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Another good boomer joke

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Being the only bi cis guy amongst almost exclusively trans friends and peers is wild because in theory its like im living in a horny manga where all of a dudes friends turn into hot babes, but in reality they are hunting me like the last bison on the prairie. 5 years ago I mentioned bionicle and one of them asked when I was starting estrogen.

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uh oh, we're in a tight spot!!

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I have said it before and I will say it again now. If you are complaining about "the lesser of two evils" then you already understand that there is a Greater Evil! You can't pretend you didn't understand the stakes when you were already identifying which was the worse and bigger evil! People complaining about the lesser evils are very much complicit in the greater evil because they saw the greater evil clearly and shrugged their shoulders about it. They made the choice.

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It’s summer and that means the kids are going to camp! Last week the kids were at gymnastics camp at the place they take lessons. This week they’re at kosher culinary camp at the local Chabad.

The difference could not be more stark.

Last week, I drove up outside the front doors for pick up and drop off, shouted their first names through the window of my car, and either received a thumbs up at drop off, or had the kids walk out unaccompanied at pick up.

This week, I had to walk them inside (adults have to present ID to be allowed in the building) and check them in with two separate sets of adults. I had to present ID again (separately from getting into the building) to be allowed to pick them up. If someone who is not their legal guardian is going to pick them up, paperwork needs to be filled out in advance.

Last week, the only people outside the building were a couple of teenagers in orange vests to make sure the littlest of kids got inside the building ok.

This week, the only people outside the building were security guards with walkie talkies on one hip and very obvious pistols on the other.

My kids are signed up for three different Jewish camps this summer. All three of them have sent emails outlining the security measures in place to protect the children. No details, because the more people that know the details, the easier it is for someone with ill intent to discover and subvert them, but I know that there will be armed security personnel at all three camps and they will be coming with on field trips. I know that staff at all three camps have been conducting safety drills in the weeks leading up to camp, and I know that all three camps are partnered with local and federal law enforcement to stay up to date on any threats or recommended security changes.

I have never received information like this from any non-Jewish camp. I have received information like this from every Jewish camp.

This is what Jews are talking about when we say that antisemitism impacts the way we live our lives even when we are not being directly targeted by antisemitism. Summer camps shouldn’t have to hire armed guards to keep kids safe. Going to camp at the JCC should not put you at greater risk for violence than going to camp at the YMCA. Requesting that non-Jews help us live in a world where that’s true is not a ridiculous thing to ask.

And before anyone tries to say “Oh just because you feel like you’re not safe that doesn’t mean you’re actually not safe,” I’d like to point out two things. The first is that the Chabad my kids were at today has received multiple bomb threats in the last couple of years. We feel like we’re not safe because people have made it clear that they would like to attack us. We are, in fact, actually not safe.

And the second is that even if we were actually safe, and all the people out there who were saying that (((Zionist))) institutions should be attacked were just running their mouths and were not going to act on it (disproven by recent (and not recent) violent attacks, but we’ll accept the premise for the sake of argument), isn’t it pretty messed up that antisemitic actions have made Jews feel like this is necessary? Like, if one person in a couple was constantly so verbally threatening to their partner that the partner was 1) fearful for their safety and 2) felt it necessary to reach out to law enforcement, we would rightfully call that abuse. Why can we easily recognize that behavior as being immoral in that scenario, but find it acceptable in the local/national/fucking global treatment of Jews?

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terror of the skies my ass. shes baby

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products are so bad now that i have to do approximately 8 hours of research before i buy anything

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Dear, sweet, Littlefoot, do you remember the way to the Great Valley?  I guess so. But why do I have to know if you’re going to be with me? I’ll be with you. Even if you can’t see me. What do you mean I can’t see you? I can always see you.

The Land Before Time(1988) dir. Don Bluth

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What a polite little man!

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I…??? they tore up holy books, but it wasn’t antisemitic?…it was just for funsies?

The torah scrolls of a north London synagogue were desecrated and the building vandalized after unknown parties broke in during the early hours of Friday morning, according to British media reports and the Metropolitan police.

Vandals smashed the cabinets containing the religious texts of Gur Synagogue, and tore the books, scattering the pages across the floor.

(…) Police told Jewish News that there was no indication that the vandalism was antisemitic.

(…) The Jewish Community Council of Stamford Hill condemned the incident in a statement posted to social media: “This is a devastating attack on a synagogue in our community. Any attack on a place of worship, of any kind, must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. We are pleased to hear that suspects have been arrested, thanks to the swift actions of Shomrim and Hackney Police.”

The Community Security Trust also shared on X: “We are aware of the appalling act of vandalism which has caused significant damage to a synagogue in Stamford Hill. We are in touch with the location and are providing support. We urge anyone with information to contact CST and the police as a matter of urgency

“Thank you to @MPSHackney for their swift action in arresting two individuals. At this stage, the incident is not being treated as a hate crime.”

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"It is true that the parties and governments of the Left very quickly gave us reason to doubt their ability to re- solve our problem. Relatively speaking, we had certainly furnished the different parties of the Left with the largest contingent of hard-core militants, but this did not put an end to the hesitations and muddling of the European Left with respect to us. The Left did not defend us against the vile racist aggression with the complete strength and decisiveness which we had a right to expect from it. I have already spoken of the enthusiasm with which many of our youth movements followed the Soviet experience. We often wore Ukrainian-style shirts, and sang in Slavic rhythms (which have contributed much to Israeli folklore). Our expression became almost religious when we said "the country of the workers" or "our comrades in the U.S.S.R." Did all this prevent an anti- Semitic brochure from appearing in Kiev as late as 1964? Did it prevent Russia from feigning ignorance of the kibbutz, the only true collectivist experience in the world? I will never be able to rid myself of a terrible doubt: would the Red Army have stood immobile at the gates of the Warsaw ghetto if it had not contained Jews alone?

[...]

At that time I began to receive a few invitations to salons of the liberal Left, many of which were predominantly Jewish. Far from participating in this convention of selflessness, instead of rushing towards this grandiose horizon, I immediately laid down my cards. In reaction, in an effort to provoke, I spontaneously revealed the Jewish dimension of my motivations. I attempted to explain several political or aesthetic preferences by the Jewishness of the Jews or the racism of the others. I said, for instance, that I was convinced that the failure of Mendès-France was due in part to his origins, that if Léon Blum had been so de- tested, it was because he was a Jew. I developed the idea that the division of the political chessboard, with the anti- racist Left on one side and the racist Right on the other, was contrary to the facts. The good people, including the proletariat, had never been all goodness for the Jews. The Left also had its racist theorists. And it was strange to observe the absence of Jews in responsible positions of the French Communist party.

The distress, the icy embarrassment which I provoked, taught me that I had committed a terribly tactless faux pas. It was almost obscene to talk so much about Jews and Jewishness. "But you're a Jewish racist!" they told me, only half jesting. "Doesn't anybody interest you but the Jews?" Far from it, I was interested in a lot more than just the Jews; but I did not see why I should be disinterested in them. When the proletariat fights, it fights quite naturally for itself; who would have dreamed of reproaching them for it? One could argue with the colonized concerning the opportuneness of his battle, never about the meaning and the legitimacy of his liberation. If I am a democratic Jew, should I never announce my- self as such, or openly put in a claim for myself and my people? Why would I have been of the Left if I myself did not suffer from serious injustices? Certainly other men suffered under diverse oppressions, and I was deter- mined to participate in all these just causes. But was there a more foolish or artificial policy (more non- Marxist in the final analysis) than to ask someone to fight only against an injustice of which he is not a victim?

Here again we are up against a very old and very miserable argument. The Jew-of-the-Left does not deny that the Jew is a victim and that he must also fight for him. But this battle must not be "provocative." His discretion and his silence are tactical measures. Ah! A fine phrase, one that we have found convenient for a long time! It deserves a place of honor among the comic phrases of our time. Anti-Semitism is supposed to be a slander, an aberration of the anti-Semite. The anti-Semite believes, or pretends to believe, in the existence of a repugnant, harmful character, who is the Jew. Must we, they ask, by speaking of it, give substance to this delirium? Aggravate it by heralding it? Isn't it better, tactically speaking, not to discuss it? Moreover, the non-Jewish masses do not understand this particular battle in favor of the Jews: tactically, isn't it perhaps better not to usurp their attention from more decisive battles?

[...]

Tactically it is better for the Jew to fight with a party of the Left. Granted. But then you must admit that the situation was hardly gratifying. I have known many Communist and Socialist Jews, which is not surprising since half the intellectual and bourgeois Jews in Tunisia were either one or the other. Was it this famous tactic which made them appear shamefaced and embarrassed about themselves as soon as they had to deal with the Jewish aspect of their lives? Or was the so-called tactic not just one more expression of the banal self-rejection of every Jew? Whatever the cause, it resulted in their absolute uselessness for everything concerning the affairs of the Jewish community. And as they never had the slight- est influence on the other communities, you can measure the amplitude of their success. This was because they were Jews, because of this Jewishness which they pretended to ignore and which the others, those for whom these men of good will and undeniable courage labored, never ceased to consider.

[...]

The Jew-of-the-Left, if he recognizes himself as such, is under the impression that he is playing a game of billiards: he hits one ball in the hope of its hitting another. He hopes for the salvation of the Jews (for in any case he desires the salvation of all men), but he believes it is possible only indirectly; he wants to fight for the revolution and believes that it in turn will save the Jew. Apparently the reasoning is not absurd, but from a practical point of view can we expect our salvation to come from others? What could we expect from the forces of the Left?

I will say it loud and clear: not much. In any case once and for all I convinced myself that an oppressed person must never expect others to hand him his liberation.

[...]

It would be absurd to reproach people with not having been as threatened and unhappy as we. I simply say that, because the stakes were never the same, the Democrat's fight for the Jew always had overtones of "in favor of the Jew." At best, he fights for the Jew because he fights for all the oppressed. But it is always graciousness on his part. The Jew must depend on the good will of the Democrats for his security, his safety. The Jew must hope for his salvation indirectly and the Democrat will give it to him indirectly.

[...]

I maintain that a certain rejection of the Jew, be it clear or confused, is part of the thought of the very great majority of Occidental Socialists. I add that it is not even an aberration or contradictory to revolutionary practice as it has in fact existed in Russia and elsewhere. And I am perfectly aware of the gravity of what I am writing: the failure of the European Left, with regard to the Jewish problem, was no accident.

[...]

Certainly Marx, in his turn, passionately sought, like all of us, a solution to the Jewish drama. But for the sake of convenience, coherence with his own philosophy, and because of his dogmatic approach, he proposed an abstract image of the Jew and of the Jewish fate. Wishing to define the Jew in opposition to his contemporary Bruno Bauer who characterized him by his religion, he reduced him to an economic figure; the Jew became practically synonymous with the bourgeoisie. The Marxist solution is easily de- rived from this process: the end of the bourgeoisie, in other words, the revolution, will put an end to the Jewish drama through the disappearence of the Jew himself.

[...]

But extending this observation to the absolute, Marx condenses all Jewish existence into its economic aspect.

(In passing, it is interesting to note that the Marxist reduction coincides with the anti-Semitic accusation, which also makes the Jew out to be an absolute economic figure.)

And, most unfortunately, Marx's essay "The Jewish Question," which is his worst sociological work, has become the Marxist Bible for everything concerning the Jews. This has resulted in the immense dilemma of post-Marxist thought on this subject, and a plan of action, or rather non-action, which is perfectly sterile.

If the Jew is an economic figure, synonymous with the middle class, how can we still class him with the op- pressed? Why would anyone fight for him? Despite the efforts of a few theorists like A. Léon, for whom the Jewish people are a class-people, or Lenin's late discovery of the Jewish proletariat, this hesitation will never be completely removed. It will torment the Jew-of-the-Left. In fact Marxism proposed to the Jew-of-the-Left an image of himself which at best is doubtful: the Jew-of-the-Left cannot like himself as such. From a practical standpoint, what then can he do? The truth is that he doesn't want to do anything.

Moreover, nothing can be directly done for the Jew since the final goal is his suppression. There can be no particular policy in favor of the Jews, neither before nor after the revolution.

Here is something more serious than the ideological deficiency, and a tragic confirmation of it: Marxist politics, derived from Marx's theses, have failed totally in this sphere. The obstinancy of the Jews in existing did not diminish in the least, even after the revolution. And the anti-Semitism of the non-Jewish masses, even in the Socialist countries, has hardly been reduced. They tried to blame the Jews: they were wrong not to mix more into a society which was no longer hostile to them.

[...]

In the same way they knew neither how to go beyond the Marxist plans for the Jew's assimilation as an economic figure, nor foresee that "the workers' paradise" would remain a country like the others, a nation which would continue to treat the Jew like a bastard, which would feel the same repulsion and prejudice as it would towards an illegitimate child. In reality, the Marxists, after Marx, failed to understand the Jew's real, total and objective situation.

[...]

Sooner or later the Jew-of-the-Left discovers he is faced with the impossibility of two equally disastrous alternatives: frankly accept the complete disappearance of the Jews, or cease to be a Communist. These two solutions were adopted by men I have known and whose sincerity I cannot doubt. For them it was always surgical and dramatic. For some their resignation from the Communist or Socialist party was the most serious act of their life. In one fell swoop they had to break with a philosophical ideal, a social morality, a course of day-to-day behavior, which were painfully, incomprehensibly contradictory to the salvation of their people and themselves. Others, by gritting their teeth, were able to face horrors which to them seemed necessary.

[...]

It was that horrible policy which we call "the omelet," here applied by the Jew-of-the-Left to his own people. Of his own accord the Jew had to accept being among the broken eggs. The Communist writer André Wurmser even dared to write openly that a Jew's only duty was to disappear. From what other people could one ask such saintliness? And, what's more, such perfectly absurd and ineffective saintliness? Why such historical masochism?

I repeat, I continue to think that the Jew, as a threatened minority, cannot allow himself, even today, even in Israel, to break with the forces of the Left. For us, the triumph of democracy, humanitarian and egalitarian ideals in the world, is a question of life or death. But we are here talking about a minimum-a defensive alliance.

At best a powerful Left protects us; it does nothing to advance our cause."

(Selected excerpts from The Liberation of the Jew, Albert Memmi 1966. Emphasis mine)

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“Authors should not be ALLOWED to write about–” you are an anti-intellectual and functionally a conservative

“This book should be taken off of shelves for featuring–” you are an anti-intellectual and functionally a conservative

“Schools shouldn’t teach this book in class because–” you are an anti-intellectual and functionally a conservative

“Nobody actually likes or wants to read classics because they’re–” you are an anti-intellectual and an idiot

“I only read YA fantasy books because every classic novel or work of literary fiction is problematic and features–” you are an anti-intellectual and you are robbing yourself of the full richness of the human experience.

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Imams and priests make a visit to the Nova exhibit in Toronto

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So apparently breaking into a synagogue and vandalizing torah scrolls is not antisemetic according to London police?

Like I'm sorry but out of every attack on jews and jewish institutions recently, how is this one not labeled antisemitic by police????

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I've gotten a few asks from people who are not Palestinian complaining that they've been interrogated by jews for their opinions on Hamas and comparing it to the complaints me and other jews have had about being interrogated by non jews regarding our opinion on the war.

And I just want to say, it is very different our experiences and it is very ignorant to try to compare them.

The main difference is that the people in these asks are complaining about their jewish friends asking them, whilst most jews complaining, are complaining about non Palestinian goyim interrogating us, or strangers of any nationality.

I'm not going to speak on behalf of all jews, but if a Palestinian friend of mine wanted to know exactly where I stood, I would be happy to tell them. That is the direct equivalent of what these anons are complaining about with their jewish friends.

When I and many other jews complain, it's because we are being interrogated by non Palestinian friends, and we are also interrogated by strangers online who are Palestinian or non Palestinian.

The reason why your close jewish friend may ask you exactly where you stand, is because they are trying to see if they are safe with you. A lot of us have in real time watched our friends get radicalized in front of our eyes. I watched my friends go from being accepting of me being jewish, to excusing the sex trafficking and child slavery the houthi do, because of Palestine. And I'm not joking. I literally brought that up to them, and they went "yeah well the houthi are still good". I watched my friends in real time start going "jews control the media and the world". One of my ex friends had even floated the idea of converting to Judaism and then went full antisemite.

This is also why i see it to be fine if a Palestinian asked in depth where their jewish friend stood. Because it is extremely relevant to their wellbeing.

Strangers who interrogate jews, and non Palestinian friends who interrogate us, are not doing so for their own safety. And often, our answers don't satisfy them. I have seen screenshots shared from jewish friends where they are very clear and direct on where they stand. That they don't support Netanyahu, they don't support the Israeli governments actions. They dislike hamas but like your average Palestinian as your average Palestinian is not hamas. That they want peace and coexistence. And guess what? 9/10 the replies from their non Palestinian friend is suspicion. Suspicion that said jew is lying and is secretly genocidal.

It is very much not comparable.

It is also not comparable when most non Palestinian goyim don't have strangers assuming their opinion. It is not uncommon for a jew to be simply going about their business, and a stranger will clock that we're jewish and shout something at us without knowing our opinions.

And I'm not going to say no jew ever has interrogated their non Jewish friend maliciously, because there are millions of jews worldwide. However it is just extremely tone deaf to go into a random jews inbox and act like that random jew is personally responsible for the actions of another jew.

And it's also even more tone deaf as these anons always bring it up as a way to invalidate your experiences as a jew. Like it's always phrased as a "well it happened to me too so you aren't special and it's not bad when it happens to you, you're so self centered for being upset when it happens"

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