Comments on: Sympathy for the Devil? http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/02/sympathy-for-the-devil/ Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:21:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Infidelicious http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/02/sympathy-for-the-devil/#comment-5056 Infidelicious Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:30:50 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=719#comment-5056 This 'ere link shows the utter hypocrisy of the "anti-Zionist" crowd: http://www.masada2000.org/Who-Us.html This ‘ere link shows the utter hypocrisy of the “anti-Zionist” crowd:
http://www.masada2000.org/Who-Us.html

]]> By: Israel, Alone | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/02/sympathy-for-the-devil/#comment-1388 Israel, Alone | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:08:28 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=719#comment-1388 [...] place at the wrong time–for being Arab in Israel.  For being Gazan.  For having elected Hamas to power instead of the irreperably corrupt [...] [...] place at the wrong time–for being Arab in Israel.  For being Gazan.  For having elected Hamas to power instead of the irreperably corrupt [...]

]]> By: Scott H. Payne http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/02/sympathy-for-the-devil/#comment-1379 Scott H. Payne Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:26:04 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=719#comment-1379 Sad but true story. Sad but true story.

]]> By: Mark Thompson http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/02/sympathy-for-the-devil/#comment-1377 Mark Thompson Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:24:43 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=719#comment-1377 Scott: I completely understand, and obviously agree. But I think the simple act of acknowledging that both oneself and one's enemies are members of the human race is all that is necessary to get to that point. Alas, making that simple point of acknowledgement is often enough to result in all sorts of accusations being thrown your way (and that would seem to be the case on both sides of the Israel-Palestine issue). Scott:
I completely understand, and obviously agree. But I think the simple act of acknowledging that both oneself and one’s enemies are members of the human race is all that is necessary to get to that point. Alas, making that simple point of acknowledgement is often enough to result in all sorts of accusations being thrown your way (and that would seem to be the case on both sides of the Israel-Palestine issue).

]]> By: E.D. Kain http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/02/sympathy-for-the-devil/#comment-1374 E.D. Kain Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:20:13 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=719#comment-1374 Great post, Scott. A very Christian notion, no? Funny how many supposed Christians will write off any sympathy/empathy for Hamas--I wonder if the same was true of the IRA? Ironic that the Irish never were punished with the same "collective guilt by association" that the Palestinians receive today from rabid supporters of Israel. Or perhaps I remember that conflict differently. In any case, I think this is a very fundamental piece in the peace process, understanding and empathizing with "the enemy." Our enemies are often reflections of ourselves, after all. Or can be. They can also be predictions of what we will become should we choose to engage them on their level--another danger Israel faces as it is increasingly militarized. Great post, Scott. A very Christian notion, no? Funny how many supposed Christians will write off any sympathy/empathy for Hamas–I wonder if the same was true of the IRA? Ironic that the Irish never were punished with the same “collective guilt by association” that the Palestinians receive today from rabid supporters of Israel. Or perhaps I remember that conflict differently.

In any case, I think this is a very fundamental piece in the peace process, understanding and empathizing with “the enemy.” Our enemies are often reflections of ourselves, after all. Or can be. They can also be predictions of what we will become should we choose to engage them on their level–another danger Israel faces as it is increasingly militarized.

]]> By: Scott H. Payne http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/02/sympathy-for-the-devil/#comment-1373 Scott H. Payne Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:15:01 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=719#comment-1373 Mark, agreed, obviously. But I'm actually proposing one step further in not just cultivating an intellectual understanding of behaviour, but also an emotional understanding of that same behaviour, at least to the best of one's ability. I think the second kind of understanding is harder for many to accept, but I see it playing an even more fundamental role in conflict resolution. Mark, agreed, obviously. But I’m actually proposing one step further in not just cultivating an intellectual understanding of behaviour, but also an emotional understanding of that same behaviour, at least to the best of one’s ability. I think the second kind of understanding is harder for many to accept, but I see it playing an even more fundamental role in conflict resolution.

]]> By: Mark Thompson http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/02/sympathy-for-the-devil/#comment-1372 Mark Thompson Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:10:35 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=719#comment-1372 If you don't try to understand WHY your enemies act the way they act and instead take the easy route of declaring them subhuman and fundamentally irrational, you eliminate your ability to remove the circumstances that make them your enemies. Which only means that they will remain your enemies ad infinitum; even if you destroy all of those who are currently your enemies, you also ensure that the circumstances that created your enemies in the first place continue to exist, thereby continuing to create new enemies. If you don’t try to understand WHY your enemies act the way they act and instead take the easy route of declaring them subhuman and fundamentally irrational, you eliminate your ability to remove the circumstances that make them your enemies. Which only means that they will remain your enemies ad infinitum; even if you destroy all of those who are currently your enemies, you also ensure that the circumstances that created your enemies in the first place continue to exist, thereby continuing to create new enemies.

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