Comments on The Pensive Quill: Hang, fry, or 'bin Laden' any and all cop-killers

PS Anthony, would you ever leave that feckin poor ...

2013-02-26T19:06:22.648Z

PS Anthony, would you ever leave that feckin poor camel alone!

Anthony; I haven't a clue to be honest but I k...

2013-02-26T18:37:02.985Z

Anthony; I haven't a clue to be honest but I knew she'd quit, I just assumed it was around the rape issue as I heard about it at the same time I heard about Galloways comments.

I don't know a great deal about her or her work but a Muslim woman in politics kind of breaks the glass ceiling. I do know she said at one time though that shed be proud if her children, who are British, fought for their country whether it be Iraq or Afghanistan or wherever. That immediately screamed to me that she's a fool for not being willing to do whatever it took to stop her children fighting in illegal wars in places they had no business being in.

I don't know what Galloway was thinking making the rape comments. He sort of half clarified afterwards saying no always means no but that means nothing because it was after the fact. I think his anger about the assange witch hunt got in the way of straight thinking on his part as I don't think he's anti-women or a misogynist at all.

In terms of the work he does on poverty, inequality, illegal wars and colonialism, I think he's spot on.

BB, I think you are right about Yaqoob and the Ga...

2013-02-26T08:10:10.653Z

BB,

I think you are right about Yaqoob and the Galloway comments on the rape case. I also think she gave an interview to the Guardian or Observer in which she was more expansive in her view of his shortcomings. I suspect but can't be certain that the rape comments may have been the straw that broke the proverbial back. I have never been a great fan of Yaqoob either for that matter.

Anthony; I'm a bit of a fan of Finkelstein and...

2013-02-25T22:25:33.501Z

Anthony; I'm a bit of a fan of Finkelstein and I followed the BDS 'controversy' at the time.

Basically he said that the BDS campaign wasn't the only strategy and activists of the campaign (I am one) in placing too much importance on this were in danger of creating a 'cult'

I'm not really convinced of this but what I do believe, as Finkelstein says, is that part of the BDS campaign is to dismantle israeli apartheid but that because Israeli apartheid is not recognised in international law, then this aspect of the campaign is futile. He basically said that in order for the BDS campaign to make change and progress, then it had to work within the realms of the law because this is what people understand - and more importantly, this is what they are willing to work for change for.

In other words, International law supports the state of Israel and if the law says its ok, then so it must be.

Campaign activists got mighty pissed off with his comments - and perhaps rightly so as zionists and far right groups were immediately screaming that Finkelstein had basically rubbished the campaign but I honestly believe he has a point.

With regards to Galloway, my understanding is that the students comments immediately alerted Galloway to the fact that he was a Zionist and it was this that led George to blank him. Zionists will always think they have the high moral ground anyway so I can see his reasoning.

For some reason I thought Yaqoob's resignation was down to the comments Galloway made regarding the alleged rape in the Assange case?

BB, I don’t know a great deal about Norman Finke...

2013-02-25T21:11:14.924Z

BB,

I don’t know a great deal about Norman Finkelstein but have admired the way in which he handled Daniel Goldhagen’s argument in the latter’s book Germany’s Willing Executioners. So I had a look on Google to find out why the BDS was distancing itself from him and foundthis. I know that it is a dangerous strategy to pick up the first thing from the web to use in arguments and for that reason I am not going to argue. What I will say is that it left me wondering if BDS might have a point.

On Galloway the Salma Yaqoob decision to resign from Respect was largely a reaction to his role in it.

That the student is a Zionist was not a point Galloway made. He didn’t say he refused to debate with Zionists. He specifically said Israelis. I think these people have to be debated and more importantly defeated in debate. I think what happened at the university is that the student came away with the moral high ground without even having his position probed. In my view a missed opportunity. I simply can’t see the point in praising vicious dictators like Saddam and Assad and refusing to debate with Israeli students. There is something that doesn’t quite fit.

Anthony; the BDS campaign also distanced itself fr...

2013-02-25T20:10:01.213Z

Anthony; the BDS campaign also distanced itself from Norman finkelstein and Ken o'keefe. They're making a habit out of this it seems.

Anthony; fair points. And if I'm honest I don&...

2013-02-25T19:30:54.717Z

Anthony; fair points. And if I'm honest I don't know much about him other than his position on Palestine and the war of terror ( which I follow closely) and it is for this that he earns my admiration.

When most others of his standing support the so called 'war on terror' Galloway has deviated from the norm.

With regards to his latest thing; ignoring the guy and refusing to debate, the person in question wasn't just someone from Israel. He was a Zionist. Galloway was a million percent right in my book for blanking him.

Belfast Bookworm, I am not a fan of Galloway. He ...

2013-02-25T18:51:29.818Z

Belfast Bookworm,

I am not a fan of Galloway. He has sided with too many tyrants for my liking and the misogynistic and homophobic attitudes vented within Respect have left me less than impressed.

He has stood up against the war of terror and the Israeli treatment of Palestine which are laudable but I am far from convinced that boycotting somebody because they come from Israel is something that will win much support.

Another issue is that he had a good case to make and has the ability to win hands down. He dealt effectively with Hitchens in debate once over the war of terror, and Hitchens was no slouch in these matters. I think it was a missed opportunity and what Galloway has achieved is to make some people think he is racist. The Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) Movement apparently issued a statement distancing itself from his action.

Frankie, say real estate agents get around 6% comm...

2013-02-25T16:25:31.932Z

Frankie, say real estate agents get around 6% commission on each sale, 6% of 32m is about 1.9m... that's a LOTTA money. Even if commission is only half that,(which I doubt) it's still much more than an average person would earn in a whole lifetime of working. If any fool blows that, as well as additional properties then any sympathy I may have had for them falling on hard times goes well out the window.

You're right, the Celtic Tiger was built on sand but the sad thing is I dont think many have learned from it.

BB , Frankie. I think I would have stashed some o...

2013-02-25T16:17:37.240Z

BB , Frankie.

I think I would have stashed some of that money away, Seems The Banks foreclosed on his properties, I read it as, He was a salesman selling properties, Maybe he knows to much and that is why he can't get back into property sales, or, maybe its because the property market is in decline, everything in economics is controlled by the billionaires who set the trends, they have even downgraded the UK rating for BORROWING, they will go in with the kill to make a few billion on the stock market, Its a new world order, George w Bush's words.

I'm with you bookworm.. If I had sold 32milli...

2013-02-25T12:46:21.458Z

I'm with you bookworm..

If I had sold 32million worth of property (even with the crash), I'd still have a few million stashed away in the Caymans, I.O.M or in a Swiss bank account for a rainy day. He doesn't sound like a buisness man to me. In the same way as a lot people in the ROI who took out over inflated 120% mortgages, just to keep up with the Joneses. I've very little sympathy for them. It was pure greed and unfortunatly a lot of people got burnt..The Tiger was built on thin air and empty promises..

Itsjustmacker; to be honest, the people he sold £3...

2013-02-24T23:28:33.118Z

Itsjustmacker; to be honest, the people he sold £32m worth of property before the arse fell out of the market are more on my mind. I'd say many or most are now homeless.

Of course I blame the banks and the governments but there were many people who rode high on the backs of the poor during the 'boom years' and in my opinion real estate agents and property developers were among them.

Who needs 4 houses really (excluding Shinners)? That's greed in my book.

Belfast Bookworm: I have no idea what he done wit...

2013-02-24T23:13:29.910Z

Belfast Bookworm:

I have no idea what he done with his dosh, I can only think of the Maggie Hatchet so called Boom years and the so called Celtic Tiger Boom Years, The Markets Crashed, People were left Having their properties taken of them, Being made bankrupt, they only winners were the big speculating banks, then greed got to them as well, they found a clause to declare themselves insolvent by giving their own directors massive bonus's and also to the major rich shareholder, then Governments had to step in and bail them out, with tax payers money, and whats the first thing the done with that money, paid themselves more bonus's than the received during the boom years, to them it was FREE MONEY and they could do what they like with it, I can relate to that guy, I'm sure you don't feel happy with your bank hammering you for overdraft charges whilst still lining their pockets. Whatever Happened to the guys properties , to me is irelevant. He just wants a chance to start over and fend for himself, to me that's a good thing.

Itsjustmacker; 'From riches to rags: One Bel...

2013-02-24T20:40:09.342Z

Itsjustmacker;

'From riches to rags: One Belfast man's journey to find work'

While I hate to see anyone out of work and know what redundancy and unemployment can do to a person, I honestly can't find it in me to sympathise with the guy in your link.

3 properties here and 1 in Spain, sold £32m worth of real estate? At one time he was earning £70k a year (more than most people will earn in 3-4 years)... What the f*** did he do with his dosh?

He's to be admired I suppose for standing on the road advertising his services but other than that I see nothing in him I can relate to.

Coulter What about the heinous brutality meted ou...

2013-02-24T20:09:33.053Z

Coulter

What about the heinous brutality meted out by the garda and ruc to make people sign statements for things they didn't do? Like Aine and others on here, I laughed at your description of Obama as a liberal! You should catch yourself on, and go back to the cave you crawled out of and stay there!

Ryan; the state of Israel is an illegal existence....

2013-02-24T17:34:24.412Z

Ryan; the state of Israel is an illegal existence. Illegally occupying land that doesnt and never will belong to it, terrorising the indigenous people, the Palestinians.

I absolutely admire George Galloway. He's far from a buffoon.

Bookworm, It's a brilliant move to refuse to a...

2013-02-24T15:09:34.448Z

Bookworm,
It's a brilliant move to refuse to acknowledge the existence of something that exists? That makes absolutely no sense. George Galloway is a buffoon. This is a man who was close friends with Saddam Hussein and referred to Uday Hussein as "your excellency". Do you seriously admire this clown?
Israel ain't going anywhere. It is here to stay I hate to inform you.

Anie,Anthony,.Marie and I have been doing that for...

2013-02-23T20:58:55.066Z

Anie,Anthony,.Marie and I have been doing that for years,.. to each other lol.

I generally have a low tolerance for stupidity and...

2013-02-23T20:58:42.777Z

I generally have a low tolerance for stupidity and don't bother but some days people piss me off with their idiotic ideas and i bite..

Galloway was most likely correct in his choice, and it is a good tactic to use.

Alfie; I'm getting that quote framed!

2013-02-23T20:39:09.495Z

Alfie; I'm getting that quote framed!

Aine; George Galloway was lambasted recently for w...

2013-02-23T20:38:34.440Z

Aine; George Galloway was lambasted recently for walking away from an Israeli Zionist who challenged Galloway on his support for Palestine.

Galloway said he refuses to acknowledge the state of Israel & those who claim to be it's people, he just doesn't debate as it and they are non-entities.

I thought it was a brilliant move on Galloways part so I'm trying to put it into practice!

@belfast bookworm .......thank you i did ask mysel...

2013-02-22T22:28:48.406Z

@belfast bookworm .......thank you i did ask myself the same question. I really should have known better !!

@Alfie ..... very true it's a discussion in futility!!

Aine & Belfast Bookworm, Anthony gave me some...

2013-02-22T21:45:28.450Z

Aine & Belfast Bookworm,

Anthony gave me some good advice a long time ago which I only recently put into practice after many fruitless discussions:

"Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig."

There is no point in a dialogue unless both parties are open to the possibility that they are wrong.

Aine; why are you wasting your time trying to deba...

2013-02-22T20:56:28.572Z

Aine; why are you wasting your time trying to debate with a misogynistic dinosaur?

Its like trying to play scrabble with Willie Frazer. Just won't work.

@ boyne rover – the fact that you relate speaking ...

2013-02-22T19:42:40.113Z

@ boyne rover – the fact that you relate speaking out and fighting as a male characteristic illustrates the overt sexism I pointed out.
I am not arguing that people who rape/kill should go unpunished the point of John’s article was that the cop killers should be rooted out and shot on sight ( and all the other inane b/s that made up this article)….. that I disagree with….

To say that most “do gooders” are females again is just your perception there are plenty of men doing the same thing. But it’s nice to see that you stand by your sexism.

Your rhetoric of defending yourself and the right of your family to go about their daily business….. Who would these people be that are denying your current right to do so?

Your last point I believe is a good one for debate because I don’t believe that those who campaigned in armed resistance did so to establish Stormont ….. the ‘politicians’ did that – which to be honest would be more just the brit style of doing things rather than a draconian approach….

@justmackers
I disagree that there exists anywhere on our planet a “free society” …………. It is most definitely not free of sexual discrimination. But that is a whole other topic completely .