Come, Sherman, let’s get into the WayBack machine and go to 1972, Far Rockaway, NY, as Jeff goes down to the local Employment Department office to look through their files of available jobs in the area. Finding one that seemed interesting, Jeff went to the agent and asked if he could apply for that job. The agent pointed to a note on the form and said “This job is reserved for minorities“. Jeff replied, “I’m a minority, I’m Jewish“. “Sorry”, said the agent, “that’s not one of the minorities this is reserved for”.
True story, details are from memory, but just how it happened. (This was six years before Bakke, btw.) i’ve never complained about it; I’m not complaining about it now. But as a data point, I feel it applies to Ben’s comments. 🤔😉😊
Step two. Encourage the rest of your friends to follow Step one.
If Elon is the only Twitter, X account remaining he does no harm.
If you have an account still aren't you an enabler?
Once upon a time in the stone age the Twitter world was based on increasing text enabled cell phone networks but there was a built in governance in the form of cost to text on these new fangled cell phones with text capabilities.
Now with unlimited plans very ubiquitous the Twits who still use Twitter are like the person who has unlimited supply of twits to tweet.
Enter Elon Musk. If you have an account you are enabling him.
Just say no to X. In fact X is a perfect name for Twitter as it should be eXtinct long, long ago.
Problem is there are still governors and AG’s using X and other prominent people because there’s no universal alternative yet but if we all leave in droves then they’ll have to find another platform.
I think there’s a third reason for the lack of Jewish studies at elite universities, religion. What has made and makes Jews different from the other peoples they’ve lived amongst is their fidelity to their covenant with their God. Especially since the rise of New Atheism, it’s been fashionable to hate on religion as an unenlightened and dangerous practice. The Jewish people are inextricably linked to religion. So those who see the Old Testament as a pack of troglodytic, Bronze Age myths that have created a degenerate, misogynistic society will also be anti-Jewish in very strident ways. If a major problem with your society stems from the religious history and practice of the Jewish people and the Christians who have appropriated their religious texts, how could you not but detest them? The poor Jewish people get blamed for every malady in Western society. For the Right they are secretive, money hungry, Christ-killing, masters of the universe. For the Left they are white, colonizing, patriarchy-building, religious zealots. In actuality, the Jewish people have done more for the ethical and scientific betterment of humanity than any other group in history. They aren’t perfect, but only the Jews are held to such a standard.
I've thought of Israel and Palestine almost daily the last couple months, but this article touches on something I haven't thought in a long time. First, I grew up in Martin Luther training school. For real. Very conservative Lutheran, and I was never taught that Jews were a minority. I got the Mel Gibson version of Jewish history. For all I knew, they were white.
I grew up in a small town in North Carolina and there was one older well respected Jewish couple-I never heard one derogatory word about Jews and never knew of antisemitism until I saw the mini series “Holocaust” on TV about 1979-1980. I was shocked and horrified. I also only knew them as white people.
I listened to both Banter podcasts on Sunday along with finally catching Adam McKay's brilliant film "Vice" on Netflix (starring Christian Bale as Dick Cheney). It was a lot to process heading into your F'ing Monday's post, which makes me feel deeper than ever that humankind isn't cut out for living and won't be around much longer. With 9 billion of us competing with every other species on Earth for resources, and most humans relying on basic primitive urges to drive their decisions versus complex thought, reasoning, compassion, and compromise, perhaps the Earth is due for a good cleansing of the walking, talking cancer cells that we are. Thanks to last night's John Oliver show, we also need to add "bomb trains" to our list of potential extinction triggers. Until the election, I'll remain hopeful good will triumph over evil. A major overhaul of our election system, industry regulation, and media are needed to save the day. And needless to say, every American who gave their life in service to this country in WW1, WW2, and Vietnam would crap a brick seeing how their offspring would so willingly hand over their country to dictators.
Very well written Ben. I too am disheartened at the state of affairs, and very concerned about the future of humanity , particularly with the explosion of antisemitism which is reminiscent of the rise of German Nazis and hatred and violence against not only Jews but anyone who is seen as different and somehow dangerous . A sad and frightening state of affairs indeed
I should say the end of the end for my Twitter. I never used it much, still a mainstream media guy but well-informed. I was curious after Elon bought it and I tried for a few months. Got attacked a couple of times over bullshit. Not worth my time, and somehow I wound up following dudes like Hananiah without remembering how I could ever have chosen that. Getting Nazi, homophobic stuff in my feed. It was surreal, and I haven't been on but maybe a few times in the past couple months. Finally, the slide in anti-Semitism since October, now Alex Jones.
I’m with you. I peeked in at times and twice I was attacked by only what I can describe as pond scum, the most uncouth, offensive people I’ve ever come across. No point in going back ever. Alex Jones is the scum of the earth and Musk allowed him back for the uproar and attention it would get him. He’s like the bad kid who craves attention even if it means behaving badly.
They're muckrakers, just there to stir up shit and maybe get recognized by Shapiro and those dudes. Never once got into any intelligent back-and-forth.
As a member of Sandy Hook promise Alex Jones is satan, no I take that back, satan wouldn’t be caught “dead” with the likes of Alex Jones. His fat ass will pay with his soul
Come, Sherman, let’s get into the WayBack machine and go to 1972, Far Rockaway, NY, as Jeff goes down to the local Employment Department office to look through their files of available jobs in the area. Finding one that seemed interesting, Jeff went to the agent and asked if he could apply for that job. The agent pointed to a note on the form and said “This job is reserved for minorities“. Jeff replied, “I’m a minority, I’m Jewish“. “Sorry”, said the agent, “that’s not one of the minorities this is reserved for”.
True story, details are from memory, but just how it happened. (This was six years before Bakke, btw.) i’ve never complained about it; I’m not complaining about it now. But as a data point, I feel it applies to Ben’s comments. 🤔😉😊
Step one. Delete your X, Twitter Account.
Step two. Encourage the rest of your friends to follow Step one.
If Elon is the only Twitter, X account remaining he does no harm.
If you have an account still aren't you an enabler?
Once upon a time in the stone age the Twitter world was based on increasing text enabled cell phone networks but there was a built in governance in the form of cost to text on these new fangled cell phones with text capabilities.
Now with unlimited plans very ubiquitous the Twits who still use Twitter are like the person who has unlimited supply of twits to tweet.
Enter Elon Musk. If you have an account you are enabling him.
Just say no to X. In fact X is a perfect name for Twitter as it should be eXtinct long, long ago.
Problem is there are still governors and AG’s using X and other prominent people because there’s no universal alternative yet but if we all leave in droves then they’ll have to find another platform.
I think there’s a third reason for the lack of Jewish studies at elite universities, religion. What has made and makes Jews different from the other peoples they’ve lived amongst is their fidelity to their covenant with their God. Especially since the rise of New Atheism, it’s been fashionable to hate on religion as an unenlightened and dangerous practice. The Jewish people are inextricably linked to religion. So those who see the Old Testament as a pack of troglodytic, Bronze Age myths that have created a degenerate, misogynistic society will also be anti-Jewish in very strident ways. If a major problem with your society stems from the religious history and practice of the Jewish people and the Christians who have appropriated their religious texts, how could you not but detest them? The poor Jewish people get blamed for every malady in Western society. For the Right they are secretive, money hungry, Christ-killing, masters of the universe. For the Left they are white, colonizing, patriarchy-building, religious zealots. In actuality, the Jewish people have done more for the ethical and scientific betterment of humanity than any other group in history. They aren’t perfect, but only the Jews are held to such a standard.
I've thought of Israel and Palestine almost daily the last couple months, but this article touches on something I haven't thought in a long time. First, I grew up in Martin Luther training school. For real. Very conservative Lutheran, and I was never taught that Jews were a minority. I got the Mel Gibson version of Jewish history. For all I knew, they were white.
I grew up in a small town in North Carolina and there was one older well respected Jewish couple-I never heard one derogatory word about Jews and never knew of antisemitism until I saw the mini series “Holocaust” on TV about 1979-1980. I was shocked and horrified. I also only knew them as white people.
I listened to both Banter podcasts on Sunday along with finally catching Adam McKay's brilliant film "Vice" on Netflix (starring Christian Bale as Dick Cheney). It was a lot to process heading into your F'ing Monday's post, which makes me feel deeper than ever that humankind isn't cut out for living and won't be around much longer. With 9 billion of us competing with every other species on Earth for resources, and most humans relying on basic primitive urges to drive their decisions versus complex thought, reasoning, compassion, and compromise, perhaps the Earth is due for a good cleansing of the walking, talking cancer cells that we are. Thanks to last night's John Oliver show, we also need to add "bomb trains" to our list of potential extinction triggers. Until the election, I'll remain hopeful good will triumph over evil. A major overhaul of our election system, industry regulation, and media are needed to save the day. And needless to say, every American who gave their life in service to this country in WW1, WW2, and Vietnam would crap a brick seeing how their offspring would so willingly hand over their country to dictators.
Save the Vietnam vets who are part of the Donald Trump revival.
Very well written Ben. I too am disheartened at the state of affairs, and very concerned about the future of humanity , particularly with the explosion of antisemitism which is reminiscent of the rise of German Nazis and hatred and violence against not only Jews but anyone who is seen as different and somehow dangerous . A sad and frightening state of affairs indeed
I should say the end of the end for my Twitter. I never used it much, still a mainstream media guy but well-informed. I was curious after Elon bought it and I tried for a few months. Got attacked a couple of times over bullshit. Not worth my time, and somehow I wound up following dudes like Hananiah without remembering how I could ever have chosen that. Getting Nazi, homophobic stuff in my feed. It was surreal, and I haven't been on but maybe a few times in the past couple months. Finally, the slide in anti-Semitism since October, now Alex Jones.
We can't support this anymore.
I’m with you. I peeked in at times and twice I was attacked by only what I can describe as pond scum, the most uncouth, offensive people I’ve ever come across. No point in going back ever. Alex Jones is the scum of the earth and Musk allowed him back for the uproar and attention it would get him. He’s like the bad kid who craves attention even if it means behaving badly.
They're muckrakers, just there to stir up shit and maybe get recognized by Shapiro and those dudes. Never once got into any intelligent back-and-forth.
Yeah, that marked the end of Twitter for me. I guess I just don't believe in free speech as much as Elon Musk. What a great American he is.
It’s not free speech Musk seeks to promote-it’s hate speech and he loves it. It’s who he is
As a member of Sandy Hook promise Alex Jones is satan, no I take that back, satan wouldn’t be caught “dead” with the likes of Alex Jones. His fat ass will pay with his soul