“Deux poids. Deux measures” A kind of double standard. A sigh, a resignation of acceptance of moral relativism. This is especially acute with regard to the established canon of the church of socialist thinking in which the high priests of the temple of the far left miraculously transpose their movement to that iconic moment on Mount Sinai where they brought morality down from the mountain to the unwashed swing voters below. As a term, “the left” did not really exist until William James branded the product and infused it with enough psychological spark to get Dewey and Veblen foaming at the mouth and Alexander Berkman and Goldman actually lighting the dynamite sticks instead of futilely rubbing them together. So, we now had a product that could be commodified and exploited: for Edward Bernays it could mean women smoking was actually “torches of freedom,” and so on.
Judith Butler: (see link at end)I have been interviewed on my non-violent views by Guernica and other on-line journals, and those views are easy to find, if one wanted to know where I stand on such issues. I am in fact sometimes mocked by members of the left who support forms of violent resistance who think I fail to understand those practices. It is true: I do not endorse practices of violent resistance and neither do I endorse state violence, cannot, and never have. This view makes me perhaps more naïve than dangerous, but it is my view. So it has always seemed absurd to me that my comments were taken to mean that I support or endorse Hamas and Hezbollah!…
…Two further points. I do support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement in a very specific way. I reject some versions and accept others. For me, BDS means that I oppose investments in companies that make military equipment whose sole purpose is to demolish homes. It means as well that I do not speak at Israeli institutions unless they take a strong stand against the occupation. I do not accept any version of BDS that discriminates against individuals on the basis of their national citizenship, and I maintain strong collaborative relationships with many Israeli scholars. One reason I can endorse BDS and not endorse Hamas and Hezbollah is that BDS is the largest non-violent civic political movement …Read More:http://mondoweiss.net/2012/08/judith-butler-responds-to-attack-i-affirm-a-judaism-that-is-not-associated-with-state-violence.html
What this means on a brass tacks basis, James’s little idear’ is that all violence is not created equally. In that a violence of resistance is to be condoned, exalted, glorified, as opposed to the violence of the oppressor. The left and anarchist protestors in Israel hold the high moral ground: suicide bombings, terrorism of all colors and hues is justifiable while a state sanctioned violence or response to engage in its responsibilities, namely citizen protection, is not. But where does one draw the line? In the shifting sand? Are the Palestinians just pawns in a larger chess match? And can Israel’s violence be termed a violence of resistance as well, as they are not really surrounded by amenable neighbors and on a macro global level, they are a convenient scapegoat and garbage can for all hues and colors of twisted ideologies looking for a home.
It also means that a Judith Butler, a relatively strong critic of Israel, as least by U.S. media standards, gets raked over the coals, and ground into pita bread and crushed chick peas by equating violence of israel with that of resistance, Hamas, Hezbollah and whoever else you see walking around with a bazooka on their shoulder. And equally demonized by only partly supporting BDS. Maybe to get some real respect and street cred she should go to Tahrir Square and hang herself for some grudging admiration from those apostles of nihilism….
ADDENDUM:
(see link at end)…The Jerusalem Post reported that Shapiro was in Israel for meetings with Netanyahu, and at some point the PM couldn’t hold his frustration with President Obama in any longer: “Instead of pressuring Iran in an effective way, Obama and his people are pressuring us not to attack the nuclear facilities.” Those present say Netanyahu then said assertively: “Time has run out!”
Shapiro responded by alleging that Netanyahu was “distorting Obama’s position.” Following this, a no-hold
rred shouting match broke out as the fuming Israeli PM let loose on the U.S. ambassador.Republican Congressman Mike Rogers (R-MI) was on the trip as well, and is reported to have watched the episode in “stunned” silence.
Shapiro served on the Obama campaign in 2008, and in that capacity helped shore up Obama’s attempts to portray himself as pro-Israel.
Read More:http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2012/08/31/Israeli-PM-Shouts-at-Obama-s-Ambassador-Time-Has-Run-Out