Chit Chat

By Ted Belman

From now on comments on every post must relate to the content of the post.

Comments that don’t relate to the post must go here.

Any person who contravenes this demand will be put on moderation. Also their offending comment will be trashed.

The reason for this demand is so that people who want to read comments which pertain to the post, don’t have to wade through the chatter.

Everyone will be happier.

April 16, 2020 | 7,925 Comments »

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25 Comments / 7925 Comments

  1. SEB-

    The Druze you refer to just added 2 plus 2 and came up with 4. They are covering themselves.
    In the fairly distant past I recall that they wanted to loin up with their Syrian relatives -as Syrians.

  2. READER-

    My post was a kind of synopsis of the modern Ukraine with a brief reference to what I believe drives them

    Much of my Cossack “knowledge” comes from one of m books, “Taras Bulba”, by Gogol, who also wrote the brilliant satirical–humourous book “Dead Souls” I read te latter 3-4 times.

    In real fact I think that they are a agglomeration of a large variety of accrued nomads and displaced peoples, like for instance, The Khazars.

    ****It looks as if your computer has developed an incurable itch, like a massive attack of mosquito bites.****

  3. THIS IS CENSORSHIP!!!

    After I messed up the terms describing you-know-who when it was you-know-what, my comment has posted!

    I did have to remove several question marks but very few.

    Talk about freedom of thought, expression, opinion, etc.!

    That is only for the Nazis, Hitler’s Germany, antisemitic rants, and other civilized topics worthy of discussion.

  4. @Edgar

    Part 1
    The idea of the U$$R or the $-o!v-i-e!t U-n-i-o-n belongs to L$e-n-i$n.

    The Russian E%m-p-i-r-e had within it numerous ethnic minorities, just as the Russian Federation has now.

    L%e-n%i-n hated the “great chauvinism” of the Russian E%m-p-i-r-e, and his idea was to give self-rule ($-o-v-i-e-t R-e-p-u-b-l-i-c-s) to the largest ethnic minorities, and he was convinced that if they have their own states, and these states belong to a strong union, who would want to leave this union?

    This required cutting up the whole land into the new republics with the newly created borders.

    For the smaller minorities, there were (created later, maybe?) autonomous regions and autonomous areas.

    Part 2
    What they now call “Ukraine” was created as a new Republic by adding some of the historically Russian lands to the more or less Ukrainian speaking lands which were not under Polish rule in the early 20s (when Poland became independent, it grabbed what is now Western Ukraine, Western Belarus, and, possibly, a chunk of Lithuania)) which were returned to the U-$$-R in 1939.

    Once those Russian lands were added to form the Ukrainian $$R (S*o*v-i-e-t S@o@c-i-a-l-i-s-t R-e#p-u#b-l-i-c), there was a program of “ukrainization” headed by – wait for it! K-a-g-a~n~o-v-i-c-h – who took his job very seriously.

    Before that there was no Ukrainian state, no matter how proud the population might have been there (BTW, Cossacks were Russian, Ukrainian, etc., and some were even Jewish (very few)).

  5. @Peloni

    I use plain text ONLY – NO clip art or emojis.

    The system inserts the question marks on its own.

    Anyway, looking at the text, you can see that there could be no way anyone could use as many emojis in the text as there are question marks in it.

    Another question is – has the system basically prohibited my participation in the forum today?

    The only comments of mine it lets through are the ones addressed to you about my comments not posting.

    Is it censorship?

    The only part of my long comment that posted successfully is the one which has no names of Russia from before it was renamed as Russian Federation.

    It would be very odd if the system treated those names on the same level as swear words.

  6. @Reader
    It isn’t too long.

    The question marks represent clip art or emojis. Israpundit doesn’t recognize the code for these and i think this is why it is goingtomoderation. If you delete all but text and numbers in your post it will not go to moderation and there should be no question marks.

  7. @Ted Belman
    @Peloni

    Something weird is happening with your system.

    I’ve been trying to post the same comment for several hours without success.

    Finally, Peloni retrieved it, filled with question marks.

    I decided to split it into 3 parts, in case it was too long, even though other people successfully post very long comments.

    One part posted, again, with question marks, and I edited them out.

    The next part disappeared.

    Please, fix whatever needs to be fixed.

    I seem to be the only one it is happening to, and nothing has changed on my side, technology-wise.

  8. @Edgar

    Part 3
    Russians, Belarussians, and Ukrainians differ by language only and the languages differ mostly by pronunciation, and differ “ethnically” by mixing “at the edges” with different neighboring peoples (Ukrainians being closer to Turkey), Russians – closer to Sweden in the northwest or to the Middle Asia peoples in the southeast, etc.

    Western Ukraine and Eastern Ukraine are almost like two different countries.

    Western Ukraine was under Austria-Hungary, Poland, etc., there are still whole Hungarian speaking areas there which Hungary, of course, wishes to reclaim, and Poland is still dreaming about the lands it lost there.

    Western Ukraine has been used by the West against Russia for a couple of hundred years, at least.

    In 2014 Ukraine attacked the areas which at the time only wanted a Russian speaking autonomy inside Ukraine, but the military invasion by the government ultimately caused them to secede and join the Russian Federation.

  9. @peloni

    My rescued comment looks horrible because it is now full of question marks which have the effect of mocking everything I wrote.

    It is not the first time it happened.

    Could you, please, post it again WITHOUT those question marks and delete the one which is full of question marks?

    I tried posting it again, and it disappeared again.

    Could you check the moderation algorithm – it seems to be a bit McCarthyistic.

  10. “BUT there are facts, which show that they are an invaded nation. And regardless of my personal feelings, Victim Nations tn these days have inalienable RIGHTS.”

    They have NO rights and my arguments are many including:

    As I suggested I wouldn’t have called it an SMO. It was an invasion. But a poor one. Putin et Al have certain weaknesses

    I personally am not beholden to the bourgeoisie for anything. After the German Holocaust of the Jews end Germany. There must be repercussions for actions. End of.

    Look at October 7. Again END OF … NO MORE PALESTINE AND PALESTINIANS

    Instead look at sorry state of… Israelis calling for a truce with Palestinians who carried out the October 7.

    As far as I know from memory the victors of the October Revolution recognised Ukraine in 1917-18. The result was…200,000 Jews murdered by many pogroms in Ukraine

    There was still enough life left in the bloodstream of the October Revolution for Trotsky to defeat the dross and have the Pogromists shot by legal process.

    Fact to the nasty rubbish of this present world the Rafaels of israpundit the Jews of Ukraine joined wholeheartedly with Trotsky, Lenin and their MARXISM! In the period 1918 to 1921!

    I do wish they had went further and expunged Ukraine and it’s hated name for good and ever.

    But Russia was INDEED a poor country and the British and American imperial powers were closing in to get their revenge.

    Ukraine should have ended for good after the Pogrom Movement of 1918 to 1921

    That would have been the end of the matter.

    But for that a Trotsky undefeated had to be.

    But as they say…”It is never too late”.

  11. @Edgar

    The idea of the USSR or the Soviet Union belongs to Lenin.?

    The Russian Empire had within it numerous ethnic minorities, just as the Russian Federation ?has now.?

    Lenin hated the “great chauvinism” of the Russian Empire, and his idea was to give self-rule ??(Soviet Republics) to the largest ethnic minorities, and he was convinced that if they have their ?own states, and these states belong to a strong union, who would want to leave this union??

    This required cutting up the whole land into the new republics with the newly created borders.?

    For the smaller minorities, there were (created later?) autonomous regions and autonomous ?areas. ?

    What they now call “Ukraine” was created as a new Republic by adding some of the historically ?Russian lands to the more or less Ukrainian speaking lands which were not under Polish rule in ?the early 20s (when Poland became independent, it grabbed what is now Western Ukraine, ?Western Belarus, and, possibly, a chunk of Lithuania)) which were returned to the USSR in ??1939.?

    Once those Russian lands were added to form the Ukrainian SSR (Soviet Socialist Republic), ?there was a program of “ukrainization” headed by – wait for it! Kaganovich – who took his job ?very seriously.?

    Before that there was no Ukrainian state, no matter how proud the population might have been ?there (BTW, Cossacks were Russian, Ukrainian, etc., and some were even Jewish (very few)).?

    Russians, Belarussians, and Ukrainians differ by language only and the languages differ mostly ?by pronunciation, and differ “ethnically” by mixing “at the edges” with different neighboring ?peoples (Ukrainians being closer to Turkey), Russians – closer to Sweden in the northwest or to ?the Middle Asia peoples in the southeast, etc.?

    Western Ukraine and Eastern Ukraine are almost like two different countries.?

    Western Ukraine was under Austria-Hungary, Poland, etc., there are still whole Hungarian ?speaking areas there which Hungary, of course, wishes to reclaim, and Poland is still dreaming ?about the lands it lost there.?
    ? ?
    Western Ukraine has been used by the West against Russia for a couple of hundred years, at ?least.?

    In 2014 Ukraine attacked the areas which at the time only wanted a Russian speaking autonomy ?inside Ukraine, but the military invasion by the government ultimately caused them to secede ?and join the Russian Federation.?

  12. @Edgar Actually, the Donbas and Luhansk republics seceded from this phony gerrymandered Ukraine and joined the Russian Federation. The Ukraine invaded Russia, actually. Also Transnistria is historically Hungarian. Only western Ukraine is Ukrainian. The Ukrainian state is just another imperialist construct like Syria. And the borders got changed continually in history. It’s never been an independent state before the fall of the Soviet Union. And Chelmieniki wanted to be annexed by Russia. So anachronistic. I sat next to an unveiled woman from Saudi Arabia on the bus who told me that most of it was just a bunch of warring tribes before the 20th century, not part of any state. To paraphrase Yogi Berra, “It’s Sykes-Picot all over again.”

    By the way, I just finished ” The Five” by Jabotinsky. All about intellectuals some of whom are Jewish in Odessa in the early 1900s. Usually classified as a Russian novel which is how it reads.

    How ironic that they’re building a park and naming it after Golda Meir in some Ukrainian city. They want Israeli weapons while they vote to condemn Israel, as does Russia, and give out medals named after Nazis and have neo-Nazis in key positions who are leaving the Jews for later as they focus on wiping out Russians.

    Not that I’m a fan of Russia. Putin just hinted that rootless cosmpolitans are ruining the Russian Orthodox church. Our people need to emigrate from both at the earliest opportunity. “A plague on both their houses.”

    Incidentally, I also just finished volume one of the Zeitlin and am in the middle of the other 2 volumes. Very interesting. Seems to know what he is talking about. Explains contradictions between accounts in different books by Josephus. The Dead Sea Scrolls controversy is minor but it explains why he thinks there is no record of Essene writings. Says the church preserved those of the Apocolypts.

  13. FELIX,

    I’m not surprised that Ukraine hates Russia. Look back at Ukraine history, the centre of the very proud Cossack Hetmans, the storied sweeps of Cossacks in action, and above all their resentment of any outside interference.

    They regarded themselves as a conquered People under the USSR. And also, are ethnically separate from the Russian peoples.

    I’m not advocating for them by any means, as I keep well in my mind the horrifying pogroms which were mainly in Ukraine slaughtering hundreds of thousands helpless Jews.

    As far as I’m concerned if there were to be NO Ukraine, I wouldn’t blink an eye.’

    BUT there are facts, which show that they are an invaded nation. And regardless of my personal feelings, Victim Nations tn these days have inalienable RIGHTS.

  14. @Laura

    I’ll never understand the support Putin and Russia get

    This is because understanding certain things needs an approach that differs from viewing them as a kids’ fight in a sandbox, or as a bar brawl, or whose side we are on as during a sports game.

  15. EDGAR G.

    “I totally agree as “a man in the street” with no political preference.It was RUSSIA which invaded Ukraine, not vice versa, thus THEY are the aggressors, Ukraine the victims.
    Incontrovertible.”

    Yes. Russia did indeed invade Ukraine. But not from the start not near aggressively enough.

    I argue that this invasion was inadequate and has served to open up masses of people to great suffering.

    But I am the opposite to you…I want this Ukrainian outfit to be demolished asap

    And I don’t see Trotsky or Lenin there, in fact to emphasize that, Trotsky’s books are banned as at present or at least not discussed.

    And even good students like Jacques Baud are silent on this Trotsky issue.

    Ukraine in so far as it has entered into conflict with Russia has done so on two things mainly…on the basis of Russia hatred which is a racist type thing, and as a proxy force. As a proxy to be at the forefront of destroying Russia and of the open and a proxy for the stated aims of America, Britain, the EU, and NATO.

    I recognise the evil that this represents and cannot abide that Russia is thus attacked in this way.

    It raises the biggest of issues.

    America has its Monroe Doctrine but seems to make fun of Russia which insists no nukes on our Russian borders.

    How shameful is that.

    But the Russian story is not being adequately told. The leadership on the Russian side has made mistakes.

    Especially Lenin did not act on his own. He argued for what he wanted …to win a majority in his party.

    This was changed as Stalin gained more power. But the democracy In the party works best.

    This I think is what the present Putin regime is not based on. The democracy way of Lenin was superior.

    What might Trotsky have done? You can hazard a very good answer by knowing what policies he proposed to fight Fascism, and not least to defeat Franco. The pivotal Spanish Civil War.

    The Russian people like Putin are not followers, yet, of Lev Davidovic. But will eventually have to be because their hatred for Banderaism has grown

    As an aside…The Ukrainian side is not popular in Ireland at all. Especially not popular with youth who hate Islam.

  16. LAURA-

    I totally agree as “a man in the street” with no political preference.
    It was RUSSIA which invaded Ukraine, not vice versa, thus THEY are the aggressors, Ukraine the victims.

    Incontrovertible.

  17. Just read a very interesting text which shows that Turkey is ALWAYS a “turkey”…

    During WW2 the Turks deprived their Jewish Citizens abroad of their citizenship, leaving them open to being scooped up by the Gestapo et al.
    In Turkey there were pogroms we’ve never heard about as well as several thousands of Turkish Jews collected and handed over to Nazis to end in concentration camps and worse.

    They are on record as being the only “neutral” in history which has turned so critically against it’s minority citizens. Are they any different today???

  18. Complete and utter bullshit. I’ll never understand the support Putin and Russia get from conservatives, least of all Israel supporters.

    Ukraine was in very good shape in the USSR compared to where it is now.

  19. Grist for the standup comic’s mill? “Hey, some of my best friends are Druze.” “Funny, you don’t look Druish.” 😀

  20. @Laura

    What Medvedev means is:

    Either Ukraine will be a Russian friend (like Belarus) or it will be taken over by the West and will cease to exist (it will lose its sovereignty, it will be used to attack Russia regardless of the damage it would have to suffer, its resources will be plundered, its land will not belong to it anymore). Russia wiil not stop fighting to give them a reprieve.

    This is from me about Ukraine::

    Ukraine was in very good shape in the USSR compared to where it is now.

    Historically, Ukraine has not been able to function on its own and to have its own state other than when it was under or with Russia.

    Soon after the Soviet Union ceased to exist, Ukraine was taken over by the Western Ukrainian nationalists who dream about the way things were in WWII when they were occupied by the Germans, and in that part of Ukraine the hatred of anything Russian is almost inborn (the Polish influence).

  21. Only acceptable outcome for Putin: Ukraine’s complete destruction

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/opinion-only-acceptable-outcome-putin-120000144.html?.tsrc=daily_mail&segment_id=DY_VTO_CORE&ncid=crm_19908-1475736-20241220-0&bt_user_id=UnJqRWknihpZfQjxBaqFqK6UWk4xlBZwIfoMIQOlTnghS5TMa%2Fdd7%2BlkV8rE5od4&bt_ts=1734708716765

    The Kremlin is not in pursuit of peace or a ceasefire. Just listen to former-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who recently said out loud what Moscow is thinking, “Today, Ukraine faces a choice to be with Russia or to disappear from the world map altogether.”

    So much for this war being about a territorial conflict or Russia’s imagined NATO threat to itself.