Antisemitism.

[Krystal n Chips]

Krystal.
I don't normally reply to you, but in this case...

Freedom of thought, is- as you say, still free.

Freedom of speech on the other hand...

There are plenty of subjects these days, on which the best plan is to keep entirely Schtum, on pain of arrest.

That's very condescending of you to actually reply....the subjects I assume you refer to are those in which vocabulary is used which is intended to incite / inflame or lead to violence . Hence the reason people get arrested. See Tommy "stalwart yeoman " or Stephen if you prefer his real name, for just such an example.

[AtomKraft]

Krystal.
If you can't read, maybe best not to reply?

The point I was trying to make, and which I will now spell out for you in terms that a four year old should be able to understand, is that our 'politically correct' state of play these days, severely limits the scope of what one can say.

Free speech?

What if I don't like the habit which some men have, of sticking their penis up some other guys bum? Can I condemn it? Not really, but God help me if I express it verbally.

If I cannot stand the Jews, for being the sorts that they freely confess to being, should I shout it out? Only if I desire to be vilified.

Am I entitled to a viewpoint? Yes.

Can I express it verbally? No.

Thus freedom of speech is curtailed.

[Krystal n Chips]

Krystal.
If you can't read, maybe best not to reply?

The point I was trying to make, and which I will now spell out for you in terms that a four year old should be able to understand, is that our 'politically correct' state of play these days, severely limits the scope of what one can say.

Free speech?

What if I don't like the habit which some men have, of sticking their penis up some other guys bum? Can I condemn it? Not really, but God help me if I express it verbally.

If I cannot stand the Jews, for being the sorts that they freely confess to being, should I shout it out? Only if I desire to be vilified.

Am I entitled to a viewpoint? Yes.

Can I express it verbally? No.

Thus freedom of speech is curtailed.

Oh man, you really are completely out of touch with modern society aren't you.....and now you've decided to add homophobia to your list it seems.

Have you ever thought of taking past life regression therapy ?...who knows, this may take you back to an era that you would feel comfortable in.

[AtomKraft]

Krystal

Who ever said I should join in with what you call "modern society"?

Can I not have my own opinions?

Or only yours?

[Capetonian]

KnC : Kindly point out where Atomkraft has 'added homophobia' to his list of dislikes.
You are always quick to make snide remarks about others' ability to comprehend, and now you've dug your own hole.

[Pontius Navigator]

We all have phobias and I can think of a lot of people I would rather not share a table with. As one of the posters might recognise, one would be a pig farmer from Louth.

[Cacophonix]

Damning a whole nation, race, religion on the basis of personal prejudice or bad experiences with a few people is quite frankly preposterous.

Just saying. There are good and bad everywhere.

Caco

[AtomKraft]

Well Cackers.
That's what happened.

[Cacophonix]

Well Cackers.
That's what happened.

***** happens Atom. Shrug it off and fly on through the storm man!

Caco

[llondel]

There is a difference between being anti-Israel and being anti-Semitic.

[Pontius Navigator]

There is a difference between being anti any particular grouping and any individual. As Caco said damning a race is illogical (my word) but surely they live up to their stereo type.

One race was condemned as a nation of shop keepers. There was obviously a sound basis for that sweeping statement. Then pernicious Albion. The Scot delights in living up to a savage reputation. Then the Welsh have a certain reputation but I am not sure its provenance. The Trojan horse story has descended to the present day.

[Undried Plum]

There is a difference between being anti-Israel and being anti-Semitic.

There is also a difference between being anti-Zionism and being anti-Israel. Unfortunately the Zionists are disproportionately powerful and profoundly malign and deceitful.

[Capetonian]

Generalisations are based on perceptions over a period of time and as such are largely true. Whilst it is unfair and illogical to condemn an entire nation, race, or religion on the perceived characteristics of a majority of people, that does not mean that the stereotype is not valid.

That which has been said about Israelis and Jews does seem to be borne out by any number of observations on travel and other forums, and in my dealings with the former, and they were quite extensive, I found them generally as stated. It could of course be confirmation bias or straightforward prejudice.

As an example, the French language or accent, particularly when uttered by a pouting miserable looking female, grates on me like crashing gears. Most people find it sexy, whereas I find it about as sexy as a slice of white bread going mouldy at the bottom of the breadbin.

[Krystal n Chips]

Generalisations are based on perceptions over a period of time and as such are largely true. Whilst it is unfair and illogical to condemn an entire nation, race, or religion on the perceived characteristics of a majority of people, that does not mean that the stereotype is not valid.

Priceless ! nothing like contradicting yourself really.

That which has been said about Israelis and Jews does seem to be borne out by any number of observations on travel and other forums, and in my dealings with the former, and they were quite extensive, I found them generally as stated. It could of course be confirmation bias or straightforward prejudice.

Well, I know you will probably get a shade emotional here, buuuuut, I would tend towards the latter in your case.

As an example, the French language or accent, particularly when uttered by a pouting miserable looking female, grates on me like crashing gears. Most people find it sexy, whereas I find it about as sexy as a slice of white bread going mouldy at the bottom of the breadbin.

Ah ! been a while since you managed to include the French and French women in one post, so, congrats !.....nobody could ever accuse you of unconscious bias....on the other hand, sadly, we are not privy to the views of French ladies encountering the dulcet inflections of an antagonistic and whinging South African ...which may not be "entirely complementary ".....

" We all have phobias and I can think of a lot of people I would rather not share a table with. As one of the posters might recognise, one would be a pig farmer from Louth

That would be me then given you proudly proclaimed to the world over on TOP how you were forced to evacuate from Waitrose due to a pig farming family being allowed to cross the same portals as your elitist self !.......of course, should you ever meet said family socially, it would be quite embarrassing, for you, to say discover they could hold a conversation on topics other than your own limited range, to wit..the military in the past, yourself being the only Flt.Lt Navigator in the RAF...ever !. obsolete equipment and, as an aside, cruises.....and erm, that's it. And lets not forget your condemnation of some poor young lady who didn't know where Churchills War Rooms were !....neither do I by the way.

[BenThere]

What I don't get is that Israel is seen in some quarters as the pariah, even though it is a democracy, and generally does not initiate aggression but responds to it.

My interactions with Jewish people date back to my youth. I've had only excellent relationships with many Jewish friends, some of them very close. But they were all American and assimilated. Further, I have studied Jewish culture and values and find it to be humane, reverent, and inculcated with motives to seek and serve the highest ideals.

Vis-a-vis the Israel-Palestine conflict, I would be a lot more receptive to Palestinian complaints if they would stop attacking Israeli civilians and stop remunerating those terrorist attacks.

[AtomKraft]

Well, I've met loads, and been to Israel. I went to see if they were as truly 'God-Awful' as everyone says they are.
They weren't all 'see you next tuesdays'? But far too many were.

I'm lucky to be Scottish.

Btw Ben, you shouldn't post. You are an idiot, and whatever thoughts you have should not be promulgated. You are an example of the American idiot. Of course, you commeth not from America, but from Europe, so perhaps we are to blame too?
Where's you're mum and dad from?
Not bloody America, that's for sure!
Not even an American, but definately a ****.

Edit to add, the 'conflict' in Israel would be well served by the Jews leaving. Just as they left before. I'm British, but the price we paid to do down le Frog in Syria was one of our biggest boo-boos.

'One Country, giving to a second, the territory of a third'.

A bad move then, and still one of our worst.

[AtomKraft]

btw
I'm not anti Israel.
Nor anti Zionist.
It's the actual Jews I don't like.

[Undried Plum]

What I don't get is that Israel is seen in some quarters as the pariah, even though it is a democracy

**** has "democracy" got to do with it?

Did the Palestinians vote to have their land invaded and occupied?
Did the Egyptians vote to have Sinai invaded and occupied?
Did the Lebanese vote to have their land invaded and occupied and their capital city bombed and shelled to bits?
Did the Syrians vote to have their lands of Golan invaded and occupied?
Did the Jordanians vote to have the West Bank invaded and occupied?
Did the refugees of Sabra and Shatila vote for Sharon to send in his murders to massacre 3,500 men, women and children?
Did the Islamic world vote for armed Israeli troops to surround and control the Al-Aqsa Mosque (Dome of the Rock)?
Did the victims of the Zionist terrorist gangsters vote for the King David Hotel to be blown up?

Never ever forget that the goal of Zionism is to extend the boundaries of Israel from the Nile to the Euphrates.

generally does not initiate aggression but responds to it

That is so diametrically opposite the truth that the words might have been uttered by the Chump himself

[Slasher]

Can't say I like nor dislike Jews. Indeed my excellent financial advisor in HKG is a Jew.

The only true Jew hater I ever met was an older F/E who worked for Ansett. We met at Magnum's bar during a nightstop in CNS. Started talking. He was born and raised in Arnhem Dutchland. Family moved to Oz in 1946 while he was still a nipper. Asked him how he fared during the Nazi occupation. Said some of the ordinary soldiery of the Wehrmacht occasionally fed him and the kids out of sympathy as they were pretty hungry most of the time.

Did the locals know about the Holocaust?

This is where he spat unremitting fire and was still very sober. "Of course we did! Gassing was too good for those c**ts. We all knew where they were headed and good f**king riddance!"

Turns out the Jewry had a stranglehold on business in the area and charged twice the norm for essentials like food. As the Nazi war machine got closer grub became scarce and the Jews started charging 10 times the price which almost no one could afford. Only until after the dust settled did the locals get some form of meagre but regular meals. Farmers were allowed to keep growing crops but 60% of the yield had to be given to the Germans and the remaining 40% to the locals. Things stayed expensive but became affordable.

I asked him about the kids heading off to the death camps. "No one gave a f**k about them. They looked down at us like we were sh!t."

So said he who was there at the time. He was also there for Market Garden but that's another story.

[Slasher]

Am I entitled to a viewpoint? Yes.

Btw Ben, you shouldn't post. You are an idiot, and whatever thoughts you have should not be promulgated.

Um...