By some accounts the war between Palestinians and Zionists has been going on since 1947, by others since ’67. But by all accounts it’s the war that’s never going to end. There’ve been battles: ’48, ’56, ’67, ’73. Coupled with… Read More ›
Israel
LEDICE
There’s a civil war, though not a very civil one, that’s been going on in the southern Levant at least since 1948. Let’s see if we can identify the combatants. But first a disclaimer. Any attempt to define the parties… Read More ›
BUT THAT COULD CHANGE
What is it to win a war? Well, it’s for the war to have achieved its objective. The objective of Israel’s neighbours in the wars of ’48, ’56, ’67 and ’73 was to push the Israelis back into the sea…. Read More ›
THE GENOCIDE DEBATE REVISITED
Harris and Trump are calling each other a fascist. But either claim will die the death of a thousand qualifications. So it’s not a claim. It’s what Wittgenstein would call a move in a language game called political rhetoric. Fair… Read More ›
FROM THE YES-BUT-DON’T-SAY-IT FILE
The core axiom driving any cognising organism is to treat like cases alike. And this, of course, requires that it distinguish between this collection of things and that collection of things. These distinctions are not always easy. Are we in… Read More ›
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU
It’s a little known fact that others of our species are not very tasty, at least not to us. I say it’s a little known fact, though I grant that it’s widely believed. This is because the only people who… Read More ›
THE PRINCIPLE OF DOUBLE EFFECT
The Principle of Double Effect (PDE) exculpates you for the albeit anticipated consequences of your actions – the so-called collateral damage – provided 1) they were not the intention of your action, 2) they were not the means by which… Read More ›
ATROCITY VS HISTORY
When it happened a long time ago it’s called history. When it happened a shorter time ago, or it’s happening today, it’s called an atrocity. Think about what it was like to be an Amalekite. Fast forward to the Viking… Read More ›
STOCKHOLM SYNDROME
As of day 100 since October 7th, the Israeli government announced there were 105 hostages still alive. Probably a couple fewer today. But after all this time, I can’t help but wonder if, and if so for how many, Stockholm… Read More ›
APARTHEID AND GENOCIDE
The reason they’re called the Abrahamic religions is that Jews, Christians and Moslems share a common core conception of god. But let’s not be too quick about what follows from this. You and I might share a common conception of… Read More ›