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Mitchell Tsai

How Did Economists Get It So Wrong? [Paul Krugman, New York Times - 9/2/09] - http://www.nytimes.com/2009...

September 10 from Bookmarklet - Comment - Like - Share

Daniel Rowley, Hayk H., Jimminy and 8 other people liked this

Few economists saw our current crisis coming, but this predictive failure was the least of the field’s problems. More important was the profession’s blindness to the very possibility of catastrophic failures in a market economy. - Mitchell Tsai from Bookmarklet

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I like to explain the essence of Keynesian economics with a true story that also serves as a parable, a small-scale version of the messes that can afflict entire economies. Consider the travails of the Capitol Hill Baby-Sitting Co-op. - Mitchell Tsai

This co-op, whose problems were recounted in a 1977 article in The Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, was an association of about 150 young couples who agreed to help one another by baby-sitting for one another’s children when parents wanted a night out. To ensure that every couple did its fair share of baby-sitting, the co-op introduced a form of scrip: coupons made out of heavy... more... - Mitchell Tsai

Unfortunately, it turned out that the co-op’s members, on average, wanted to hold a reserve of more than 20 coupons, perhaps, in case they should want to go out several times in a row. As a result, relatively few people wanted to spend their scrip and go out, while many wanted to baby-sit so they could add to their hoard. But since baby-sitting opportunities arise only when someone goes... more... - Mitchell Tsai

In short, the co-op fell into a recession. - Mitchell Tsai

But don’t recessions look like periods in which there just isn’t enough demand to employ everyone willing to work? Appearances can be deceiving, say the freshwater theorists. Sound economics, in their view, says that overall failures of demand can’t happen — and that means that they don’t. Keynesian economics has been “proved false,” Cochrane, of the University of Chicago, says. - Mitchell Tsai

But the self-described New Keynesian economists weren’t immune to the charms of rational individuals and perfect markets. They tried to keep their deviations from neoclassical orthodoxy as limited as possible. This meant that there was no room in the prevailing models for such things as bubbles and banking-system collapse. The fact that such things continued to happen in the real world... more... - Mitchell Tsai

In recent, rueful economics discussions, an all-purpose punch line has become “nobody could have predicted. . . .” It’s what you say with regard to disasters that could have been predicted, should have been predicted and actually were predicted by a few economists who were scoffed at for their pains. Take, for example, the precipitous rise and fall of housing prices. Some economists, notably Robert Shiller, did identify the bubble and warn of painful consequences if it were to burst. - Mitchell Tsai

But there was something else going on: a general belief that bubbles just don’t happen. What’s striking, when you reread Greenspan’s assurances, is that they weren’t based on evidence — they were based on the a priori assertion that there simply can’t be a bubble in housing. And the finance theorists were even more adamant on this point. In a 2007 interview, Eugene Fama, the father of... more... - Mitchell Tsai

Indeed, home buyers generally do carefully compare prices — that is, they compare the price of their potential purchase with the prices of other houses. But this says nothing about whether the overall price of houses is justified. It’s ketchup economics, again: because a two-quart bottle of ketchup costs twice as much as a one-quart bottle, finance theorists declare that the price of ketchup must be right. - Mitchell Tsai

In short, the belief in efficient financial markets blinded many if not most economists to the emergence of the biggest financial bubble in history. And efficient-market theory also played a significant role in inflating that bubble in the first place. Now that the undiagnosed bubble has burst, the true riskiness of supposedly safe assets has been revealed and the financial system has... more... - Mitchell Tsai

The Fed dealt with the recession that began in 1990 by driving short-term interest rates from 9 percent down to 3 percent. It dealt with the recession that began in 2001 by driving rates from 6.5 percent to 1 percent. And it tried to deal with the current recession by driving rates down from 5.25 percent to zero. But zero, it turned out, isn’t low enough to end this recession. And the... more... - Mitchell Tsai

And Friedman certainly never bought into the idea that mass unemployment represents a voluntary reduction in work effort or the idea that recessions are actually good for the economy. Yet the current generation of freshwater economists has been making both arguments. Thus Chicago’s Casey Mulligan suggests that unemployment is so high because many workers are choosing not to take jobs:... more... - Mitchell Tsai

Yet if the crisis has pushed freshwater economists into absurdity, it has also created a lot of soul-searching among saltwater economists. Their framework, unlike that of the Chicago School, both allows for the possibility of involuntary unemployment and considers it a bad thing. But the New Keynesian models that have come to dominate teaching and research assume that people are... more... - Mitchell Tsai

@Mitchell - don't know if you've read his book - Dave Hodson

Economics, as a field, got in trouble because economists were seduced by the vision of a perfect, frictionless market system. What’s probably going to happen now — in fact, it’s already happening — is that flaws-and-frictions economics will move from the periphery of economic analysis to its center. - Mitchell Tsai

Nope. - Mitchell Tsai

There’s already a fairly well developed example of the kind of economics I have in mind: the school of thought known as behavioral finance. Practitioners of this approach emphasize two things. First, many real-world investors bear little resemblance to the cool calculators of efficient-market theory: they’re all too subject to herd behavior, to bouts of irrational exuberance and... more... - Mitchell Tsai

Larry Summers once began a paper on finance by declaring: “THERE ARE IDIOTS. Look around.” But what kind of idiots (the preferred term in the academic literature, actually, is “noise traders”) are we talking about? - Mitchell Tsai

But the second strand of behavioral finance says that Friedman was wrong, that financial markets are sometimes highly unstable, and right now that view seems hard to reject. Probably the most influential paper in this vein was a 1997 publication by Andrei Shleifer of Harvard and Robert Vishny of Chicago, which amounted to a formalization of the old line that “the market can stay... more... - Mitchell Tsai

One line of work, pioneered by none other than Ben Bernanke working with Mark Gertler of New York University, emphasized the way the lack of sufficient collateral can hinder the ability of businesses to raise funds and pursue investment opportunities. A related line of work, largely established by my Princeton colleague Nobuhiro Kiyotaki and John Moore of the London School of Economics,... more... - Mitchell Tsai

I liked the name "dysfunctional finance". Economics has had some ridiculous assumptions - if you've ever tried to run a business, it's clear that distribution is NOT efficient. If I buy $100 or jewelry, trying to sell it for 2.5X ($250), it can be a real crapshoot to see if I need to sell it for less than $100 just to get rid of stuff because it's not selling. There were bubbles in... more... - Mitchell Tsai

"But what's almost certain is that economists will have to learn to live with messiness" -- well, only for a few decades. Chicago will rise again! =P - Andrew C

Thomas Hawk

My 16,000th Photo Uploaded to Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos...

September 14, 2008 from Bookmarklet - Comment - Like - Share

Rui, Slade Publishing, David Cook and 195 other people liked this

16,000 down, 984,000 to go. - Thomas Hawk from Bookmarklet

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Not long to go! - Andrew Trinh

And what a fine one it is! Congrats - Michael Fidler

it'd definitely going to take me a while to get to a million. I'm publishing about 200 photos to flickr a week right now and at this pace it will take 92 years to get there. I'll get the pace up to 400-500 a week in the future though. Better technology should make processing easier and someday my kids will be grown and I'll be able to quit my day job and focus on this even more. The best photos have yet to be taken. - Thomas Hawk

When I think about this I realize your best days are ahead of you. - Russellreno

That is a great photo - Darin aka iGoByDoc

What's your shot/publish ratio? I mean, on average how many shots do you take to produce those you publish? - Yuval Atzmon

atzmon, I probably average about 2,000 shots a week that I shoot. And I'm probably processing 300 or so of those a week at present, so I'm probably keeping about 15%. The other 85% never get processed and are kept in my archives. I'm trying only to process and publish the shots that I think meet a certain quality criteria. - Thomas Hawk

You upload a lot more than I do. I have about 40,000 pictures but only about 2000 uploaded. Mostly because I have not gotten around to processing more. =) - Jauder Ho from twhirl

Wow and Congrats!! - Vox

Dude, you're a machine. - Zee.

Jauder, the good news is that processing will only get easier in the future. I've watched it get better with each successive Adobe release. Lightroom 2.0 is the best processing tool yet. It's not necessarily faster per se though because with more tools there are yet even more ways to tweak a photo hence even more time. But the tools to speed things up are coming too. auto geotagging, better anti dust tech, faster processing speeds, easier online tools with faster broadband are all around the corner. - Thomas Hawk

16,000 ?? Yikes. Cool number. Congrats. - Charlie Anzman

big numbers don't mean squat - Ivan Pope from twhirl

big numbers means someone (Thomas) is dedicated to his art. He is pretty talented as well! - Michael VanDervort from twhirl

Perseverance furthers. - Michael Markman

This photo is total awesome. It is made even more awesome by the knowledge that there are 15,999 more photos just as awesome as this one. EDIT: This photo is now my desktop background. :) - Rishabh Mishra (p248)

Congrats! - J. McConnell

beautiful, congrats! - Carmen

Awesome!! Keep going Thomas!! beutiful work... YOU are such an inspiration... thanks! - Susan Beebe

congrats Thomas! - Shey, Jamaican of FF

Damn that is all kinds of awesome. - Mattb4rd

<3 - Nicholas Kreidberg

Wow, quite an accomplishment! - Jeff P. Henderson

Great job Thomas. Keep it up. - Andrew Smith

Congratulations.. keep going! we'll be watching :) - Juan Pablo González

Congratulations Thomas! - Holger Eilhard

Congrats & cheers TH. Your images confirm, you are, indeed, sui generis. - Dave Martin

Beautiful shot! Congrats for achieving this landmark! - Muhammad Ahmed

Amazing image ,,, TH ... - johnpiercy

Always loved that quote " The best photos have yet to be taken. - Thomas Hawk" - johnpiercy

Congrats, I even don't think I took so many photos in my life. :) - Ferhad Fidan from fftogo

@thomas: Yahoo should be giving Flickr to you for free. You'd do a great job with it. And it would be historical: the first user-generated (company) acquisition :))) - Alberto D'Ottavi from fftogo

Beautiful!!!! - Rafael Montilla

awesome!! - Rhoda Meek

For 1M images you could do a multi-part movie (1080p) miniseries averaging an hour per episode. - Jay Cuthrell

wow from last year, I'm almost at 29,000 photos uploaded to flickr now. - Thomas Hawk

And only 971,000 to go ... :P - Rene Wirtz

That's Awesome! - John Holzer

Keep 'em comin' Thomas! - Charlie Anzman

I guess the metier of 'photo editor' is kaput...or, at least, greatly altered.... - Chris Gulker

You know they are going to delete your account without warning once you hit 999,999, right? :) - Ace

Ace, I hope not, I'd be so pissed. Actually I think alot of what gets me so upset about all the content/account deletion issues is that I really do worry that it actually will happen to me. Flickr staff hates me and they'd *love* to delete my account. I worry that I'll wake up one morning and everything will have been nuked. I suppose that's why I'd like to see them enact the ability to... more... - Thomas Hawk

Holyshit! You have taked just couple of photos... - k00pa

Why your flickr page says 28,974 items ? - k00pa

Because this post is from September last year k00pa :) - Simon Wicks

@Chris Gulker. Someday I hope to work with a photo editor. God knows I need to. I like to think of my Flickrstream today more as the raw material in a lot of ways for future projects. A good photo editor adds tremendous value to shaping a photographer's imagery. - Thomas Hawk

Sean McBride to Sean's feed, Mideast Politics, US Politics

CIA report: Israel will fall in 20 years - http://www.easenews.net/...

July 15 from Bookmarklet - Comments disabled - Like - Share

Lisa zahara Hopkins, Tanath, Sean Oliver and 67 other people liked this

"A study conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has cast doubt over Israel’s survival beyond the next 20 years.CIA on Future of Israel The CIA report predicts “an inexorable movement away from a two-state to a one-state solution, as the most viable model based on democratic principles of full equality that sheds the looming specter of colonial Apartheid while allowing for the return of the 1947/1948 and 1967 refugees. The latter being the precondition for sustainable peace in the region.” The study, which has been made available only to a certain number of individuals, further forecasts the return of all Palestinian refugees to the occupied territories, and the exodus of two million Israeli – who would move to the US in the next fifteen years." - Sean McBride from Bookmarklet

331 more comments

"He said CIA, in its report, alludes to the unexpectedly quick fall of the apartheid government in South Africa and recalls the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, suggesting the end to the dream of an ‘Israeli land’ would happen ‘way sooner’ than later." - Sean McBride

WOW, this is an interesting study...however its aim seems to be little more than a self-fulfilling prophecy...out of touch with realities. - Hayk H.

Not if I can help it! And I am not alone! Israel is my home, my Jewish home! Israel does not belong to UN, CIA, or America! Sean, your antisemitism is offensive! You may not like Israel to be a Jewish state, but your fixation with the topic smells foal Do you talk about any other political issues besides the Jews? - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Actually, this may be the most plausible and realistic scenario out there at the moment. The comparison of Israel to apartheid white South Africa is especially telling. - Sean McBride

This potential scenario is why it's in Israel's interest to implement a two-state solution as quickly as possible. - John (a.k.a. dendroica)

John -- I think the opportunity to implement a two-state solution has slipped by. Too late. Now Israel is on a collision course with the entire world, and especially with the Western democratic world -- much like apartheid white South Africa just before its collapse. - Sean McBride

Sean, guessing or predicting future in itself is quite unrealistic - clairvoyant and astrologers would fare better...but making a guess as wild as that - let apart for the moment sympathies for or grudges against Israel - is just a plain timewaster unless of course it is driven by some misleading PR agenda.. - Hayk H.

Igor -- how many Americans and Europeans, from presidents and heads of state on down, have been attacked by pro-Israel activists at this point -- often viciously attacked? (See, for instance, Pamela Geller's posts on Barack Obama at Atlas Shrugs: http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_s...) This is one of those fateful trendlines that tends to give credence to this scenario. Israel should never have become an issue of ugly contention in American and European politics. - Sean McBride

Apartheid...ok, I know some people call it that. But a CIA report calling it that? An official US government report using the Apartheid with the word Israel? Doesn't that raise the 'bs' meter to some folks? That would be basically unheard of. I mean, the use of that word alone raises into question the entire existence (or lack thereof) of this report. Has anyone seen a link that doesn't... more... - Andrew Leyden

Andrew -- the previous Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, used the word "apartheid" to describe self-destructive trends in Israeli politics. The meme has been out there in a big way for some time. Try Googling ~israel ~apartheid for a torrent of results. It wouldn't be surprising if the CIA has noticed. - Sean McBride

Sean are you calling Vatican city an apartheid state? Should Jews Catholic, Muslims, Gays, Atheists, and all kind of agnostic people reside at Vatican City, just because Sean is an Atheist who denounces all religious believes? - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Sean, by the same logic, America needs to remove "In God we Trust" from its currency. Remove One nation under God in its Constitution. Why not in #PurplCow we trust? or even PurpleCows! Or better yet, in Sean McBride we trust, Oh Lordship! - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Hi Sean. I've done a google search but all I get is the same old same old. Quotes read almost verbatim from other quotes (i.e. a key sign that it is a story being passed virally rather than others having seen something and writing independently). Many of the sites who have picked up the story are biased, to say the least. Maybe I'm just more skeptical than most, and if there is a report I'd like to see more (really, I'd like to see it), but even just a quick search has my BS detector beeping. - Andrew Leyden

I'm pretty sure "one nation under god" does not appear in the U.S. Constitution. - John (a.k.a. dendroica)

Yes, John it is in the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America which is charted by the constitution! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki... - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Andrew -- you find it unrealistic that that the CIA might be speculating that Israel could be facing the same fate as apartheid white South Africa? Nothing could be more realistic -- these ideas have been circulating at the highest policy circles around the world for years now (including in Israel). - Sean McBride

Igor, certainly you are not trying to have a rational discussion with Sean on this subject, are you? It's not possible but anyway, I enjoy your fervor. - Myrna

Maybe America needs to pledge allegiance to CIA, or Rober Scoble, or FAIL WHALE LMAO #failwhale - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Yes, it's in a revised version of the Pledge of Allegiance, but the Pledge and the Constitution are different documents. - John (a.k.a. dendroica)

Myrna, thanks! I am just trying to point out what type of hypocrite Sean McBride is. And how much alternative agenda PR propaganda Sean has been doing on FriendFeed anti-Israel and against the Jewish people, for the past year. - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

This is the same bunch of wizards that completely missed the fall of the Soviet Union, right? - MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)

Never happen. This sounds like more end of the worlder stuff. As that is the only way Israel would dissolve. Historically Israel has zero in common with South Africa. - Todd Hoff

Igor -- should non-ethnic Germans be barred from living in Germany or be deported from Germany? Wait -- that was tried. It was called Nazism. Apartheid white South Aftica also tried to play that game. - Sean McBride

John, I realize the Pledge and the Constitution are different documents, but you Pledge to the country which is governed and created by the Constitution. under the declaration of independence. - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

I'm not sure if the time for a two-state solution has passed, but I think it's perilously close. The trouble is that Israel's moderates will have to fight hard against extremist elements to get any such solution implemented (when I say "extremists" I mean people of the sort that assassinated Rabin). That fight will take time and effective leadership, which I doubt Netanyahu can provide given his dependence on right-wing elements to stay in power. - John (a.k.a. dendroica)

"Israel risks apartheid-like struggle if two-state solution fails, says Olmert" (November 30, 2007) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world... "Israel's prime minister issued a rare warning yesterday that his nation risked being compared to apartheid-era South Africa if it failed to agree an independent state for the Palestinians. In an interview with the Israeli newspaper... more... - Sean McBride

Well Sean, when you can show yourself as unbiased individual, ny talking about other stuff besides Israel and the Jewish people, we can have an open and logical discussion. Until then, please study the Jewish history, like millenniums of persecution from Exile to Egypt as slave to Holocaust. Now read this article to start with The Western Wall http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki... - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Sean, you're not really that gullible are you? Obviously Ehud Olmert had his personal/political motives when he made those comments. LOOOOL - Myrna

Myrna -- is the substance of Olmert's comments correct? Israel is now in a state of sharp conflict with the entire Western democratic world over the issue of settlements -- we've seen this pattern before with militant ethnocentric states that got on the wrong side of mainstream Western democratic values and trends. - Sean McBride

There are 4,720,000 Google hits on the Israeli apartheid issue -- it is huge: http://www.google.com/#q=~isr... One doesn't need the presence of an alleged secretive CIA report on the matter to get the picture. The controversy is screaming at one in full public view. - Sean McBride

Sean - Do I think the US is speculating Israel may end up like South Africa? Yup. Have people called it Apartheid? Yup. Do I think this specific report is bogus? Yes. It fails on so many alarms it's not funny. EVERY google reference I could find was a direct verbatim link back to the original, which is apparently from PRESS.TV! I mean, Press.TV. It uses loaded language like Apartheid,... more... - Andrew Leyden

Sean, you are in the 1% vision of our limited 5 senses. :) Haven't you ever had something happen in your ownpersonal life that were completely unexplainable? Whether Israel lives on is in the 99%. It's not up for discussion unless you simply want a back and forth intellectual dialogue. - Myrna

Amein! Now Sean, go have a Cheezeburger! LOL - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Myrna -- are you saying that you have access to mystical faculties that permit you to refute and dismiss Ehud Olmert's remarks about apartheid without any rational arguments? :) Or am I misunderstanding you? Where do you think the current conflict between Israel and the Western democratic world over Israeli settlements is going? - Sean McBride

Sean, I think you have enough energy on this post for it to qualify for 'best of the day' maybe best of the month lol :))) - Myrna

Andrew -- I don't know whether this report exists or not. I do know that the points of view that are being ascribed to the alleged report are being discussed openly in high policy circles all around the world, and within the United States. An Israeli prime minister gave a strong push to the meme in 2007 (see the quote from the Guardian article above). The debate over these issues... more... - Sean McBride

20 years, isn't that what the scholars said about capitalism? - xero

Sean, I think whatever is 'supposed' to happen...WILL! I think that the settlers will be forced to give up their need to 'hoard'(due to their own fear) and stop letting their egos control their behavior. That said, there are lessons for Israel and the rest of the world that continue to show up. Each of us(including regions, states, etc) have lessons to work through which can't be... more... - Myrna

xero -- some analysts predicted that the apartheid white regime in South Africa would collapse; that the U.S. war in Vietnam would fail; that the newspaper industry would collapse; that the American automotive industry would collapse; that Communism would collapse; that the Iraq War would prove to be a debacle for the United States, etc. Sometimes forecasters get it right. - Sean McBride

Myrna -- with regard to karma: I've read a great deal of Buddhist texts and am wide open to non-rational modes of consciousness. But I've noticed that political movements which rely heavily on mysticism and messianism tend to misread reality and self-destruct on a regular basis. With regard to the settlements and settlers: my prediction is the opposite of yours. I am predicting that... more... - Sean McBride

Forecasts sometimes turn out to be right, but sometimes turn out to be wrong because of forces the forecasters didn't foresee. A wrong forecast doesn't mean forecasts are not worth taking seriously; they represent potential scenarios based on current trends. If this is really a CIA report, it's worth considering since they likely have access to information that we don't. - John (a.k.a. dendroica)

Andrew: wow -- the discussion about this alleged CIA report has been much more widespread than I realized. I just did a quick Google search and discovered: http://www.google.com/#q=cia+... Since Ehud Olmert, Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu and dozens of other leading political figures and intellectuals have outlined a similar scenario in recent years, it's not surprising... more... - Sean McBride

Igorovich, interesting you mention the Wailing Wall. Isn't that is a rather late historical invention? Wasn't for centuries the Mount of Olives the place were the destruction of the temple was celebrated? This CIA report is clearly a hoax, but not such a bad one. The best hoaxes always contain a grain of truth. - LeaNder

Temple Mount is where the temple was, Mount of Olives is higher than the Temple Mount and was used for celebration and mornings for the temple. But these aside, read the Wikipedia page on Western Wall to see how the Jews were persecuted and denied to pray there, by the Arabs. - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Israel vs. the Western democratic world: the Western democratic world strongly: 1. opposes Jewish settlements in the occupied territories 2. supports the creation of a viable Palestinian state 3. opposes a military attack on Iran. 4. opposes ethnic nationalist, religious nationalist, and ethno-religious nationalist states in general. The United States has just been badly burned in a war... more... - Sean McBride

FriendFolks….. hel-lo!!??? All this talk for and against Sean's bullshit hypothesis is of no consequence. Go, take a look at the map. Israel has nowhere to go, and so, if threatened with destruction, it will make life pretty unbearable for its attackers (current concentration-camp-like conditions in Gaza will be nothing in comparison: http://www.paltoday.com/arabic...... more... - ianf ⌘

ianf -- there are more subtle factors in play than military force in the rise and fall of nations throughout history. Apartheid white South Africa was highly confident in its military prowess and its ability to mete out suffering to its opponents. Still, it sank like a stone. Ethnic nationalist states in general are on shaky ground in the 21st century -- history has passed them by. - Sean McBride

Let's get something clear here, Sean. You can pontificate on the historical parallels or analogies all you like but, for reasons too various to mention, Israel established itself firmly where it is when it was given half a chance (in 1947-1948). The Palestinian Arabs didn't grab the same chance then extended to them - nor any other, however crippled, chances they had later (Anwar Sadat... more... - ianf ⌘

I can't think of a forecast over a period longer than 2 years that has ever been met as expected. - xero

ianf -- within the larger sweep of history, these arguments back and forth about who is right and who is wrong are meaningless. The rise and fall of nations is always the product of an intersection and combination of real-world physical factors. Nations and regimes on the decline are almost always in denial, and are usually brimming over with clever arguments assembled by propagandists like Frank Luntz to explain why what is really happening isn't really happening. - Sean McBride

xero -- I can think of quite a few forecasts over periods longer than 2 years that have been accurate on the main points, if not on all the details and particulars. I've made a few of them myself. :) It's not difficult: simply see clearly what is directly in front of your nose and trust your own perceptions. - Sean McBride

I've spoken to Benny Morris last year after a public lecture on the possible outcomes of the Israeli-Arab conflicts [amend: pluralis] in the region, too complex to summarize here. He concluded the talk with this (here paraphrased) winged sentence: "Of course, all those scenarios will be moot once Iran reaches the stage of producing enough plutonium - after which all bets are off." Benny... more... - ianf ⌘

ianf -- I've read Benny Morris's books, and know his story -- and am pleased to see that you are familiar with his thinking also. Obviously you've invested some serious effort in trying to figure out this complex situation. Apparently we've come to different conclusions after analyzing the key data and trends, but differences keep the world interesting. - Sean McBride

How to predict social, political, cultural, scientific and technological futures: identify the best, the strongest upcoming minds in any field or area of activity, and graph where they are trending. They will often be trending directly against the status quo and into the unimaginable. - Sean McBride

Andrew and Leander: I am pretty good at spotting hoaxes, and have often called them out when they appear on the Internet. After mulling over the comments about this alleged CIA report, I think it is for real, although the description of the report may be distorted here and there in the particulars. Why do I think it is real? Look and feel. Political context. Style. It smells like the... more... - Sean McBride

Sean, are you happy? You don't give it up for 1 second. Take a hint from ianf. RELAX!!! What do you do for fun..analyze the world situation? If you really had the answer, then what? How are you helping the world to be more sharing, giving, caring and loving? - Myrna

Sean, you are a False Prophet, Israel will survive. The Jews will survive. Israel is given by God to the Jewish people as a gift to the whole world. Please read this post and the comments http://www.igorthetroll.com/blog... - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

One sees more irrationality, illogic and fantastical and magical thinking associated with Mideast politics than with probably any other topic under the sun. It's fascinating stuff, and exceedingly dangerous stuff. - Sean McBride

I reccon Israel will prolly be about where it is in 20 years. - Will Higgins™

Igor: you should check out Glenn C. Altschuler's "Einstein and Complex Analyses of Zionism" in the July 24, 2009 issue of Forward: http://www.forward.com/article...: "“Judaism Does Not Equal Israel” is a sharper — and shriller — version of Einstein’s critique of the Jewish state. A “post-Holocaust” theology, according to Marc Ellis, professor of Jewish studies and director of the... more... - Sean McBride

(Continued) "'Acknowledging that Israel is not likely “to reverse its expansionist course,” Ellis ends with mourning — and a warning. No state, he writes, apocalyptically, can exercise power over others indefinitely. As the day of reckoning nears, the children of Israel “will encounter such hollowness at the core of Jewish identity that their distance from things Jewish will increase until, incrementally, the core disappears” and Jewish affiliation dwindles “to the point of no return.”" - Sean McBride

Sean, The Judaism core will never disappear.Israel will never disappear. Israel and Judaism is one and the same. Judaism will live forever. This is God's will. Amein - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Igor -- many of the best Jewish minds of the last century, including Albert Einstein and Marc Ellis, strongly disagree with the claim promoted by religious Zionists and Jewish fundamentalists that Zionism = Judaism. In fact, they have argued persuasively that that cult belief is a form of false messianism that is destined to provoke a great catastrophe for the Jewish tradition. I am placing my bets on those thinkers, not on the fundamentalists. - Sean McBride

google(false ~messianism OR ~messiah http://www.google.com/#q=fals...) Also: google(false ~messianism OR ~messiah harkabi http://www.google.com/#q=fals...) - Sean McBride

My bet is with God. So is my heart and my soul. ;-) - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

I don't buy the comparison with South Africa in part because of the strict economic sanctions South Africa suffered due to Apartheid that Israel does not suffer (well, yet). It may be a real report, but strikes me as so much speculation right now. - Rob Haas

I'm talking from a different angle(I'm not Jewish, Muslim or Palestinian or American.... or even interested about religion) but aren't you all sick of this conflict? The area is so beautiful, with a huge potential. Most of us(and most of the region's population) weren't even alive during the Holocaust or during the Exodus for that matter. Most of us don't even care if you're Jewish or Palestinian or a fricking martian for that matter. - Bogdan Costea

Let me see: They have our money, they have our military, they have first spot in our markets, they command our leaders, they tell us how bad we are, We do everything for them except for that little operation ar distinguishes them. So what more do they want???? - ThatDBD

First of all, that is the one of the most shady and terribly written articles I have ever seen. Hard to see that as an authoritative source. Second, there are zillions of experts predicting the future all the time. How many end up being right? Not many. I think that with the ever increasing trend of anti-semitism around the world, more and more Jews will seek to make their lives in... more... - Miriam

Miriam -- since a former Israeli prime minister (Ehud Olmert) and a former American president (Jimmy Carter) have already pushed this meme into public discourse, it wouldn't be surprising to learn that the CIA has been exploring this scenario in secret. I am betting that the story is essentially true. The references to the collapse of white South Africa and the Soviet Union sound very CIA-ish stylistically. - Sean McBride

"biased-for-rationality" self-perception and social perception ... Igorovitch, your sermon I should study Jewish history and antisemitism is late by several decades now. Do want me to list what I read about it. How about comparing? What did you read? My problem in a nutshell: based on my knowledge, I am slightly puzzled by the similarities of the Jewish perception of the "Arab mind". - LeaNder

"Israel is given by God to the Jewish people as a gift to the whole world. ", yes indeed, it looks like. The gift of WWIII/IV and armageddon. - LeaNder

Armageddon is something that will come if the world makes it come. There is always hope for the human race. If you looking to blame Israel and the Jews for your problems, get in line! You will not be first, or the last to do it.. - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Miriam -- I was under the impression that the rate of emigration from Israel now exceeds the rate of immigration. Did I get that wrong? It is also interesting that most of the most fervent pro-Israel activists on the net have chosen not to live in Israel. For them, Israel is mostly a myth and a fantasy. For many reasons, they would prefer to live in the United States or Europe, which... more... - Sean McBride

Miriam: google(israel ~emigration ~immigration) popped up this article at the head of the search results: "Emigration from Israel exceeds immigration, report" http://stlouis.ujcfedweb.org/page... "Almost half of the country's young people were thinking of leaving the country, the report said. Their reasons included dissatisfaction with the government, the education system, a... more... - Sean McBride

Who will make Armageddon come are fanatics, armed with WMDs, who believe that an angry and vengeful God is on their side in an apocalyptic struggle against the rest of the world. - Sean McBride

Bogdan Costea -- you are voicing basic beliefs that are held by all modern Western democratic societies: enough with the ethnic and religious ranting! :) It couldn't be more simple. - Sean McBride

Ok, Sean, you do not want to be honest, I am telling all my friends Jews and conservatives to stay awy from you and your debate. You bait us to come your slender antisemitic thread, and they you sanitize and refactor the comments to fit your biased hidden agenda! Have a nice day! - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Igor -- feel free to post any comments in this thread that are civil (an absolute requirement) and, preferably, factual and rational. With regard to your claim that God is on your side: most educated people do not make that claim, because they are familiar with the long history of savage and genocidal bloodshed conducted by various parties and sects, all of which claimed that God was on... more... - Sean McBride

Sean, we are not talking in the vacuum! All I asked what country do you live in and what is your profession. I did not ask you for your credit card number. I would like to know what is your interest in Israel and the Jews. simple questions! - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Igor -- why would you try to tell other people with whom they should speak or debate? That is the kind of attitude one finds in totalitarian cults. With regard to my agenda, I couldn't be more direct and honest: I think fundamentalist thinking of all kinds represents a grave threat to the American interest, and to the well-being of the human race at large. I have lately been... more... - Sean McBride

Oh, and I have no problem telling people what I do. I have no hidden agendas. I am a Israeli citizen, a Jew, living in Japan. I am a businessman, who likes to travel and write. ;-) - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Igor -- I am an American citizen and have always lived in the United States. I do computer consulting. One of my interests is American foreign policy in general, and American Mideast policy in particular -- this is a very big topic on the American scene for all the obvious reasons. What is your nationality and where do you live? - Sean McBride

Thank you! As I wrote above, I am an Israeli citizen, a Jew, living in Japan. - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Igor -- so this is where we differ: when you discuss Mideast politics, you are arguing from the standpoint of what you perceive to be your ethnic interests and the Israeli interest, which is perfectly legitimate. Most Americans view and analyze Mideast politics from the standpoint of the American interest, period. They do not live in an Israel-centric universe. (Christian Zionists and... more... - Sean McBride

Sean: Some advice: Don't feed the trolls. Chuckle at their statements, but don't give in to the temptation to reply. When you engage with them, they win. I should know, I've been a troll, myself. - Chris, Taskerrific Guy

Chris -- I take the point of view that anyone can possibly be redeemed -- even trolls, :) I always give them an opportunity to try to make sense and enter into a real conversation -- up to a point. - Sean McBride

Igor -- regarding Jewish issues: I confess to being a philo-Semite, and even, on occasion, a Jewish supremacist, in the sense that I believe that Jewish civilization has generated a more interesting conversation about the world than any other civilization I can think of. A majority of the minds that have most impressed and influenced me have been Jewish. But none of these luminaries... more... - Sean McBride

Sean, is calling me a Troll part of rational debate? If you want rational debate from me and other Jewish conservatives, treat us with respect, and do not use ad hominem against us when it is convenient to slender us on Robert Scoble, Alex Scoble or any other place where it fits your agenda. - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Igor -- dropping "The Troll" from your user name might be a good public relations move. :) - Sean McBride

Sean if I wish to wear Magen David on my forehead, or a Jew in my name, that is my choice and my right? But when you see me with a sign Jew, are You going to call me Jew, Nick? - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Igor -- for me, Jewishness is more about a set of elevated universal values than about simple ethnicity: love of learning and scholarship, the quest for truth and universal justice, charity and philanthropy, love of family, etc. Focusing too much on the ethnic nationalist side of the Jewish tradition draws attention away from the values which matter most, and which command the greatest... more... - Sean McBride

Sean, if you love Jews and Judaism so much, show some respect to the Jewish people, and try to get to know them. Not just their ideas, but what makes them who they are.Keep it up, we may convert you one of these days! hahhahhahahahhaha ;-) - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Igor -- I have already shown great respect and affection for many Jews, but on the basis of their individual achievements. I neither love nor hate entire ethnic groups -- that is an attitude that is walking perilously close to primitive racism. Ethnic groups are abstractions -- what matters is the individual behavior of members of those groups, and the ways in which those individuals... more... - Sean McBride

Sean, I wish what you have just said were true, but you have attacked, marginalized, labeled and called irrational me and my Jewish friends all other FriendFeed. If you want rationality from me, Noah, Akiva, and other Jewish friendffeders, you should show us respect, or we will just feed you Sean haz a Cheezburger! ;-) - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Igor -- is it fair to say that you, Noah David Simon and Akiva Moskovitz are religious Zionists whose views do not reflect those of the large majority of Jews? We have honest intellectual disagreements. I have treated you all with civility and offered you the opportunity to express your views at whatever length you choose. I am under no obligation to automatically agree with whatever... more... - Sean McBride

I never said I am a Zionist, but you have labeled me as one. I do not know if Noah is religious or a Zionist, you need to ask him. I do not even know if Akiva is a Zionist and religious. You are jumping to conclusions and labeling us, and then you have the audacity to call us irrational for having certain believes or not! What is rational, something that you determine is so and approve?... more... - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Igor -- religious Zionism is by definition the belief that Israel and Zionism (the ethnic nationalist movement founded by Theodor Herzl) is a sacred enterprise ordained by God and originating in biblical commandments. Leading Jewish and Israeli scholars have written hundreds of valuable books on the subject -- check them out on Amazon.com. There is nothing defamatory about the term --... more... - Sean McBride

One admires Einstein because he made revolutionary contributions to physics that were grounded in reality. He was a brilliant universalist, not a strident ethnic nationalist. - Sean McBride

Again with libels, who are you calling Strindent Ethnic Nationalist? Go read my blog, go read Noah's blog. Get to know something about us, besides your first perception of us because Scoble called us Jerks and blocked us. If you are intelligent man, do you need Scoble to guide your judgement? LOL - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Igor -- if you can explain how your views differ from those of religious Zionists, do so. You have repeatedly invoked "God" as the driving force behind Israel, right? In the world of politics, the invocation of God to justify one's actions is usually the projection of the will to power by various interest groups. Anyone can play that game. - Sean McBride

Why are you asking me about God? Read the bible. - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Thanks for making my case once again. - Sean McBride

case? - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

The following is mainly of anecdotic value, but in a sense symptomatic of the "spirit" of any "Sean-imaginary" understanding the Israeli villains should be seeking with their Palestinian brethren: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News... (fetched from Israeli press, ergo obviously biased against, etc, etc.) - ianf ⌘

Sean, I feel that your circular rhetoric polemic agreement is just for the sake of arguing. You like to debate! LOL If not, what is the point of all of this? - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Igor, your reasoning about Sean's reasoning being circular is also circular - endlessly debating is what we do here in lieu of throwing physical objects at one another. Of course it's circular! But so is objecting to it being merely for argument's sake… - ianf ⌘

lets play chess LOL - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

ianf -- It's a pity that the PA didn't give Daniel Barenboim a deserved warm and generous welcome. The grievances on both sides are now so many and so bitter that one sees no light at the end of this tunnel. - Sean McBride

Pity had nothing to do with it. It's sheer lunacy mixed with inferiority complex in search of imaginary moral compensation. Let's call a spade a spade. - ianf ⌘

ianf -- the parties to this conflict are trapped in an infinite loop of tit-for-tat. Most of us would like to steer clear of that particular mess and of ethnic and religious wars in general. There is a better way to live. Members of all ethnic and religious groups are studying, working and socializing side-by-side at universities like Stanford, MIT and Caltech. It's the American Way. - Sean McBride

Really? Was that PA's tit, or its tat? (I get lost so easily). So what should be the Israeli(?), or merely the Barenboimist falange's "proportional response" to that, the one that'd find favor with the Middle-Eastern commentariat? - ianf ⌘

ianf -- read Benny Morris's first book, and you'll appreciate the historical context: book(Benny Morris; The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, 1947-1949; 1989; Cambridge University Press; http://www.amazon.com/dp...) Situations like this can be remembered for centuries, or even longer. - Sean McBride

Sean, re emigration exceeding immigration - that has been true probably since the State was established. However, more and more yordim (emigrants) are returning to Israel, and as I said above, more and more new immigrants are arriving. Emigration may still exceed immigration, but there is a growing feeling among world Jewry that they are not welcome in their countries (I wonder why). As... more... - Miriam

Sean, if you want to be taken seriously, and dazzle us now and then with –not only your obvious scholarship– but also more mundane abilities such as correctly editing Amazon's urls down to their universal minimalist form (which hasn't escaped my attention), then you should consider answering direct on-topical questions directly, rather than veer off onto tangential issues. Especially as... more... - ianf ⌘

ianf -- Israelis have many places to go, and are often going there: the United States and Europe are favorite destinations. Every argument that has been proposed to counter the (alleged) CIA scenario was used to "prove" that there was no conceivable way that white South Africa could collapse. (I am used to seeing outrageous and obviously impossible predictions come true -- I've made a few myself. There is a black art to this kind of thing.) - Sean McBride

ianf, you're my hero!! But what I don't understand is how you can continue this conversation with Sean. It feels like 'cow chewing cud' - Myrna

Ianf, these are the words that lifted you to 'my hero' status, not far from where it was already! "Sean, if you want to be taken seriously, and dazzle us now and then with –not only your obvious scholarship.." Sean, you should LISTEN to Ianf, not just reply back in gobblie-gook. - Myrna

Miriam -- Israel is now in sharp conflict with the entire world (and especially the Western democratic world) over several issues: the West strongly opposes Israeli settlements in the occupied territories; strongly opposes a military attack on Iran; strongly opposes Israel's racist foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman; and strongly supports the creation of a viable Palestinian state.... more... - Sean McBride

A basic rule of social behavior: if you are bogged down in angry confrontations about your ethnic issues with ethnic outsiders, you have already lost. There is no conceivable way that you can win. This is a fundamental feature of human nature that is so obvious that it is difficult to understand how anyone could miss it. - Sean McBride

Sean, you are so in your head/intellectualizing every second. Do you ever pause? I can't put my finger on it exactly but your words just don't make sense to me. Maybe Ianf can help on this one. It's like you're talking in 'bible semantics' where one has to translate and read between the lines to understand what Sean is really saying or feeling. What is YOUR point in all this. How do you feel about what you're saying? - Myrna

Tell you something, Sean… you're so Full-o-Solutions™ and Clear-o-Thinking® in Middle-Eastern matters, that it'd be a pity not to to listen to what you have to say. Maybe, just maybe, you are the Messiah, or at least some other Promethean Messenger personified who, if given half a chance, will make the Arabs, and the Israelis, sit down in proscribed Sean-approved manner, and chew on... more... - ianf ⌘

LOOOOOOOOOOOL! Now I can go meditate and smile, Ianf - Myrna

ianf -- I don't have any solutions to Israel's problems in the Mideast. I think this situation is going to end as a catastrophe, in the precisely the same way that I think that the newspaper industry has no future. This stuff is not difficult to figure out. Any student of history knows that ethnic nationalism ran out of steam and legitimacy midway through the 20th century. Which ethnic nationalist movements around the world do you support besides your own? - Sean McBride

Myrna -- no offense, but I haven't seen you post anything resembling a rational thought in this thread or any other on Friendfeed. I am curious: do you side with the American government or the Israeli government on the matter of settlements, Avigdor Lieberman, a Palestinian state, a war against Iran, etc.? In what sense are you actually a progressive? You are highly emotional about defending one of the most right-wing regimes on the planet. Why? - Sean McBride

[Cont'd] Of course, there's always the possibility that you're a false Messiah (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...) who's not even aware of being either that or, perhaps, a true one after all… "you meet all kinds in this line of work" [Mark Knopfler]. That would make your starting point for building a lasting peace in the Middle East harder, but not by much, considering the immensity of the project. - ianf ⌘

Sean, who says I'm defending anyone or anything? My gripe is the way you present your thoughts and feelings. It's effect is pushing me away. And about presenting a rational thought, maybe I'm not rational or maybe you just haven't followed my thinking or feeling. I have no 'blanket' black or white decisions or 'sidings'. Every single situation presents a different and new dimension of a... more... - Myrna

Myrna -- please: it's obvious that criticism of Israel pushes your emotional buttons. If those kinds of posts upset you, and if you are unable to express your disagreement with them in a rational way, you should simply stop reading them. These posts of yours in this thread are embarrassing. - Sean McBride

ianf -- you still haven't addressed the main point: how is ethnic nationalism, particularly ethnic nationalism based on religion, anything but an irritant in human affairs, and especially in the modern Western democratic context? Why do you think it is that so many Americans and Europeans have grown weary with Mideast tribal wars based on primitive myths and superstitions? Most... more... - Sean McBride

Sean, I will address that [highly interesting btw] point when you respond straight the few simple questions you chose to bypass above; do we have a deal? - ianf ⌘

ianf, Miriam, Myrna and Igor: currently I am getting my news about Mideast politics from this bundle of feeds: http://friendfeed.com/mideast... What are your sources? Mideast politics is like every other topic under the sun, including cutting-edge tech topics and research fronts: the better your sources of information, the more likely you are to make accurate predictions. If you... more... - Sean McBride

Sean, you have indicated at least 10 different so-so-solutions for the Middle East, all of them stemming from an Israel-is-the-villain position. Indeed, there's no end to Israeli, if not Jewish, transgressions upon their peace-loving, ethnic-nationalism-pure fellow Palestinians [yes, Sean, there was a time still in human memory, time of the Ottoman Empire and then British Palestina... more... - ianf ⌘

You don't have to tell me Sean where you get your news "about Mideast politics" from, I already know that: Google searches and <http://friendfeed.com/mideast...>. That's some scholarship shining through right there. - ianf ⌘

ianf -- where do you get your news about Mideast politics from? What feeds do you follow? - Sean McBride

following this thread and McBride is much more in depth than that - sofarsoShawn

ianf -- "Israel-is-the-villain position" -- that's the paranoid and self-absorbed ethnocentric lens through which to view this controversy. I think ethnic nationalism and religious fundamentalism collectively and in general are the villain. Anyone who plays that game will inevitably get stuck in the same self-destructive patterns, over and over again. Why do you think it is that America... more... - Sean McBride

"Myrna -- please: it's obvious that criticism of Israel pushes your emotional buttons. If those kinds of posts upset you, and if you are unable to express your disagreement with them in a rational way, you should simply stop reading them. These posts of yours in this thread are embarrassing" Gee Shawn, it wasn't my intention to cause a defensive comment from you. Who are my posts embarrassing to and if its you please feel free to delete. Good luck to you! - Myrna

Myrna -- I think your intention has been to try to disrupt this thread with nonsense -- one sees this kind of behavior all the time in discussions about Mideast politics -- it's standard operating procedure. Many important issues have been raised in this thread -- you haven't addressed any of them. - Sean McBride

Myrna, you're much too kind, I can write this stuff with (still unpainted) toes of me left foot. You should have watched me some other times (and you will) when I was called names because my opponents could not respond coherently to rational arguments [once exposed, they tend to leave FF]. Sean uses some of the same tactics, but he's also driven by the fixed idea of the Middle East... more... - ianf ⌘

Some issues in play in this thread: American interests, American trans-ethnic values, American universalist values, apartheid white South Africa, Avigdor Lieberman, Christian Armageddonists, Christian Zionists, Confederacy, ethnic discrimination, ethnic nationalism, ethno-religious nationalism, European interests, false messianic movements, Iran War, Iranian oil, Iraq War, Israeli... more... - Sean McBride

Very worthy list, Sean. You forgot copycat Lego bricks (a huge problem worldwide); cow-originating CO2 and methane emissions, and a couple more. Throw them all into the mix, and what do you get? Why, another Nakba! - ianf ⌘

ianf -- some people have a talent for playing around with the Lego bricks and coming up with provably correct and reality-based conclusions and predictions on a fairly consistent basis. They can read the tea leaves, see the most strategic patterns in the noise. That's the black art of political, social and cultural forecasting. - Sean McBride

The first step in the black art: set aside all your biases, emotional attachments and earnest agendas, and look at the data with cold eyes. When the data goes against you, don't flinch. Eat the pain. Readjust your beliefs and plans. Or not -- and end up like Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, white South Africa, Iraq War enthusiasts, the newspaper industry, the American automotive industry, etc. - Sean McBride

@SB: one of the common elements i see running through prescient geo-politcal analysis is that the successful commentators 1) have an excellent knowledge of history; 2) have the ability to find links and similarities between seemingly disparate events/topics; 3) are able to get beyond the parochial aspects of a topic and expose the underlying assumptions and biases in typical 'framing'... more... - MikeAmundsen

Mike -- beautifully said. Successful prognosticators are able to absorb huge amounts of data from diverse sources, see all the subtle and unusual links among the data in creative ways, but still grasp the big picture and how all the vectors are interacting and are likely to interact in the future, while setting aside their own desires, wishes and biases. Unsuccessful prognosticators are... more... - Sean McBride

Mike -- I've mentioned Kevin Phillips' "American Theocracy" several times lately, which I recently listened to in audiobook format in my car. Phillips is a perfect example of a political analyst who is able to make successful prognostications on the basis of an objective analysis of reams of data, both contemporary and historical. [book(Kevin Phillips; American Theocracy: The Peril and... more... - Sean McBride

As Myrna said, after a while it gets tiring. May I therefore direct those of you who still care to this new summarizing item: http://ff.im/5mnZf - ianf ⌘

ianf -- that's an innovative use of Friendfeed to post research sources -- I like it. As for the topic becoming tiresome: that is precisely my point. Most Americans and Europeans would love to drop it (including most American and European Jews, I suspect). One possible scenario/solution on the horizon: an amicable divorce between the U.S./Europe and Israel. Those with an appetite for an endless loop of holy land mayhem will always be free to move there and to enjoy the apocalyptic festivities. - Sean McBride

@Sean I'm sorry, but comparing the current Israeli / Palestinian situation to the fall of South African apartheid, much less the rise of Nazi Germany is bizarrely absurd, even for you. The context is so far from similar that I find it rather shocking you'd even try to make the connection - all the more so given your continual attempts to point out everyone else's framing distortions,... more... - Forrest Cox

Forrest Cox -- browse through the above comments: the comparisons to apartheid white South Africa are coming from a former Israeli prime minister, a former American president and from many leading and influential political thinkers around the world. Google it -- you will be deluged. From my standpoint, you are in denial. How many non-Jews are welcome in Israeli settlements in the... more... - Sean McBride

Forrest: the discussion on Israeli/South African connections around the world is immense: http://www.google.com/#q=~isr... Try to do an objective analysis of the subject. - Sean McBride

@Sean - your quote re: the former Israeli PM is taken out of context, former American Presidents have proven about as astute in predicting the future as has the crazy Christian bible salesman yelling to the high heavens about the apocalypse down on the corner of Market and 8th, and "leading" and "influential" thinkers have been responsible for over and over again for calamity after... more... - Forrest Cox

@SB: yep, KPhillips has done some very interesting work. personally, i find his books a 'tough slog,' but that's for me to deal with<g>. i readily admit there are lots of things about Phillips' views i don't care for, but i have learned a great deal from him. his "Wealth and Democracy" was quite a read! - MikeAmundsen

@Sean - re: the links, thanks so much for proving my point about you. Put no thought at all into the inherent biases held by the authors you refer to (might they be apt to compare Israel to one of the most bigoted and oppressive regimes of the late-20th century, despite the obvious mechanistic differences between the two, because they, you know, HATE Israel?). Claim that their thinking,... more... - Forrest Cox

Me think Sean is just a Troll. LOL - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Forrest Cox -- Ehud Olmert hates Israel? The only pro-Israel supporters I am aware of who use that kind of inciting language with regard to Israeli prime ministers are extremists on the far right. One of them assassinated Yitzhak Rabin. - Sean McBride

I file these Forrest Cox comments under "attacks on Americans and Europeans by pro-Israel activists and militants." This is the trendline to watch if you want to understand the future of Israel and its increasing self-ghettoization, especially in relation to the Western democratic world. I've stopped taking the attacks personally -- many American, European and Israeli political leaders have endured much worse from the Israeli right. - Sean McBride

Forrest Cox: check out this Haaretz report: article(Gideon Levy; Twilight Zone / 'Worse than apartheid'; Haaretz; July 7, 2008 http://www.haaretz.com/hasen...) Human rights activists with direct experience of apartheid white South Africa characterized conditions in Israel as being WORSE than in South Africa: "I thought they would feel right at home in the alleys of... more... - Sean McBride

More from Haaretz: "Equally harsh are the remarks of the editor-in-chief of the Sunday Times of South Africa, Mondli Makhanya, 38. "When you observe from afar you know that things are bad, but you do not know how bad. Nothing can prepare you for the evil we have seen here. In a certain sense, it is worse, worse, worse than everything we endured. The level of the apartheid, the racism... more... - Sean McBride

This is the Mideast political news that I am flagging on a daily basis as important: https://friendfeed.com/search... (These flexible Friendfeed URLs are cool.) - Sean McBride

Forrest: more from Haaretz: "Under apartheid, whites and blacks met in certain places. The Israelis and the Palestinians do not meet any longer at all. The separation is total. It seems to me that the Israelis would like the Palestinians to disappear. There was never anything like that in our case. The whites did not want the blacks to disappear. I saw the settlers in Silwan [in East Jerusalem] - people who want to expel other people from their place." - Sean McBride

Sean, go live in Israel. - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Sean, your obsession with Israel is puzzling to me, as is the obsession of others like you who have the whole world's humanitarian transgressions to get up-in-arms about but choose to focus obsessively on Israel (how about China, Sudan, Iran, Egypt, etc.?). Why do Sudanese refugees risk their lives to get over the border from Egypt into Israel (many of whom have been shot and killed by... more... - Miriam

Miriam -- are you coming from an Orthodox Jewish perspective on Zionist and Israeli issues? Which authors and sources have most influenced your thinking on the subject? Which political party in Israel do you favor? Do you support Jewish settlements in the occupied territories? Do you support any ethnic nationalist movements other than your own? And can you provide some examples of Jews... more... - Sean McBride

Miriam: and: can you think of any good reasons for why the American government pays very close attention to Mideast politics, and to Israeli politics in particular? Why are the American media so "obsessed" with the topic? - Sean McBride

Sean, it's not only the US gov. that's obsessed with Israel. It's the world. There doesn't seem to be any logical reason for this. There are so many other places with way worse human rights records that the world basically ignores, while obsessing over Israel. If you have an answer I'd love to hear it. - Miriam

Miriam -- there is a simple answer to your question: 1. American taxpayers provide Israel with huge amounts of aid, and the United States is held responsible, often in ways that are destructive for Americans, for all of Israel's policies and actions. 2. The Israeli government has been pursuing a policy of territorial expansion that could easily trigger World War III/IV and reduce the entire world to chaos and ruin. - Sean McBride

I see my comment has been deleted from this thread. that is pathetic. the CIA has statistics that you don't have and the recent demographic analysis are that the demographic ratios are equal growth despite what you are attempting to promote. this goes in contradiction of your argument. if anything Obama has given Israel sympathy because his blatant equivalence of fault and abuse is so... more... - Noah David Simon

"Now (to change the metaphor), the truth has finally got its pants on, and Israel’s Foreign Ministry has released an exhaustive 164-page report which argues that Israel had a right to do what it did under international law, that what it did was not callous, disproportionate or criminal, and — of course — that much of what it was accused of it didn’t do .Those who need to, like Judge... more... - Noah David Simon

Does CriticalAnalyst = Noah David Simon? Noah -- you're missing the big picture, especially the big social/historical picture: messianic ethno-religious nationalist movements of all kinds (like apartheid white South Africa, for instance) are innately self-marginalizing, unstable and unviable in the modern democratic world. Militant ethnocentrism polarizes the entire world against... more... - Sean McBride

no prejudices in Israel. we just don't like hiding behind trees - Noah David Simon

Noah -- how does your comment address the point that messianic ethno-religious nationalist movements of all kinds are self-destructively out of step with modern Western democratic norms and values? How many Friendfeeders do you see bogged down in ethnocentric politics? - Sean McBride

Great conversation (although having blocked Igor, Noah, et als. long ago, it feels a little fragmented, likely for the better).. Miriam, I agree that some people have it out for Israel. But just because some are obsessed doesn't mean they're wrong. I also share Sean's assessment that Israel's actions are often counterproductive to the US’ long-term interests in the region and the world. Yet it seems to me that historically, here in the states, Israel can do no wrong. That needs to change. - Anthony Citrano

Anthony -- pro-Israel activists are responsible for placing Israel at the center of American politics -- they can't stop talking about Israel and Israel's problems, conflicts and enemies. Compare the frequency with which Israel has been mentioned in The New York Times in recent decades with, say, France, Ireland or Japan. At the moment, Israel is the only nation in the world... more... - Sean McBride

messianic thought is modern western thought. it is in no way out of step with goal oriented thinking. believing in an eventuality of a different set of rules is a positive thing in that it allows people to work towards a better world without thinking that they have to be violent till a radical change in physics occurs. the same can not be said of Islam. as for the NYTimes they are wrong... more... - Noah David Simon

Noah -- you're not logically tracking this argument: the issue is messianic *ethno-religious nationalism*. Modern Western democracies do not organize themselves around messianic ethnocentrism or religiosity. The core principle of Americanism is equality of ethnic groups and religions, with an emphasis on individual character, talent and achievement, not on ethnicity or religious affiliation. Modern Western democracies prize individualism and meritocracy. - Sean McBride

Look around you, Noah: how many Friendfeeders are bogged down in ethnic politics, and in ugly confrontations about their ethnic issues? Most Americans discarded this style of politics a long time ago for reasons of enlightened social behavior and simple self-interest. - Sean McBride

you are just full of labels. everyone has a goal and if they don't they are in trouble. you are trying to find a way to other something, but the thing you fear is "Western" thought in itself. Judaism is the root of it all. there were some "theories" that were developed by pagans, but they were never applicable till they were adapted into monotheistic structures. those theories that did... more... - Noah David Simon

Thank G-d we have our prophecies to guide us and G-d's protection to keep Israel strong while the rest of the world falls apart. Get America and the U.K. out of Israel so we can stand strong without any fear of our enemies and be the light unto the nations that we were chosen to be. - David C. Cooper

one facet of Judaic thought is condescended by another. we have no problem with this. we are both a race and a philosophy. every rule leveraged by another wise idea. sound familiar? it is what America is made of. even the essence of our heredity is condescended by the very royal family that is the legend that you hate so much. yes the lineage of the messiah. Soloman's children were not... more... - Noah David Simon

Noah -- all ethno-religious nationalist movements justify their anti-democratic (and often racist) beliefs and behavior with cult mythologies and mysticism. But modern Western democracies are no longer interested in playing that game. The United States, for instance, does not define itself as an Anglo-Christian state or Germany as an Germanic-Christian state (in the ethnic and religious... more... - Sean McBride

you just assumed I claimed ethnicity when I said the opposite. since your peanut gallery is blocking me they are going to assume you repeated what I said. this is unethical. tautological and your audience does not even see my words they only see your accusation which just ignored everything I just said and made an accusation that was the exact opposite. conversation is over. the other... more... - Noah David Simon

Noah -- are you claiming that Zionism isn't an ethnic nationalist movement? No serious historian (including no serious Jewish historian) will agree with you -- Zionism is a classical ethnic nationalist movement. And Zionism is not remotely synonymous with Judaism -- most of the founders of Zionism and Israel were secular humanists, atheists, agnostics or Marxists. As for your repeated... more... - Sean McBride

From an excellent Wikipedia entry on ethnic nationalism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki... "Ethnic nationalism is a form of nationalism wherein the "nation" is defined in terms of ethnicity. Whatever specific ethnicity is involved, ethnic nationalism always includes some element of descent from previous generations. Furthermore, the central theme of ethnic nationalists is... more... - Sean McBride

Ethnic nationalism vs. civic nationalism (from Wikipedia): "In scholarly literature, ethnic nationalism is usually contrasted with civic nationalism. Ethnic nationalism bases membership of the nation on descent or heredity—often articulated in terms of common blood or kinship—rather than on political membership. Hence, nation-states with strong traditions of ethnic nationalism tend to... more... - Sean McBride

More from Wikipedia: "Ethnic nationalism has sustained criticism because of its use by extremists to advocate racist agendas and genocide, such as the case of Nazi Germany and its extermination of millions of Jews and other ethnic and cultural groups during the Holocaust. More recent acts of violence that used ethnic nationalism as a justification include ethnic cleansing such as the... more... - Sean McBride

Let me try to start unraveling some of Noah's statements: NOAH: "one facet of Judaic thought is condescended by another. we have no problem with this. we are both a race and a philosophy. every rule leveraged by another wise idea. sound familiar? it is what America is made of. even the essence of our heredity is condescended by the very royal family that is the legend that you hate so... more... - Sean McBride

he probably means contradicted - John Hardy

Sean McBride doesn't engage you in dialog. a Jewish and yes Zionist philosophy (same thing) can not be ethnically based if others can join it. example is that my son is not a Jew by the government of Israel. he can choose to become one if he wants when he is ready. @IgorTheTroll2 is a #Mossad operative. Watch out @Hamas - Noah David Simon

Noah -- do Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Asians, Arabs, etc. enjoy equal status, rights, privileges, wealth and power with Jews in Israel? If America defined itself as a Christian state which offered special treatment and privileges for Christians and which discriminated against non-Christians, it wouldn't be a modern Western democracy. Imagine if the United States were now building Anglo-Christian settlements in Canada or Mexico by force and against the will of Canadians and Mexicans. - Sean McBride

Noah -- regarding your repeated invocations of Mossad in a threatening way: how many Friendfeeders, and how many Americans, make violent threats against their ethnic or religious enemies on a regular basis? Messianic ethno-religious nationalism (and much of the tradition of Abrahamic fundamentalism in general) is closely associated with extreme aggression, violence and terrorism. Modern... more... - Sean McBride

Mossad is a keyword that jew haters use online. we co opted it for search reasons. Igor believes you search the word regularly. I'm the one who has to hide behind a tree in the name of your toleration (as Islam states). it is not ethnic related to fear a philosophy that says it wants to kill you - Noah David Simon

Noah, what are you afraid of? If you live in fear, you are better to be dead! If we die in the battle for Israel, then we die because we have not loved Israel enough. Israel, is Life it is what God gave tus so we do not forget Adonay. Live your life and do not fear, for when it is time, God will be near. Baruch Hashem, Amein - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Kahanists have been using the term "Mossad" to issue threats against Americans and Europeans, not a smart move in a climate in which concerns about Mideast terrorism are at an all-time high and in which the life of the current American president, Barack Obama, is being threatened on a daily basis. Kahanist groups are officially designated as terrorist groups by the American government,... more... - Sean McBride

Noah: notice to whom David Cooper directs his hostility: it's not Hamas; it's America and the UK: "Thank G-d we have our prophecies to guide us and G-d's protection to keep Israel strong while the rest of the world falls apart. Get America and the U.K. out of Israel so we can stand strong without any fear of our enemies and be the light unto the nations that we were chosen to be." By... more... - Sean McBride

Apropos the CIA forecast, just published today: "Livni: Israelis desperate to leave country" http://www.ynetnews.com/article... "Opposition chairman says hundreds of thousands of Israelis searching or ways to move abroad in light of grim political situation in country, government's lack of vision" ... ""I see the despair of many Israelis. Hundreds of thousands see... more... - Sean McBride

Sean McBride labeling people as Kahanists is libel and defamation! If you have proof, then show it. If you do not, do not harass people and organization.by hiding behind Web anonymity and terrorizing people! - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Which organization are you referring to? - Sean McBride

Igor just turned down five opportunities to explain which organization was unfairly accused of being a Kahanist group. Instead, he tried to change the subject by talking about the IRA (Irish nationalism is a non-existent topic on Friendfeed and on the Internet in general). The question is still on the table for Igor (or Noah, ianf or David Cooper): which organization was unfairly accused of being a Kahanist group? - Sean McBride

Sean, see you on Wikipedia! Try not to give yourself too many Anti-Semitic awards! ADL will come looking for you! - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Igor -- you just issued another threat, among dozens of such documented threats, and you still didn't mention which organization you think was unfairly accused of Kahanism. To which organization were you referring? - Sean McBride

Threats? What threats? I am just a Troll surfing on friendfeed! You the one libeling and and accusing people and organizations! I hope ADL looking into your web activities. I am sure American government does not fancy them either! And if you have a question about anyone, talk to them. Why you asking me? - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Igor -- which organization was libeled? You still haven't mentioned it. I didn't mention any organization. To which organization are you referring? Your repeated invocations of Mossad certainly qualify as threats in the eyes of most objective observers -- whom do you think you are kidding? - Sean McBride

Traits, features and policies often associated with Kahanism: anti-Arab bigotry, anti-black bigotry, anti-Christian bigotry, anti-European bigotry, anti-Muslim bigotry, assassinations, bombings, charges of anti-Semitism, deportation ("transfer") of Palestinians, Greater Israel, group violence, illegal spying and espionage, malicious hacking, personal attacks, pro-Israel militancy,... more... - Sean McBride

Wow & whoa! - Roney Smith

Here is the Wikipedia entry on Kahanism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki... - Sean McBride

Right Sean McBride, Thanks for reverting my Gilad Shalit Tweet4Shalit edit on Wikipedia. You are such a Human Rights activist for Islamic Terrorist organization Hamas! You must be very proud of yourself! Stick some more Keywords into your semantic search! You going to delete this also Sean Hoyland? Go complain to a Wikipedia admin! LOL - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Saw who this was from and had to laugh. Why don't you throw in a Sept. 11 conspiracy too! - Spencer

Why not Armageddon as well? The Jews want to blow up the WORLD! LOL - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

Igor: I know nothing about your Wikipedia entry on Gilad Shalit, have never heard of Sean Hoyland, detest Muslim fundamentalism (and all forms of religious fundamentalism) and find many of your and Noah's posts to be incoherent and incomprehensible. You still haven't mentioned which organization you think was falsely accused as Kahanist: which is it? - Sean McBride

Spencer -- didn't you buy into all the bogus conspiracy theories foisted by neoconservatives on naive Bush/Cheney supporters (for instance, the claim that Saddam was behind 9/11 and that al-Qaeda was behind the 9/11 anthrax attacks)? Or was that a different Spencer? - Sean McBride

Note on how I moderate comments on my posts: substantive comments are welcome from everyone, and especially from those with views that oppose my own. Non-substantive or abusive comments I will often delete, because they derail substantive discussion. The name of the game here is to improve mutual understanding of issues. - Sean McBride

Sean, WTF why did you bring MY name into this? - David C. Cooper

Oh, I see it now. So, Sean you agree with American financial support of Muslim terrorist organizations Fatah and Hamas? - David C. Cooper

David Cooper -- I strongly oppose American financial or political support for religious fundamentalist groups of all kinds, including Muslim fundamentalist groups. Your assumption is wrong. You give the impression in one of your comments above that you view the United States and Britain as your enemies and as the enemies of Israel. Care to clarify? Here is your statement: "Thank G-d we... more... - Sean McBride

Certainly, I think the financial support of Israel and her enemies by other countries has been the biggest source of instability for that region. The entire middle east would find it's own stability if other nations would stop sending money to Israel and her enemies. BTW, what happened to my original post? I can't find it. - David C. Cooper

Incidentally, if you don't think Israel should be a Jewish state, why is it okay for 22 nations in that same region to only allow Muslim citizens? All of those countries are much larger than Israel yet you don't seem to worry or care that they discriminate against non-Muslims not only as citizens but even as visitors. - David C. Cooper

Furthermore, why is it okay for those 22 nations to sponsor the pseudo nation of "palestine" as a proxy in their fight against the return of the relatively tiny Israelite homeland to Her people? - David C. Cooper

David -- to find your original post open http://friendfeed.com/mideast... and then do a full text search on the page for "G-d" -- it's still there. - Sean McBride

David -- few people object to Israel being a Jewish state (I don't), but they expect Israel to be a Jewish state in the same way that France is a French state -- as a state of all its citizens, from all ethnic and religious backgrounds, as a modern Western democratic state. If Israel seeks to become a Jewish state in a narrow ethnic and religious sense, it will suffer the same fate as... more... - Sean McBride

David -- actually, the idea of the United States and Europe disengaging completely from both sides in the Israeli/Arab-Muslim conflict has a certain appeal. - Sean McBride

David -- does one deduce correctly from your original statement the following? 1. Religion and politics are seamlessly enwoven for you. 2. God is on the side of Israel vs. the nations and the rest of the world (including the United States and UK). 3. Israelis are the chosen people and a light unto the nations. 4. Israel is in great shape, thanks to God, but the rest of the world is falling apart. 5. You have many ethnic and religious enemies. - Sean McBride

Sean, so where is the outcry against the narrow ethnic and religious governments of the 22 Muslim nations that surround and make war against the Israelite nation and the western non-Muslim world? If western democratic society is such a champion of freedom and liberty why would they focus on Israel, where people of all ethnicities and religions are welcome while they ignore the rest of the middle east where only Muslims are allowed to tread? - David C. Cooper

David -- Israel is asking Americans and Europeans to make enormous sacrifices for Israelis on the supposed moral grounds that Israel is a modern Western democratic state and a member in good standing in the Western democratic community. If in fact Israel morphs into a Jewish version of apartheid white South Africa, it is going to be impossible to justify that support. Israel will go its... more... - Sean McBride

1. For the children of Israel G-d gave us the form of government under which we are to thrive, any other form is a poor substitute. 2. G-d is on the side of his entire creation which is why he gave his Torah to the children of Israel. The fact that only the children of Israel were willing and able to accept his word at Mount Sinai does not change His love for the people of all nations.... more... - David C. Cooper

What "sacrifices" does Israel ask of any other nation? It seems the other nations are asking Israel to make all of the sacrifices. Why should Jews not be allowed to build on their own land? Why should Israel be told that they must allow their enemies to settle in Israel but not allow a Jew to build a tree house? Realpolitik does not justify the hypocrisy. - David C. Cooper

the state with the most money in U.S. aid since 1993 is Palestine. that argument of Israel getting the most funding is false. Egypt gets similar numbers to Israel. further the funding of Israel if compared to the numbers involved in US military expenses would be around a penny to a dollar. the US military gets more back with support to Israel then from their own military. the moment... more... - Noah David Simon

BS - Stephan Romeo

ahem... and when labor said something similar in the 90s when Netanyahu's government had their first run, the statistics of the Jewish population ratio to Muslims improved. not to mention that Bibi was a lot more conservative then. I'm not very worried about Livni's opinions. Livni wanted badly to be a proxy to Jewish ethnic cleansing. ghetto Jew mentality. JudenRatts are all over the place... right Myrna? - Noah David Simon

David -- I respect your right to hold your religious beliefs, but others are under no obligation to share those beliefs. They may even find them to be irritating and unpalatable, in the same way you no doubt find many Christian and Muslim beliefs to be irritating and unpalatable (have you accepted Jesus Christ as your lord and savior yet? :)). To make matters worse, you are bundling... more... - Sean McBride

Noah -- the abusive and demonizing language that you and many others are using against Livni -- "Jewish ethnic cleansing, ghetto Jew mentality, JudenRatts" -- is one of several reasons why many political analysts think that Israel's political future is problematic. You can't construct a viable and stable civil society on this kind of fanaticism. And it is disturbing and scary to see... more... - Sean McBride

Most Friendfeed users, and most Americans, are not aggressive, abrasive, abusive and demanding about their ethnic and religious interests. If they were, American society would be reduced to violent chaos, to a state of permanent civil war and internecine savagery -- much like parts of the Mideast. - Sean McBride

Sean, if that's true then why is Israel, where all people of all religions and ethnicities are welcomed to worship in the Holy Land, demonized while all of the neighboring muslim apartheid states are either ignored or excused for their "ethno-religious" nationalism? - David C. Cooper

Sean, your claim that "most" Americans are not aggressive, abrasive, abusive and demanding is laughable! All over the world Americans are accused of exactly that kind of behavior especially when it comes to their ethnic and religious interests. There is a special interest group active in American politics for every religious and ethnic concern imaginable. - David C. Cooper

I have to agree though, that the continued existence of Israel defies all logic. Thank G-d, considering the number of enemies that surround her it is a miracle that she survives to this day. - David C. Cooper

David -- an example: how many op-ed articles have been published by Irish nationalists in The New York Times or The Washington Post during the last decade? How many by Jewish nationalists and pro-Israel activists? This is countable in a precise way with standard content analysis, but I am guessing that the ratio must be at least 100 to 1 in terms of Jewish vs. Irish nationalists. What... more... - Sean McBride

What scares me is how far anti-Semites have come in the last 100 years. They're smart enough now to realize out and out hatred and bigotry will shut them down quickly, so they've shifted over to "discussions" in the guise of rational discourse. When in fact the message remains the same: Jews = bad. - Noah Belson

Sean, what does the ratio of Israel based op-ed pieces in the NYTimes compared to Ireland based op-ed pieces have to do with this discussion? Are you surprised that there is more discussion about the Holy Land than there is about Ireland? Can't you answer my first question? - David C. Cooper

Noah Belson -- the entire world (and the American government especially) strongly opposes Israeli settlements, Israeli agitation to start a war with Iran, and the presence of a flagrant racist, Avigdor Lieberman, at the highest levels of the Israeli government. Are you basically accusing the entire world of being antisemitic because of its opposition to Likud policies and religious... more... - Sean McBride

David -- the fact that pro-Israel activists and militants are highly conspicous in contemporary American culture, and are pushing a narrow ethno-religious nationalist agenda in ways that are often extremely abusive towards their fellow Americans (see, for instance, Pamela Geller's posts on Barack Obama), couldn't be more relevant to this discussion: Israel and the Israel lobby are... more... - Sean McBride

Noah David Simon just called Robert Scoble a "rat" -- comment deleted. - Sean McBride

David: the issue is not whether all ethnicities and religions are permitted to worship in "the Holy Land" (what a misnomer). The issue is whether all ethnicities and religions in Israel are treated with equality in their ability to acquire wealth, power and influence in Israel, and whether their religions enjoy equal status under a civic state (not an ethnic nationalist state with strong theocratic trappings). - Sean McBride

Instead of addressing the point that every nation in the world (including the American government) opposes the current Israeli government and Jewish settlements in the occupied territories, Noah Belson invoked the Nazi smear, with no substantive content. (Comment deleted. Try again.) - Sean McBride

Sean, if you can speak for the entire world, I think I can make logical conclusions based on your previous comments. This isn't about Israel, this is about angry, hateful people seeing their moment and trying to use Israel to push the door open a little bit wider. This sort of thing brings bigots out of their hidey holes and gives them just a little more courage, which for my money is a very dangerous thing. - Noah Belson

Noah -- name a single government in the world which supports Jewish settlements in the occupied territories. The American government and all European governments strongly oppose those settlements, and Israel is in fact on a collision course with the entire world. Are you accusing everyone who opposes the settlements (including a majority of American Jews) of being antisemites? Are you... more... - Sean McBride

Reminder: the comments in my feed should be civil, polite, well-informed, sensible and fact-based. Comments with vague personal attacks and verbal abuse will be deleted. Stay on point and be substantive. Others are free to edit their feeds any way that suits them. As usual, I am always intensely interested in strong opposing arguments that are well-grounded in reality. - Sean McBride

Sean, you said: "The issue is whether all ethnicities and religions in Israel are treated with equality in their ability to acquire wealth, power and influence in Israel" Then, why is this not the issue regarding the enemies of the West who surround Israel? The double standard is hypocritical. - David C. Cooper

David -- why should the West go out of its way to get involved in self-destructive and trillion-dollar wars in defense of political ideologies and systems that are in direct contradiction to its most hallowed values? Did the West lift a finger to defend white South Africa? Why do you think it is that both the Bush and Obama administrations have strongly opposed a military attack on... more... - Sean McBride

Sean, I've already suggested that the west should divest itself from financially supporting either side in this argument. I don't agree that Israel is a contradiction to western values. On the contrary, western values are a direct result of the values of the children of Israel. - David C. Cooper

David: core modern Western democratic values: separation of church and state; equal treatment of and status for all ethnicities and religious groups. Ethnic nationalist and theocratic states are radically incompatible with those values, and are out of step with the modern world. That is why the West abandoned white South Africa and let it sink like a stone. (This is why I also strongly... more... - Sean McBride

David -- I agree with you that Jewish values have played an enormously important role in creating the modern Western democratic world. But the Jewish tradition has evolved markedly over millennia -- it is not static. Most Jews are not biblical literalists, and many brilliant Jews have been in the vanguard in creating the modern world and its best institutions. (The ability of Jewish civilization and the Jewish tradition to evolve, adapt and remake itself is probably its greatest strength.) - Sean McBride

That last part must keep you up at night, huh Sean. Incidentally, you better delete my comments and block me now- something tells me you're not gonna like me. :) - Noah Belson

hmm - ALPER DURUKAN

Noah Belson -- I may like you if you manage to say something fresh and original about the dozens of ideas and facts that appear in the preceding comments in this thread, and show a Jewish ability to wrestle with difficult issues based on an inquiring open mind and a scholarly attention to details. So far I haven't seen much of that. If I want a goyishe kop, I'll torture myself with Rush... more... - Sean McBride

"UN rights chief slams Israel over Gaza violations" http://www.reuters.com/article... "Pillay said rights violations included arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment, extrajudicial execution, forced eviction and home demolition, settlement expansion and related violence and restrictions on freedom of movement and expression. "While these violations are of... more... - Sean McBride

White South Africa took an arrogant, dismissive and defiant attitude towards critiques of its behavior from the international community, and the rest, as they say, is history. They lost. As a rule, it is not in one's self-interest to get on the wrong side of the overwhelming mass of world opinion. Not smart. - Sean McBride

More from the Pillay report: "Pillay's recommendations included the following: -- Allegations of violations of humanitarian law and human rights during the Gaza war should be investigated by independent bodies, and victims should have the right to reparations. -- Israel should tackle impunity for violations, and curb its use of the military justice system, which does not meet... more... - Sean McBride

Noah Belson just departed in an inky cloud of emotional personal attacks (comment deleted), while failing to address a single substantive issue in this thread. Which raises an important point: if pro-Israel activists are unable to defend their views in a rational way in public forums around the world, what future does Israel have? The CIA report may be sage and prophetic indeed.... more... - Sean McBride

Two more abusive and content-free comments deleted, one by Noah Belson and one by Igor. They can't get on point or address substance. If they manage to make rational policy points that are free of personal attacks or verbal abuse, I'll let the comments stand and answer them. But their track record isn't promising. (This isn't a free speech issue, by the way. They are free to say... more... - Sean McBride

So this is indeed a free speech issue, then. Free speech isn't only about being free regarding the substance of your speech: who makes the call about what is form and what is substance? By making that call, you necessarily act as a censor, you see? Still, there's nothing wrong with admitting you will limit one's free speech to a certain form or mode of expression. - Rubin Sfadj

Rubin -- every time we choose a publication to read, we are making selections based on the editorial judgment and reputation of the publisher. Feeds are basically publications. The New York Times is not Fox News and Fox News is not the New York Times. They exercise their right of free speech to control their respective information streams. I have noticed through the years that personal... more... - Sean McBride

This thread is still wide open to anyone who wants to make civil and sensible comments in opposition to the speculation that Israel is on a self-destructive path that closely resembles that of apartheid white South Africa. There are many items in the thread that still haven't been addressed or rebutted. This is a big and complex subject - Sean McBride

"On Agha and Malley" (Stephen M. Walt) http://walt.foreignpolicy.com/posts... "The most significant lines in the entire essay were the last two, where they write "the heart of the matter is not necessarily how to define a state of Palestine. It is, in a sense it always has been, how to define the state of Israel." Again, they didn't explain what they meant by... more... - Sean McBride

Walt continued: "Or will Israel continue to pursue the dream of Greater Israel, increasingly fueled by ethno-religious claims and the growing political power of religious extremists? If so, then it will become an apartheid state and will eventually face a Palestinian struggle for democratic rights. Again: what sort of state will it become? Needless to say, these different visions will... more... - Sean McBride

Geoffrey Wheatcroft: "If there is a ‘tragedy of Zionism’ it is surely this. Without wanting to or even realising what was happening, the Jewish state has found itself on the wrong side of a much greater divide than the mere dispute between Jew and Arab. The reason for the global obsession with the Holy Land is that it has become a crucible, an epitome, a distilled version of a ‘clash of... more... - Sean McBride

http://mediaanalysiscritical.b... here are photographs of Jews in 1948 Judea that were thrown out of their homes when they had been there for millenniums. Are these the "occupiers" you speak of? the same "occupiers" of Germany just a few years before. the people kicking them out of Judea were aligned with those performing Christal... more... - Noah David Simon

McBride - do you not know the meaning of "Apartheid"? - JIDF

Noah -- are you arguing, then, that Israel should continue to build Jewish settlements in the occupied territories over the adamant opposition of every government in the world, including the American government? And should those settlements be for Jews only, not for members of all ethnic and religious backgrounds, including Christians, Muslims, Arabs, Buddhists, Chinese, etc? How do you see this narrative unfolding? - Sean McBride

OMG you must break the all time record for the longest running, in time span, for your threads JULY 15!!!!!!, >> *whispers* (maybe use disable comments?) - sofarsoShawn

Noah: regarding messianism: let me be clear that my critique of messianism is directed at all of its manifestations, in all cultures from all ethnic groups and religions, and including its secular expressions (Marxism, for instance, was a messianic movement.) Messianism, because it is based on onanistic fantasies, self-hypnosis, cultism and emotional hysteria, almost always leads to... more... - Sean McBride

McBride - Are you aware that the Fatah Constitution and Hamas Charter call for the complete destruction of Israel? That said, Israel SHOULD continue to expand, so as to deter their enemies' determination to destroy them. - JIDF

sofarsoShawn -- some topics generate a great deal of conversation because they have major strategic implications, even world historical implications -- this is one of those topics. The death of the newspaper industry and the American auto industry are others. The health care debate is another. I leave the comments open because I am curious to see if any new interesting ideas emerge. (By... more... - Sean McBride

JIDF -- most Americans, and all modern secular democracies, have placed their chips on a core idea: all ethnic and religious groups can live together in productive harmony, with equal rights and opportunities. If you want to go down the messianic ethno-religious nationalist path, be my guest -- but you will have to live with the consequences. A large majority of Jews would probably... more... - Sean McBride

JIDF: regarding apartheid: article(Gideon Levy; Twilight Zone / 'Worse than apartheid'; Haaretz; July 7, 2008 http://www.haaretz.com/hasen...) Human rights activists with direct experience of apartheid white South Africa characterized conditions in Israel as being WORSE than in South Africa: "I thought they would feel right at home in the alleys of Balata refugee camp,... more... - Sean McBride

Your first response to me makes no sense. Your second source relies upon an extreme leftist source, looking to push a political agenda. Try Myths vs. FACTS: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource... - JIDF

like hell it will. "CIA report: Israel will fall in 20 years" read all about it. - nivcalderon

sofarsoShawn got me thinking: rank issues by strategic importance (by their impact on the world at large, on world history and on human civilization). Are there objective and scientific ways to achieve these rankings? Algorithms? Software tools? In any case, the world historical forces swirling around the vortex of Israel and the Mideast in general are immense. That region could be the graveyard of the human race. - Sean McBride

JIDF -- can you answer the specific charges in the Haaretz article in a specific way? They are coming from South African leaders who were the victims of apartheid -- they know the subject of apartheid up close and personal, much more intimately than we do. They are claiming that conditions in Israel are worse than in apartheid white South Africa. - Sean McBride

JIDF -- my first response to you makes a great deal of sense -- it is written in clear English prose. I pointed out to you that modern Western democracies prize ethnic and religious equality and cooperation, and that a large majority of Jews share those values. Messianic ethno-religious nationalist states are in radical conflict with the contemporary world. - Sean McBride

People already did, in the talkback section of the article. You're citing an anti-Israel activist intent on smearing the Jewish state. Lots of people do that. Your first response made no sense within the context of my comment, as I wasn't talking about any of that. Apparently you like to read your own words. That said, what's your point in all this? Are you looking forward to the... more... - JIDF

JIDF -- one point at a time: how do you rebut, in your own words and in a specific way, the charges made by South Africans, other than calling them "leftists"? Leftists opposed the apartheid white South African regime, they predicted its collapse, and they were right. The flow of world history is not on the side of ethnic nationalists and racists. Ehud Olmert, the former Israeli prime... more... - Sean McBride

Until you answer MY questions, I won't bother answering your tangents. - JIDF

Are you or are you not for the destruction of Israel? - JIDF

JIDF -- you don't seem to understand Friendfeed culture -- you play by the rules of the owner of the thread, which, in this case, is yours truly. But I will humor you for one instance: obviously I do not support the destruction of Israel. But I do support the reform of Israeli politics that will bring it into full alignment with modern Western democratic values and spare it the... more... - Sean McBride

Now your turn: do you support full equality for all ethnic and religious groups in Israel, both in law and in practice, and the separation of synagogue and state? And aren't "Jewish settlements" *by definition* a discriminatory enterprise when subsidized and endorsed by the state? Does the American government subsidize and endorse Anglo-Christian settlements? - Sean McBride

you claim that Israel is not "in full alignment' with Western democratic values. Please explain why. And I think it's vain of you to suggest that your POV is shared by every govt. on the planet. Just b/c you're reading some book on Messianic ideology, it does not mean everyone who disagrees with you is drawn into it. Israel is the Jewish State and I support it as such. I do not support... more... - JIDF

JIDF -- I answered your question directly and fully. Now you answer mine: do you support full equality for all ethnic and religious groups in Israel, both in law and in fact? That criterion is the core definition for modern Western democracies -- they are trans-ethnic, trans-religious and universalist in outlook, values and practice. - Sean McBride

JIDF: I just quickly scanned your recent Friendfeed feed and immediately noticed this: "JIDF: certainly there's a Jewess out there w/ an appreciation of both radiohead & rav kahane for whom i could dedicate the beatles' "for you blue"" Are you a supporter of Meir Kahane? Kahanist groups are officially designated as terrorist groups by the American government. Also: "Jewess"? Questionable choice of words, at best. - Sean McBride

JIDF -- your thoughts, like those of Igor and Noah David Simon, are a great confused jumble -- and that is consistent with messianic psychology and the messianic mindset, which is much more focused on concocting elaborate rationalizations than in conducting honest intellectual investigations. With regard to the point of view of nations all around the world towards Israeli settlements: I... more... - Sean McBride

You bore me with your "messianic" allegations and your tone is condescending. Moving along.. - JIDF

JIDF -- you want to end the discussion already? I thought we were just beginning. What elements of Meir Kahane's thinking have inspired your enthusiasm? Kahane helped trigger the Baruch Goldstein massacre and Yigal Amir's assassination of Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. The Israeli government itself considers Kahanism and Kahanists to be verboten -- beyond the pale -- as does the American government. - Sean McBride

Kahane noticed Jews were being attacked in the streets of NYC and created the JDL to do something about it. I notice that Jews (and Israel) are being attacked online, and I did something about it. - JIDF

@sean it's amazing how a debate can suddenly implode and have the participents retract from conversation the moment a person no longer has anything to hide behind. Personally, I don't get how attacks by opposing forces are seen as unwarrented hate while state sponsored subjigation, abuse and theft of said population is perfectly fine. Is there not a critical thought at play asking a... more... - alphaxion

If you view Hamas/Fatah as "freedom fighters" your moral compass is off. - JIDF

This is, without a doubt, bullshit. First of all, in terms of your comparison to Apartheid, I'd direct you to here: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource... | Second, this sort of thing is based on a disconnect for the actual players involved. If you ever spent time in any Jewish community in America, there is huge support for Israel within them. Not everyone may agree with all the actions of Israel, but the support for Israel's existence within the US is huge. - Aram Zucker-Scharff

Oh, and I do support full equality for all ethnic and religious groups in Israel, both in law and in fact, providing they can pledge an oath of allegiance to the State of Israel. If they do anything to undermine the security of Israel, or if show any support for its destruction whatsoever, all bets are off. - JIDF

If you have ever been to Israel, you'd see that the people there, whatever you may think of their politics, ideals, religion, whatever, are perhaps the most determined people on the planet. The Israelis have put their lives on the line /every day/ to make a place for themselves in Israel. They haven't stopped before now and they won't stop in the future. Even if you don't like Israel, if you went there, and saw for yourself, you'd realize that no one there will simply give up. - Aram Zucker-Scharff

I took Sean up on his advice to use this great thing called "Google" (who knew?) and it's very interesting to see where this "news" (ie. propaganda) comes from and who is pushing it: http://www.google.com/search... - JIDF

@jidf did you not read what I said, let me quote it "Just remember, because of the actions of the IDF, the likes of Hamas are seen as freedom fighters to those who can no longer see that BOTH the israeli state AND the palestinian forces are fundamental cocks that don't care how many people suffer in their ceaseless bickering." I did not say this was my view, as you can pretty much get... more... - alphaxion

@alphaxion - you blame the IDF for Islamic terrorism. What is wrong with you? - JIDF

@aram support for its existence and reaction to its policies and actions are two different things. You can still support the right for israel to exist whilst criticising the actions of its government. The kinda comment you made sounds like the drivel you get from those who think to speak out against your government is to wish for it to be destroyed. No, many of us just want them to stop murdering and stealing land and resources from the palestinians. - alphaxion

JIDF -- questions about the viability of Israel have been prominently raised by two Israeli political leaders, Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni, and recently by a major American Jewish author, Rich Cohen. The whole world is wondering how any nation which resembles apartheid white South Africa can survive in the midst of overwhelming global opposition to its core beliefs and policies. - Sean McBride

@alphaxion that was a complete misread of what I said. I didn't say that I want to kill people or quash other opinions. I just said that, as a whole, on average, Israelis are a very determined people and they are not, as a whole, going to leave. The fact that you misread totalitarianism into the word determination scares the shit out of me. - Aram Zucker-Scharff

@jidf I blame BOTH for the endless cycle of hate and suffering. IDF bulldozes a settlement. Palestinians are killed and many are twisted by grief and suffering. Palestinians lash out and kill a number of Israelis. Those same Israelis are then twisted by their grief, IDF lashes back. Ad nausium. And by the way, I know people that live in Israel. The stories I hear from them (and this... more... - alphaxion

Fair warning to JIDF and NDS: if you want to post here, stay on substantive points and be civil. - Sean McBride

@aram.. sorry, I didn't notice the bit at the end that said "Not everyone may agree with all the actions of Israel, but the support for Israel's existence within the US is huge." which is also the point I said in my comment to you. Sorry if what I said there came off wrong. - alphaxion

@alphaxion It happens, thanks. - Aram Zucker-Scharff

JIDF -- are you aware that the JDL and all Kahanist groups are officially designated as terrorist groups by the American government? Are you familiar with the histories of Irv Rubin and Earl Krugel? And even the Israeli government classified Kahane as a racist. When you say you admire Meir Kahane, and create a group which is clearly modeled on the JDL, you are placing yourself at a particular location on the political spectrum. - Sean McBride

JIDF -- do you endorse vigilantism, malicious hacking, harassment, bombings, terrorism, etc.? Why do you think it is that the American government has zero tolerance for Kahanist groups and methods? Why would any American in his or right mind link her or her political activities to Meir Kahane, given the associations to officially designated terrorist groups? - Sean McBride

may I also point out that I would like the Palestinian forces to stop murdering, beating and abducting Israelis. But I'm not nieve to think that it will happen under duress. Both sides need to stop attacking each other - the empty ceasefires offered up by the Israeli government are simply not ceasefires. If they really want peace they'll go for a real ceasefire and do a proper deal such... more... - alphaxion

Still haven't seen an answer to this question: are Jewish settlements for Jews only or for members of all ethnic and religious groups? Nor have we seen acknowledgment from JDIF and NDS that every government in the world strongly opposes Jewish settlements in the occupied terrorities. - Sean McBride

@Sean While I don't support the JDL and its violent actions, the organization does extend beyond killing people. Remember, at one point the US gov't said much the same things about the Black Panthers. Beyond that, while I don't support violent actions, when a group faces people who call for its extermination and have to fear lynchings from groups like the American Nazis, the formation... more... - Aram Zucker-Scharff

I see many parallels between this and the troubles in Northern Ireland - two groups of people with a history of violence against each other. Even if the UK had gone against the wishes of the Northern Irish people and given the land back, there would still be fighting. Which is why the whole situation makes me feel sorry for the innocents trapped inbetween, just trying to live their lives. - alphaxion

Aram -- how much understanding did the American government offer to Irv Rubin and Earl Krugel? And how sensitive is the matter of Mideast terrorism currently when the American president is being besieged with terrorist threats on a daily basis, and considering that Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a Kahanist? - Sean McBride

@Sean, I didn't say I approved, I said I can understand how such a group can come about. You can't consider things in a vacuum. - Aram Zucker-Scharff

On the matter of Kahanism, anything but the strongest possible condemnation is entirely unacceptable. There is a clear track record here, and a climate of current threats. - Sean McBride

alphaxion -- two major differences between the Irish and Israeli situations: 1. the Irish situation is not likely to cause a global financial meltdown or worse (like the use of WMDs). 2. One rarely sees Irish Americans introducing Irish nationalism into mainstream American politics in a contentious way. Irish Americans on the whole keep a low profile on foreign ethnic nationalist issues -- there is no Irish AIPAC. - Sean McBride

I wasn't talking about Kahanism, just the formation of the JDL and the reasoning behind it. (By the way The National Consortium for the Study of Terror and Responses to Terrorism says "the JDL does not currently engage in terrorist actions.") Once again, I'm just saying that there is a reason behind its formation. - Aram Zucker-Scharff

Aram -- all terrorist groups are motivated by a rationale, right? The rationale they've constructed for themselves doesn't excuse them. - Sean McBride

All ethnic and religious terrorist groups are motivated by the same rationale -- the violent and criminal pursuit of their self-interest and often crackpot messianic fantasies. - Sean McBride

I am off to the beach to enjoy a spectacular summer afternoon, and will reenable comments when I return. - Sean McBride

While enjoying the afternoon at one of the most beautiful beaches in America in perfect weather, I was struck by the pure joy of witnessing a multitude of ethnic and religious groups mingling and sharing the same blissful space in peace and happiness, without a hint of conflict, and it struck me that this was a resonant image of the ideals of modern secular democracies. One finds the... more... - Sean McBride

Looking at an article published in an Iranian media outlet in no way constitutes support for the media outlet or for Iran -- on the contrary, I have been a harsh critic of Iran and Iranian theocracy. If you consult my Mideast News group https://friendfeed.com/mideast..., you will notice that most of my sources are Israeli and Jewish, including many right-wing Israeli and Jewish... more... - Sean McBride

Doing some browsing on the issue of apartheid, and this stuck me as a piece of high-quality and nuanced analysis: article(Leila Farsakh; Israel: an apartheid state?; Le Monde diplomatique; November 2003; http://mondediplo.com/2003...). Quote: "Despite their initial differences, apartheid South Africa and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have become similar since 1993. Will... more... - Sean McBride

NDS -- rewrite your last post without all the angry and overheated invective, add clean paragraph breaks, post it to your blog with a pointer here, and I'll read it carefully and respond. As a rule my mind automatically filters out writing full of fuming and self-righteous aggression. You should have noticed by now that all the even-tempered comments here stand undeleted, regardless of their point of view. - Sean McBride

you never elaborate your issues. analysis requires specifics. you aren't even specific about your accusation of "fuming and self-righteous aggression" - Noah David Simon

Noah -- if you review this thread, you will see that I have discussed dozens of specifics, most of which you flew right by without response. The more emotional the topic (and this is perhaps the most emotional topic in the world), the greater the need to lower the emotional volume to near zero to have a useful discussion. See David Cooper's comments for examples of how to make clear,... more... - Sean McBride

Sean, according to the CIA's 18th and 19th century predessors, theoretically Israel shouldn't exist at all. Just goes to show an intelligence agency assessment can be wrong. - George Hall (Australia)

CIA report http://friendfeed.com/igorthe... - Igor The Troll יִצְחָק

George Hall -- what are your thoughts on the future of ethnic nationalist and ethno-religious nationalist states in general? I would no more bet on them than I would bet on Communist states, the newspaper industry or cars manufactured by General Motors. (Are you an Australian, by the way?) What I *would* bet on are catastrophic developments in the Mideast, a region which seems to be firmly under the control of Abrahamic apocalyptic memes among all parties concerned. - Sean McBride

Browsing around, I just noticed that Israpundit, a right-wing pro-Israel site, posted the CIA report story on March 15, 2009 http://www.israpundit.com/2008.... It was widely reposted all over the Internet. (Presumably, Israpundit is not an Iranian propaganda outlet. :)) Many people, and some Israelis in particular, are curious to know what the report on the report is all about and... more... - Sean McBride

I just browsed the latest comments here -- apparently all from JIDF members (Igor's "Mossad" and Kahanist associates), and realized that any opportunity for a rational discussion and debate in this thread has evaporated. I asked George Hall a direct question about the future of ethnic and ethno-religious nationalism, and was treated to a biblical disquistion from a true believer -- not... more... - Sean McBride

Startup Success: Andrew Badera

Information Arbitrage: Where and How am I Investing in Early-Stage Today? - http://www.informationarbitrage.com/2008...

October 6, 2008 from Bookmarklet - Comment - Like - Share

David Cancel, Robert Higgins, Nikpay and 12 other people liked this

"Given the uncertainty of ad spending, the tremendous dollars going into digital media, the increasingly competitive landscape and the jittery global financial markets, I have added a few criteria to my check-list: * Initially sells to the enterprise for branding, credibility, awareness and early revenues * Can get to revenues within 6 months, tops * Is sold on the basis of ROI, e.g., helps generate revenues or reduce headcount/costs * Integrates easily with existing platforms and/or programs * Either leverages existing open source programs or can itself become partially or fully open source * Has multiple revenue streams, e.g., software, maintenance, services, etc." - Andrew Badera from Bookmarklet

11 more comments

couple stretch items on his list but nice of him to share - mike "glemak" dunn

I was wondering which ones seem a stretch? I was reading this and it describes a startup I am working with to a "T". - David Muir

12.5-25x seems a stretch to me ... that's grand slam territory. not unachievable, but not by any means "common". - Andrew Badera

I tend to agree. But I read through and was trying to glean when the exit for the VC would be; after how many years? According to my calculations, asset value growth of over 30% per year still means a 13 year wait on an initial investment of $1 million to walk away with $25 million. - David Muir

VC is almost always in terms of a ~5 year exit strategy I thought ... - Andrew Badera

VC is evil. Smart CEOs do everything they can to avoid this route. - Geoff Livingston

Everyone would love to bootstrap Geoff, but it's not a matter of "smart" vs. "dumb" it's a matter of practicality and pragmatism. - Andrew Badera

25x return selling into enterprise space which tends to see rapid fast followers and commoditization is one stretch david... not all vc's are evil geoff but certainly some are - expect it's probably same ratio as general life ;) a huge percentage of today's businesses have leveraged vc funding when in proof of concept phase so they (we) serve a purpose... andrew's pragmatic statement is right on... - mike "glemak" dunn

here's a few more stretches now that i'm on a laptop & not my iphone - 1) revenue in 6 months along w/ selling into enterprise is a challenge since enterprise sales cycles are notoriously long for any company let alone an unproven startup 2) integrates easily in an enterprise space is an oxymoron - again, its a good post and not all things stated are stretches (plus it is his fund so his call)... - mike "glemak" dunn

sorry one more, the positive: "intersection of web services, network performance and cloud computing. More and more enterprises will shift portions of their processing, services and storage to the cloud, as the imperatives of cost reduction, scalability and flexibility take hold." - i think this is right on and valid, i'm seeing the same sorts of companies approach me and can't fault their biz models... - mike "glemak" dunn

Andrew/Gregory, I actually clarified this in another comment thread. What I mean is that it takes no more than $1-$2 million to know if you've got a $25-$50 million business. I take lots of risk. I just want to make sure the business doesn't require loads of capital to know whether or not it is likely to get the traction required to be successful. It may well make sense to raise an additional $2-$3 million in a Series A to help the company execute its growth plan, and I'm ok with that. - Roger

Gotcha, thanks Roger, makes sense. - Andrew Badera

Sean McBride

Plagiarism Checkers: 5 Free Websites To Catch The Copycats (via feedly) - http://www.makeuseof.com/tag...

July 21 from Google Reader - Comment - Like - Share

Hayk H. liked this

Sean McBride to Sean's feed, US Politics

'Politburo' controlling U.S. policy (Aaron Klein) - http://www.wnd.com/index...

July 15 from Bookmarklet - Comment - Like - Share

Hayk H. liked this

"The diplomatic sources all confirmed Clinton has been largely cut out from the decision-making process, as have U.S. National Security Adviser James Jones and other top figures. The diplomatic sources identified the White House group largely controlling foreign policy as consisting of President Obama; White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel; top Obama adviser David Axelrod; and National Security Council Director Denis McDonough. Also involved are Mark Lippert, chief-of-staff of the National Security Council; U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice and Jim Messina, White House liaiason to Congress." - Sean McBride from Bookmarklet

5 more comments

"The senior U.S. official said Emanuel is most heavily involved in drafting policy, describing him as a sort of policy CEO, while Axelrod works to brand White House decisions." - Sean McBride

I rarely reference WorldNetDaily other than to critique or ridicule it, but I suspect that some of the facts reported in this article by Aaron Klein may be true. The really interesting question is: how has Rahm Emanuel acquired so much power in the Democratic Party, the Obama administration and American politics? - Sean McBride

"You rarely reference WND? Hmm? Seems I understand: "The diplomatic sources said Obama is involved in the decision-making process but that he is particularly obsessed with the Palestinian issue. The sources declined to describe Obama as anti-Israel, but they painted him as heavily pro-Palestinian." I doubt he is obsessed with it. - LeaNder

LeaNder -- WND is a Christian Zionist outfit, and clearly has a strong animus against Obama, but I'll wager that its report on the role of Rahm Emanuel in the policy process is accurate -- and that is an important piece of information. - Sean McBride

Well, Rahm & Axelrodt as stringpullers in the admin seems to be a cherished idea at the moment. Even Bill Kristol joins the chorus? Taking points?"http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs... "...Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel, and David Axelrod, on the other hand -- they’re seriously self-reflective individuals. Look at their wide experiences at peace and in war. - LeaNder

I'll take it with a grain of salt from now on. But thanks, I didn't know anything about MND. Good to know. - LeaNder

Brad Williamson to Brad's feed, Media News and Analysis, TheNextWeb Forum, building43

Clay Shirky's Vision of Journalism, Version 2.0 - http://www.observer.com/2009...

July 14 from Bookmarklet - Comment - Like - Share

Hayk H., Sean McBride, Robert Freeze and 10 other people liked this

"He writes: Like driving, journalism is not a profession — no degree or certification is required to practice it, and training often comes after hiring — and it is increasingly being transformed into an activity, open to all, sometimes done well, sometimes badly, but at a volume that simply cannot be supported by a small group of full-time workers. The journalistic models that will excel in the next few years will rely on new forms of creation, some of which will be done by professionals, some by amateurs, some by crowds, and some by machines." - Brad Williamson from Bookmarklet

Sean McBride

70 Years: Chart Illustrates the Dominance by the CFR, Trilaterals & Bilderbergers - http://www.scribd.com/doc...

July 14 from delicious - Comment - Like - Share

Hayk H. liked this

Don't forget Rhodes scholars, as in Cecil Rhodes http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki... - Robert Hafer from iPhone

Robert -- certainly Cecil Rhodes and Rhodes scholars are an important piece of the puzzle in acquiring an understanding of global power elite politics. None of this has to do with conspiracy theorizing, by the way -- it's all about putting together concrete and well-documented facts about the operations of the highest levels of the political process worldwide. - Sean McBride

Anthony Citrano to Anthony's feed, US Politics

The Least Free Places on Earth | Foreign Policy - http://www.foreignpolicy.com/article...

July 14 from Bookmarklet - Comment - Like - Share

Hayk H., Ethan, Sean McBride and xero liked this

"As the United States celebrates its Independence Day, here's a look at some places with nothing to cheer about. The following images are from the bottom 21 countries and territories from Freedom House's Freedom in the World report, with text prepared by the staff of Freedom House." - Anthony Citrano from Bookmarklet

Sean McBride

Iranian envoy: CIA involved in Neda's shooting? - CNN.com - http://www.cnn.com/2009...

June 26 from delicious - Comment - Like - Share

Hayk H. liked this

Mona Nomura

Conventional Logic vs. Religious Logic --just sayin'

September 21, 2008 - Comment - Like - Share

Nick B., Chris Prince, Steve and 146 other people liked this

Definitely true. - Trish R

31 more comments

hahahhahahah Reminds me of FF the past few weeks. Oops, did I say that out loud? :P - Mona Nomura

HAHAHAAH!!!! - Rahsheen ™, Coach Rah

Brilliant, Mona! Thanks for sharing! - Matt Harwood

Oooh, great! :) Can I try?? - Jemm

Matt: Anytime. :) @Joni: TRY WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY?! HUH HUH HUH?!? ;) - Mona Nomura

I think I've met that guy in the bottom pic. - Mark Wilson

Ahhhahah. Mona you always make my day better - Kyle Lacy

@Mona: Sharing something.. related ;) - Jemm

Kyle: Stop trying to butter me up. What do you want? ;) @Joni: ;) - Mona Nomura

oh you will know Mona, you will know - Kyle Lacy

i can has bacon! - imabonehead

@Mark, I think his wife is running for VP... - Jeff P. Henderson

perfect - Arash

"Amen." - l0ckergn0me

I clearly need to get to bed because I saw this at the top of the page and thought, "Wait. It's Sunday already? Where did the week go?" ooph. - ♥patricia♥

Conventional logic holds that people don't carry baseballs around with them. Conventionally, would you think a person with pockets full of baseballs as "normal"? Do you carry everything you own in case you have to logically prove to someone that you own it in the event that some conventional debate arises? - Darian Rawson

Omg I found it. Derrick, one more! :) - Mona Nomura

Ha! Yeah, a little bit. - Derrick

Hahahahaha - Kamath (नमः)

Are you familiar with "Russell's Teapot?" : "If I were to suggest that between the Earth and Mars there is a china teapot revolving about the sun in an elliptical orbit, nobody would be able to disprove my assertion provided I were careful to add that the teapot is too small to be revealed even by our most powerful telescopes. But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion... more... - Christopher A Carr

I've never known a christian to react like that when someone asks to prove Gods existence. If someone is sincerly asking the question we'll usually talk about why we believe. If someone is being hostile I'll walk away. - ChiliMac

ChiliMac, on a serious note, it's really dependent on the parties conversing. I've openly had many discussions on religion. It's also helpful to comprehend the other party's(ies') views and backgrounds, to have amicable discussions. :) - Mona Nomura

Mona: You are absolutely right, it does depend on the parties. I believe most people still know how to and are polite and respectful of one another. I was having this conversation with a friend from my church the other night. His roommate had criticized him for reading books by Dawkins. We disagreed with him. We should understand those who have different opinions then ours and be respectful to one another. - ChiliMac

I love it. Did you draw this, Mona? - Jess Lee

Oh, no way. lol! - Mona Nomura

"There's no such thing as a baseball. There's NO SUCH THING AS A BASEBALL." ;) - Tyson Key

like again - Arash

could also be titled "conventional logic vs evolutionist logic" or "conventional logic vs global warming logic". i see more unfounded dogma from these two groups than any other. - Brooks Bayne

So true. - Ethan

Yeah, Brooks... or "conventional logic vs. round Earth logic," or "conventional logic vs. heliocentric solar system logic." I'm sick of dogmatic round-Earth liberals! If the Earth is so round, why don't Australians fall into space? Eh? Answer that secular libs! - Christopher A Carr

Definitely something Richard Dawkins would approve of! :) And @ChristopherCarr - the Celestial Teapot was the first thing I thought of when I saw this. - jack

hahahah that is hilarious - Nicholas Kreidberg

Sean McBride

A Rapid and Harsh Turn against Israel :: Daniel Pipes - http://www.danielpipes.org/6389...

June 5 from Bookmarklet - Comment - Like - Share

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"As expected, however, the gloves came off immediately thereafter, with a series of tough American demands, especially U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's insistence on May 27 that the Netanyahu government end residential building for Israelis in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem. This prompted a defiant response. The Israeli governing coalition chairman pointed out the mistake of prior "American dictates," a minister compared Obama to pharaoh, and the government press office director cheekily mock-admired "the residents of Iroquois territory for assuming that they have a right to determine where Jews should live in Jerusalem."" - Sean McBride from Bookmarklet

23 more comments

Neoconservative Daniel Pipes predictably sides with Likud and Greater Israelists against his own government. - Sean McBride

I'm afraid if we sacrafice Isreal to radical Islam, they will just want more. - Robert Hafer

Robert -- in my opinion, you are misframing the issue -- this strikes me as an example of muddy thinking on your part. Muddy thinking and bad premises lead to disastrous policies. No one is talking about sacrificing Israel to "radical Islam." That is a neoconservative propaganda meme. You need to hack your way through this propaganda to get to the truth of what is really going on. - Sean McBride

I'm just trying to "read between the lines" of what the President is saying. Some of what he's saying has the tone of appeasement. I would be glad to be wrong. - Robert Hafer

Who said anything about sacrificing Israel? The country doesn't need West Bank settlements to exist within its original borders. All the settlements do is prevent a two-state solution to the problem of Palestinian statelessness. - John (a.k.a. dendroica)

It's been 40 years, I think, since the UN passed it's first resolution saying that Israel must leave the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It's about time it happened. - Andy Bold

Robert Hafer -- I am not going to insult your intelligence by suggesting that you have been brainwashed. :) But I will note that terms like "appeasement" are key components of a propaganda system that neocons have assembled to bamboozle the American public. The purpose of these hot button terms is to shut down critical thinking about the real strategic lay of the land in the Mideast.... more... - Sean McBride

Sean, thank you for your kind words. Although, I don't think I'm brainwashed, expert perhaps by the study of history. Appeasement didn't work out so well for Chamerlain. I just think that if we are filling to alienate one of our few allies in the Mideast, we need to something more tangable for it than 'good feelings'. - Robert Hafer

Sean - The other day you spoke of "Authoritarianism" with me and now you criticize a "Neocon" for daring to disagree with his Gov? I mean really Sean, I thought we have a right to debate & disagree with any admin? Just not Obama huh? - Brian

Sean - "propaganda system" Get over yourself, I can listen to NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, NYT, Wash Post and almost any other media outlet out there other than Fox, Wa Times & talk radio and I will here the same thing in EVERY single one of them, over & over & over & over again, so much so that I just want to throw up when I here it, I mean, talk about a "propaganda system" the left wing talking point system that you refer to as media does nothing but try to brainwash people every day of the week. - Brian

For example, Obama told us that if they do not pass his Stimulus package that unemployment will reach 9% and if they do pass it it will only reach 8%, well it just passed 9.4% and is now higher than his WORST case scenario and all you here from the left wing talking point machine is the "Silver Lining", "better than expected" (you see, they already have it burned into my head and I do... more... - Brian

Sean - Yes "Appeasement" is EXACTLY what Israel has tried with the Palestinians over the last decade and 1/2, offering them land for peace and it has not gotten them anywhere but more bloodshed every time, The Palestinians need to make it CLEAR that they can accept Israel as a State before any deal can be made period! - Brian

Neoconservative propaganda memes and attack terms: Amalek, anarchists, anti-American, anti-Semites, appeasers, Arabists, axis of evil, barbarians, beasts, caliphate, Chamberlain, Clash of Civilizations, dhimmis, diaperheads, enemies of America, enemies of the West, enhanced interrogation, Eretz Yisrael, evildoers, failure of nerve, fifth columnists, Global War on Terror, Haman, Hashem,... more... - Sean McBride

this is neither about sacrificing Israel or appeasing Palestine. it's about living in peace. unless Israel is willing to stop settlements - even temporarily - there will be no peace. unless Israel is willing to accept that Palestinians deserve their own country there will be no peace. the same can said (and has been many times) for Palestine. unless they are willing to entertain the... more... - MikeAmundsen

Gee Sean, that's an awful long list of historical topics you have put together. Does that mean if I believe that there exist Jihadist that intend to commit terror against the West, I'm a neocon? - Robert Hafer

The "jihadist" threat is vastly overrated in the grand strategic scheme of things. Economic competition from China, Russia, India and Europe is far more significant for American interests and the daily life of Americans than Israel's wars with its neighbors. The whole purpose of neoconservative propaganda is to narrow down public discourse to the neocons' single-minded obsession and to... more... - Sean McBride

Is the Jihadist threat overrated, or does it just seem so because we had the previous administration taking extreme measures to fight it. I hope that no one actually believes that they hate us because of Bush. Terror attacks started before he was President. They hate us because the US represents the ideal of Religious tolerance. {And maybe because Europeans landed in North America in... more... - Robert Hafer

Sean - "enemies of America" you don't think there are any? "jihadists" You don't think there are any? "leftists" Don't think they exist? "Chamberlain" Do you think he used the correct strategy with the Nazi's? "enhanced interrogation" You don't think there is a difference between Torture (cause severe pain for the purpose of punishing) and this? "Global War on Terror" Do you think they... more... - Brian

Sean - I think Economic competition should be considered opportunity not a threat! and if they hit us again you would have been the first one blaming Bush, calling for his head & accusing him of ignoring his duties as commander in chief, that much I KNOW for a FACT! - Brian

Mike - "unless Israel is willing to stop settlements" It is Israel's sovereign territory we are talking about here and neither you (what happened to Obama saying that US can't dictate to the world yet you advocate him doing just that, funny huh?) nor the Palestinian's have the right to tell them to stop building settlements, Israel does have a right to determine what they are NOT... more... - Brian

Well, if this is an opportunity, it is one we have so far failed to grasp. We are losing much of our manufacturing base to foreign nations, and now much of our high tech economy is being out-sourced. The economic costs of these developments vastly exceed the damage done by 9/11. And if the neocons get their way and drive us into a self-destructive holy war with the entire Muslim world,... more... - Sean McBride

@Brian: i see your point - heard it lots of times. and i understand the sentiment. but all evidence points to settlements as an obstacle to peace. i didn't say anything about the 'rights' of either party. that's because arriving at peace is going to require getting past what folks have 'a right' to do, or have, or keep, etc. the simple truth is that peace here will be mean giving up... more... - MikeAmundsen

Sean - I think it is a false argument to claim that we want to go to war against the entire Muslim world, If we did we would have just went in there and bombed the middle east into oblivion! - Brian

*Neocons* -- not "we" -- want to go to war with the entire Muslim world -- it is a theme which features prominently in their writings. Next stop: Iran. The pressure coming from the neocon camp to attack Iran is relentless. Saudi Arabia is also on their hit list. - Sean McBride

mediaeater

World map of social networks http://www.vincos.it/wp-cont...

June 8 from Twitter - Comment - Like - Share

Hayk H. liked this

Om Malik

RT @Lotay: Twitter's Innovation Drought (BusinessWeek) by @ericjackson http://viigo.im/P8h

June 8 from Twitter - Comment - Like - Share

Dilip Dand, Hayk H. and Robert Scoble liked this

Hutch Carpenter

Salon.com: A Practical Guide to Implementing Web 2.0 (aka Social Networking Tools) in Your Organization http://blogs.salon.com/0002007...

June 3 from Twitter - Comment - Like - Share

Jeremy Schultz, Charles Tanton, Robert Scoble and 2 other people liked this

Anthony Citrano

Nepal's Annapurna Circuit: A Trek of a Lifetime and All the Practical Details You'll Need - http://www.uncorneredmarket.com/2008...

June 4 from Bookmarklet - Comment - Like - Share

Mike Nencetti, Hayk H., Arash and Jauder Ho Auto liked this

“In a slow-building climb, make your way on foot towards Thorong La pass along millennia-old foot-worn trading paths where nature’s kindness doesn’t extend to motorized transport. You can trust that anything resembling civilization (housing, food, drink) has found itself there on the backs of mules, human porters, or both. Watch the landscape progress from lush valleys and verdant terraced hills to the contrasting and iconic severity of the towering Annapurna sub-range of the Himalayas. The various ethnic groups that live, move, and carve out their lives in this environment are what lend this trek its cultural heft. After a 10-day climb and summit, make your descent through the whistling Kali Gandaki river valley back to ‘civilization’ again.” - Anthony Citrano

Steve Rubel

The Friendfeed gadget works in Gmail!

October 28, 2008 - Comment - Like - Share

Alessandro Cosimetti, Nikos Kouremenos, Nils Sandin and 80 other people liked this

whao sweet! - Zach Landes

27 more comments

I know. I am commenting on this from Gmail! - Steve Rubel

I don't know if a could deal with that tiny width, but it's cool nonetheless. ;) - Brandon

Cool - how did you do that? - Nick Reynolds

http://friendfeed.com/embed... - Steve Rubel

Thanks - Nick Reynolds

Lovely! - Bec Rowe @d0tski

should the url: http://friendfeed.com/embed... :) - Hobbes

I have successfully added - Hobbes

uh oh, perhaps disturbing is a better description - jerobins

I can't find the page,it shows nothing when I open it up. - Steve Chou

But..how use this xml? - enrico

The links are not working anymore - just gives me a blank page? - Oyvind Solstad

How do I do this? - David Cook

Is there a real-time gadget? - Rolf Schewe

You need to go to Gmail | Settings | Labs | Add any gadget by URL | Enable - Carlos Granier-Phelps

i'm using it from months. It's really useful - Daniele Di Gregorio

Added! Thanks - Micah Wittman from twhirl

I wish I could add this gadget, but when I enable the Gadgets from any URL thing in Labs, I don't see the form to enter the URL under the Gadgets tab. Apparently several people have this problem (went to the Google Groups to add feedback that it's not working correctly), and no one has offered up any solution. :( Sucks! - Cheryl Jones

Finally get the idea,it is cool though,but not very practical. - Steve Chou

The URL tab is added to your settings area, not the Labs area. That was confusing for me. - Yolanda

That is so cool! For me, the only problem is the width which is not appropriate but it works fine - Rémi Fayolle

@Yolanda: I know. The description for the Labs item that you enable says that a Gadgets tab will be enabled on the Settings page, but clicking on that Gadgets tab doesn't show the form where you can enter the URL like it's supposed to. Bah. - Cheryl Jones

@cheryljones I'm having the same problem too. I just get a blank page on the gadgets tab. Let me know if you figure out how to import. - Al Stevens

@Al: Just for fun I went back to the Gadget tab in my Gmail settings, and the URL form box is there now. Just added the FriendFeed gadget to Gmail, yay! - Cheryl Jones

Hmmm. The FF gadget is less useful than I thought. First of all, there doesn't seem to be a way to manually refresh it without refreshing Gmail as a whole (perhaps I'm too impatient waiting for updates). Also you can't post an original post through the gadget. And the number of FF updates shown by the gadget is limited. I thought I'd be able to see older posts. Oh well, it might be good for occasional use. - Cheryl Jones

Nice, but wish the tabs in Gmail had replacing options.. - Reza

It's not enough wide for me. - Smeerch

A while ago it stopped refreshing properly so I stopped using it. - Cheryl Jones

Startup Success: Alex Schleber

Goldmine -> "Larry Page Delivers Powerful Commencement Speech At U of M [Video + Transcript] - Pulse2" - http://pulse2.com/2009...

May 30 from Bookmarklet - Comment - Like - Share

Ufuk Kılıç, Rui Pereira and Hayk H. liked this

"...I have a story about following dreams. Or maybe more accurately, it’s a story about finding a path to make those dreams real. You know what it’s like to wake up in the middle of the night with a vivid dream? And you know how, if you don’t have a pencil and pad by the bed to write it down, it will be completely gone the next morning? Well, I had one of those dreams when I was 23. When I suddenly woke up, I was thinking: what if we could download the whole web, and just keep the links and… I grabbed a pen and started writing! Sometimes it is important to wake up and stop dreaming. I spent the middle of that night scribbling out the details and convincing myself it would work. Soon after, I told my advisor, Terry Winograd, it would take a couple of weeks to download the web — he nodded knowingly, fully aware it would take much longer but wise enough to not tell me..." - Alex Schleber from Bookmarklet

Baard @ Pixum

15 Most Alien Looking Caterpillars on Earth http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/feature...

May 29 from Twitter - Comment - Like - Share

Lars Clausen, Hayk H., Kim and 2 other people liked this

they are here!!! 8-) - esther ♥ ♫

Sean McBride

What are the people of Twitter twittering about? - http://twitter.100twt.com/

May 20 from delicious - Comment - Like - Share

Hayk H. liked this

Cool way to structure and bundle Twitter feeds -- by company, organization, project, group, etc. - Sean McBride

Steven Cains

Top 7 Digital Signage Trends For 2009 - http://www.protouchblog.co.uk/2009...

May 17 from Digg - Comment - Like - Share

Hayk H. liked this

Sean McBride

Daily Kos: Official story of 9/11 "almost entirely untrue" - http://www.dailykos.com/storyon...

May 16 from delicious - Comment - Like - Share

Hayk H. liked this

The mainstream media are continuing to ignore John Farmer's revelations about the 9/11 Commission and 9/11 in general, despite the fact that his credentials on 9/11 couldn't be more credible and impressive. - Sean McBride

Robert Scoble

How many business cards have I collected? I spent more than $1,000 to scan them all in at http://www.cloudcontacts.com/ Great service.

May 16 - Comment - Like - Share

Daniel Brusilovsky, Peter Efland, Brian and 19 other people liked this

It is so cool to know who is calling on my iPhone. - Robert Scoble

22 more comments

Was it worth the money do you think -- besides being cool. - Brian Sullivan

I bought a scanner but never used it. This is making my iPhone and my Gmail much more useful. No longer do I have to waste time looking up emails and phone numbers. - Robert Scoble

One problem with business cards, though. They go out of date remarkably fast. CloudContacts tries to help by hooking up with other social networks so you can find other ways to contact the person you're trying to get ahold of. - Robert Scoble

I am sending all my business cards to C loud Contacts now. - Francine Hardaway from IM

Now you know why I'm hoping we move to a Poken world: http://www.doyoupoken.com - Robert Scoble

Completely agree -- probably one of my favorite services I've started using this year! - Sean Ammirati

how did you spend over $1k when the service is nowhere near that expensive? your a big liar. - Ed Palumbo

Presumably Robert had quite a few more than 500 cards. - Tim Tyler

Thanks everyone! Keep your cards coming :) - Allen Stern

Ed: I have many thousands of business cards in my collection. - Robert Scoble

Thanks Robert, looks like a real find - hope it's a keeper. - courtney benson

By the way Ed, I came very close to blocking you. Anyone who accuses someone else of lying without knowing the facts is an asshole and I generally block assholes. - Robert Scoble

How do you think business cards getting evolved? Do you see people mentioning links to their FriendFeed or Twitter Profiles? :) - Bhavesh

bhavesh: yes, I've gotten business cards that have links to those things. - Robert Scoble

block the asshole robert!!!!! - Rachael Depp

Ed -- do you not know the power of the scoble? GEEK FAIL! B-) - Rachael Depp

Rachel: I'm in a good mood so Ed gets a verbal warning. :-) - Robert Scoble

lol! good moods are nice :) - Rachael Depp

Cool service but I'm trying not to hand out my cards anymore unless the recipient MUST have a paper card. I now send my business card from my phone, txt or the web via http://www.mydropcard.com/ for free. I'll send you my card that way Robert, so you can see how it works. - Kevin C. Tofel

I also added. But I prefer Friendfeed widget. Below. - ramiromarques

Haha, I didn't think I was being too harsh. It was more of a "hey, this service is pretty inexpensive." - thanks for not blocking me as I'm a fan. (yikes) - Ed Palumbo

Ooh, I should see if mine is in there somewhere... - Shawna Benson

Shall I send mine? :) - Ozkan Altuner

Sean McBride

Our man at Bilderberg: in pursuit of the world's most powerful cabal | World news | guardian.co.uk - http://www.guardian.co.uk/world...

May 15 from delicious - Comment - Like - Share

Hayk H. and Maryam liked this

Sean McBride

Getting the most out of Twitter -- some useful Twitter feeds I follow:

May 15 - Comment - Like - Share

Hayk H., Nick in Manila and Greg Guitarbuster liked this

1. amnesty 2. atul 3. bbcscitech 4. BreakingNews 5. cqpolitics 6. cyc_ai 7. dailydish 8. davewiner 9. DemocracyNow 10. EFF 11. expert20 12. fbase 13. feedly 14. ffholic 15. FP_Passport 16. glenngreenwald 17. google 18. guardiannews 19. guardiantech 20. haaretzonline 21. hashdir 22. huffingtonpost 23. infowarsstories 24. jeremyscahill 25. Jerusalem_Post 26. jimmy_wales 27. johnbattelle 28. jtanews 29. kevin2kelly 30. louisgray 31. mashable 32. microformats 33. mkapor 34. mmfa 35. Mondoweiss 36. msnbc_breaking 37. NiemanLab 38. nprpolitics 39. nytimes 40. opencalais 41. Paulwolfowitz 42. Powerset 43. rww 44. sciam 45. SunFoundation 46. surchur 47. techreview 48. TheEconomist 49. thenation 50. thinkprogress 51. timesonline 52. timoreilly 53. tnr 54. tpmmedia 55. twine_official 56. w30 57. whorunsgov 58. wikia 59. wired 60. wiredmag 61. wolframalphaUK - Sean McBride

Which Twitter feeds do you find to be most valuable? - Sean McBride

Additions: DavidCornDC, dorait, FrankRich, googlenews, hendler, klamma, novaspivack, robocrunch, science, Wolfram_Alpha, WolframResearch - Sean McBride

Sean McBride

Neocons Gone Wild | TPM - http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archive...

May 15 from Bookmarklet - Comment - Like - Share

Hayk H. liked this

""Cheney's and Rumsfeld's people were told repeatedly, by CIA . . . and by others, that there wasn't any reliable intelligence that pointed to operational ties between bin Laden and Saddam, and that no such ties were likely because the two were fundamentally enemies, not allies." Senior administration officials, however, "blew that off and kept insisting that we'd overlooked something, that the interrogators weren't pushing hard enough, that there had to be something more we could do to get that information," he said." - Sean McBride from Bookmarklet

"We also know from Robert Windrem's report at The Daily Beast that Cheney apparently pressed Iraq Survey Group chief Charles Duelfer to use water torture on what was apparently a bona fide Iraqi POW -- a senior intelligence official -- in order to get him to confess to connections with al Qaida. Duelfer refused. Looking at these revelations together put my mind back to those days in... more... - Sean McBride

Fred Wilson

Thoughts from 25,000 feet - http://www.avc.com/a_vc...

May 10 from A VC - Comment - Like - Share

Jeff (the メガマクダジ of FF) and Hayk H. liked this

Anthony Citrano

The Quiet Coup | The Atlantic - http://www.theatlantic.com/doc...

May 9 from Bookmarklet - Comment - Like - Share

David HC Soul, Aviv, Hayk H. and Tapio Kulmala liked this

Great piece by former IMF chief economist Simon Johnson. - Anthony Citrano

“The crash has laid bare many unpleasant truths about the United States. One of the most alarming, says a former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, is that the finance industry has effectively captured our government—a state of affairs that more typically describes emerging markets, and is at the center of many emerging-market crises. If the IMF’s staff could speak... more... - Anthony Citrano

“In its depth and suddenness, the U.S. economic and financial crisis is shockingly reminiscent of moments we have recently seen in emerging markets (and only in emerging markets): South Korea (1997), Malaysia (1998), Russia and Argentina (time and again). In each of those cases, global investors, afraid that the country or its financial sector wouldn’t be able to pay off mountainous... more... - Anthony Citrano

Jemm to Jemm's feed, Funny Pics and Videos

OMG! Wut are they doing?? - http://naurunappula.com/z...

May 9 from Bookmarklet - Comment - Like - Share

SokooteDel, pm10, Hayk H. and 7 other people liked this

Zee.

Holocaust-Denial groups find a home on Facebook. Should they be removed? Facebook are on the fence. - http://thenextweb.com/2009...

May 8 from TheNextWeb.com - Comment - Like - Share

Ouriel Ohayon, Hayk H., Craig Eddy and 12 other people liked this

I thought denying the Holocaust was actually illegal...or am I completely wrong? - Charlotte M

37 more comments

i dont believe so Charley - Zee.

It is - in Germany. - Nir Ben Yona

It's not illegal in the US. - Cristo

I defend their right to be ignorant, but I also demand my right to kick their collective asses should I ever meet them - William Harryman

William, unless you are threatened and acting in self defense in the US kicking their asses is considered assault. - Cristo

So Facebook has no qualms about censoring emails, but they allow groups who's concepts are outlawed in the very parts of the world Facebook is seen? Something is not right, here... - Helen Sventitsky

Personally I think they should remove it completely - Nicholas James

I think Facebook should tag content in a way that it can be ignored easily, and provide a default of moderate safety in a similar way as Google image search. Hate groups, excessive violence, and nudity could all be screened out via this process. - Cristo

This is where freedom of speech gets a little over my head I'm afraid. - Charlotte M

yeah, Chris, I know - just wishful thinking - William Harryman

remove. it's illegal .. but let's talk about what really happened on 911. because we don't know the truth yet - Petr Buben

Petr, by your logic, all a country has to do is make 9/11 theories illegal to keep it off Facebook or anywhere on the Internet. Once you start making it illegal to express ideas, no matter how stupid or hateful they are, then you are on a slippery slope to loss of individual freedom my friend. - Cristo

@Chris .. *suppressing the truth*, the facts, is wrong .. be it the exterminating of the whole nation during world war II, or suppressing the fact that buildings cannot explode with nanothermite, pulverize and collapse onto themselves with the speed of near free fall, all by themselves or after airplane impact - Petr Buben

So there's a way for people to publicly declare their ignorance and racism for all to see, and this is considered a bad thing? Whether or not the group exists, these people will still think the same way. In my mind, it's a great honeypot. - Mr. Gunn

Petr, who decides what can be said? You? The majority? - Cristo

@Mr G .. lets not promote or glamorize racism, crime, violence, these ugly things ...it's all wrong .... start your own internet, your own defacebuk, if you want to preach aggression, war, hate ... that much i think is already agreed to .. and it has to be by the leader of the world ! , per default - Petr Buben

@Chris .. yes, the majority .. the benevolent, liberal, opened democratic majority .. decided in a democratic way - Petr Buben

I've always been of the mind that everyone deserves free speech no matter how abhorrent or offensive the speech. I've always thought it important to defend even the worst people over their right to freely express themselves. Protecting free speech for the outcasts, backwards and wrong is probably the most important of all. - Thomas Hawk

Petr, good luck with your 9/11 theories then. Majority rule has a way of squelching the voice of the non-majority thinker. I'm glad we have the bill of rights in the US, to combat mob rule. - Cristo

@Thomas .. well ... but isn't this the road to the lowest common denominator? must we all become outcast wanted desparates, criminals, before you will protect our right to free speech? ..... to me, criminals have no right to speak .. victims have - Petr Buben

If a internet website had to follow all the laws of all the countries that it is seen/used it, the websites wouldn't be able to do crap. FB is based in the US. You still (for now) have the right to be a total and complete asshole in your beliefs here. So they should be allowed to create a internet presence. But FB is a closed privately owned system that is not subjected to many laws. They can do what they want with the content on their system at any time. - CW™

I'm always up for protecting anyone's right to free speech, not just the outcasts and lowest common denominator, but sometimes they are the one's that need the help the most. - Thomas Hawk

@Chris .. 911 are not theories .. they are facts .... and majority will not squelch the voice, just the actions of minority,- democratically elected majority .../// every minority ought to first build itself into majority ... how? talk. thoughts. ...persuade. internet. -----------------===== so yes, they have a right to free speech, just not on facebook, NOT amidst of non-outcast, beautiful, intelligent, educated aristocratic liberal noble people - such as friendfeed users - Petr Buben

wow. this really does raise serious issues. the group should b removed imho but thomas cud be right too if the group could serve as a platform for public conversation between all who 'believe' in the holocaust and the anti-believers. i doubt we can change their minds though. - Freddie Benjamin

Free speech isn't about liking what is said, or whether you think it is horrifically offensive. Free speech is not about whether you or everyone thinks the things being said are not facts or dispute facts. Free speech is about the ability for another individual to say things you don't agree with and not be prosecuted or censored for it. - Cristo

And in Isreal.... - Roberto Bonini

how about - free speech is about the right NOT to have to listen to what others have to say if you don't like it ... let them say it, sure, its freedom, just don't repeat it, and don't say it to me ....... ----------- obviously, it leads to this - we need to be polite, considerate to each other, "listen" to each other, before we "speak" ... /freedom to listen should be for all ..........//// and certain things one cannot say, NO freedom, type of criminal threats - Petr Buben

@Charley M - nothing to do with legality. Facebook can decide they don't like it, and take it down. That's not a violation of freedom of speech. Throwing the person in jail would be. - Blake Caldwell

Blake is correct. There is nothing preventing Facebook as a private company from putting any rules that they want on their website. It's already pretty lame that they won't allow photos of women breastfeeding. I'd still argue for non-censorship and openness on any platform though. Less censorship is better than more censorship in my opinion. - Thomas Hawk

I'm with Thomas, open it up, and then point and laugh at the silly people (holocaust deniers and 9/11 "truthers" alike). :) - Edward Zwart

@Blake, yeah I see your point. Just wasn't sure about the laws surrounding it. I agree with Thomas too, everyone should have the right to express what they believe. If I don't like hearing/seeing something it's up to me to then turn the tv/radio off or walk away. - Charlotte M

It's important, if not vital, that people be allowed to express themselves. However stupid their opinions might be. They key is in the freedom of the listener or viewer to not listen or view. - Rick Cogley

I think a disclaimer from Facebook should be a start - with links of pictures of the event they deny. My father was in WWII and we DO have pictures HE took of the graves. I would love for this particular group to explain this to me. - Janet

Generally speaking, the web is chock full of ignorant people. We can't shut everything down, but this isn't a free speech issue. This is Facebook's right to call either way. The FB community can engage or ignore these asshats, the same way we do with other media. - Mike Lewis

As a member of the ACLU, I think you know my stance (interestingly, I'm Jewish). I like the filter by tags suggestion by Chris White. - Zach Landes

Facebook is easily controlled based on who you subscribe to, because you have to approve anyone having access to your content, and you can control whose content you see. It's like anything else offensive to you on the internet, click the X and don't return to the site. - Trish R

Although Facebook is not against censorship. They took down all the pictures of women breastfeeding and isn't that MUCH worse than denying an historical event such as the Holocaust? /sarcasm - Trish R

Should they be removed? As has been said, Facebook owns the servers and can do with them what they want.Germany making Holocaust denial a crime flies in the face of the U.S. First Amendment (not that I'm saying that should apply to the German government). And, as always, under the First Amendment you have the right to speak, but not the right to be heard (which is why the so-called Fairness Doctrine sometimes discussed in the U.S. is such a farce). - Craig Eddy

Hayk H. › Likes