Comments on: Cowboys and Indians http://wozafriday.com/2007/06/08/cowboys-and-indians/ Bring on the good times! Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:14:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: 6000 http://wozafriday.com/2007/06/08/cowboys-and-indians/#comment-50549 6000 Fri, 22 Jun 2007 10:44:20 +0000 http://wozafriday.com/2007/06/08/cowboys-and-indians/#comment-50549 For the "influential" middle class to actually have any influence on SA politics, it will have to be an entirely new middle class. Which, of course, is on its way, but is still 20 years down the line. With the seemingly unwavering support from the masses for the ANC, no matter what they do wrongly or badly, the "new" democratic SA is really anything but. But I don't mean to be critic of the elected representatives of our society. After all, they are mature, sensible people who are expressing the country's views in a responsible manner. Or: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=vn20070621023458960C719235 For the “influential” middle class to actually have any influence on SA politics, it will have to be an entirely new middle class. Which, of course, is on its way, but is still 20 years down the line.
With the seemingly unwavering support from the masses for the ANC, no matter what they do wrongly or badly, the “new” democratic SA is really anything but.
But I don’t mean to be critic of the elected representatives of our society. After all, they are mature, sensible people who are expressing the country’s views in a responsible manner.
Or: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=vn20070621023458960C719235

]]> By: Sean Reynolds http://wozafriday.com/2007/06/08/cowboys-and-indians/#comment-50807 Sean Reynolds Sun, 05 Aug 2007 20:24:19 +0000 http://wozafriday.com/2007/06/08/cowboys-and-indians/#comment-50807 Hey, David, I'm the Chicagoan you chatted with not one hour ago as I walked from Chicago's weekly "Jewish Voice for Peace" vigil to the 147 Michigan Avenue Express bus which takes me home. I was really thrilled that there's a blog named after one of the best Juluka songs, and also thrilled to get to talk with a compassionate and polite person on a different side of the Israel/Palestine issue - not many of us on either side get to be compassionate or polite. . About your government's criticism of Israel - I don't think it's an issue of "bringing down the Jews" as you phrase it, but of . . . criticizing Israel. Perhaps the first person in written history accused of hating the Jews is the prophet Elijah. He criticizes evil King Ahab, who asks him in return, why does he hate the Jews? It's an old old dodge. When I was at our weekly vigil I had a guy come to me from the counterprotest across the street (they're across the street each week calling for ethnic cleansing of all Palestinians into Jordan) and the guy tells me a sign I was holding - with nearly 4000 palestinians killed by Israelis over 5 years and about 800 israelis killed in return - and saying, "there are so many more Arabs than Jews, that even though all those Palestinians have died, the Jews have lost more." Not all defenders of Israel are as hideously racist as this obviously, but we can all guard against this kind of scary nonsense by remembering that it's two political bodies duking it out - with millions of people in the crossfire - and not two "peoples" or races or any such dark-ages nonsense (Okay, I quote the Torah and then I'm complaining about dark-ages nonsense - althoguh I think that's what the Torah was written to pull people out of. Anyway). Race just isn't a very good category for thinking about any - repeat, any - situation, though of course it's sometimes all people have. Your government is pulling down the Occupation, and criticizing Israel. That's just about the best favor anyone can do for Israel right about now, and I understand where you're coming from, but it simply doesn't count as antisemitism. Anyway, I'm sorry to come on all preachy-hostile in this - eager for your thoughts, and mostly just glad to have met you and seen the site. Hey, David,
I’m the Chicagoan you chatted with not one hour ago as I walked from Chicago’s weekly “Jewish Voice for Peace” vigil to the 147 Michigan Avenue Express bus which takes me home. I was really thrilled that there’s a blog named after one of the best Juluka songs, and also thrilled to get to talk with a compassionate and polite person on a different side of the Israel/Palestine issue - not many of us on either side get to be compassionate or polite. .

About your government’s criticism of Israel - I don’t think it’s an issue of “bringing down the Jews” as you phrase it, but of . . . criticizing Israel. Perhaps the first person in written history accused of hating the Jews is the prophet Elijah. He criticizes evil King Ahab, who asks him in return, why does he hate the Jews? It’s an old old dodge. When I was at our weekly vigil I had a guy come to me from the counterprotest across the street (they’re across the street each week calling for ethnic cleansing of all Palestinians into Jordan) and the guy tells me a sign I was holding - with nearly 4000 palestinians killed by Israelis over 5 years and about 800 israelis killed in return - and saying, “there are so many more Arabs than Jews, that even though all those Palestinians have died, the Jews have lost more.” Not all defenders of Israel are as hideously racist as this obviously, but we can all guard against this kind of scary nonsense by remembering that it’s two political bodies duking it out - with millions of people in the crossfire - and not two “peoples” or races or any such dark-ages nonsense (Okay, I quote the Torah and then I’m complaining about dark-ages nonsense - althoguh I think that’s what the Torah was written to pull people out of. Anyway). Race just isn’t a very good category for thinking about any - repeat, any - situation, though of course it’s sometimes all people have. Your government is pulling down the Occupation, and criticizing Israel. That’s just about the best favor anyone can do for Israel right about now, and I understand where you’re coming from, but it simply doesn’t count as antisemitism.

Anyway, I’m sorry to come on all preachy-hostile in this - eager for your thoughts, and mostly just glad to have met you and seen the site.

]]> By: Sean Reynolds http://wozafriday.com/2007/06/08/cowboys-and-indians/#comment-50808 Sean Reynolds Mon, 06 Aug 2007 03:02:18 +0000 http://wozafriday.com/2007/06/08/cowboys-and-indians/#comment-50808 Hang on, I wrote "Torah" when I meant "Tanakh." Just caught it, sorry. :^) Hang on, I wrote “Torah” when I meant “Tanakh.” Just caught it, sorry.

:^)

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