As to white liberals knowing much or little about the ME. Mostly little. Everybody has, special needs aside, roughly the same bucket size for information. Liberals “know” what they need to know to be liberal and–for the innocent of them–unconsciously avoid anything else. Others avoid it as an active process. And some, I have to believe, know better but will not be caught admitting it. Which applies to any contentious subject.

But… what difference does it make? Do you think white liberals, if they knew the history of the ME would have a different opinion? Not likely.

DNW :
I wasn’t sure where you were going with your long comment, but I do take your point that the Arabs in Gaza choose to live poorly in order to pursue the Hamas project to drive Israel into the sea.

I’ve also run into those arguments that Gaza is a hellhole because Israel intentionally imposes such cruel suffering on the Palestinians.

Hi.

Yeah, I was just trying to sort through some of the hyperbolic, if not near hysterical, language concerning the supposedly unbearably crowded conditions in the Gaza strip.

Limited as they might be, they do have certain resources.

As a defeated Confederate general reputedly remarked to his wife, (prox) “We have still left to us, a cow, apples, and flour. We will make apple pies.” Which she then sold to union troops occupying the area.

Now I am not saying that Gazans would be happy living in small Tudors and 800 sq ft main floor bungalows (or their hot climate versions) with basements and upper storeys, and little vegetable and flower gardens out back. But you sure as hell can house a huge number on 35×140 ft lots in relatively comfortable and even attractive conditions with planning like that. Possibly 15,000 per square mile or more. Maybe substantially more.

How many prefab knockoffs or equivalents could Hamas afford to put up with their billions? Well, a billion dollars would buy you 16,600, basic $60k prefabs. Not including land or infrastructure.

This is not just a “tiny house” fantasy for housing Gazans on their own piece of earth. It seems completely do-able in principle for perhaps a plurality of families with live-in children.

If, a choice was made to do so.

But if we really wanted to get into the realm of daydreams, we might ask ourselves just how many Boxable style dwellings one could purchase for a billion dollars.

But maybe they like living in apartments, and that is ok too. Maybe they would turn up their noses at those suggested alternate living conditions as impractical, or patronizing and limiting, as culturally alien, antiquated, or even capitalist.

There are after all recorded instances – exaggerated or not – of people preferring to nearly starve to death rather than shift their diet of staples.

Either way, the fact is that it is not overcrowding that is causing them to act like maniacs.

And from what I have seen so far, their lhousing conditions as they were, were not atrocious.

Oh if you are interested in housing per se, take the time to read through the Old Urbanist link provided. He analyzes why the planners of the early 20th century strove to include backyards even if at the cost of frontage limited to 35 feet. Yes … it was probably about “canning gardens” space.

I wasn’t sure where you were going with your long comment, but I do take your point that the Arabs in Gaza choose to live poorly in order to pursue the Hamas project to drive Israel into the sea.

I’ve also run into those arguments that Gaza is a hellhole because Israel intentionally imposes such cruel suffering on the Palestinians.

I seriously doubt that any top “official” (e.g., thug) of BLM could find Gaza Strip on the map. If presented a map and asked to locate the Gaza Strip, they would probably seek out Las Vegas on the map (which, also, they would not be able to find on a map) to locate “the Strip.”

AesopFan…
“Basically, will you march under the flag of Satan or that of Christ?”

Exactly right.
BLM, like Hamas, like every Marxist ever can only destroy what’s already in place. They never build. Never cause things to flourish. Create ugliness & revel in it. For crying out loud…who thinks brutalizing women & driving through the streets with their dead bodies is a thing of joy? Obviously the Hamas Palestinian terrorists & their apologists in the West.

Hence… “The thief comes only to steal kill & destroy. I came that they might have life & have it to the full.” There’s only the two options. They have chosen poorly.

Indeed.
The Wyoming historical site where we served this summer includes some portions of land under BLM management, which we sometimes mention when orienting visitors. After the first few puzzled reactions, I started using the agency’s full name.

Personally, I think that the “newcomers” should make sure their potential acronym is not already in use, but I suppose that would be too much to ask.
I wonder if BLM 1.0 ought to sue for cultural appropriation?

I’m guessing your “well-educated” friend didn’t know about the Balfour Declaration either.

Probably she’s got a lot company in her ignorance.