Friday, 4 April 2025
Thursday, 3 April 2025
“Ireland is a social disaster waiting to happen” | Mick O’Keefe
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Israel: a State for Jews and Druze | Dan Schueftan (Part 4)
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| Click above for the video |
Dr Dan Schueftan, Director emeritus of the National Security Studies Center at the University of Haifa.
I find him bracingly good. I'm sure there are those who would find him rather too much so, would call him a bigot, or racist, or such. I've watched quite a bit of him now, and I really don't think so. I think he's just deeply knowledgeable about the Middle East, clear-eyed about his neighbours and clear-eyed about how strong Israel needs to be, to keep them at bay.
And keeping them at bay seems to be the only option at the moment -- not because that's what Israel wants, but because the neighbours hate Israel and the Jews and wish to destroy them. The only way Israel can survive it to be strong and to be feared. As he says, it's a tough neighbourhood. Only strength is respected.
But some are friends. Like the Druze. Dr Dan: "Israel is a state for Jews and Druze".
And good thoughts -- radical centrist thoughts, radical common sense thoughts -- about Freedom, Democracy, Transparency, Progressivism.
00:00 The Druze and Israel: A Complex Relationship
03:07 The Humanitarian Imperative: Protecting Minorities
06:09 Crisis of Democracy: A Global Perspective
08:53 The Dangers of Total Transparency
11:57 Rethinking Leadership in Modern Democracies
14:48 The Path to Sustainable Equality
17:49 Optimism Amidst Irresolvable Problems
Wednesday, 2 April 2025
Israel's Hostage Dilemma: Dan Schueftan (Part 3)
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| Click above for the video |
“The barbarians' strongest weapon is to use our values against us”.
A key message of Dr Dan Schueftan, Director emeritus of the National Security Studies Center at the University of Haifa.
Which brings me back to the discussion about what to do when the enemy takes hostages. Should you make the return of the hostages your no. 1 war aim, as it's been for Israel? Or should you take the tough but ultimately more effective road of saying -- as we used to in the West -- "We will not negotiate with terrorists."
I completely understand why Israel does what it does. And the anguish of the relatives of hostages. Dr Dan, above, calls these "decisions from Hell". It's the killing of some, to prevent the killing of many, many more. Listen to him discuss the issue of whether the Allies should have bombed the concentration camps in WW2.
But... I've come over to the views of Yishai Fleisher*. Who argues that the hostages must be treated as casualties of war. By all means try to save them. But don't make that the primary war aim and make sure the enemy knows this.
After the short-term pain and anguish of this, and the loss of hostages, the benefits will be no more use of taking hostages by the enemy. For anything other than the near term, for anything other than Suicidal Empathy, the tough way of Yishai, and Dr Dan above, is the best for continued survival of Israel, not under constant threat of attacks by the barbarians, come to take booty, loot and hostages.
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As I rewatch the video above, I think Dr Dan is truly a wise man. Speaks truth bombs, one after another.
Index:
00:00 Current Situation in Gaza
06:00 Moral Dilemmas in Warfare
11:47 The Hostage Crisis and Historical Context
17:55 Cultural and Political Dynamics in the Region
24:07 Israel's Strategic Position and Future Outlook
30:02 The Role of International Relations
36:11 Understanding the Palestinian Perspective
Tuesday, 1 April 2025
The West Is Naive About the Middle East: Dan Schueftan (Part 2)
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| Click above for the video |
You can have too much of a good thing.
A thing I've often said. Like immigration. We all, pretty much all, think immigration is good. But too much, especially undocumented, illegal, uncontrolled immigration is bad. Big majorities -- around 75% and up -- of people in all western countries, think so.
I've likened it to water. You need it to survive. Too much and you drown. Professor Dan Schueftan uses the oxygen analogy. Again, you need it to live; too much will kill you,
In professor Dan's case he's referring to Progressivism. Which he thinks -- and many of us agree -- has gone too far in many western countries and in Israel. Hence the crazy Left of the Democratic party, which led it off the electoral cliff in the last election. And which threatens the survival of Israel and the west, if we are too naive, because of ultra-progressivism.
I'd call it Suicidal Empathy.
Dr Dan talks of the idea the Progressives have that we're basically all the same. That within a Saddam Hussein is a little Thomas Jefferson waiting to get out. We just have to be nice to the Saddam and the Jefferson will emerge. Not so. As time and again we've found out. But firmly refuse to learn from.
This is also the point made for the UK by Christopher Caldwell, in his recent talk with Peter Whittle, here. Some people just don't fit in and don't want to fit in.
Index:
00:00 Misunderstanding Radicalism in America 02:52 The Role of Humanitarian Aid in Conflict 06:06 Political Dynamics in the Middle East 09:06 The Rise of Progressivism and Its Consequences 12:02 Israel's Political Landscape and Resilience 14:54 The Future of Israeli Society and Governance 18:01 International Relations and Bipartisan Support 20:52 The UN and Global Politics, Zelensky, Ukraine
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