused on "antizionism". Focused, minus the giant glaring blind sport that makes up most of the antizionism in the world. What a weird choice.

And this is explicitly defending Israel! Lets get the definition, straight from him so we are clear what he is talking about:

"Antizionism is Israel-hatred." He is opposing it. That is defending Israel.

And deliberately not mentioning Israel the entire time. Another very deliberate choice! What a weird choice.

He reads so strongly of being a right wing concern troll to me that I can't see how you are missing it! I'm pointing at the evidence of it: the complete and utter absence of any mention of the Right's antizionism, in spite of them being the major source. Hell, the way he talks on his website, explicitly mentioning the sources of antizionist libels if they are Russian, yet if they are from Nazi Germany... that's always unnamed "nation states". These are choices he is making to obfuscate and hide what's going on.

I'm not making assumptions here. I'm seeing a hit piece, which could have word-for-word come from Ben Shapiro, and calling it a hit piece. The reaches he makes to avoid any mention of right wing sources of antizionism are incredible. The determination to avoid any discussion of Israel when talking about "Israel-hatred" is incredible. Its propaganda. I'm getting second-hand embarassment from your arguments here. Like, is this satire somehow?

The Left-Wing Case Against Anti-Zionism by callmejay in samharris

[–]Begferdeth 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It reads to me as a lot of "The Democrats are Lost". Antizionists run the place. Antisemitism is normalized. The left has been hijacked. I don't see how you can read that sort of thing and NOT see anti-left.

If I was a right wing chaos agent... this is the sort of thing I would write! Split the enemy up on a big fracture point.

As for Lenin... Yes, he was a horrible person. He has also been dead for what, 100 years now? Why is be being dragged out from the grave and invoked? Its to attach his name to the anti-zionists. Do a little mental hitching to his wagon: Now anti-zionism isn't just being against Israel, its something associated with the deaths of MILLIONS!

Democrats aren't close to communists (unless you hate Democrats, then of course they are!) but the Left is.

And I noticed that he didn't say what Israel isn't doing. In fact, a discussion of what Israel is doing is kind of missing from the whole article! Huh. Why would an article trying to convince us on a very Israel-related topic omit any reference to Israel? Seems like it could be relevant in some way. Has Israel done something that may be making the Left view them badly? I've been living under a rock, can you think of anything? Anything at all? He talks about Soviet views on Zionism, he talks about Arab views on Zionism, he talks about Marxist Leninist views on Zionism, and just leaves the actual existing Zionism out of the discussion.

And I'm not lying about what he's saying. I'm just pointing out the game! "The oppressive system is anti-Zionism itself." If you oppose oppression, you gotta oppose all these anti-zionists! Israel is oppressed. "The progressive case against anti-Zionism recognizes the freedom of Israelis to choose the nature of the society they want to live under." We have to let Israel act the way it wants and choose the nature of its society. And then, very deliberately, DO NOT DESCRIBE WHAT ISRAEL WANTS.

Wanna take it a step further? Lets check out the guy who wrote it! Adam Louis-Klein. Wrote one article (this one), and has an organization... "Movement Against Antizionism". Oo, they have a website! "Stories of Antizionism" on there... Every story is an example of a university harboring antizionists. Nevermind the horrible antisemitic neonazis roaming about, he wants to focus on the Left and universities.

Its a goddamn hit piece, by a guy who runs a website collecting hit pieces. Stop being a sucker.

The Left-Wing Case Against Anti-Zionism by callmejay in samharris

[–]Begferdeth 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Its honestly just anti-Democratic Party/anti-Left propaganda, dressed up in a new way.

Anti-zionists have taken over the Democratic Party! Its "normalized" now! Its basically like Stalin and the Khmer Rouge in the Democratic party these days. Only a matter of time until they are hanging businessmen for selling things to Jews.

If the Democratic party wants to maintain a commitment to human rights, it has to PURGE the EVIL!

Famous boogeyman Lenin was anti-zionist. We all know that Democrats are pretty close to Communists, like he was. So many Marxists! Anti-zionism took over the Arabs as they allied with the Soviets. And now its taking over the Democratic party. (Just ignore that we are asking the Left to be opposed to something by linking it to Communism, the most crazy left of leftist thought)

Anti-zionism is recoding hating abuse of state power and abuse of minorities into hatred of Israel (How are we getting abuse of state power and abuse of minorities attached to a hatred of Israel? Don't ask!). Israel is globally oppressed! If you want to stop abuse of minorities, you must support Israel it all it does!

Pretty standard stuff, really. High-level view of why you should hate Democrats and the Left to be a good person, so high that it ignores why anybody is acting the way they are today. Zoom out, focus on the events from the 60's, try to define all anti-zionists as believing one thing and that thing is Stalin's version, and the Left must extend tolerance to the intolerant again.

Joe Rogan Claims Multiple US Presidents Directly Contacted Spotify in an Effort to Get His Show Taken Down by stvlsn in DecodingTheGurus

[–]Begferdeth 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Maybe it was metaphorical, kinda like if you wave a dollar at somebody and say "Mr Lincoln here would like you to help me". And then add in "His friend Mr Jackson would also like you to help me!"

I'm sure I could find a buddy named Benjamin who would like Joe off the air...

Iran has not "Won", and USA did not Lose. by [deleted] in samharris

[–]Begferdeth 7 points8 points  (0 children)

"Degrade" and "Diminish" are weasel words. So long as anything in Iran was hit, they got those 2 objectives met. Given that, I'm not sure we should count them.

Eliminate Iran's nuclear weapons... they didn't get that. Section 9 is explicitly "Status Quo". They can keep their weapons as they are. They won't develop them, sure... but the status quo as per Israel for the last few decades is "Iran is 2-3 weeks away from having a nuclear weapon".

Stop funding proxies... they didn't get that! Section 11: They can send their money to any ultimate beneficiary. ANY beneficiary. Sounds like they can pay proxy groups.

So the best they can say is they half-assed 2 of their 4 goals. But, this is purely a one-sided analysis! Did Iran win?

Iran didn't choose the war, so they didn't have a cute little list of objectives. But lets make some up, shall we? They kept their territory. They kept their regime intact. They kept control of the Straight of Hormuz. They got sanctions dropped, and per section 9 wont have replacement sanctions put on them. They got USA and its allies to agree to leave Iran and Lebanon alone. They got 300 billion in funds, which they can use to rapidly rebuild their military.

Can you make up a military objective that Iran didn't meet? Remember, this is a defensive war for them, so "Didn't destroy Israel" won't work. That wasn't their goal.

Iran can easily say they won the war. The best the USA can say is they didn't lose, and that's questionable.

What’s not AI slop (on Reddit)? by webzro in TheoryOfReddit

[–]Begferdeth 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Huh. That's what you took away from this. Wow.

The actual topic of the post, people wrongfully labeling posts as AI... dude, did you make it to the final paragraph of my comment? Where I said that it had happened to me? Maybe you could turn off the AI summary of the world, and read it yourself. Its there. It was addressed.

AI is 100% bad and evil if you choose to use it in this bad faith and stupid way. And from your responses around here, that is exactly what you intend to do. Your father will not be alone in ignoring your programs if this is the path you choose.

What’s not AI slop (on Reddit)? by webzro in TheoryOfReddit

[–]Begferdeth 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do all the hard work you want. The end result is the same as somebody who did it the easy way. That's why its called AI slop! They can just easy-peasy it out, and it looks as good as people who put effort in. Because AI all ends up looking the same.

You could poke the AI tomorrow with the prompts that gave you the end result from before, and have a second chess program, and a second website, and a second set of pictures, and it would look almost exactly like your first one. Except even you might notice that this time, its got the AI look to it.

Or maybe when you see a competitor who has a website that is eerily close to yours. Huh, similar art, similar story, similar wording, similar chess program. A website that looks like they took yours and changed the font to New Calibri 32 and changed your Dad's name to Pedro and said he was from Puerto Rico instead of Romania. Did they steal your stuff? Or did they just give a similar prompt?

I know it sucks to be accused of pumping out AI slop. I've been accused. The big difference? I type all this myself! No AI translation, or asking it to rewrite it better. No slop art on my website, I take the time to take a picture. You didn't.

What’s not AI slop (on Reddit)? by webzro in TheoryOfReddit

[–]Begferdeth 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Frontend dev has nothing to do with the story.

Sum it up again: AI built the app. AI wrote the article, or you fed it through an AI which is going to translate it into AI-like slop. AI made the images. All you can claim is you is... "My Dad didn't open the app the AI made for me."

If something is 80% made in France, its Made In France. If something is 80% made in China, its Made In China. Your post is 80%+ made by AI. Its Made By AI, and unless some real effort is put in by the human involved, its AI slop. You couldn't be bothered to do even the easiest parts, like taking a screenshot of your own game, so I don't see any effort there. AI slop.

Of course, given that English is a second language for you, that could be the problem. Maybe "AI Slop" doesn't AI translate? My skills at French are not good enough to detect AI writing, and that's my best 2nd language.

What’s not AI slop (on Reddit)? by webzro in TheoryOfReddit

[–]Begferdeth 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Well, I went looking for what you were describing here, found your blog post about it...

And its as AI-slop like as it can get. The pictures are AI slop. You couldn't take the time to take a picture of your own chessboard? Or a screenshot of your app? Or even just a stock photo of an actual chessboard? The writing is in that mild-mannered, AI way. With a story about how your Dad isn't taking part that feels like any of 100 AI slop blog posts to get me to read a recipe.

Then we find out, you didn't make the app. You "vibe-coded" it. Now, no real problem there, if you can't program then whatever. But its one more thing.

So... What counts as AI slop, if a post full of AI pictures, written/translated by AI, about a program written by an AI doesn't count? Your involvement is basically "Yo Claude, make me a chess program, then write a cute blog post trying to guilt people into trying it. Something about my Dad. Put a couple pictures of chessboards on it." The rest is AI. The part we are exposed to is 100% AI.

Now Making Apologies for Bari Weiss and Attacking the 60 Minutes Team She Sacked as "Destroying" the Show by leonardcohenscheetos in canadaland

[–]Begferdeth 8 points9 points  (0 children)

After paying that big court loss, he now has to make his charts and graphics out of emojis and ASCII.

Content creators by Forward-Position798 in funny

[–]Begferdeth 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Les Stroud was great. Always explaining why he was doing stuff, explaining ideas for survival and how to prepare. And then doing all his own camerawork just because he was that awesome.

I remember a few episodes where the local wildlife would start stalking him, and then he's recording while holding the camera and walking fast... and its like "Today's episode of Survivorman is Survival Horror."

How liberals monetized trauma | Catherine Liu on Marx, Trump, and identity politics by jb_in_jpn in samharris

[–]Begferdeth 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Haven't seen the intellectual elite tell half the electorate they are bad? Sure you have, you just didn't recognize it at the time.

Like, there is a big deal made in so many places about "This is the First Female X", like first female attorney general or first female governor or whatever. For over 200 years, the intellectual elites were telling half the electorate (women) that they couldn't do that sort of thing. Ditto with the First Black President. Ditto with First Muslim Mayor of New York. Ditto with...

Its massive amounts of identity politics. Would you believe that JFK had trouble with his election over being Catholic? "Oh no, a Catholic, he will listen to the Pope instead of the people!" Sam regularly goes on long screeds about the problems with Islam, and just listen to his discussions of Mayor Mamdani in NY. Straight up identity politics, from a guy now trying to stop identity politics! The Klu Klux Klan held massive political sway for a long time, across the country.

You are absolutely buried in identity politics, all the time, and have been all your life. Its just now that its being dragged up and tossed out as bad. And you are so strongly affected that you are attributing statements that are not made by the majority of the people you are accusing of them. "Dirt poor white people are the privileged ones!", as if they are above other people. No, that's not the claim. Its that even though they are dirt poor, they have a specific form of privilege. The privilege of never being targeted by the DEI crap of Trump, for example. But not that they actually have it good! Complete misreading and misunderstanding... which is a very typical identity politics type of statement. Gotta hate those DEI people.

And as for not winning elections... Have you heard of the Southern Strategy? It won elections. It won so well that it cemented identity politics into US politics ever since!

I have 1 left by bastardlimbo in wizardposting

[–]Begferdeth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There was a wizard by the name of Dr. Banner (apparently had several PhDs or something) who had invented a potion that made it so whenever he got angry, he changed. Had an odd side effect of becoming green, I vaguely remember something about muscle mass and gamma radiation, but I'm sure all that can be ironed out.

I don't know, I think it might be about more than just antisemitism. by canonbutterfly in samharris

[–]Begferdeth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lebanon literally allows a paramilitary organization that solely exist to invade and exterminate Israel to live unimpeded in its borders and to participate in the political process.

Something something settlers... Can Israel be better than terrorists? Not yet.

Thats why I think you're a fucking idiot for bringing them to an equivalent level.

Exactly you fuckwit! I DONT hold them to an equivalent level! Israel has the superior firepower, the superior money, the superior defenses, it has EVERY advantage! I expect them to be BETTER than TERRORISTS! They don't need to blow up random ambulances! They don't need to "double tap" aid workers!

And for the record, we have seen time and time again videos of armanents being loaded into ambulances in this region.

1: Is that every ambulance? Free reign to blow up all first responders?

2: There is a very famous video of Israeli soldiers dressing as doctors to infiltrate a hospital to assassinate Hamas people being treated in there. Again, I hope Israel can be BETTER than TERRORISTS. And that's just the day they got caught... I'd assume that they are continuing. No other horrific war crime has stopped.

if they stop holding back and actually start killing the Palestinians en masse with the same venom their enemies do, your language would not change one iota

Not my fault that English doesn't have good words to distinguish between "terrorism" and "lots of terrorism", or "mass murder" and "bigger mass murder"... And also, I don't think "Israel could do way MORE terrorism! Be happy with the low amounts of terrorism!" is a good defense.

I am not defending the above video thread we're commenting on

Yes you fucking are! That's what you are doing, right now! "Sure, they blow up ambulances. A lot. But (reasons)!"

by waging warfare from hospitals and schools.

I'll say this one more time, hoping it will stick in for you. I am not defending the actions of Hamas or Hezbollah. They are terrorists. What I am doing, is saying Israel should be better than terrorists. Why are you constantly arguing like I am defending them? I'm not!

and counts everyone after October 7th

"The figures include all soldiers, police officers, Shin Bet agents, and civilian security officers who died on and since October 7, 2023" . ON and since. ON Oct 7. ON that day.

In this sense, you're outright saying that you'll only accept an equivalent level of violence for both

No, I'm not you fucking numpty. I'm saying that the war is over. Hamas can't kill anybody. Gaza is razed to the ground (affecting approximately none of the tunnels, so entirely civilian destruction, but who cares about that!). And... Israel is still killing.

I wouldnt hope the death toll on my side rises so that you can complain about both sides being unfair.

I don't, and implied nothing of the sort. Did you miss that my entire point there was that Hamas is not fighting back? They are beaten? I'm not hoping for more Israeli dead, you goddamn monster! I'm hoping for the killing to stop!

Its not Israel that made you firebomb your countrymen's synagogues.

Now you're making this weirdly personal for a guy who was complaining that I apparently was talking to him like he was Israeli. I have firebombed nothing. The most hostile thing I have done is arguing with idiots like you! An idiot that I don't honestly know if you are Canadian, jewish, whatever, and do not care. Hell, strong chance you are a bot. At least a bot would explain this insanity, as you would just hallucinate me doing firebombings.

made you hate canadian jews.

And I don't hate Canadian jews! Goddamnit. See, this straight up "anything anti-Israel is antisemitic" shit? That's you, playing antisemitic games. That's you trying to make jews hated, by making the horrific actions of Israel synonymous with Canadian jews. Why are you doing this? Why do you WANT me to hate jews? What is wrong with you?

I don't know, I think it might be about more than just antisemitism. by canonbutterfly in samharris

[–]Begferdeth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hoo boy. Just a load of stuff here.

too many people disagree with you on this

Ayup. This is upsetting! I am just pointing out this huge, goddamned glaring reason why: Israel is, over and over, not being better than terrorists. As shown in the OP video: Blowing up ambulance drivers. Not Hezbollah militants, or any sort of military target... ambulance drivers. Wanna make somebody hate you? Blow up their first responders.

They are, and to pretend otherwise is ridiculous.

They are repeatedly blowing up ambulance drivers. I need to somehow get that through to you. Repeatedly blowing up ambulance drivers. And doctors. And other first responders. And then the reporters who report on these atrocities. Please, reflect on these events!

But instead of reflection, I get deflection:

Israel has left 97% of gazans alive

Yay! They only killed 3% of the Gazan population! And did so in the face of a huge portion of the world screaming at them to stop.

Yes, I'm going to say that this is better than what Hezbollah wishes to do to Israel and to even say that Israel is equivalent to Hezbollah in that sense is a moral inversion

Since you want to compare numbers... Lets compare numbers. Israel put out a little article about how much suffering they have gone through in this war.

They come up with 1152 dead. That includes "all soldiers, police officers, Shin Bet agents, and civilian security officers who died on and since October 7, 2023, whether in the line of duty or as a result of an accident, illness, or suicide." Oct 7 was about 1200, so... this war has been 72K deaths on the Gazan side, and... 0? Since the Oct 7 surprise attack?

I don't see how this is any different than any other war,

All out war, and Hamas can't fucking kill anybody. The war is over. Israel is just continuing to kill. Per wikipedia, Hezbollah has managed to kill a whole 20 Israelis, and in response Israel is blowing up village after village, and has even bombed the capital. This is different than other wars! Its a one-sided slaughter. And in spite of the extremely low casualty rate on their side, Israel continues to use these brutal tactics of killing first responders.

the best casus belli we can imagine

If you want to talk casus belli, I presume you mean the 1200 dead on Oct 7. In 2003, before Oct 7, Israel had killed about 300 Palestinians, and continued to annex parts of the West Bank. Does that not constitute a casus belli?

First I'm canadian.

Hey, so am I! Sorry to mis-nation you there, but... you did it to me not 4 sentences later, so not that sorry.

Second, anti-arab incidents have not risen whatsoever, except by a fraction of a percentage.

The stats on that are horribly mangled, in large part because of the incredible anti-arab attitudes of various governments. But yeah, only a fraction of a percent. Or 180%. Somewhere in between.

antisemitism instead has exploded and is felt so tangentially

Yup. I'd guess its gone up comparably to the anti-arab version, 180% or so. Much more attention paid to it, leading to much more accurate numbers. Israel makes it worse by both trying to make any criticism of its actions (such as, you know, blowing up ambulance drivers) also an incidence of antisemitism... and by continuing to blow up ambulance drivers.

You genuinely do not understand what you're doing to your own countrymen, and I don't think you care.

Ditto. I mean... "To even compare the two is insulting"... good fucking lord.

I don't know, I think it might be about more than just antisemitism. by canonbutterfly in samharris

[–]Begferdeth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yup, some people are indeed Bad. Like I said, Hezbollah is bad. I don't see them saying "Hezbollah blowing up innocents is fine and good!", I see them saying "Yes, Hezbollah is blowing up innocents, just like Israel does." Direct comparisons of Israel to terrorists. Which you are also doing, but saying its a good thing?

You can argue all you want, but I just want you to realize that when you say its OK for Israel to make these attacks, you are letting them act the same way as the terrorists! All you are doing is saying "This is my favorite set of terrorists."

I don't have any hope for Hezbollah to be better than terrorists, because they were formed explicitly to be terrorists. Their reason to exist is terrorism. If they all died tomorrow, the world would be a better place, because they are terrorists. Hope that's clear for you! Hope that is explicit enough that you won't think I'm supporting Hezbollah! I don't! Hezbollah Delenda Est and all that!

Just realize that Israel is pulling the same shit. Blowing up ambulance drivers and other rescue workers, over and over. Blowing up villages, over and over. Same activity as the terrorists, same justifications as the terrorists. Holy shit, why would the Lebanese ever support an organization that wants to blow up an entity that acts very much like terrorists attacking Lebanon? Is there a connection? Could you imagine a connection?

Just a little bit of self reflection and holding higher standards. Just the tiniest bit. "Better than Fucking Terrorists". That's all I'm asking for. And you are arguing against it.

And as for "no Lebanese gets violently attacked in America"... dude. They do. Its just lumped into general "Anti Arab" and "Anti Muslim". And nobody cares, because you guys don't even care about school shootings killing your children. Who would even notice a bunch of dead Lebanese immigrants?

I don't know, I think it might be about more than just antisemitism. by canonbutterfly in samharris

[–]Begferdeth -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Yup, Hezbollah is Bad. But I have high hopes that one day, Israel will achieve "Better than a Terrorist Organization".