Comments for Antony Loewenstein

Comment on #Occupy supporters are “terrorists”, says Murdoch’s cuddly TV channel by Amer Saabi

Amer Saabi — Wed, 23 May 2012 01:17:34 +0000

If FOX News covers these stories in the way O'Reliy is promising then they will only benefit the Occupy movement.

Comment on Getting #LeftTurn debate going over gay marriage and equality by redjos

redjos — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:47:23 +0000

John Pilger's article was extremely good and put many arguments around the world into their correct perspectives.

Gay marriage is a distraction from the problems we are confronted with in Australian politics.

The only reason I support gay marriage is because I believe in equality and we are denied equality until all laws in Australia provide the same rights and protections to every member of society.

But gay marriage is marriage and marriage as an institution is a failed institution whose time has been and gone.

The numbers of heterosexual marriages which last a lifetime are fewer and further between than at any other time since the whole marriage debacle arrived on the scene some time around the 18th or 19th centuries.

We want equality now, not in another 50 or 100 years, but as Pilger says, it really is a distraction from all the ills which our society and body politic are suffering from. War and global financial crises caused by the arms and banking institutions have caused – and continue to cause – ongoing untold misery and starvation to millions globally, and Bradley Manning and Julian Assange have done the best service to mankind possible by producing documentation illustrating the corruption our political and financial systems are guilty of and perpetrate on a daily basis.

Gay marriage has its place in our society and we support it being legalised, but what about those gay, lesbian, transgender and HIV (GLTH)members of our society who have reached old age, having lived through some of the worst aspects of our homophobic societies, and in their old age are still discriminated against, bullied and assaulted and condemned to institutionalised homophobia if they have to be housed in aged care facilities mostly run by religious organisations, most of whom are still homophobic and treat their GLTH inmates with appalling disdain.

The list goes on and on, but Pilger made his points and they continue to resonate in a world of indifference.

Comment on US 60 Minutes profiles the Tel Aviv bubble (and Palestinians get barely mentioned) by examinator

examinator — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:44:30 +0000

No it isn't stupid, its carefully reasoned. Capitalism as it's practised isn't interested in politics of nations only those politics that directly benefit their bottom line.
I suspect you were commenting on Antony's notion not my comment.
While it had limited relevance to the point Antony was making I would suggest that your comments were both myopic and ill informed, like most attitudinal based prejudices.
As for specifics Israel is indeed a technologically advanced nation but progressive? I suggest you read up on what 'progressive' means in a political or social sense. Israel fails most of the tests.
Any country that has two levels of citizenship, ignores/repudiates legitimate titles, seeks to take over some other peoples lands, suppresses inconvenient dissidents,
Refuses to negotiate on a even terms, and is religious based (favouring one over another), suppresses its neighbours human rights…. the list goes on and on, isn't a progressive country any more than USSR was communist/socialist (it was in NAME only).
Maybe you can explain to me how you arrived at the conclusion ["the "others" just want to have absurb (dly?) violent uncritical superstitious socieites (societies?)"]
and Israel, a homeland for a religious (superstition) group and has a disproportional record for violence is any different. The fact is that all countries are have both Angels and Extremists,
Perhaps you also need to read a bit more about large groups of fundamental Jews and their patriarchal suppression of women.
As for the science bit etc let me point out that to make and run a nuclear system is hardly within the competence of a anti science society.
I would also point out that Israel exists largely on the aid and largess of USA and foreign Jews,extremists and donors. And if the USA did exactly what it's doing to Iran, for the same reasons, Israel would all but collapse or worse.
In the final analysis your assertion is overly simplistic, ill founded, wildly inaccurate …dare I say that CBS had you and your mindset in mind with this piece of fluff (propaganda)

Comment on Getting #LeftTurn debate going over gay marriage and equality by victoria

victoria — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:05:43 +0000

injustice anywhere…….I really appreciated this piece when I rad it yesterday as while I usually agree with Pilger's insightful analysis I found the = marriage vs Bradley Manning juxtaposition wanting. I too felt there was a slight imputation that this fight for = marriage was a trivial issue disconnected from any other civil rights/human rights campaign.

Although straight I am perfectly capable of standing in solidarity with = love campaigners as well as fighting for the rights of refugees, Palestinians etc.

In Pilger's defense I do think our generation has a dismissive attitude to marriage and I suspect Pilger fails to see that the campaign for = marriage is using that civil institution as a foil to reduce discrimination in a broader sense. Only those that face this discrimination are really in a position to decide how important that marginalization is John!

Comment on US 60 Minutes profiles the Tel Aviv bubble (and Palestinians get barely mentioned) by Stephen

Stephen — Mon, 21 May 2012 18:34:14 +0000

This is just stupid. Israel is progressive and advanced. If the Arab world wanted to advance in education, human rights, scientific progress, computer programming, they would send students instead of misiles. Let's be honest here- the "others" just want to have absurb violent uncritical superstitious socieites — that are anti-western, anti human rights, anti scientific– anti-women– and dress this up in some sort of liberation discussion

Comment on Bush administration inspired by Israeli homeland security post 9/11 by Aaron

Aaron — Mon, 21 May 2012 09:51:20 +0000

A bit of money flung her way by Motorola and Rice has forgotten all about the hand-wringing she did in her bio about horrid the conditions Israel has created in the occupied Palestinian territories…

Comment on US 60 Minutes profiles the Tel Aviv bubble (and Palestinians get barely mentioned) by examinator

examinator — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:13:12 +0000

Antony,
You elevate the Zionist lobby too high!
The American media couldn't give a stuff about the Zionists/ Palestinians/Arabs/ or the blacks in Africa. They love the money (advertising) that the 'right advertising environment ' provides.
Take for example what happened when a newspaper and TV channel had the absolute effrontery to publish a Palestinian POV (18 months ago?) the extremist minority who cancelled all their companies advertising.
It wasn't the Zionist Lobby per se.

Comment on Bush administration inspired by Israeli homeland security post 9/11 by NewTwinTowers

NewTwinTowers — Mon, 21 May 2012 02:53:45 +0000

Interesting. Too bad the Bush Administration did not tell George Pataki to get with the program and rebuild stronger, safe Twin Towers — which is how Israelis respond to terroist attacks and is what the majority of Americans wanted. Instead the Governor made a mess out of a straightforward mandate. Of all the US counter-terrorism measures, that is the one that would have been most effective, fitting, and affordable. What a waste.

Comment on Don’t rely on Murdoch press to accurately report Wikileaks by examinator

examinator — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:25:49 +0000

The truth in Murdoch Press ? All the truth and only the truth in MSM ? You ARE kidding right?
When will the great unwashed learn that MSM has little to do with accurately informing anyone their prime purpose is to sell advertising….and big businesses interests. If that means make a boogie man out of an non believer then all the better.

Notwithstanding that what is missed by the public is that even if the story was true the original culpability is the US government's arrogance and sloppy (infantile) understanding of security.
Even in World War 2 the allies navies knew the truth i.e. the convoy was only as safe as the slowest ship ( it's weakest link.) who ever it is.
Further to that and contrary to media images the Iranians and others aren't all stupid or ignorant peasants. If there was a link then I'd be surprised if they didn't know anyway. It boils down to US misplaced arrogance. Just because they have the BIGGEST military that doesn't mean they are the smarter than anyone else or the best. see Korea, Vietnam et al.
Murdoch enterprises has their snout in the money pig trough and is simply protecting that interest.

Comment on BBC censors “Palestine” because, well, I mean, really, who says it’s occupied? by Komodo

Komodo — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:36:15 +0000

Quite apart from the blatant political motive, aren't rappers supposed to be "contentious", then? Anyway, I suppose he'd have been ok if he'd sung "Free what-is-officially-Judea-and-Samaria, the unoccupied Golan Heights and unimprisoned Gaza", but it might have been a tad harder to get into the rap scheme.