Home » Rules for pro-Hamas radicals: the circle dance revisited

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Rules for pro-Hamas radicals: the circle dance revisited — 36 Comments

  1. Destruction of Truth is all part of the plan. They understand better than we do, if reason prevails, they lose.

  2. I’ll slip the formulation to:

    Rules.
    Game.
    CircleJerk.

    https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/389541

    Israeli officials: US knew about changes to ceasefire deal – but didn’t brief Israel ‘The feeling is that Israel got played’ by the US and mediators during the latest round of negotiations, Israeli officials tell journalist Barak Ravid.

    The officials also said that Israel suspects that the Biden administration offered Hamas guarantees that Israel would end the war as part of the hostage deal.

    The Israeli officials said that the last changes to Hamas’ counteroffer were made Monday morning, and the Biden administration knew about the changes. They also said that the Biden administration believes Hamas’ response to be negotiable, though “Israeli leaders have their doubts.”

    “We think the Americans conveyed the message to Hamas that it will be okay when it comes to ending the war,” one senior Israeli official said.

    The US official confirmed that the Biden administration aims to create something “more enduring” from the ceasefire-prisoner swap deal, but claimed that the US did not provide Hamas with any guarantees about ending the war.

  3. Philosophy is rare. People want to believe lies. If you want to be hated tell them the truth.

  4. I think truth seekers drink more because the lies are more beautiful

  5. I don’t think I’m better for loving knowledge. I was an Intel officer. My job was to know the bitter truth. That will ruin your outlook on life. Lying helps you get through life. You look fat in that dress. I don’t care. You’re still beautiful.

  6. Steve:

    Whatever is going on with you, please seek some sort of help – a therapist, or doctor, or pastor, or friends, or family, or 12-step, or rehab. You’ve been a valued commenter here for a long time, and it sounds like you’re going through a rough time.

  7. I am neither a Philosopher nor a Psychologist, but my gut feeling is that the “useful idiots” as Neo labeled them are a byproduct of the advance of civilization. At least that segment of civilizational advance that relieved most humans, especially favored classes, from the drudgery of survival.
    Now, they have the luxury of looking for “meaning”. Facile minds have been conditioned to find meaning in rejection of, and rebellion against, constrictive values.

    Then, as Neo alluded, there are the lost souls who are desperately looking for a group to join. All the radicals need are slogans, flags/banners and a sense of belonging. Of course many of today’s radicals went through this same evolutionary process.

    This makes sense to me anyway.

    Last Sunday, my Pastor preached on the theme, “beware of too much comfort in your life.”

  8. …my gut feeling is that the “useful idiots” as Neo labeled them are a byproduct of the advance of civilization. At least that segment of civilizational advance that relieved most humans, especially favored classes, from the drudgery of survival.

    Oldflyer:

    That’s my read too. “Check your privilege” indeed. Another case of leftist inversion.

    The Big Blue Machine runs New Mexico, but NM is not going completely down the tubes like California, Illinois and Oregon. We can’t afford to.

  9. Last Sunday, my Pastor preached on the theme, “beware of too much comfort in your life.” – Oldflyer

    A message well worth listening to. I recall my parents and grandparents during the Depression. Never sure where the next dollar was coming from. Working hard, but cheerful in spite of the uncertainty in their lives. They had the character it took to stay hopeful and even optimistic in hard times. They would be amazed at the standard of living we enjoy today. They would also be very upset at the way our society has fallen on hard times morally and philosophically. Because I am part of their heritage, I feel the same.

    Advice to today’s students. Learn a trade, vocation, or skill, that is useful. Work hard at it to become the best you can be. “Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.” Max Ehrmann The Desiderata.

    Rather than try to tear things down, work to build something of use and value. Our time here is short and spending it in pursuit of meaning in your life is best done by being a producer of useful goods and services that benefit others. There are too many philosophers, politicians, and activists. Don’t add to the oversupply.

  10. I may have to read Rules for Radicals. I’ve always assumed that it recommends a sort of mischievous rabble-rousing, misguided but basically benign. But if Pollock is describing it accurately it’s evil.

  11. Neo I reached out to my brother. And my sister. I’ve never been one to ask for help but my brothers and sister are the help I need

  12. I wish I could post pictures. Physically I’m a monster. But I realize even monsters need help.

  13. I don’t look like I’m on my sixties. Like that’s an accomplishment. Maybte thirtiees. I thought my brother would think less of me. But he says he doesn’t.

  14. Id kill another elephant if the elephant gave me a reason. Elephants have a habit of giving you reasons. They are made of lots of meat.

  15. The elephant ui killed was a killer of persons. Elephants don’t have judeo Christian morals

  16. They are just big and think they can get away with anything

  17. Any time I need some solace, I reread the Jungle Book.
    Then I reread Kim.
    OMMV…but Kipling is extraordinary…(as in breathtaking)…

  18. I’ll m here to give you safety. Solace?. I don’t care . I will protect you

  19. I had a “should’ve said” moment that I hope will benefit some of you.

    While hosting a social event last week in a public place, I introduced myself to a new arrival who was chatting with a female friend of mine. Just then she asked the newbie about his scarf. He said it was a keffiyeh.

    I got that, and chose to ignore him. My hosting duties called, and I had others to greet.

    Later, the encounter stuck with me. And I realized that in my pocket I had all I needed to call him out. (I’ll put the rest of this in past tense for ease of storytelling.)

    “So you’re wearing this, why?” (Wait for answer.)

    (Fish out the iPhone and call up the YouTube video showing 3-4 Hamas attackers dragging a young woman away from the Oct. 7 concert where many were murdered and kidnapped.)

    “She was taken into captivity and raped for days on end.” (Let that sink in with my friend.)

    “So: Whose side are you on?”

    (Regardless of his answer, keep replaying the video.)

  20. I may have to read Rules for Radicals. I’ve always assumed that it recommends a sort of mischievous rabble-rousing, misguided but basically benign. But if Pollock is describing it accurately it’s evil.

    Mac:

    Strictly speaking, Alinsky dedicated “Rules for Radicals” to his wife, Irene. However, immediately thereafter he quotes Rabbi Hillel, Thomas Paine, then Alinsky himself as introductory epigraphs to “Rules”.
    ________________________________________

    Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history… the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom — Lucifer.

    –Saul Alinsky
    ________________________________________

    OK. Alinsky didn’t exactly dedicate his book to Satan, but …

    –Rolling Stones, “Sympathy for the Devil”
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgnClrx8N2k

  21. Most will have noticed that many protesters are refusing to engage questioners; responding with dismissive and formulaic if not haughty references to “official spokespersons”

    Considering they are in public creating a scene and disruption, this is a rather imperious tactic of assumed privilege and superiority to take, relative to both the norms that govern interpersonal relations with, and the persons of, their ostensible “fellow” citizens who inhabit the same political space.

    I do not think they quite appreciate the precipice upon which they are standing: though many of the sensitive conservative types would be quick to make excuses for their pride, ardor, and naivete, rather than to say to them, “So be it; and ….”

  22. For a certain kind of people, the opportunity to be a Circle Dancer is even more attractive when it can be combined with acting with cruelty toward those outside the circle–and enjoying the sanction of a virtuous feeling while doing it.

    See my post Conformity, Cruelty, and Political Activism:

    https://chicagoboyz.net/archives/70696.html

  23. I also find conversion stories compelling. Hearing how a thinking person used their intellectual and emotional gifts to completely alter and upend their beliefs and hearing how circuitous and varied these transition journeys are always stretches my own mind. I am drawn to these stories in political as well as in faith and religion beliefs.

    Long winded way of leading to a link to a podcast, Explore Purpose My Story Podcast, in which Richard Pollack discusses the shift in his thinking from progressive to conservative. (I’ve not listened yet, so I hope it’s a good link and a good story.)

    https://mystorypodcast.podbean.com/e/015-richard-pollock-50-years-in-the-swamp/

  24. Jaynie..conversion stories…one would think that political operatives would be very, very interested in such stories, but I’ve seen no sign that they are.

  25. Yes, true, David+Foster. One would th8nk that conversion stories would be required for bedrock research purposes.

    Thank you, Barry Meislin for link to ‘The Turn.’ That was a great piece.
    Leibovitz description of his world in his original social standing as a leftist just so captured the unthinking, unselfaware, oh so right thinking crowd. Sounds as if he is of the group that seems to say that the left left him.

    Also, what a great title, great concept, The Turn. Second only to my favorite title of a conversion story, David Mamet’s ‘Why I am No Longer a Brain Dead Liberal.’

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