More from the UCU Activists List
You’ll remember that this is how 2009’s ongoing ramble-a-thon started on everybody’s favourite soap opera, the UCU Activists list:
Can I make a personal plea, notwithstanding what is going on in the world, that 2009 sees this list more focussed on supporting activists in their activities representing members? We have challenging economic circumstances inside and outside of HE/FE. In HE we have just had the RAE results, which may just be the excuse some institutions have been waiting for to close departments and we also need to sort out pay negotiation and pay claims.
Here is today’s digest:
1. RE: demo on Saturday
2. Irish Congress of Trade Unions MARCH & RALLY FOR PEACE IN GAZA
3. Crisis in Gaza
4. RE: demo on Saturday
5. Fwd: Invasion of Gaza
6. RE: demo on Saturday
7. Time off for trade union duties - draft revised ACAS code of practice
8. RE: Where’s the Academic Outrage Over the Bombing of a University in Gaza?
9. RE: Crisis in Gaza
10. RE: Where’s the Academic Outrage Over the Bombing of a University in Gaza?
11. RE: Crisis in Gaza
12. Re: demo on Saturday
13. RE: Crisis in Gaza
14. RE: Crisis in Gaza
15. Re: Crisis in Gaza
16. RE: Crisis in Gaza
17. Good news from Norway
18. Re: demo on Saturday
19. Fwd: from Lancet editor to Peter Gabriel speak out on Gaza
20. RE: Crisis in Gaza
21. RE: Crisis in Gaza
22. RE: Crisis in Gaza
23. RE: Crisis in Gaza
24. Re: Crisis in Gaza
25. RE: Crisis in Gaza
26. RE: demo on Saturday
27. Re: demo on Saturday
Sean Wallis, Senior Research Fellow, Survey of English Usage at University College London has this to say:
As someone of Jewish ancestry, I abhor the idea that Jews are above the rest of humanity and are not required to abide by humanitarian norms. Logically there is little difference between “pro-semitism” and “anti-semitism”. Once you accept a distinction between the rights of Jews and the rights of the rest of humanity (or the people of the region), then the distinction can go either way.
Not that he’s a brown-nose or anything, but Wallis’ signature contains a quotation from the UCU’s own joint general secretary:
You have to feel sorry for this government.
They have double standards to maintain.
- Paul Mackney
Trade Union humour!
Another poster responds:
Most offensive, though, is your statement ‘As someone of Jewish ancestry, I abhor the idea that Jews are above the rest of humanity and are not required to abide by humanitarian norms.’ The implication here is that someone (who? Jews? some Jews? we are not told) thinks that Jews are above the rest of humanity and are not required to abide by humanitarian norms. Of course, no-one thinks that, and no-one has said it, but the suggestion that Jews - we - do think it is itself a grotesque antisemitic slur. There, that’s the first time I’ve ever raised the ‘A’ word with respect to someone on this list. If you don’t understand why your statement is a racist libel then perhaps you should undergo some additional antiracist sensitivity training.
The reality is that no-one that I know of has claimed this with respect to Israel’s action. Every defence of Israel that I’ve seen is based on universal principles - i.e. principles that would apply to any state regardless of its ethnicity - such as the right, and indeed duty, of any state to protect its citizens from attack. You may (legitimately) disagree with those arguments, but your racist slur is deeply repugnant. And by the way, your Jewish ancestry is irrelevant, as are your motives. To be clear, it’s what you said that’s offensive and racist.
The notion that Jews think of themselves as above the rest of humanity and not bound by moral laws is a long-standing racist slur, previously only heard on the nazi far right. Perhaps you could accept that this accusation
was at the least ill-judged and apologise for it.
One commentator then argues that the demonstration is ultra vires the objects of the Stop the War Coalition, whose constitution states:
1. The aim of the Coalition should be very simple: to stop the war currently declared by the United States and its allies against
‘terrorism’.
He argues that the attack on Gaza - which he deplores - is nevertheless not part of the US war on terror, and therefore falls outside the ambit of the STWC’s constitution. Accordingly, he calls for UCU banners not to be deployed at Saturday’s march.
Mike Cushman, in response, points out that Tsipi Livni “use the phrase wat on terror abiout 5 times in a few minutes”. His finely turned academic mind produces the following repost:
It’s not what StW says it’s what the Israelis and Bush in backing them say.
And on it goes.
Oh, and I bet you’re all desperate to hear the “good news from Norway”. Well, here it is, courtesy of Shirley Franklin:
The Norwegian Locomotive Drivers Union will take action in solidarity with the Palestinian people tomorrow (8 Jan) at 16.00. There will be a short stoppage of all passenger trains in Norway with an announcement to the passengers to ask their support towards the union’s action.
The union’s message will read as follows.
This is information to the passengers from the locomotive drivers:
Because of the situation in the Gaza Strip, the Locomotive Drivers Union in Norway has decided to demonstrate our solidarity with the Palestinian people. This will be organised by adding two more minutes of stoppage at the station, during which time we will be launching Qassam rockets randomly into Sweden, in the hope that we kill as many ordinary Swedes as possible, the bastards. We have not forgotten their treachery in 1523! The same action applies to all passenger trains in Norway simultaneously.
We demand the immediate withdrawal of all Israeli troops from the Palestinian territory!
Thank you for your understanding
This action of solidarity will also be taken by the metro and tramway drivers union in Oslo.
Part of that message might have been embellished, slightly.
Comments
| 9 January 2009, 12:04 am |
You people have a tough job propagandizing for Israel when this is on the front page of the NY Times:
http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/tag/un-ends-gaza-aid-after-idf-killings/
Maybe you could try to prove that Ethan Bronner is an anti-Semite? Or that he was in a Maoist sect when he was in college? If you need help, there’s this book on McCarthyism by Marty Jezer called “The Dark Ages” that might give you useful tips on smearing people.
| 9 January 2009, 12:22 am |
What a surprise, the UN stop doing valuable work when they are most needed.
| 9 January 2009, 12:27 am |
yeah im having a real tough time defending a just war, penny. pemberton. pathetic. piss off.
| 9 January 2009, 12:28 am |
Also from the New York Times, here’s a unique glimpse into jihadist mentality…
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/world/09fighter.html?_r=1&hp
| 9 January 2009, 12:31 am |
What a surprise, the UN stop doing valuable work when they are most needed.
Well, they have taken quite a few hits in recent days. 4 different incidents in or around their compounds and schools, and now one of their drivers is taken out. I can’t really blame them.
| 9 January 2009, 12:31 am |
David, you present yourself as somebody cares a great deal about liberal rights and freedoms. In a free society people have a right to organise. That means they have the right to demonstrate in public, but also means that the have the right to communicate internally, in private, as an organisation. Posting up conversations on an internal union email list puts you absolutely in opposition to this.
| 9 January 2009, 12:32 am |
Oh and lest we forget, this would be the same ICRC that resisted allowing the Israeli version of Red Cross, Magen David Adom, from joining ICRC and when it finally was pressured into doing so, would only do it on condition the star of david wasn’t used. now that’s what i call an unbiased report.
| 9 January 2009, 12:32 am |
Penny Pemberton, who are “you people”?
| 9 January 2009, 12:35 am |
Hang on a sec, hasn’t hp run like ‘gaza’, ‘gaza’, ‘gaza’, ‘gaza’, ‘gaza’ for the past fortnight too?
| 9 January 2009, 12:35 am |
They must really be giving away sociology professorships these days.
http://gulfnews.com/opinion/columns/region/10272422.html
Wonder if he’s a member of the UCU
| 9 January 2009, 12:43 am |
The pro-Israel demo in Norway was physically mobbed and attacked this evening.
| 9 January 2009, 12:57 am |
New York Times? The UN? The ICRC? Do you think any pro-Israel (or pro-fact) person could give a flying fuck about those anti-Zionist bigots and Islamist shills? Why don’t you go back to writing shit on Spectator blogs, Penny. You people indeed.
| 9 January 2009, 1:04 am |
You ask who “you people” are? I will allow Max Blumenthal to answer:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/why-arent-more-americans_b_155194.html
The same pundits who are cheerleading Israel’s assault on Gaza once sold the occupation of Iraq to America, and with a nearly identical set of arguments. In their voices and those of the grim Israeli PR agents carted out for cable news, many Americans hear echoes of the Bush administration’s most fantastical lies. When they see images of Gazans under withering bombardment, they flash back to Fallujah and the assorted horrors of Iraq. When they look at Israel, they see themselves during the darkest days of the Bush era.
Now, an increasing share of Americans know what Israel is doing to Gaza. And they reject it, even when Israel is “at its best.”
(clip)
| 9 January 2009, 1:10 am |
The same pundits who are cheerleading Israel’s assault on Gaza once sold the occupation of Iraq to America, and with a nearly identical set of arguments.
You mean they argued that Saddam had been shooting missiles at the US for 6 years?
| 9 January 2009, 1:16 am |
You mean they argued that Saddam had been shooting missiles at the US for 6 years?
Closer to 12 years.
| 9 January 2009, 1:20 am |
yea, fuck these academics, let’s get behind the IDF, they are doing important work. keep on diverting the masses, david.
http://www.socialistunity.com/?p=3334
| 9 January 2009, 1:20 am |
Christ. It’s sort of funny, isn’t it? They are a caricature of student politics. I suppose that’s what happens when you spend so much of your time around the yoof. Completely beyond redemption.
| 9 January 2009, 1:41 am |
As a trial ballon I’d like to see someone from the Jewish community float the recommendation that all Jews world wide must commit suicide in 30 days. Just to see what the antisemitic, I mean mainstream leftist response it. I bet it would cheering.
| 9 January 2009, 1:44 am |
The UN never found anything wrong at Auschwitz, in case you were wondering.
| 9 January 2009, 1:45 am |
The ICRC never found anything wrong at Auschwitz, in case you were wondering.
| 9 January 2009, 2:05 am |
You folks need to go out and kick some Jew haters in the nuts.
| 9 January 2009, 3:05 am |
I note Miliband has managed to pass a UN resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire. Unfortunately the US abstained, but it was better than a veto.
It looks like New Labour to the rescue again!
| 9 January 2009, 7:59 am |
Well Penny Pebbletons, let’s try you with a great point made by another poster. See how honest you are.
Explain why the UN is so hot on attacking anything Israel does but said NOTHING about 6,000 rockets fired by Hamas at Israel in contravention of the War Crimes legislation which forbids attacking civilians. Being in Gaza itself it was also in place to note that Hamas were firing from amongst civilians, another War Crime, and in place to directly complain to Hamas who they worked with.
In fact, by working with Hamas I claim that the UNWRA and ICRC are complicit in War Crimes.
Answer that potty mouth!
| 9 January 2009, 8:05 am |
Hot Dog: “The ICRC never found anything wrong at Auschwitz, in case you were wondering.”
Another example of ICRC perfidy would be the manner in which it allowed itself to be hoodwinked about conditions at the model ghetto Theresienstadt.
| 9 January 2009, 8:09 am |
Kid Milliband is talking bollocks again. The Resolution is sponsored by the UK and its a UN face-saving exercise that will mean zero
The resolution “stresses the urgency of and calls for an immediate, durable and fully respected cease-fire, leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.”
It also called for arrangements in Gaza to prevent arms smuggling to Palestinian militants and reopen border crossings, and for “unimpeded provision” and distribution of aid in Gaza, where more than 750 Palestinians, many of them civilians, have been killed.
There was no immediate reaction from Israeli officials to the vote, but Israel has opposed the idea of a binding resolution. Israel’s political security cabinet was to meet Friday to determine whether to pursue the ground offensive or accept a truce.
For its part, Gaza’s Hamas rulers did not recognize the resolution as it had not been consulted on it, said a spokesman for the Islamist group.
Ha Aretz
Since Hamas won’t respect it, and since they precipitated this response then its for Hamas to offer to agree first. They won’t. The USA knows that and so weren’t arsed to support it.
Its gesture politics so that the UN can say “Well we tried” the reality is that there will be no stop while Hamas continues its attack on Israel.
Its the Green Light for Israel to finish it because the UN knows its easier to get a ceasefire when the other side (Hamas) don’t exist and a security force can be put into place, possoibly Egyptian and Jordanian troops.
Anyway, the resolution is non-binding.
Smoke and mirrors from the UN and I’ll bet a back-door to Israel “Just finish it quickly”
| 9 January 2009, 8:12 am |
When we mention the meaningless organisation called UN or UNWRA specifically we mean a whole load of Hamas acolytes driving ambulances and directing aid to their own pockets.
| 9 January 2009, 9:46 am |
Who would not share Penny Pemberton’s horror at the human catastrophe in Gaza? But her view is fatally flawed by it’s one-sidedness. Like many of her ilk she refuses to see
That, if Hamas had half a chance, it would bring about a much greater catastrophe in Israel and the world;
That Hamas has done its untmost to provoke the attack;
That Hamas themselves are responsible for the catastrophe;
That they want it for propogandistic purposes;
That they want the martyrdom of their people, who, they wishfully think, will all go straight to heaven:
That people who live under Hamas and similar regimes are already suffering a catastrophe;
That their dismay about the human catastrophe in Gaza would be more convincing if they recognised all aspects of this conflict;
That many of the people who were already Israel haters, and often anti-semitic, have been given a - for them - wonderful opportunity to reinforce their prejudices and run amock on the streets to give their weak egos a boost.
These points have all been put before, but one has to repeat them to get through some thick skulls.
| 9 January 2009, 10:08 am |
Like many of her ilk she refuses to see
Felix, its nothing to do with a refusal to see this - its rather that she’s actively cheering on Hamas et al.
| 9 January 2009, 10:12 am |
I have to say I am feeling today “Fuck the UN, EU, ICRC, BBC” and all the other anti-Israel observers masquerading as impartial. They will (possibly) weep and wring their hands about dead Jews after the event. In the meantime, though, I have to assume they will be boycotting Blooms and Jersualem the Golden.
“As someone of Jewish ancestry…” : here comes the Alexei Sayle style “as a Jew I side with those like Hamas whose stated mission is to wipe out the Jews” comment.
I have to echo other posters-whoever said Jews were in any way above humanity or exempt from respecting human rights? Sounds like a racist straw man to me, as if we all go around saying and thinking we are the Chosen People or something. What a cunt Sean Wallis appears to be.
Bl@ckbird is right, kick a Jew-hater in the nuts.
Write a comment