APARTHEID, ISRAEL, AND SEEING HOW THE SAUSAGE IS MADE

Here are quotes lifted from Facebook regarding the Kerry "apartheid" statement. You will note that quite unlike much of the internet discourse, there is a distinct hue of wry realism, and what the Dutch like to call 'nuancerings vermogen' (the ability to note detail and over-arching themes within a subject or discussion of an issue) in these remarks.

They are all from one person.
Coherent, and consistent.


"Ben Gurion commented that we could look like Apartheid were we not careful. As did Ehud Barak. Was it not his place? Sure. Out of line? Sure."

"Condoleeza "Proudest of Shutting Down Settlements" Rice? Not a friend of Israel? SHOCKED!"

"["This Administration is extremely one-sided in its distrust and bias against Israel"]
As long as they keep vetoing at the UN and sending cash, all is well. Every US Administration has taken a stance that hurts Israel in one way or another."

"I think Israel has *zero* obligation to negotiate with a non-functional entity, even forgetting that a huge segment of said entity wants Israel dead. That's not a "liberal" view."

"I will never get the taste of Bush campaigning on the Embassy move out of my mouth."

"The actual US position is "Here, take our money while we tsk tsk you.""


When I last checked, the discussion already included well over a hundred comments from various people. Many of whom were outraged that John Kerry had even brought up the subject of 'apartheid'.

Why, how dare he! It just goes to show that he's secretly an anti-Semite, a Freemason, a leftard commie pinko, a secret Stalinist, member of the Illuminati, and an outer space lizard monster!

Apartheid is bad, and the term cannot possibly be used in any rational discussion of the Israel-Palestine issue under any circumstances.

They insisted that Kerry was a heretic.

Burn him.


As a native speaker of Dutch, I'm rather pissed at the English-speaking world taking over that word, mis-appropriating it even, to label several reprehensible ideas, while completely ignoring that in effect all societies, even the United States, practice apartheid.

Apartheid is inherent in being human; everyone practises apartheid.

The moment you slam the door on anything different, you have done so.
When you refuse to listen to another point of view, you have done so.
If you object to people speaking their own language.
When you close your mind to them.
If you lack empathy.


On the other hand, I'm rather damned glad to live in the United States instead of Europe or Texas. And I will willingly refuse to associate with several people, whole groups even, for a variety of reasons, some of which qualify as little more than bias and distaste (or just revulsion and nausea) for them or their ideas.

That also is a form of 'apartheid'.

I will continue that practice.

There's us (usually meaning 'me').
And then there's 'them'.



Either there is one country, with two bantustans, or there will be two countries, which may or may not be in a state of constant war.
That's it. There are no other possibilities.



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