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.
@Sebastian Zorn- re: allowing Noahides in to do needed work, tradesmen, that was my point in an earlier post! Why don’t Israelis learn trades? Depending on the moslems is crazy!
Turks were imported to build Mamilla Mall! I saw a Turkish flag there one day! My friend went over and asked, all Turkish workers.
@Sebastian Zorn- changing the subject, but today I took an Uber, driver female, from Russia, but she doesn’t like Putin, supports Ukrainia!
@Sebastian Zorn- Noahides? from where?
I was hoping drones and such would help spare actual troops, but won5 work, of course, with underground fighting.
I’m listening to this…
@mirib Pollard wants to use Noahides and automation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOhK1-eLhDc
https://rumble.com/v4efkff-the-gaza-fence-judging-politicians-by-their-actions.html
Oh, boy…Using moslem a.rabs to rebuild the security fence.
Bibi and Galant continue to endanger us and make sure they do! And then put those kibutzniks right back there!?
The army already ordered you can’t shoot anybody who comes up to the fence!
Bring out the SKUNKS!
Station SKUNKs all along the fence!
When will ISRAELIs step up and do the work delegated to a.rabs? Where’s the pioneer sprit that established the State? I had a very difficult time getting an Israeli plumber in Jerusalem. It’s like the mindset is well, that work is beneath me.
I might trust some foreign nationalities that are not dedicated to murdering Jews! All these house cleaners, greenhouse workers, and elder care types, nary a moslem! I haven’t heard of horror stories with them.
@ketzel2
Would you seek an alliance with the devil to save Israel from destruction? I would. I would do it in a New York minute, and if you were given the hand dealt to Putin, you would do it too. In fact, alliances are based upon shared interests, not shared values, and when the West isolated Russia and stole their gold reserves, locking them out of the Western markets, Russia reacted as needed to survive. Those who react to existential threats instead of ignoring them, do not fall prey to slaughter such as took place on October 7, and Putin, unlike Israel, is not given to tolerating existential threats with poise. There is no reason why the West should have made an enemy of Putin, but having done so, I do not blame him for seeking allies where he could find them.
While this does not mean that there is no threat coincident with Putin’s new alliance, it should be noted that while Russia is trading with Iran, the US is simply giving Iran billions of dollars in cash, funding their terror campaign against Israel, and has been doing so for years. As I have noted many times now, while Russia’s trade with Iran is a concern, it pales to the damage already committed by they US in its decades long state sponsoring of terror against Israel. And yet, Israel is still tied to the US, even as they are prohibiting Israel from dealing with Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran. Alliances are based on shared interests, and though the interests of the US and Israel are far from aligned, there remains a common interest for the moment as Israel is still receiving munitions. Should Israel scorn the shells being sold to her by the US simply because the US is funding, feeding and protecting Iran’s proxies from being destroyed by Israel? I would argue that in a New York minute she should not.
@ketzel2
What’s that supposed to mean? Last time they met, he said it was to try to get Hamas to release the Russian hostages including at least one Israeli dual citizen.
No one is forcing Putin to do anything. Don’t worry, Putin himself will make everything clear in a matter of days.
@ketzel2
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” And the West chose to turn Putin into an enemy, The longer this war goes on, the farther into the arms of our real enemies, Russia will be thrust. And even if the rest of the West, except for Hungary, betrays Israel on a regular basis, Israel is part of the West. And that’s not good for the Jews.
@ketzel2
She has dual citizenship. And she was accused of the same thing the people in the Ukraine were arrested for, giving aid and comfort to the enemy in time of war, She donated $50 to a charity. OMG! But, it’s the same on the other side. No reason for us to fuel this war, is it? The U.S. deliberately provoked this war. When the leadership of the U.S. wants peace, there will be peace. Or there will eventually be the peace of the grave. I don’t know how much longer this war of attrition can go on. It’s like World War One the way it’s just grinding up soldiers and spitting them out. There may not be anything left of the Ukraine. As long as the neo-cons and globalists are in the saddle, this war will go on until it can’t anymore. And one thing’s for sure, it won’t make Russia (or Ukraine) any less authoritarian.
“They made a desert and called it peace.” – Tacitus
One more thing: I will take my victory lap now. Putin is hosting heads of various Palestinian terror groups on Feb. 26. This meeting is will not be good for the Jews. The Putin Fan Club has only a few more days before you all burn your cards.
@Sebastien
Apples and oranges. The woman arrested in Russia is an American citizen. Most likely, Russia is collecting Americans to exchange for Russian spies. This woman behaved badly in public and was found to have donated $58 to a Ukrainian charity. Treason. 20 years in the gulag.
@ketzel2
Feb. 2, 2024
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/02/jailed-as-collaborators-the-stories-of-ukrainians-who-ended-up-in-prison
American ballerina Ksenia Karelina is detained for ‘high treason’ in Russia by Putin’s feared FSB security accused of raising $51 for the Ukrainian army and could face 20 years in jail if found guilty
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13103959/Ksenia-Karelina-treason-russia-putin.html
https://dianebederman.com/the-missing-piece-to-end-the-wars-in-the-middle-east/
@Adam Poland put an end to Holocaust restitution claims, made exposing Polish complicity in the Holocaust a criminal offence and just now, along with 25 of the 27 EU states put out a call for a cease-fire in Gaza. The only holdout? Hungary, as usual. In today’s Arutz Sheva. and
“Over a third of Poles “harbour antisemitic attitudes”, finds international study
JUN 2, 2023 | SOCIETY”
https://notesfrompoland.com/2023/06/02/over-a-third-of-poles-harbour-antisemitic-attitudes-finds-international-study/
So, why should Jews like Poland, exactly? Pierogis? I can get that over here in the East Village and the Ukrainian ones are better anyway.
Well, Ukrainian-American at Veselka’s. Have you ever tried boiled pierogies filled with goat cheese or pumpkin and sauteed onions on top slathered with sour cream? Heaven on a stick, man. Heaven on a stick.
😀
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4956924,00.html
Putin has invited Hamas for a meeting on February 26th.
Russia has invited all Palestinian organisations, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad (terror-classified) and the Palestinian Authority for an “Inter-Palestinian Meeting” in Moscow.
https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1759346097586143565
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9VWfsDw95c
@Sebastien
Thanks! Great speech.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvJv0KJ71Tw
Right, guys, but what does any of this have to do with the decision to start a war?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwfdbTvJDaQ
@ketzel2
You are quite correct, they did not try. As I noted, the West only uses their outrage over liberal transgressions to manipulate the people, not to actually enforce liberal policies.
@Peloni, I really don’t know what happened with the church, but they are at war, and there are a lot of churches. Maybe trained investigators are too busy to vet every church during wartime. Not everyone is as fastidious to the point of suicide as Israel.
Re: Lira, I agree the US should have done more for him while he was in prison, however, the international outrage over Navalny’s death is similar, it didn’t get much coverage until it was too late. The famous people who are expressing outrage over Navalny’s death could have said more earlier. I don’t know if that would have saved him, but they didn’t try.
@ketzel2
Regarding the Russian Orthodox Church, I find the sentiment that the entire religious order was involved in state wide espionage to be as meritless as the notion that the opposition was doing the same. It went hand in glove with Zel’s policy of de-Russification of the Ukrainian people, and this, I would argue, is the more realistic basis for such a despotic undertaking of banning the religion in its entirety rather than prosecuting those who were found to be committing espionage by the SBU, which is should not be considered to be an honest broker in any situation.
Regarding Ukraine vs Russia, your description of things getting wierder as you move further east seems fairly noted, but Ukraine wasn’t the point of my comparison. It was the institutional complicity, toleration and quiet support by the West of Lira’s death which was completely within their power to have addressed and reproached to which I challenged the faux outrage raised over Navalny’s death. The despots of the West have no interest in liberal Western freedoms beyond using them to manipulate the people towards supporting the political initiatives which are of interest at any given moment.
Just for clarification.
@Peloni wrote
I didn’t understand at first why this was done, as Ukraine is Orthodox as well. But I read an analysis by someone, I forget who, that seems to explain it. It seems the Russian Orthodox churches were being used for spying, the police had found evidence of information gathering and sending comms back to Russia, that’s why the churches were shuttered.
I don’t know this for a fact, but it seemed plausible. Much like mosques are used in the west, so it’s not anti-muslim per se to go after mosques that are used that way.
When I was in Kyiv, I lived near the beautiful Ukrainian Orthodox St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral, and anytime I passed by, I saw ordinary people going in and participating in the beautiful service that was open to tourists if you stood in the back and covered your hair. The church was always full. Ukraine is very respectful of religion, they wouldn’t harsh on any Orthodox church without a good reason.
Hi, Ketzel2
Baltic Avenue. I think P—– & Co. have hit bottom, in their authoritarian worship.
@Peloni, I don’t think Lira’s murder has the same implications for the West as something similar in the USA. Although Ukraine may have been leaning West, it was pretty exotic and somewhat non-western when I visited. The farther east you go, the weirder things are. I don’t have the same expectations of the Ukrainian govt that I would have for the American government. Actually, they have the same excuse as Putin, that they are at war. But there is no excuse. I would paint with a broad brush when it comes to murder of non-violent people.
@Sebastien
Quite true. Furthermore, it would be quite untrue to suggest the opposite, ie that there isn’t a thing you could say about Zel which wouldn’t apply to Putin. Point in fact, the shuttering of an entire major religion including the imprisonment or banishment of its clergy members.
This is eastern Europe. The lack of democratic norms forms what constitutes historical normality in that region of the world, and in time of war, as you wisely note, govts fail to maintain such liberal considerations as would be expected during peacetime.
Additionally, I would argue further that Putin has been the most liberal leader of Russia in its entire lengthy history going back many centuries. This could certainly not be said to be true of Zel, even given the fact that Ukraine’s national history only goes back a few decades.
ketzel2
I would argue that what happens in Russia affects the Russian people far more than it does those in the West, just as what happens in the West affects the people of the West far more than it does those in Russia.
Considering the hushed coverage or condemnation of Lira’s death, which was completely predictable by anyone aware of Lira’s situation, his death was sanctioned by the West, even as that of Navalny was not. In fact, I would argue that the public condemnation of Navalny’s death is completely opportunistic and insincere in nature. It is public posturing over the subject of freedom of the press and freedom of speech which has significant relevance to the general public of the West, whose govts have no interest in tolerating or promoting such matters in the West, even as they condemn such limitations as are being enforced in Russia, which is under threat of war with the West, and which is fighting a proxy war with the West.
The example you raised of the Jan. 6 protesters makes this point quite well. As I noted previously, I disliked Lira from nearly the first time I listened to him, and quickly came to recognize his openly antisemitic nature which he took little to no effort to conceal. His unchastised murder by Ukrainian State Police, however, affects all of us in the West far more significantly than does the publicly condemned death of Nalalny, as Lira was murdered for practicing rights and privileges which made the West more Western than Russia, and yet only crickets critiqued or questioned his murder in the months that have passed since his death. This was actually the point which I was trying to make in sharing the comparison between the deaths of these two men.
@Peloni
I’ve noticed here and there people comparing Lira’s death to this one. Like you have to pick which is worse. Both are shameful. Torture of political prisoners. Ditto the Jan. 6 protesters.
I saw a video of people in Serbia chanting insults at Putin in front of the Russian embassy. Good, and surprising.
Even Tucker Carlson is shocked at this event.
The shills at Redacted are twisting themselves into pretzels. I don’t think I’ll watch that show anymore, they’re low-rent.
Oh, 2 or more can play that game.
https://eightify.app/summary/ukraine-conflict/american-journalist-gonzalo-lira-found-dead-in-ukrainian-prison-sparks-human-rights-concerns
“Witchhunt in Ukraine against journalists, activists and left-wing politicians”
https://www.pressenza.com/2022/03/witchhunt-in-ukraine-against-journalists-activists-and-left-wing-politicians/
“Citing martial law, Ukraine president signs decree to combine national TV channels into one platform”
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/citing-martial-law-ukraine-president-signs-decree-combine-national-tv-channels-2022-03-20/
“Ukrainian Parliament Moves To Outlaw Orthodox Church for ‘Russia Links’”
https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/ukrainian-parliament-moves-to-outlaw-orthodox-church-for-russia-links/
“Ukraine Bans Political Opposition
Not just pro-Russian political parties, but individual dissidents, have been dealt with harshly by Ukrainian law and Ukrainian mobs.”
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/ukraine-bans-political-opposition/
When it comes to internal governance, there isn’t a thing you could say about Putin that wouldn’t apply to Zelensky, so it’s irrelevant. Moreover, most of the countries in the world are fairly repressive especially in wartime. So, it really shouldn’t even be on the table.
@Michael
Did you think you had reserved a private chat line in the chit-chat box? LOL.
In all fairness, you do seem somewhat apprehensive about having your views challenged. As I have stated previously, this is an open forum, and as Sebastien noted quite well, the more the merrier. Ad hominem and censorship stifle conversation and limit viewpoints which should be freely expressed, and yet those viewpoints should always be open to being challenged. Indeed, you can expect that others will comment on such sentiments and opinions as you care to post, and in fact, I would argue that this is the very purpose in actually posting anything at all.
@ketzel2
Do recall that Russia passed legislation clearly making it illegal for any protests made against the govt during the war were illegal, and warnings were made to remind the public of this fact after the news of Navalny’s death broke. Kara-Murza is an extreme example of those foolish enough to test this law, but there are others. This is unfortunate, but as I noted before, govts under significant threat during war commit foolish crimes against the people. Do recall the case of Eugene Debs who ran afoul of the Sedition Act of 1918, which made it a crime to “willfully utter, print, write, or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States, or the Constitution of the United States”, and notably, the US in 1918 faced no similar threat to that which Russia faces today.
It is curious, however, that Sky News failed to raise any objection, or even report, the death of the US citizen journalist Gonzo Lira who was killed while being held in a Ukrainian prison some months ago. Indeed, no MSM has commented on Lira’s death in the months since he died, and the US govt raised no objection beyond confirming Lira’s death. Yet, the death of Navalny, who was neither a journalist nor an American citizen has gained significant coverage by all media outlets in just hours after his death, and in that same time, the US govt has publicly condemned Navalny’s death. Quite a telling double standard I would suggest.
Russian police arrest mourners and journalists at Navalny gatherings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfRU7MVL-rg
A German state mandates the recognition of Israel in citizenship application
Saxony-Anhalt introduces requirement for applicants to affirm in writing that they back Jewish state’s ‘right to exist and condemn any efforts directed against’ its existence
@Laura
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385272
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-pledges-expel-immigrants-who-support-hamas-ban-muslims-us-2023-10-16/#:~:text=Promising%20to%20drastically%20tighten%20U.S.,fascist%2C%20you%20are%20disqualified.%22
@Michael https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b31BwYA5-Zo
@Michael Every conversation is a group conversation. The more the merrier.
Statement Concerning Evacuation of Avdiivka
https://tlgrm.eu/channels/@pilotblog/9960
Hundreds of Russian expatriates and Russian Jews demonstrated tonight in front of the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv to mourn the murder of Alexei Navalny.
https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1758636704578392081
https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/1758459407568920962
These butchers must not be rewarded for their attrocities with a state carved from our homeland, not under any condition and not to appease any foreign power.
Peloni,
As usual, you’re trying to make an issue where none exists. I responded to Sebastien’s comment, which compared the amount of aid to Israel to the amount to Ukraine. He believed the two countries should get the same amount of aid (or that Israel should get more). I disagreed. End of story. It was between Sebastien and me. Then you butted in, insulting me as you went. I didn’t solicit these comments. Now you’re saying,
What planet have you been living on? Are you that confused? or just trying to pick a fight? or what? I don’t believe I should have to explain these things to you, but here it goes:
Congress has been squabbling over a spending bill. Despite your unbelief, the vcote has split along party lines, and many roadblocks have blocked its passage. That’s what I would call a “divisive issue”. The Republicans have been rejecting the bill, because it does not address the US border issue, which the vast majority of Americans see as our #1 critical interest. All the rest is obfuscation, including the volumes of digital ink spilled by you. Stop trying to make it more than it is,
I don’t agree with everything Bill Maher says but some of it is spot on and he’s the only comic, these days, who makes me laugh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhaYBsS4TEE&t
@Laura
still think there’s no difference?
https://www.jns.org/us-arabs-rushing-plan-to-establish-palestinian-state/
@Michael
@Michael
I criticized the basis upon which you seem to feel US aid should be spent. It does strike me that foreign populations and foreign need would be universally
agreed to be an arbitrary framework for allocating US aid, which is why I describe it as being both whimsical and silly, not yourself. If you disagree, you might explain why that might be rather than repeatedly dodging the reason why you find these parameters to be a relevant basis of US aid. I thought that perhaps it might either be your attempt at sarcasm or that you raised these suggestions without thinking it thru, but your overly defensive response and return to abusive remarks would suggest otherwise.
As to having the cheek to comment on how US aid is spent, well, there is enough cheek to go around and there is no crime in holding such an opinion as I described which I do believe is well based. Hence, if my opinion disturbs you, I would suggest you simply explain why basing foreign aid on foreign need or population might be more relevant than basing it on US interests as I described.
In fact, I wouldn’t think that allocating US dollars based on US interests would be a divisive issue, but it seems that with you at least it is. The US obviously has every right to choose the basis of whom to support with its Yankee dollars, and indeed, the US has been paying some pretty high dollars to some pretty dodgy groups for a very long time, while undermining its own position and interests around the world, without reason or rationale. Again, Israel would not be listed among those dodgy groups, while Ukraine and Hamas clearly are.
In any event, you do seem a bit touchy and offensive, so I hope you have a better rest of your day.
Peloni, the gist of your argument was that I am “silly”. I responded to that.
What were you trying to say, besides that? Oh, yes:
You added that besides being “silly”, I am “whimsical”. What sort of reply do you expect from that?? Haven’t you noticed that money to Israel, money to Ukraine and money to Taiwan are on the same bill as money to defend the US border? How does this become “whimsical” when I talk about it? You also say,
Could that be, because I wasn’t asked to chastise them?? How much more off the topic do you want to meander? Your entire point in this exercise, seems to have been to malign me. What’s your oily answer to that? It was Sebastien who said,
I responded to him, not you. Are you somehow our accountant? It’s American taxpayers who are expected to cough up the money, whether it be 4 billion or 10 billion or 60 billion. You have some cheek, criticizing what we do with OUR money, complaining when we give your friends a free gift and saying it’s not enough. Go f–k yourself! Then you pile onto it, saying my own country’s borders are not important. F–k yourself with a blow torch!
@Michael
Another non-responsive response to the argument I posed to you. So should we assume that you agree or that you simply don’t have a counter argument to make?