Comments on: Divided society, divided protests

By: Philos

Philos — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 09:26:52 +0000

The liberal-capitalist state is too strong. It co-opted the buffoons and charlatans from last year. Furthermore, in testament to the shallowness of democratic feeling throughout Israeli society, nobody had the bright idea of forming a new political party or trying to take over an existing one. The immature notion of an “apolitical” political protest allowed the liberal-capitalist ruling system to triumph (again) because hippies are full of s**t, and only egotistical a**holes run for student union.
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If you ask me, good riddance.

By: Greg Pollock

Greg Pollock — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 05:30:51 +0000

Security must be extended from bodily protection to livelihood. This does not have to be socialist, unless you think skewed progressive taxation is socialist, as in fact the Tea Party over here does (with many of its adherents in fact in the falling middle class, bizarrely; I think the description of the Tea Party as the secular arm of the religious right correct–God demands many sacrifices from us).
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There is nothing for demonstrators to actually do. They can’t avoid paying the VAT or their other taxes. All they can seemingly do is turn out to indicate a new voter base for apparently non-existent alternatives to the present parties. Labor has been splintered by Barak; once again, the National Unity governments seemed to have destroyed the possibility of change by forbiding real oppostion. The only lever I see from very afar for demonstration is conscription and national service which affect most households. Some of your political elite have to be willing to risk alternatives; else why form demonstrations at all? To hit the sides of bank buildings?

By: XYZ

XYZ — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 02:50:13 +0000

This posting put its finger exactly on the big problem the “Progressive” Left faces. Divided agenda. Everybody agrees that the situation today is terrible, everbody is in a rage, everone is in despair. But what to do about it. For example, Avrum Burg, in his usual self-righteous wrath denounces the current Israeli situation and longs for a romantic past of a “pure”, small Israel that supposedly was “humainst”. Roi Maor showed how that was a gross overgeneralization. So do the demonstrators today want what Burg wants, the restoration of a mythical past (sort of like the Salafists who want to go back to a non-existent perfect state that supposedly existed at the dawn of Islam!) or to overthrow the whole thing as the other group of demonstrators want. Good luck in sorting this out!

By: Dahlia Scheindlin

Dahlia Scheindlin — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 20:49:49 +0000

Thanks Yonatan, indeed, it’s clarified now. I noted that to make the point that as a party whose list is majority Arab, including the top person, most Israelis would view it that way if it were to enter Knesset. Also b/c its presence last night represents one of the more sensitive aspects of the protests – creating a truly inclusive community together with Arabs, which was only beginning to happen last summer and with unfortunate resistance. But yes, like Hadash, it is indeed Arab+Jewish.

By: yonatan

yonatan — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 18:00:38 +0000

Small note: Da’am is not an Arab workers’ party, it is simply a workers’ party. It includes Jews and Arabs and anyone who chooses to join. Thanks.