Sean Fenley's Open Salon Blog

Notes on the Middle East

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:05:37 -0400

It is all the Shiites who have helped Hamas/Gaza militarily. Shia Iran, Hezbollah and Syria are all Shia or Shia-linked countries/entities. Syria is Arab nationalist, but Assad is a practicing Alawite, which is a Shia offshoot as I understand it.

Sunni and Shia fundamentalists do not get along as I understand it. There have been efforts in history, I think, to bridge the divide but Sunni/Shia relations are strained in many parts of the Middle East, currently, as per my understanding.

Qatar is presently trying to work to bring Hamas under its thumb in Gaza. I think Hezbollah and Hamas, however being the tips of the spear against Israel — there’s a bond there — (and with Hezbollah’s strong ties to Syria and Iran), I don’t think Qatar has fully succeeded yet with the designs that it has on Gaza. Egypt/Mohamed Morsi is immensely influenced by Qatar, but I’ve not seen where he’s helping in their plans vis a vis Gaza. Morsi could be a valuable tool for them, but then again he’s got so many of his own internal problems.

The Axis of Resistance was Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria, and Iran. I don’t know if Hamas is presently a “good standing member”, or not at all. As I’d said earlier I think Hezbollah and Hamas have an affinity for one another (and will continue to do so), they see the beast front-and-center, and so thusly they share and compare notes — and so I can’t see them totally breaking from one another. Remember it was Iranian Fajr-5 rockets that went through the US-taxpayer funded Iron Dome in Operation Pillar.

A final consideration to everyone. There is a group called the Alevis in the Middle East. I don’t know that much about them. They are mainly — if not entirely — Kurdish, and the same can be said for that exist/live in Turkey. I read an article from a very “learned” commentator recently, who was writing about all of the Alevis in Syria! Not rubbing it in, of course, I have the courtesy not to mention the writer’s name, and I’ve even read that some Middle Easterners are capable of confusing these two groups/identities!

Correction: I was inaccurate in saying Alevis are generally Kurds. Though it is accurate to say, it is a religion mainly of Turkey. According to Wiki 20% of Alevis are Kurds.

Niall Ferguson’s Bizarre Homophobic Attack on Prof. Keynes

Sat, 11 May 2013 16:05:08 -0400

Niall Ferguson would undoubtedly like to go back to starvation deaths being the leading cause of premature departure/cessation for the elderly. Or at least see nearly half of all the elderly living in poverty — it is estimated that 43.6% would be so without Social Security. The starvation death thing may be an urban legend, something I know I’ve heard (somewhere) along the way, but have been unable to find a reputable source for.

Nevertheless and notwithstanding, our “dear” Professor Ferguson is probably just absolutely oh so enamored with Paul Ryan’s lunatic plan, to give the elderly a voucher instead of health care! And moreover, according to the “learned” Cambridge professor Ferguson, “It is the economic ideals of Keynes that have gotten us into the problems of today.” I think with that comment he’s not even referring to the Derivatives Panic of 2008 (caused by the repeal of Glass-Steagall which has nothing to do with Keynesianism); instead, he’s referring to the goal of rolling back the 20th century! And he says that in my opinion, because according to his “unimpeachable” economic theology — that will unequivocally be a cure-all/panacea! Virtually all of these modern day conservatives (whether identifying openly as neo or not), as an article of faith, vehemently believe in the “indispensable” rolling back of the 20th century!

Well, read your Das Kapital Professor Ferguson, I say. Because I think that you’ve been drinking far too much of the Chicagoan/Austrian Kool-Aid! In the development of things like OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration), the 40-hour work week, the weekend, and trade unions there were, certainly, a great deal of “collateral damage”/casualties on that bumpy way. And indeed, if we could, in fact, resurrect the Lawrence, Massachusetts strikers (not that far from your home base in Harvard Yard!), I think that they’d have nary a positive word for you, and your recklessly audacious attitude, my friend!

George Galloway Kickin’ Ass in Parliament

Sat, 11 May 2013 01:05:17 -0400

Galloway just unloads a can of whoop ass on the Thatcherite scum. The Tea Party bully the rest of the Congress around here in the States — with their fatuous bile (and their fullness of themselves). And their pride in how ignorant, and neanderthalic that they are. Boy is the Progressive Caucus ever pathetic in America. George Galloway is really somebody that could help a great deal in mentoring them.

Notes on Atheistic Materialism and Agnosticism

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 01:04:53 -0400

I’ve been thinking about the philosophy of atheistic materialism recently, and maybe it’s because I would say that I am a humanist agnostic. Though I’m a spiritual agnostic, I simply think religion is no better than mythology — a lot has been found to be true in mythological texts. I’ve never seen being a conspiracy theorist as contradictory to humanism, but maybe it is; I was just reading/going over some stuff on humanism.

Gore Vidal was called a conspiracy theorist (you can read on Wiki a number of things that he posited that fall into the realm of conspiracy), and he was the honorary president of the American Humanist Association in 2009. August Comte, the founder of sociology, is seen a forerunner of humanism, but he promoted a practice similar to ancestor veneration, as is practiced by many of the Chinese. According to Wiki, he is sometimes regarded as the first philosopher of science, in the modern sense of the term.

Carl Sagan I guess said that humanity must seek for truth through reason, and the best observable evidence. Sagan also forwarded that humanity endorse scientific skepticism, and the scientific method. According to Wiki he identified as a humanist. I’d put him in the atheistic materialist camp, myself. I guess that atheistic materialists also identify as humanists.

I think that although — to my knowledge — no 2012 prophecy occurred, that we’re moving into a world breaking down these static barriers, though. Instead of black and white, conspiracy or official story we’ll be looking at things: mosaicly, pluralistically, and more fluidly. Liberal radio host, Mike Malloy identifies as an atheist materialist, and he supports 9/11 Truth (I don’t know his precise views on those events) — and is also a conspiracy theorist on the JFK assassination. I don’t know what that means, he is just someone in the public eye, who is not like a Michael Shermer (or some such), who must go to the ends of the Earth to deny that any conspiracies have — or could ever — exist/occur. Which in this humble observer’s opinion is a good way to live.

I think that to be a true evidenced based person, one must accept that cover-ups, false flag attacks, and the like can obviously occur. And this is to seek for truth through reason and the best observable evidence, in fact! To not accept this veracity I certainly do not think is to embrace true, accurate, and indeed wholly genuine scientific skepticism.

Pro-Palestinian Movement Should be Wary of Rank Anti-Semites

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:04:12 -0400

Increasingly, it has become apparent that elements who support either the one or two state solution, and not the evil status quo, consist of auxiliaries that cross the line in their criticism of Zionists/Jews. A number of alleged “learned”, and “intellectual” commentators have the Zionists engaging in so much activity, that it’s a wonder such ostensibly erudite commentators were even capable of keeping tabs/making up such lists at all! Leaving one to wonder, I think, if perhaps that they’ve just invented such unbelievable things — and with great zeal — virtually entirely out of whole cloth! Or even worse via their tortured, defective, and truly bent and twisted minds.

Veterans Today is one such locus of anti-Semitic opinion, that does nothing, but place a black mark on all of those in solidarity with the Palestinian people’s legitimate aspirations, and reasonable goals. Mike Harris, a frequent contributor to the execrable trash/base website, literally lost his mind one day on an Iranian Press TV’s News and Analysis program. Such inhuman trash need; undeniably, to be heartily kicked down/taken to the ground by reputable pro-Palestinian solidarity forces! To not do so is an error in judgement, unequivocally, that it is on an immense scale.

Anti-Semitic hornets’ nests must be decried, and stood up to (and shunned/scolded), as the dens of iniquity/villainy that they truly are. This puffball Gordon Duff that captains this accursed Veterans Today website, should be ashamed to show his face without anguish, and/or real fear of harsh contempt and sound repudiation! Duff has in the past admitted that he writes as much as 40% false material, so why reputable writers — and pro-Palestinian activists, journalists, and intellectuals — have published with this ass clown, truly defies reason! And not only this, but judging from his spurious philosophy he must have gone to a journalism school of professors, who all got their degrees from diploma mills!

Rags of such a vile, and ignominious nature will not forward the voices (and forces) that only want the humanity, and rights that all should be afforded. Proper humanity, dignity and rights for all of those, who just happen to be birthed into this world in occupied Palestinian Gaza, and the West Bank. To find Jews and/or Zionists machinating/manipulating under every rock, and being the surreptitious operators, behind virtually every world event is; unequivocally, fodder for the psychiatrist’s couch! Other than that, as has been said: for the sewer pipe or the garbage pail! One wonders if this Duff isn’t one of these mole people, living in the gutters of New York! How he’d get so large, if so, truly boggles the mind, however though.

We who criticize Israel’s barbarity — and its rock-solid uber Zionist supporters such as Barack Obama — have become accustomed to anti-Semitism being something levied upon us, by obtuse and myopic forces blinded by Zionism, or the state of Israel. We cannot be naive ingenues or innocent (and pure) as the freshly fallen snow; however, on this important issue! We cannot let ourselves fall into the beguilingly trap of assuming all of those — who on the surface level may appear to be our beneficent allies — are just as they seem. Indeed such vermin scum, when looking at them more closely may; in fact, not be as they (face value) appear!

Perhaps, I should conclude in stating that I know Israel, and/or Jews are doing a lot of bad stuff right now. So are Protestants, Catholics, and Muslims irrefutably, probably no group; in fact, can or should be left out! I don’t know what anti-Semitism is (precisely), but I think that you know it when you see it. The problem with the Likudniks of Israel (and even farther right forces), and their servile Likudnik lobby in America, is that just like their antithesis, they paint with far too broad a brush. When they do this, as a fact of the matter, they cheapen the strength of the term anti-Semitism. And so thusly, as in the case of the boy crying wolf, will anyone know when a true, and genuine alarm should have sounded!!? Will anyone know this particularly in considering that such an alarm — for a great while now — has been virtually consistently, rather cacophonously, and indeed altogether pervasively sounded.