Re: BHA: common ground

["Caroline New" <c.new@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I don't want to re-open what had stopped being a discussion, let alone one
in which we try to use our understanding of the stratification of reality,
ethical naturalism etc to reach emancipatory positions.  But I too can't
accept the implication that because I believe that at present, with no
better solutions on the agenda, the state of Israel must exist, that means I
defend its policies or that I have ever or would ever defend the shooting of
boys who throw stones, demolition of houses and other indefensible actions
of the Israeli military etc.  I once had to leave a Marxist feminist list
because of the level of hatred and contempt expressed on it, we certainly
don't want that.  We must build our dialogue on what unites us and never
forget it.  Best wishes, Caroline

----- Original Message -----
From: Tobin Nellhaus <nellhaus@xxxxxxx>
To: Bhaskar list <bhaskar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2000 3:07 AM
Subject: Re: BHA: common ground


> While I would certainly prefer to follow Ruth's wishes, apparently Carrol
> has seen some posts that I have not, so I must ask him to clarify his
> statement lest I suspect he's performing calumny or worse.  He wrote:
>
> > I agree, with two minor amendments. (1) It was "Carrol" not
> > "Carroll" whose posts are referred to and (2) I did not myself
> > introduce the debate but responded to posts defending the
> > repression of Palestinian liberation struggles.
>
> I have seen no such posts.  Either I have somehow missed some, which
perhaps
> Carrol would be willing to forward to me; or is he misrepresenting my own
> posts, which very clearly and *repeatedly* stated my opposition to the
> Israeli government's appalling treatment of the Palestinians (in both the
> past and present), but questioned the inconsistent logic of the argument
> that the State of Israel has no right to exist -- a different issue, since
> many states do horrific things yet apparently retain their right to exist.
> But whether or not Carrol was referring to my posts, I certainly hope he
is
> misrepresenting himself and does not feel that in order to be on the left,
> Jews must out-antisemite the antisemites, for such an expectation would
> exemplify the hidden antisemitism among some on the left that Caroline
> rightly noted, a concern especially raised by his recent definition of
> leftism as consisting fundamentally of anti-Israeli sentiment.  And that
is
> a drum he seems insistent on beating.
>
> ---
> Tobin Nellhaus
> nellhaus@xxxxxxxx
> "Faith requires us to be materialists without flinching": C.S. Peirce
>
>
>
>
>
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>



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