Evil Penevil

I'm surprised this story has attracted so much attention. It's nothing new. For at least 100 years- maybe longer- it's been standard practice for U.S. Presidents to appoint wealthy donors and defeated party candidates as ambassadors. It's a way of rewarding donors and party stalwarts for their service by giving them prestige. However, the "politically appointed ambassaddors" aren't expected to perform sensitive diplomatic duties. The deputy chief of mission- the second ranking person at an embassy- is always a career diplomat who handles contacts with foreign governments as well as running the embassy. The political ambassadors serve as figureheads who represent the U.S. at dinners, public appearances and ceremonial or festive occassions. The host nations know this and political ambassadors never get involved in sensitive negotiations.

At least the next time round, Jews WON'T be digging their own graves, nor will they walk quietly to them. If the Israelis and other Jews ever do go down, they'll take one hell of a lot of Arabs and Muslims with them.

@stevenl You can clear things up by answering one question with either "yes" or "no." You can't add any words or explanation, just a one-word answer. The question is: Does Israel have the right to exist behind secure borders as the homeland of the world's Jews? My answer would be "yes." What's yours?

Zither

Your comment reminds of two lines from the 1960's protest song For What It's Worth by Buffalo Springfield: "There's battle lines being drawn And nobody's right if everybody's wrong." What's necessary is to decide which side has the more reliable figures. I find it hard to believe anyone would put much faith in anything Hamas, a designated terrorist group, says. Hamas' goal is to destroy Israel and its statement of principles is the definition of antisemitism.

If I were an Irish Jew, I'd be getting nervous now. Changing laws to make it easier to prosecute Jews is how the Holocaust started in Germany when the Nazis took power in 1933. One of the first steps the Nazis took was to change laws to the detriment of Jews. This helped "normalize" the persecution of Jews. , A very small number of Jews live in Ireland, which makes their situation all the more perilous. An estimated 2,500 to 2,600 Jews reside in the Republic of Ireland, but less tan 800 are Irish citizens, according Wikipedia. The others are employees of multinational companies, digital nomads, exchange students and spouses of Irish citizens. As the Irish Republic has 5.35 million residents, only 0.05% are Jewish https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Ireland The Israeli government has reacted strongly to its Irish counterpart's constant siding with those who seek to destroy Israel. In response to the antisemitic policies of the Irish government, Israel is closing its embassy in Dublin. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced the closure of the country’s embassy in Ireland on Sunday, accusing Ireland of “extreme anti-Israel policies.” “The actions and antisemitic rhetoric used by Ireland against Israel are rooted in the delegitimization and demonization of the Jewish state, along with double standards. Ireland has crossed every red line in its relations with Israel,” Sa’ar said, according to a foreign ministry statement. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/israel-closes-embassy-in-ireland-blaming-extreme-anti-israel-policies/ar-AA1vTTE7 Meanwhile, there have been attacks on individual Jews, The young man in the story below was an exchange student from the U.S. who was weaing a Star of David pendant. Jewish student attacked in Dublin nightclub in suspected hate crime amid fears of rising anti-Semitism Victim (23) says he was asked ‘are you Jewish?’ before being assaulted by three men A Jewish student suffered a concussion after he was attacked by three men in a Dublin nightclub in a suspected anti-Semitic assault. https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/2024/11/30/jewish-student-attacked-in-dublin-nightclub-in-suspected-hate-crime-amid-fears-of-rising-anti-semitism/ I wouldn't be surprised if Jews with Irish passports began to decide Israel would be a better place for them to live.

The Agreement on Disengagement between Israel and Syria was between military forces, not civilian governments. It was signed in Geneva by an Israeli major general and a Syrian general and was witnessed by a Fimnish general serving with a U.N. peacekeeping force. The final paragraph of the agreement states: "This Agreement is not a Peace Agreement. It is a step towards a just and durable peace on the basis of Security Council resolution 338 dated 22 October 1973." https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76v26/d88 When the Assad regime fell, the Syrian Army deserted the positions it had held for the past 50 years under the terms of the agreement. The IDF moved in to prevent these positions from falling to Islamist or other hostile forces. Some minority groups, such as the Druze and Christians, may feel they have more to lose under Islamist control than Israeli control. If past history is any guide, the Islamists have little tolerance for minority religions and crack down hard on them. Moreover, some groups within the Syrian rebels want to wage war against Israel. Footage shows Syrian rebels in Damascus vowing: ‘From here to Jerusalem. We’re coming for Jerusalem. Patience, people of Gaza’ Footage from a mosque in Damascus aired by Hebrew media shows Syrian rebels vowing to march on Jerusalem, a day after a stunning opposition advance took over the capital, ending the Assad family’s five decades of iron rule. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/footage-shows-syrian-rebels-in-damascus-vowing-were-coming-for-jerusalem-patience-people-of-gaza/ It's not surprising under these circumstances Israel's leaders would choose to move the IDF into the Syrian side of the border area between the two countries while choaos reigns.

It could be the manufacturer is woried the plastic used in the bags will break down when stored in Thailand's heat and humidity.

Injury

Did you buy genuine Ziploc brand (part of the SC Johnson group) bags or a generic "ziplock" brand? The Ziploc sandwich bags I bought here in the U.S. don't have a "use by" date printed on the bag or the box that contains them.

This is a crucial point. The claims of genocide are based on figures that have been distorted to serve Hamas' agenda. Anyone who is interested in gaining the real picure of the Israel-Hamas War should read the full report

Violence

Whole

The statuatory rules which govern the use of Hyde Park established Speakers' Corner in 1866. https://www.betteradvocacy.org/post/from-soapboxes-to-megaphones-a-walk-through-the-unique-story-of-speakers-corner-in-london Unfortunately, Speakers' Corner has fallen far from the days when world figures ranging from Karl Marx and Vladamir Lenin through Winston Churchill, George Orwell and Mahatma Gandhi spoke there. As @herfiehandbag noted, in recent years it's been taken over by Muslims and used as a platform to proclaim Islam.

@stevenl Could you please provide links to the coverage of the trials by Dutch-language independent media? We could use online translators to see if there's any contradiction between the articles posted by @Nick Carter icp and the coverage you consider to be accurate.

You may be using "the law" as an informal synonym for the "court system" or "judicial system." In any case, O. J. Simpson was found "not guilty" by the jury, which means the prosecutor did not establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In the U.S., defendants in criminal trials are presumed innocent and are found guilty or not guilty. There's no verdict of "innocent." The burden of proof is always on the prosecution to establish guilt. A defendant does not have to prove his innocence. Please note: this applies to criminal trials before a judge or judge and jury. Different rules apply in civil trials or on appeal of a criminal trial verdict to a higher court.

From the day of its formation and declaration of independence in 1948, Israel has had a "beneficial and constructive" function of the highest order as the homeland and haven of last resort for the world's Jews. Here's another "beneficial and constructive effect: 6 Syrian Druze Villages Asking to Be Annexed by Israel "During a council meeting of residents of six Druze villages in southern Syria held overnight Friday, it was decided that the jihadist Syrian rebels should be prevented from reaching the Druze area and suggested annexing their villages to the Israeli Golan Heights." https://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/druze/6-syrian-druze-villages-asking-to-be-annexed-by-israel/2024/12/13/ The Druze villagers apparently consider Israeli Jews to be a lesser evil compared with Islamists.

Faint

A classic episode of The Twilight Zone ponders aliens landing on Earth. Be careful what you wish for! Richard Kiel (played Jaws in two James Bond films) was the alien.

I would love to believe UFOs exist. It would be the highlight of my life if I could see one myself. But I can't believe for one simple reason: there's no credible evidence they do exist. Considering the millions upon millions of people who hae access to cameras in this age of cellphones, it's very strange no one has ever captured an image of a UFO that couldn't otherwise be explained as something else. It's the same with ghosts, Big Foot, the yeti and other odd or supernatural creatures/occurrences. No one has ever captured convincing photographic evidence. I really hope something truly weird exists out there somewhere, but so far, wonderous beings seem to be imaginary.

Exodus (the most inspiring movie ever) Godfather 1 and 2 Zulu (the best cinematic portrayal of what made the British Empire great) Davey Crocket at the Alamo (1955 Disney television movie). The image of Davy Crockett swinging his rifle in the final scene has stayed with me all my life. 300 Scrooge (1951 version with Alastair Sim). Best Christmas film ever! Miracle on 34th Street ( 1947 version with Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle. Another great Christmas film that harks back to simpler times) Seven Samurai (and its Americanized Western adaptation, The Magnificient Seven) Deep Throat (the first porn film I ever saw)

There were different levels of rule-breaking: 1) Miko Peled, one of the speakers in favor of the anti-Israel proposition, said the Oct. 7 attacks were "not terrorism" but "acts of heroism." The exact quote was "What happened on October 7th was not terrorism – these were acts of heroism of a people who were oppressed." https://x.com/daverich1/status/1862451758317899869 "Expressing support for a proscribed organisation is illegal under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000." and that has resulted in an investigation by counter-terror police. A statement from the relevant police unit said, "Counter Terrorism Policing South East is aware of reports of a person expressing support for a proscribed organisation, namely Hamas, at the Oxford Union on Thursday 28 November and enquiries are ongoing." https://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/24782650.counter-terrorism-probe-following-debate-oxford-union/ 2) The catcalls from the audience and inflamed rhetoric of the anti-Israel speakers were so intensely antisemitic they may have violated U.K. hate speech laws. Take a look at the video recordings of the debate. The official versions posted by Oxford Union are here: https://www.youtube.com/@OxfordUnion Please note that Oxford Union censored the recording of Jonathan Sacerdoti's speech in defense of Israel by to remove heckling by audience members when disrupting his presentation. The uncensored version can be seen here: Moreover, the Oxford Union didn't post the speech by Miko Peled, most likely due to the possible violation of the Terrorism Act 2000. It also held back the pro-Israel speech by Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of a co-founder of Hamas. Because Mosab became an anti-terrorist supporter of Israel and converted to Christianity, Hamas supporters always seek to deny him a platform to express his ideas. He was ordered out of the debate for no good reason. The Oxford Union may be trying to conceal one incident during his speech. Mosab asked audience members if they had had knowledge in advance of the Oct. 7 attacks, would they have notified te Israeli authorities. Only about 25% of the audience indicated by a show of hands they would. That proves conclusively 75% of the audience members were pro-Hamas and not just pro-Palestine. Otherwise, they wouldn't have wished the deaths of so many people, both Israelis and non-Israelis. That is also roughly the same margin (21%) of audience members who voted against the proposition that Israel is an apartheid state committing genocide (278 votes in favor, 59 against). You can hear an audio recording of his speech here: https://youtu.be/sGGyltraWBg?si=o7Y0QpXI8Fj-BYwc 3) The Oxford Union Society has rules governing conduct during its Thursday formal debates. The pro-Israel speakers were interrupted, shouted down, insulted and booed throughout the debate, which was a clear violation of Oxford Union rules. I'll put all the boring details and links at the end of this post for those who want them. Previous posts in this thread have shown the abuse of the pro-Israel speakers, so I won't repeat those links either. The behavior of the anti-Israel speakers and the members of the audience spit on the Oxford Union's historical dedidcation to freedom of speech and the exchange of ideas. 4) The President of the Oxford Union is supposed to function as a neutral "chairman," i.e. moderator, during debates. His job is to ensure speakers and audience members follow the rules and admonish those who don't. Incredibly, the current President, Ebrahim Osman-Mowafy, was one of the four anti-Israel speakers but didn't relinquish his role as debate chairman. That's against not only Oxford Union rules but also the entire concept of fair debate. It's analogous to someone acting as both prosecutor and judge at a court trial. It simply isn't done and it's close to unbelievable a venerable organization like the Oxford Union would allow it to happen. Mowafy exhibited clear bias against the pro-Israel speakers and did nothing to halt the attempts of intimidation against them. . https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-oxford-union-has-disgraced-itself/ The details for: 3) The relevant section (RULE 71: DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE (a) Disciplinary Offences) forbids members or guests to "(A) Act violently or in a manner that is liable to distress, grossly offend, or intimidate others." Paragraphs (B) forbids "harassment, bullying, or victimisation," while (C) forbids "a harmful course of conduct motivated by discrimination." You can download The Rules, Standing Orders, And Special Schedules Of The Oxford Union Society from this page: https://oxford-union.org/resources/rules-regulations-and-policies/83/rules-and-regulations-of-the-oxford-union-society-september-2024 4) Same as above, in addition to CHAPTER THREE: OFFICERS RULE 13: THE PRESIDENT.

The surge in violent antisemitism has become a global trend. Jews all over the world are now encountering antisemitism, some for the first time in their lives. The consensus among Jewsih communities is that open antisemitism is at its highest point since the end of WWII. For a rundown of how antisemitism is manifesting itself, check out this link: https://www.adl.org/resources/report/top-5-global-antisemitic-trends-october-7-one-year-impact-report

rubber

No, he was a violent felon and ex-con. In Texas, he had been charged and convicted nine crimes between 1997 and 2007. The most serious was a home invasion robbery during which he pressed a gun to a woman's abdomen to threaten her. He was sentenced to five years in prison in 2009 and was released on parole in 2013. It's not publicly known if Chauvin and the other Minneapolis police officers were aware of his record in Texas at the time of the fatal arrest encounter. That knowledge could have consciously or unconsciously influenced the level of violent used against Floyd. Prior to the home invasion conviction, Floyd had been sentenced to a combined total of 40 months in county jail for four separate drug offenses; two theft-related offenses; criminal trepass; and failure to identify himself to police. It's not clear how much time he actually spent behind bars. In all nine criminal cases in Texas, Floyd pleaded guilty or no contest as part of a plea bargin agreement to receive a lower sentence. It's widely believed Flod was stopped. questioned, detained or even arrested by police many more times in Texas, but those encounters didn't result in criminal charges and no formal record exists. After he moved to Minnesota and fell back into drug use, Floyd was arrested or cited by Minnepolis Police for drug and traffic offenses. From the Harris County, Texas, court records. https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/jul/28/facebook-posts/post-exaggerates-george-floyds-criminal-history/