Bingo. Thank you.Quote:
Originally Posted by broncofan
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Bingo. Thank you.Quote:
Originally Posted by broncofan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semitic_languages The most widely spoken Semitic language today is Arabic[1] (322 million native speakers),[2] (422 million total speakers)[3]. It is followed by Amharic (27 million),[4][5] Tigrinya (about 6.7 million),[6] and Hebrew (about 5 million).[7]
Note both Arabic and Hebrew are Semitic languages. I'm assuming if you speak a Semitic language you are....a Semite. :>)
I don't know why it's so hard for some people to follow an argument. Anyone speaking a semitic language is a semite. However, the term "antisemite" deals only with Jews and should not be broken into its constituent parts. Before the word was coined by Wilhelm Marr the word used to describe Jew-hatred was the German "judenhass" or literally Jew-hate. He thought some Jews had tried to avoid this hatred by adopting secular attitudes (or converting) and so he wanted a word that sounded like it invoked ethnicity. His was a racial hatred, which is why he founded the league of antisemites.
Hence the word antisemite was coined even though it is a misnomer. Its meaning as denoted by Oxford and Webster dictionaries is antipathy towards or hatred of Jews.
Furthermore, most of the shitbrains trying to play semantics know nothing about the history of the word, quibble little over other misnomers, and take exception to this one because they want to prevent Jews from claiming an ostensible monopoly on suffering. It is a bogus and deceptive argument you make. You make yourself look stupid when you intentionally re-cast the argument to deal with what defines a semite rather than what defines an antisemite.
I feel sorry even engaging in an argument with somebody trying to dillute the only word commonly used to refer to hatred of jews by attempting to subsume it in a more general category. The reason the word has stayed part of the vernacular is because it involves both racial and religious hatred. If someone hates a Muslim, they are Islamophobic. If they hate an Arab, they are racist. But, if they hate Jews, the reasons may be religious or racial which again has specific relevance to the context in which it was first used.
"because they want to prevent Jews from claiming an ostensible monopoly on suffering." OK, so you're saying Jews are the only ones who have suffered throughout history? How many deaths make a genocide? Who decides these things? :>)
No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that you're implying that Jews claim to be the only ones who have suffered. Thanks for proving my point. Every single person I've ever come across who makes the facile argument you make about the word antisemitism believes that they are in some small way preventing Jews from trying to claim (to claim as in to assert) a monopoly on suffering. They believe they're doing this by abolishing the distinction between discrimination against Jews and discrimination in general. Now read that sentence carefully and tell me what it means. You're not the first person to make the argument you make about the origin of the word.Quote:
Originally Posted by thx1138
There have been several genocides in history, including the Armenian genocide and the Rwandan genocide. I'm sure you'll agree that the Holocaust was a terrible atrocity (as were these others) considering it wiped out nearly all European Jewry. Now if you think that first paragraph calls you antisemitic, here's where you'll accuse me of being a "Zionist" of some sort. The truth is I'm not calling you anything but a shmuck and trying to make sure you don't pester anyone else with your poor reasoning skills.
The bottom line is that it is political suicide for any American Politician to go against Israel. Its a shame that such a young & tiny country would have so much influence over us, but thats the way its been for the last 60 years and thats the way its going to stay.
Political suicide? Politicians can say whatever they want. It's always gonna be unpopular to oppose an ally. Proposing a flat tax in a federal election is political suicide as well. Supporting any idea without broad support is gonna hurt a career in politics.Quote:
Originally Posted by EyeCumInPiece
You write your comment as though people don't know what the subtext is. You're saying that Israel has control over the U.S because Jews in the U.S control policy and think in terms of their Jewishness. Amazing how a thread about the origin of a word ends up clarifying how the word should be used.
Who made the decision to go to Afghanistan? What about Iraq? What about intervention in Cuba? The rest of Latin America? Vietnam? Korea? All the Israeli lobby? The Jews are always gonna be here and no amount of complaining or undermining our part in the political process is gonna change that.
So you live in Hymietown New York :D ? Now I think I get the resentment. Stay strong, whatever's wrong with your life, I'm sure you'll get through it. :roll:Quote:
Originally Posted by EyeCumInPiece