American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein in Two Parts
Here is a taster of what can be enjoyed in the film. Just to wet the appetite!
Sunday 24 June 2012
"Dear God, please send more like this one."
A number of years ago a revealing portrait of a great scholar, and something of a tortured mind, was released. Norman Finkelstein recently celebrated, or perhaps bemoaned, his thirty year involvement at the forefront of the intellectual battle for the minds of men and women seeking to know more about Israel, the Palestinians and the ongoing conflict that exists between them. It is the unfortunate reality that this film is unavailable on a DVD that is compatible with viewing in Europe. It is however fortunate that Al Jazeera has posted the entire film on its website for all to enjoy. This film examines not only Finkelstein the man but also examines the trials and tribulations that he encountered following his now infamous clash with Alan Dershowitz (which can be found in the history of this blog from February 2012). What is examined then is not merely an individual but the dishonesty of people like Alan Dershowitz and his cohort, as well as the frankly shameful institutional protection he received from Harvard. I heartily recommend that before one watches this documentary that they examine the history of Finkelstein and Dershowitz's clash. If one is committed to watching more than just the debate then Finkelstein's book Beyond Chutzpah (which was the real cause of the damage and which Dershowitz tried to have banned) is the logical place to begin. There is also a good Wikipedia article on the Dershowitz Finkelstein debacle that can be read here. Otherwise just enjoy this piece for what it is, namely a thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking documentary film.
American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein in Two Parts
Here is a taster of what can be enjoyed in the film. Just to wet the appetite!
American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein in Two Parts
Here is a taster of what can be enjoyed in the film. Just to wet the appetite!
Saturday 23 June 2012
"Are we out of ideas on this planet?"
I have decided to dissect this crazy man's tirade. An easy target he may be but as becomes evident from the video he has an audience. His audience is bigger than mine and many of you will ostensibly already agree with me but how and ever we shall continue. Just as he preaches to the 'converted' so shall I. Anyway it is first necessary to watch this two minutes of foulness, or better yet watch it, then watch it again as you read.
Point 1- The crazy man has correctly pointed out that his book of fairytales and his imaginary friend are "agin" it. However his decision to bring "sense" into his argument undermines an otherwise fine point that should immediately highlight to people the fact that there is a lot of the messed up shit in the Bible. I sometimes find it hard to believe that they had two millennia to edit that rag and it still turned out like that.
Point 2- I do have admiration for this plan insofar as his Christian 'compassion' has allowed all the "Lesbians AND the Queers" (mustn't forget the queers) to be fed. Apparently from the air, from someone flying over in some kind of holy jetpack device no doubt, with a satchel full of bananas for the lesbians and clams for the queers and homosexuals. (These are mutually exclusive concepts according to crazy man, so for all intents and purposes lesbians are women and the homosexuals and queers are men). I have added a diagram for ease of reference.
Point 3- In a few years they'll die out. This was by far the most bizarre point of them all. The crazy man seems genuinely unaware that homosexuals are born to heterosexual parents. Every day this man wakes up he must turn over and over in his mind the notion that the gays have managed to survive for so long being exclusively born of other gays. This is where I believe the crux of his plan lies. By imprisoning the queers, the homosexuals and the lesbians behind an electric fence he will deprive them of their secret labs bequeathed by ancient aliens that allows them to inseminate without heterosexual intercourse. It is the only rationale I could come up with and is as solid, I think you will find, as any alternative notions underlying the crazy man's plan.
Point 4- I ain't gonna vote for a babykiller and a homosexual lover. It is well established that Obama (to whom I think he is referring) only kills the babies that aren't also homosexual lovers. Obama is also harder to criticise on this basis as all the killing he carries out personally with his own hands. It is clear that crazy man has the classic right wing social conscience whereby your life is sacred when you are smaller than the brain of a common housefly but when you burst forth nine months later you get shit. You get a damn job, that's what you get and if you don't you get shit!
Point 5- It makes me puke in sick. I did feel a genuine pang of sympathy for the crazy man here as I am sure we can all relate to how difficult life must be when you can only puke in sick. If you're feeling like shit and vomit in a sink or a toilet spare a thought for this crazy man who needs sick to puke into. Must be tough.
Point 6- Could you imagine kissing some man? I don't know the precise lack of imagination the crazy man possesses but it is again difficult not to sympathise with him. The fact that he cannot even imagine something as banal as kissing a man makes me feel genuinely sorry for him. Anyway I assume at least half of his congregation, namely the women, can imagine kissing a man. In some instances they may have actually experienced it outside of their presumably wild imaginations, in the real world; (Insofar as any of this particular congregation maintain a link to the real world). Anyway this statement instantly reminded me of a classic Father Ted moment and I apologise in advance for the quality of this video it is the best I could find.
Anyway that is my review of the crazy man. Share it with all of your straight, queer, homosexual and lesbian friends. We may sympathise in places with the crazy man but remember if you ever see him on the street stab him in the face for me. Technically that's incitement to violence and I could go to prison so don't actually do that. (But do, if you see him totally do that!)
Point 1- The crazy man has correctly pointed out that his book of fairytales and his imaginary friend are "agin" it. However his decision to bring "sense" into his argument undermines an otherwise fine point that should immediately highlight to people the fact that there is a lot of the messed up shit in the Bible. I sometimes find it hard to believe that they had two millennia to edit that rag and it still turned out like that.
Point 2- I do have admiration for this plan insofar as his Christian 'compassion' has allowed all the "Lesbians AND the Queers" (mustn't forget the queers) to be fed. Apparently from the air, from someone flying over in some kind of holy jetpack device no doubt, with a satchel full of bananas for the lesbians and clams for the queers and homosexuals. (These are mutually exclusive concepts according to crazy man, so for all intents and purposes lesbians are women and the homosexuals and queers are men). I have added a diagram for ease of reference.
 |
| Crazy Man's.....I mean God's plan for his perfect and beautiful creatures. NB NOT TO SCALE! |
Point 3- In a few years they'll die out. This was by far the most bizarre point of them all. The crazy man seems genuinely unaware that homosexuals are born to heterosexual parents. Every day this man wakes up he must turn over and over in his mind the notion that the gays have managed to survive for so long being exclusively born of other gays. This is where I believe the crux of his plan lies. By imprisoning the queers, the homosexuals and the lesbians behind an electric fence he will deprive them of their secret labs bequeathed by ancient aliens that allows them to inseminate without heterosexual intercourse. It is the only rationale I could come up with and is as solid, I think you will find, as any alternative notions underlying the crazy man's plan.
Point 4- I ain't gonna vote for a babykiller and a homosexual lover. It is well established that Obama (to whom I think he is referring) only kills the babies that aren't also homosexual lovers. Obama is also harder to criticise on this basis as all the killing he carries out personally with his own hands. It is clear that crazy man has the classic right wing social conscience whereby your life is sacred when you are smaller than the brain of a common housefly but when you burst forth nine months later you get shit. You get a damn job, that's what you get and if you don't you get shit!
Point 5- It makes me puke in sick. I did feel a genuine pang of sympathy for the crazy man here as I am sure we can all relate to how difficult life must be when you can only puke in sick. If you're feeling like shit and vomit in a sink or a toilet spare a thought for this crazy man who needs sick to puke into. Must be tough.
Point 6- Could you imagine kissing some man? I don't know the precise lack of imagination the crazy man possesses but it is again difficult not to sympathise with him. The fact that he cannot even imagine something as banal as kissing a man makes me feel genuinely sorry for him. Anyway I assume at least half of his congregation, namely the women, can imagine kissing a man. In some instances they may have actually experienced it outside of their presumably wild imaginations, in the real world; (Insofar as any of this particular congregation maintain a link to the real world). Anyway this statement instantly reminded me of a classic Father Ted moment and I apologise in advance for the quality of this video it is the best I could find.
Anyway that is my review of the crazy man. Share it with all of your straight, queer, homosexual and lesbian friends. We may sympathise in places with the crazy man but remember if you ever see him on the street stab him in the face for me. Technically that's incitement to violence and I could go to prison so don't actually do that. (But do, if you see him totally do that!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)