Antisemitism is a idea, ideas can live in the minds of people, people reporting from Palestine are antisemitic, therefore killing the journalist was a valid military target.
Even though the journalist, an Arab, is a Semite…
Semite - Wiktionary2. A member of any of a number of peoples of ancient southwestern Asia and East Africa such as the Akkadians, Assyrians, Arameans, Phoenicians, Canaanites, Hebrews, Arabs, Aksumites, and Ethiopians.
People are dying. Let’s not get carried away with nonsense. When people use the term “antisemitism” they are using the modern defition to mean prejudice against Jewish people. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisemitism
Let’s also not get carried away with fervor. People are dying. Being against Israel’s overreaction, genocide, and colonialism is not being antisemitic.
Agreed, but neither should we ignore the large contingent of actual bigots who will use these atrocities to advance their respective ignorant and hate-based agendas. There is real anti-semitism and islamophobia pervading the international conversations.
Indeed, but the corporate media and governments seem to be taking Israel’s side, so I feel the more accurate balancing point is to focus on the humanity of Palestinians. They are truly powerless being toyed with by Israel while Hamas ensures that the generalized punishment from Israel (a war crime) will continue.
Articles on Wikipedia are heavily edited so that anti-semitism can only mean anti-Jew in Wikipedia.
When was the last time that term meant anything but anti-Jew in English? Yeah I’m aware what the word Semite means. Sometimes word meanings change. Pretty sure anti-semite has referred to people who hate Jews since many decades ago.
Is there a reason you’re so salty about this particular fairly old shift in language? Do tell why.
Is there a reason you’re so salty about this particular fairly old shift in language? Do tell why.
In a pre-WWII European context (where the only relevant Semites were Jews), letting the meaning shift was one thing.
In this Middle Eastern context (with two relevant groups of Semites), it’s entirely different: it’s an attempt to “other” and dehumanize Arabs by denying their shared Semitic heritage and instead claiming it exclusively for Jews. It’s a fundamentally dishonest definition that facilitates DARVO tactics.
I mean, if you generalize it THAT far, I’m sure there are many terms that become malicious. The current bad words weren’t always bad words in some cases (thinking more like the odd slurs like “idiot” than the tried and true cuss words).
In fact, wasn’t f*ggot ONLY a term for bundles of sticks used for tinder until it became fashionable to burn gay people like witches?
Redefining words has been a political tool since forever. But they do have meanings, and a history, so if someone uses an archaic term… you can use the term right back at them.
Antisemitism is a idea, ideas can live in the minds of people, people reporting from Palestine are antisemitic, therefore killing the journalist was a valid military target.
Even though the journalist, an Arab, is a Semite…
Semite - Wiktionary 2. A member of any of a number of peoples of ancient southwestern Asia and East Africa such as the Akkadians, Assyrians, Arameans, Phoenicians, Canaanites, Hebrews, Arabs, Aksumites, and Ethiopians.
People are dying. Let’s not get carried away with nonsense. When people use the term “antisemitism” they are using the modern defition to mean prejudice against Jewish people. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisemitism
Let’s also not get carried away with fervor. People are dying. Being against Israel’s overreaction, genocide, and colonialism is not being antisemitic.
Agreed, but neither should we ignore the large contingent of actual bigots who will use these atrocities to advance their respective ignorant and hate-based agendas. There is real anti-semitism and islamophobia pervading the international conversations.
Indeed, but the corporate media and governments seem to be taking Israel’s side, so I feel the more accurate balancing point is to focus on the humanity of Palestinians. They are truly powerless being toyed with by Israel while Hamas ensures that the generalized punishment from Israel (a war crime) will continue.
Everything can be justified using illogical mental gymnastics.
Like Ben Franklin said (paraphrased) rational thinking is for rationalizing bullshit.
Those self hating semites
Ah, nice to see wiktionary hasn’t been edited.
Articles on Wikipedia are heavily edited so that anti-semitism can only mean anti-Jew in Wikipedia. Terms such as Semitic people are called obsolete.
Wikipedia really gets politicized.
When was the last time that term meant anything but anti-Jew in English? Yeah I’m aware what the word Semite means. Sometimes word meanings change. Pretty sure anti-semite has referred to people who hate Jews since many decades ago.
Is there a reason you’re so salty about this particular fairly old shift in language? Do tell why.
In a pre-WWII European context (where the only relevant Semites were Jews), letting the meaning shift was one thing.
In this Middle Eastern context (with two relevant groups of Semites), it’s entirely different: it’s an attempt to “other” and dehumanize Arabs by denying their shared Semitic heritage and instead claiming it exclusively for Jews. It’s a fundamentally dishonest definition that facilitates DARVO tactics.
So using a term the way it’s been used for decades is suddenly malicious if we change contexts.
No, I’m not buying that at all.
I mean, if you generalize it THAT far, I’m sure there are many terms that become malicious. The current bad words weren’t always bad words in some cases (thinking more like the odd slurs like “idiot” than the tried and true cuss words).
In fact, wasn’t f*ggot ONLY a term for bundles of sticks used for tinder until it became fashionable to burn gay people like witches?
Redefining words has been a political tool since forever. But they do have meanings, and a history, so if someone uses an archaic term… you can use the term right back at them.