--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "mainstream20016" > <mainstream20016@> wrote: > > > > The default application of extreme punishment on those who have the > courage to express > > moderate voices is amazing to behold. > > > > > Hmmmm. > > Quite an interesting response, mainstream, but I am befuddled as to > whom you are referring. > > At first blush, I thought that the "those" you refer to in your > comment "application of extreme punishment on those who have the > courage to express moderate voices" was to Arun Gandhi. But then > thinking about it, I realized that it couldn't be Gandhi because > the "punishment" he experienced was self-inflicted: he resigned (and > there was no indication anywhere in the piece that he was asked to; > it appears to be totally unilateral). Therefore, he couldn't have > meant Gandhi. > > Then I thought: perhaps mainstream is referring to Israel as the > party that has the courage to express a moderate voice. After all, > through the ages the right to self-defense has NEVER, EVER been > considered anything BUT moderate. Defending oneself is not an > extreme position; it is moderate and the norm. > > Indeed, Israel has, since its inception, been the party in the > conflict that has ALWAYS been the only moderate voice and has ALWAYS > been on the receiving end of extreme punishment by its neighbors (the > surrounding Arab neighbors just haven't been very successful in > actually meting out the extreme punishment they have intended to > apply to Israel, which is to annihilate them). > > So I have concluded that mainstream is referring to Israel, not Arun > Ghandi. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "do.rflex" <do.rflex@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Arun Gandhi Quits Peace Institute in Flap Over Blog Posting > > > > > > By Michelle Boorstein > > > Washington Post, January 26, 2008 > > > http://tinyurl.com/ysj2xy > > > > > > > > > The grandson of Indian spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi resigned > > > yesterday as president of the board of a conflict resolution > institute > > > after writing an online essay on a Washington Post blog calling > Jews > > > and Israel "the biggest players" in a global culture of violence. > > > > > > In his resignation letter to the board of the M.K. Gandhi > Institute > > > for Nonviolence, founder Arun Gandhi wrote that his Jan. 7 > essay "was > > > couched in language that was hurtful and contrary to the > principles of > > > nonviolence. My intention was to generate a healthy discussion on > the > > > proliferation of violence. Clearly I did not achieve my goal. > Instead, > > > unintentionally, my words have resulted in pain, anger, confusion > and > > > embarrassment." > > > > > > The institute is housed at the University of Rochester and has a > > > university-paid director. Gandhi submitted his resignation to the > > > board Thursday and it was accepted yesterday. > > > > > > Board members could not be reached immediately yesterday, but a > brief > > > unsigned statement on the university's Web site said: "The > essence of > > > Arun Gandhi's work has been to educate and promote the principles > of > > > nonviolence. In that spirit, the Institute plans to work with the > > > University of Rochester and other community groups to use the > recent > > > events as an opportunity to deepen mutual understanding through > > > dialogue employing the principles of nonviolence and peace." > > > > > > Gandhi's comments were part of a discussion about the future of > Jewish > > > identity on the religion blog On Faith at washingtonpost.com. He > wrote > > > that Jewish identity is "locked into the holocaust experience," > which > > > Jews "overplay . . . to the point that it begins to repulse > friends." > > > The Jewish nation -- Israel, he wrote -- is too reliant upon > weapons > > > and bombs and should instead befriend its enemies. > > > > > > "Apparently, in the modern world, so determined to live by the > bomb, > > > this is an alien concept. You don't befriend anyone, you dominate > > > them. We have created a culture of violence (Israel and the Jews > are > > > the biggest players) and that Culture of Violence is eventually > going > > > to destroy humanity," he wrote. > > > > > > The posting drew 438 comments -- an exceptionally high response > for an > > > On Faith essay -- and prompted such a backlash that Gandhi later > > > posted an apology. The Web site also apologized. > > > > > > On Jan. 11, university President Joel Seligman labeled Gandhi's > > > initial comments stereotyping and said they were "fundamentally > > > inconsistent with the core values" of the school. Yesterday, he > called > > > the resignation "appropriate." > > > > > > The institute will remain at the university, which will host a > forum > > > later this year "to provide Arun Gandhi, a leader of the Jewish > > > community and other speakers the opportunity to address the issues > > > raised by Mr. Gandhi's statements and related issues. A > University can > > > and should promote dialogue in which we can learn from each other > even > > > when the most painful or difficult issues will be discussed," > Seligman > > > said in his statement yesterday.
Of course Magoo is widely known and respected for his sterling reputation as an insightful and objective analyst.
