— Feature, Musings —12.13.2023 09:56 AM
My latest: we’ve all been here before
Peace in our time.
With war raging, and yet more war seeming imminent, speeches were made. Leaders gathered together, rising to leave behind some words that would be remembered. Remembered by history.
Addressing his people, and the world, one powerful man rose and said these things.
“We should seek by all means in our power to avoid war, by analyzing causes, but trying to remove them, by discussion in a spirit of collaboration and goodwill.”
Applause.
He went on: “How horrible, fantastic, incredible we should be preparing for war because of a quarrel in a far away country of whom we know nothing.”
More applause.
He lowered his voice for the next part: “No doubt the Jews aren’t a lovable people. I don’t care about them myself.”
Oh, wait. The above words were not uttered in the United Nations General assembly on Tuesday, although they certainly could have been. On Tuesday, you see, scores of nations – Canada among them – also deplored war and called for peace in our time. Canada, and others, called for a ceasefire.
The above words didn’t come from the UN this week, however. They come from decades ago in Britain. Neville Chamberlain said those words.
He uttered that hateful statement about the Jews, too. Chamberlain, the Prime Minister of Britain and the United Kingdom, actually said those things.
He was wrong about Jews, of course. But he was also wrong about ceasefires, and peace in his time. But he would’ve fit right in, quite well, at the United Nations this week.
With very little effort, too, he would’ve fit right in to Justin Trudeau’s cabinet, wouldn’t he?
It is regrettable that we need to remind people that Neville Chamberlain was hoodwinked by Adolf Hitler, and tragically wrong to call for “peace in our time.” But with a significant number of voters now getting information from TikTok, and not actual books and newspapers, it’s important to recall that lesson of history.
Namely, a ceasefire then only benefited Hitler. Just as a ceasefire now only benefits Hamas.
It’s a bit ironic, of course, that Trudeau’s government cravenly called for a ceasefire this week. It is almost amusing. Because, of course, a ceasefire was already in place.
For years, Israel and the warring factions that surrounded it – the ones who wanted to wipe it from the face of the Earth (Hamas and Hezbollah, mainly) – had a ceasefire. Apart from the occasional skirmish, tentative peace was in place. It lasted for years.
It ended on October 7, 2023. Hamas broke it.
It’s impossible to know, of course, whether Hamas’ billionaire leaders in their Qatari mansions laughed about the ceasefire vote at the United Nations this week. But we know that their predecessor, Hitler, certainly laughed when he fooled Neville Chamberlain.
It gave him time to regroup and rearm, and to spread his hateful ideology throughout the rest of Europe. As Hamas intends to do, in the Middle East.
As we say, we do not know how Hamas reacted to the vote in the general assembly on Tuesday. The terror group gives us a clue in its Charter, however.
There, in Article 13, Hamas says: “So-called peaceful solutions and international conferences are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement.” Take that, general assembly.
It goes on: Hamas calls peace talks, and talk of peace with Jews and non-believers, “a waste of time.” Peace talks only help “the infidels,” says Hamas. All that is permitted is “jihad” – that is, holy war.
But Hamas does admit one thing, right in its Charter: peace conferences, and calls for ceasefires, are strategically useful. It gives them time to prepare for the next battle.
Take a bow, general assembly of the United Nations: you gave Hamas a big and unexpected victory this week.
Just like Neville Chamberlain did, so many years ago
To Hitler.
When you factor in the starvation, disease, homelessness, and lack of basic medical care, what are we up to now… 100x the human cost in Gaza as punishment for the brutality of October 7? Where does it end? Total annihilation? 2.3 million souls are the fair price of 1200?
The USA is the last nation with any teeth propping this return-genocide up (and that is what this is, regardless of how the IDF wants to spin it), and President Biden made it clear that the patience is running thin. Common sense needs to prevail. One innocent human life is not worth more than another. End of story.
Jason
Hamas has stated they will repeat October 7 a million times.
How would you prevent that?
Jason,
With respect, we can play the numbers game but is it truly relevant? Potentially, the IDF could theoretically kill 2.3 million Gazans while the terrorist groups could kill 9.8 million Israelis, as they have explicitly pledged to do at every opportunity.
That’s why the IDF will wipe out Hamas, Islamic Jihad of Palestine and anyone else intent on killing every Israeli or Jew in sight.
Ronald,
Hamas can spout off about it all they like, they simply don’t have the capability to take on the IDF in any substantial way. They don’t have an army, an air force, or substantial weaponry.
The IDF response is like hunting for an escaped murderer, but instead of actually looking for him, just blowing up the whole neighborhood in the hopes that his body will be buried under the carnage.
Lost in the support of all this warfare is the fact that most Palestinians do not support Hamas. However, that will change, if the average person is to be continuously faced with the endless horror of being subject to bombing and starvation for the crime of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
They can give up the hostages and it all ends.
How do you consume such a foul plate of bullshit and not get violently ill.
1) Who ELECTED Hamas to control Gaza? Open some simple fucking webpages to see how 40-60 % of the population of the enclave GAVE Hamas the power to take over the administration of the enclave. Hamas’ stated goals do not differ from those election campaigns.
2) attempting to use math and establish ratios of deaths of one side outweighed by the other? Who places that denigrated value on humans? Seems Hamas has many times- how many raging terrorists – sorry freedom fighters – did they negotiate for one Israeli soldier who was kidnapped a few years back? They placed a 30-1 ratio on similar hostage for criminal exchanges earlier.
3) please clarify when Israeli aggression began any of the modern history outbreaks of war? When was the last Israeli surprise attack? How in the name of God / Allah etc. does arresting people bent on killing your population justify that terrorist mind toward burning babies / raping hostages / keeping them from freedom?
I got a new ratio for you if there is 1 Israeli living in fear of terrorism, how many terrorists is IDF justified in taking out? All of them. How many people who refuse to live with the State of Israel existing? All of them can go to.
You are exactly the point of the discussion Warren initiated “have we not seen this before?”
Peace is a two way street. It may be near impossible for Gazans to rise up against an evil leadership but where the hell is any Palestinian anywhere calling for changes to Hamas policy on their neighbour?
Maybe the reason that Arab states are slow to confront or even to condemn Israel is that as much as they do not like the creation of the state EIGHTY fucking years ago, they have decided to move on?
Phil,
It appears to upset you that anyone might think of women and children in Gaza as human beings too. I find that utterly sad. Killing innocent people is never justified. Not even as collateral damage in a return fire situation.
Look, you can build up the case all you like about how showing sympathy for the deaths of women and children is an act of terrorism, but ask yourself – is doing so going to inspire support for the IDF, or more grotesque opposition? I think you know the answer.
Upset? not really. I sit comfortably with my opinion that I am 100 % right and have a true grasp. You can twist words all you wish I never implied that one death is not sad that there is any question of humanity.
What I said if you want me to clarify is if the ceasefire happens we WILL be having this discussion again and again and again.
I also stand firm that Palestinians who do not oppose Hamas are culpable. That doesn’t mean it would be easy but easy (ask Chamberlain) won’t work it just prolongs the inevitable.
So rather than infer I’m insensitive pick apart my argument with fact.
Not every German was a Nazi or Japanese citizen an imperial zealot but through willing or apathetic support all suffered to remove these cancers from the world. It was one of the failures at the end of the US Civil war that the Southern mind set survived even after defeat. IMHO
Warren,
First off, Chamberlain sadly is perhaps perfectly a representation of at least a plurality of Britons of his day, much like my Scots relatives…those comments must be thoroughly condemned.
Read a bit of minority history recently about Munich: it was written that Hitler flew into a rage right after Munich was signed, wanting it to fail so his forces could immediately invade. But Munich or not, his was a mindset of invasion, as the Czechs and Poles quickly found out.
As for this country, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that Mackenzie King was generally a perfect representation of Canadian attitudes and discrimination against the Jews, so no saints here either. Obviously.
The public service gladly took its cues from the top. Ditto in the United States. Absolutely shameful.
That Hamas wants to wipe out all the Jews is a deal breaker with re4gards to a ceasefire. If they were remotely civilized and capable of consensus and peace I would feel differently. Unfortunately they aren’t – so it’s no to the ceasefir
Before the 1967 war, President Nasser spoke to Ahmad Shukairy of the PLO. Nasser proposed that Jews who survived the war be returned to their home countries; Shukairy replied that there was no need to worry about it, as there wouldn’t be any Jewish survivors.
Source Michael Lewis.
Mr Trudeau and Ms Joly would have Israelis trust Hamas? It looks like Trudeau and Joly have something else in mind for Israelis.
Hell of a stretch, but one that sadly a rather vocal minority are insisting on. Demanding an end to civilian slaughter in Gaza is just not the same thing as wanting another Holocaust for Jews, nor is it some kind of gateway to that belief.
Someone needs to explain to me slowly what the IDF is supposed to do about Hamas after they unilaterally lay down their arms(Hamas won’t) and expose themselves to more terrorist attacks because that is the only way to stop the civilian casualties. War is hard. I’ll wait.
For starters, I’m not opposed to the IDF taking ANY action. My beef is with the fact that they’ve given no safe harbour or reasonable opportunity for anyone innocent to escape. They told everyone to head south, then started bombing the south. They have to be pressed by nearly the entire international community before they allow 10% of the basic food and water requirements for people in Gaza. “Collective punishment” is a war crime, not an act of self-defense.
I openly called people who proudly took to the streets in their Palestinian colours in celebration of the slaughter on October 7th a bunch of sick fucks. But I’m not going to sit and cheer for more of that or pretend it is now justified because the “good” side is doing the killing now.
Hamas is stopping them from escaping. Along with the Egyptians.
Jason
Hamas can surrender and the killing stops.
For Justin, what matters is to get those Muslim donors back on side. Their community is growing, the Jewish population is not.
Get a ceasefire in place and watch this story drop from news. In six weeks, over Christmas no less, the only people who will still be talking about Israel-Palestine are the fanatics on either side. Justin can then smoothly go back to, well, he doesn’t exactly govern, but he is there or something.
My hope is that Housefather crosses the floor to the CPC. Imagine Mont Royal being held, even if briefly, by a Tory. What an insult that would be to Justin.
Housefather won’t cross the floor.
Liberals, their families, and friends have no intention of giving up the gravy train.
I wouldn’t bank on it, given he was one of the Liberals out there removing CPC literature from people’s doorstepe at election time.
Really. I remember George Chahal but not him. His multiple law degrees mustn’t have taken. Agree he isn’t going anywhere. He is a lifelong Liberal groupie. And did his duty for his Dear Leader during the SNC affair.
One thing we need to remember about PM Chamberlain and the Munich Crisis is that the decisions made by Great Britain and France were supported by the general population. The elected politicians (who after all, don’t get elected if they don’t run on platforms that the electorate support) were just reflecting the popular opinions of the day. There was zero support for another war in Europe. The analogy with today is striking. There is some support for Israel, but no support for getting involved in any meaningful way (the same could be said for what s going on in Ukraine).
Governing by poll is not the same as leading is it?
Truman struggled to get re-elected after F D Roosevelt died and he took up the tasks. Churchill lost re-election after war what does that tell us?
We are in dangerous times for sure – where are ANY leaders?
The UN is an utterly useless and anti Semitic organization. Israel should once and for all give it the middle finger it deserves. Once, here in Canada, we get rid of Trudeau and his iteration of this Liberal Party we should do the same. While nobody around the world truly cares what Canada thinks or says at the moment I myself do and I am sickened by our response as a country to this massacre of Jews and the siding with terrorists that is being done in my name. I am not ashamed of being Canadian but I am ashamed of what too many of my countrymen have allowed us to become by continuously electing this govt.
Hamas is at war with peace.
My heart goes out to Palestinian Christians. So much for Silent Night(s).
Your work has been absolutely exceptional on this issue the last couple of months.
I am very worried about the liberal democratic world over the short term.
Our useful idiots in power and who have influence in our society are buying Hamas propaganda. Thankfully Israel will probably pay us no heed. We don’t deserve it.
The Republicans down south are working hard to defund Ukraine’s defence. If Ukraine falls, Taiwan, the Baltics and Poland are next.
Trump is poised to be re-elected. He and his inner circle have made no secret of their quasi-fascist designs on the US and how they will abandon the free world to the authoritarians of the world.
China, Iran, and Russia treat Canada as a playground for trans-national crime, money laundering, and interference, intimidation, and influence campaigns. Our government shows no willingness to even slow these activities, let alone halt them. The Opposition is happy to bash the government on this, but does nothing to address the influence and interference skeletons in their closet.
I am really having a hard time staying positive about our future.
GEL,
The stage is already set for the forces of authoritarianism and totalitarianism to bring us straight to WWIII. Extreme right-wingers that is. Couple that with the scourge of isolationism and voilà, the countdown to the big one is steadily progressing. The DemonSeedLeagueTM will see to that in relatively short order…
Ronald
Are Hamas far right?
Peter,
Netanyahu is considered far-right and yet he’s a so-called democrat. Theocracies generally fit the far-right bill IMHO. So Yes for Iran and its branch-plant terrorist surrogates, including Hamas.
If Hamas are far right, why are so many in the left supporting them?
Simple racism. White people are bad, People of colour are almost saints
The Mayor of Boston can likely explain it to you.
Paige,
Nice try. But racists come in all nationalities, creeds and races. Everyone here seems to know that but you. I wonder why.
I would argue that they are. Most Islamists are closer to our Christian Taliban than to the old Red Brigades.
But our the useful idiots/Tankies haven’t figured that out yet.
GEL,
Yup. This is my view as well.
The left are largely hopeless do-gooders, even when the cause has lost all credibility. Hamas’ terrorist attacks have dunked the two-state solution, which Hamas has always opposed. It will take at least twenty to thirty years before a TSS can be put back on the agenda.
Ronald
I’m more concerned about the left, than the far right.
a) lots of eyes are on the far right.
b) many in the left are supporting and/or enabling Hamas, and the attacks against Jews. For example: Sarah Jama, some CUPE leaders, etc.
c) here’s Mr Kinsella commenting on a CBC report on which referred to arrests of Islamic militants. “Guys, if they were planning to attack civilian targets, as you said they were, they’re not “militants”. They meet the definition of “terrorists”. Like, literally. “
https://twitter.com/kinsellawarren/status/1735376056561885321?
I don’t hear anyone calling CBC far right. Many would say they lean left. But “militants”? Really?
What’s next, calling them freedom fighters? Is the CBC thinking like the Penn, MIT, and Harvard presidents, it depends on the context?
d) many of the proPalestine protests, have people carrying signs with swastikas. Ordinarily, politicians like Trudeau, Singh, et al , would be denouncing them as far right, and even calling them Nazis. But instead these protests are supported by Trudeau, Singh et al. Is Trudeau thinking “they maybe Nazis, but they’re our Nazis?”
Both the right and the left deal with antisemitism in their midst –
Really?
Name one university run by the right that is spewing it. I’ll wait. It is institutionalized on the left.
Warren,
Oh boy, the killing of the three hostages by the IDF is not good. It calls into question the exact criteria the IDF uses for threat assessment. This needs to be thoroughly investigated and charges are likely IMHO. I don’t want to see convenient scapegoats pay, I want those responsible for this code of conduct to pay if found guilty of misconduct or worse.
It seems that three soldiers allegedly violated the rules of engagement. The hostages were waving a makeshift white flag and had removed their shirts.
This will affect IDF morale with some soldiers likely to become extremely cautious, which could be a double-edged sword.
Warren,
As Reagan would say: There you go, again.
From CTV News:
“Feasibility of two-state solution has increased since Israel-Hamas war started: Joly”
Is she a complete blithering idiot, or what? What planet is Joly living on? Yeah, sure, all those right-wingers in Netanyahu’s government just can’t wait for a two-state solution. They want it tomorrow. Right…
Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran have made it quite clear there is no two state solution.
How Ms Joly will you get them inside?
Note Ms Joly, the above all refer to you as ‘the infidel’, and say it’s ok to lie to the infidels.