JOHN CHUCKMAN
POSTED RESPONSE TO A COLUMN BY CLIFFORD ORWIN IN TORONTO’S GLOBE AND MAIL
The dishonesty and prejudiced nature of Clifford Orwin’s thinking are highlighted with a simple thought-experiment: by his line of thought, it becomes acceptable, and indeed necessary, for a third party to attack Israel.
After all, Israel actually has illicit nuclear weapons and uninspected bomb-making facilities, is not part of anti-nuclear weapons treaties, and it has proven itself capable of the world’s worst case of nuclear weapons proliferation (the case of apartheid South Africa).
And, of course, unlike Iran, Israel has attacked every neighbor that it has, some more than once, and its leader has as his credo, not religious orthodoxy, but constant and ferocious lying.
The only reason any casual reader could give a moment’s plausibility to Orwin’s muddy and prejudiced argument is that Iran has been so demonized in our press that people respond the way they do towards a product that has been heavily and falsely advertised.
And who is responsible for the never-ending demonization? Why, apologists for Israel’s bloody excesses, people like Clifford Orwin.
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“The Jewish State still exists because of the influence of the diaspora Jews on a powerful country– the USA. So the idea that Israel is on its own is a total farce.”
Israel is in fact the most subsidized entity on earth when one considers the totality of special privileges granted it: everything from a generous free-trade treaty with America to an American guarantee of Israel’s oil supply to the sharing of secret technology and the freedom for citizens to move back and forth as dual nationals and to a $3 billion handout every year plus many more special privileges courtesy of America’s corrupt campaign-finance system and the lobby for Israel’s skill in manipulating it.
Yes indeed, Israel’s claims to independence are a farce.
What other leader of 7 million people – not even the size of many of the world’s cities – gets to shove his way into the Oval Office with regularity? And gets to discuss such sensitive topics as the use of America’s military?
And we all know what will happen in general terms should that lunatic Netanyahu attack Iran.
Iran, quite within its rights of self-defence, will hit back with missiles – and it has large numbers of accurate missiles – aimed at Israel’s cities or perhaps at Israel’s totally illegal nuclear weapons plant at Dimona.
Israel will then cry to the U.S. for help and to prevent it from having to respond with nuclear missiles.
Willy-nilly, the U.S. will be dragged into yet one more war for this nasty country that cannot get along with one of its neighbors and which indeed has attacked all of them at one time or another.
If the U.S. does attack, Iran will respond in many ways, including possibly sinking an aircraft carrier with its Sunburn supersonic missiles.
Will Russia enter the fighting? Will China?
Only dangerous idiots advise this course.
Israel tried previously to entangle the U.S. in war with its deliberate two-hour attack on the USS Liberty, a well-marked intelligence ship of which the Israelis had been advised, during the Six Day War.
When it comes to rogue states, Israel makes North Korea look positively bucolic and peaceful.
JOHN CHUCKMAN
POSTED RESPONSES TO A COLUMN IN TORONTO’S GLOBE AND MAIL
“Attack on Israeli embassy in Cairo a ‘severe injury to the fabric of peace’: Netanyahu”
Netanyahu does have a penchant for comedy, dark comedy, although I am pretty sure he is not the least aware of it.
Fabric of peace?
Where does he see that in the region?
I see only Israel trying to starve out the poor people of Gaza and willing to shoot anyone who even tries to help them with their needs.
I see Israel ready to attack every neighbor that it has, from buzzing jets over Lebanon to creating provocations with Syria and to shooting five Egyptian policemen only doing their duty in Sinai when Israeli soldiers crossed the border with no permission and with a dark purpose.
Of course, a day does not go by that Israel does not threaten to attack, or harangue the United States to attack, Iran, a nation generally living at peace with its neighbors.
Netanyahu has never so much as lifted a finger in his entire nasty career in the name of genuine peace.
And it does seem anymore that where Israel is there can be no peace.
The people of Egypt are only expressing legitimate frustrations with this regional bully who worked hard behind the scenes to keep them perpetually under the thumb of a U.S.-sponsored tyrant.
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“I would think israel security firing off a few rounds through their skulls would disperse them real quick…”
Now there’s a fine comment, something of which to be proud.
That is, if you are a bully or a psychopath.
The person commenting only succeeds in revealing the genuine attitudes of the Israeli government.
Here are a few interesting facts for readers to consider in light of this savage comment – they are taken from Israeli journalist Amira Hass in her book about Gaza:
Physicians for Human Rights, during the five years of the intifada, a Palestinian child under the age of six was shot in the head every two weeks. According to United Nations Relief records, nearly 1,100 people treated at its clinics during the first four years had been shot in the head, with about 15% of that number being women. During the four years, over sixty thousand Gazans were shot, severely beaten , or tear-gassed.
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“canadians are morons.
“….
“canadians are morons.”
Gee, now there’s an enlightened way to address people and to make your point.
Again the writer reveals, undoubtedly without realizing it, why there is such terrible problems in the region.
There’s a government, armed to the teeth and utterly ruthless, which regularly speaks this way.
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A reader says the last time he checked Israel was an independent nation.
Israel an independent nation?
Since when?
It is the most heavily subsidized place on earth, by far.
It receives about $500 per year per Jewish citizen from the United States, and it has done so for decades.
But that is only the beginning.
There are periodic loan guarantees of tens of billions.
There is constant access at the highest level for this nation with the population of Ecuador, something virtually no other country, even far more important ones, has.
It has a plum free-trade agreement – indeed, with sending its subsidized crops to the U.S. Israel’s agriculture would disappear. It was a gift to Israel because it has no tangible benefits for Americans at all.
The opportunity cost of water Israel squanders on tomatoes and clementines to export is unbelievably high because it is the cost of desalination-plant water. It sends subsidized produce to the United States under free trade, produce the United States doesn’t even need.
Israel receives billions worth of intelligence and defense cooperation every year from the United States, something few other countries receive.
The two billion dollars a year going to Egypt is a bribe paid on Israel’s part paid by Americans since the Camp David Agreements.
Israel receives heavily below cost natural gas from Egypt, the result of U.S. pressure on Mubarak. Everyone knows this is scandalous, and the U.S. has offered to pay a subsidy to top up the price.
Israel also receives billions from the Jewish communities of America and Europe, and it receives important business intelligence and connections.
The great privilege granted to American Israelis to be dual citizens means they move back and forth regularly, all the while sharing business and other intelligence.
Israel’s farms and cities and water supply were all taken with absolutely no payment or reparations from other people. That is the biggest subsidy ever received, the very substance of the nation.
And it is not satisfied with what happened in 1948, it keeps stealing the property of others regularly, refusing to live in peace because it still wants more.
Israel has received tens of billions in reparations from Germany – wholly appropriate in view of the past but still a subsidy.
The list is even longer than this, but I think the point is clear: Israel is in no sense of the word an independent nation.
It is in truth a gigantic international welfare case.
CHUCKMAN'S WORDS ON WORDPRESS: COMMENTS FROM THE WORLD'S PRESS 
JOHN CHUCKMAN
POSTED RESPONSES TO A COLUMN IN TORONTO’S GLOBE AND MAIL
“Attack on Israeli embassy in Cairo a ‘severe injury to the fabric of peace’: Netanyahu”
Netanyahu does have a penchant for comedy, dark comedy, although I am pretty sure he is not the least aware of it.
Fabric of peace?
Where does he see that in the region?
I see only Israel trying to starve out the poor people of Gaza and willing to shoot anyone who even tries to help them with their needs.
I see Israel ready to attack every neighbor that it has, from buzzing jets over Lebanon to creating provocations with Syria and to shooting five Egyptian policemen only doing their duty in Sinai when Israeli soldiers crossed the border with no permission and with a dark purpose.
Of course, a day does not go by that Israel does not threaten to attack, or harangue the United States to attack, Iran, a nation generally living at peace with its neighbors.
Netanyahu has never so much as lifted a finger in his entire nasty career in the name of genuine peace.
And it does seem anymore that where Israel is there can be no peace.
The people of Egypt are only expressing legitimate frustrations with this regional bully who worked hard behind the scenes to keep them perpetually under the thumb of a U.S.-sponsored tyrant.
________________________________________
“I would think israel security firing off a few rounds through their skulls would disperse them real quick…”
Now there’s a fine comment, something of which to be proud.
That is, if you are a bully or a psychopath.
The person commenting only succeeds in revealing the genuine attitudes of the Israeli government.
Here are a few interesting facts for readers to consider in light of this savage comment – they are taken from Israeli journalist Amira Hass in her book about Gaza:
Physicians for Human Rights, during the five years of the intifada, a Palestinian child under the age of six was shot in the head every two weeks. According to United Nations Relief records, nearly 1,100 people treated at its clinics during the first four years had been shot in the head, with about 15% of that number being women. During the four years, over sixty thousand Gazans were shot, severely beaten , or tear-gassed.
______________________________________
“canadians are morons.
“….
“canadians are morons.”
Gee, now there’s an enlightened way to address people and to make your point.
Again the writer reveals, undoubtedly without realizing it, why there is such terrible problems in the region.
There’s a government, armed to the teeth and utterly ruthless, which regularly speaks this way.
________________________________________
A reader says the last time he checked Israel was an independent nation.
Israel an independent nation?
Since when?
It is the most heavily subsidized place on earth, by far.
It receives about $500 per year per Jewish citizen from the United States, and it has done so for decades.
But that is only the beginning.
There are periodic loan guarantees of tens of billions.
There is constant access at the highest level for this nation with the population of Ecuador, something virtually no other country, even far more important ones, has.
It has a plum free-trade agreement – indeed, with sending its subsidized crops to the U.S. Israel’s agriculture would disappear. It was a gift to Israel because it has no tangible benefits for Americans at all.
The opportunity cost of water Israel squanders on tomatoes and clementines to export is unbelievably high because it is the cost of desalination-plant water. It sends subsidized produce to the United States under free trade, produce the United States doesn’t even need.
Israel receives billions worth of intelligence and defense cooperation every year from the United States, something few other countries receive.
The two billion dollars a year going to Egypt is a bribe paid on Israel’s part paid by Americans since the Camp David Agreements.
Israel receives heavily below cost natural gas from Egypt, the result of U.S. pressure on Mubarak. Everyone knows this is scandalous, and the U.S. has offered to pay a subsidy to top up the price.
Israel also receives billions from the Jewish communities of America and Europe, and it receives important business intelligence and connections.
The great privilege granted to American Israelis to be dual citizens means they move back and forth regularly, all the while sharing business and other intelligence.
Israel’s farms and cities and water supply were all taken with absolutely no payment or reparations from other people. That is the biggest subsidy ever received, the very substance of the nation.
And it is not satisfied with what happened in 1948, it keeps stealing the property of others regularly, refusing to live in peace because it still wants more.
Israel has received tens of billions in reparations from Germany – wholly appropriate in view of the past but still a subsidy.
The list is even longer than this, but I think the point is clear: Israel is in no sense of the word an independent nation.
It is in truth a gigantic international welfare case.