tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7560220615271337359.post1988359641624417363..comments2024-03-12T08:04:47.314-07:00Comments on Naming His Grace: The Jewish People, hatred and a StateViola Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09146967423654966140noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7560220615271337359.post-60469990994108051582009-08-03T14:54:56.851-07:002009-08-03T14:54:56.851-07:00Ethnographic Nationalism? It's rampant around...Ethnographic Nationalism? It's rampant around the world! Check Japan. Or the problems in China. Or tribal warfare in Africa. Or the current problems Turks have in Germany. Or the fact that Chechoslovakia split into the Chech Republic and into Slovakia. Or the Baltic states.<br /><br />I agree, wouldn't it be nice if countries would be like the USA when we actually live up to our ideals and welcome all (rare in my reading of history). I expect this will happen about the same time Jesus returns. <br /><br />So if I was Jewish I would choose the USA for now. But I would keep an eye out to see what's coming down the pike.Pastor Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07787179002120424157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7560220615271337359.post-41534630774853373412009-08-03T14:39:05.065-07:002009-08-03T14:39:05.065-07:00Aric - I am often amused (please - I don't mea...Aric - I am often amused (please - I don't mean that in any patronizing sense at all) - but I tend to be surprised that our minds seem to work in similar ways even though we most often arrive at opposite conclusions. My first question to earlier comment would have been - why is there a need for nations at all? Whether as geographic or otherwise? <br /><br />Personally, I favor the concept of nations because alternative seems to be one government. And the concentration of power in fewer hands (as government administration necessitates regardless of safeguards) pretty always results in greater abuse. At least with nations one has a chance for a federalist system. I'm not optimistic - becuase I find people tend to far too trusting of those who covet power and tend only to respond too late to the loss of individual rights that accompanies that.<br /><br />I would also point out that your arguemtn about secular, non-ethnic geographic representative democracies hasn't been supported in history. In cases, yes - but many of those governments which were secular, multi-ethnic, and claimed to be democratic actually killed and abused vast numbers of their own citizens. <br /><br />You are quite right, of course, about the status of other stateless peoples.will spottshttp://wspotts.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7560220615271337359.post-5263873601372651042009-08-03T08:54:34.131-07:002009-08-03T08:54:34.131-07:00Again Aric makes strong points.
Ethnocratic Natio...Again Aric makes strong points.<br /><br />Ethnocratic Nationalism usually ends very badly for the country doing it. <br /><br />TomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7560220615271337359.post-40941037753405174192009-08-03T07:24:25.520-07:002009-08-03T07:24:25.520-07:00Aric,
I think only the Romas (Gypsies) have been h...Aric,<br />I think only the Romas (Gypsies) have been hated by all peoples for centuries and they have never had a country or a nation. That doesn't mean they shouldn't have one.<br />On this:<br />“I am not contesting Israel's right to exist, at all. Israel is there. It is not going away. It's citizens deserve protection etc.. etc.. I am merely saying that Israel would be better off (and the whole middle east and the whole world by extension) as a secular nation not tied to Judaism. Theocracy or Ethnocracy or whatever you want to call it is a bad idea under any circumstances.”<br />Several thoughts. Israel is there but that is the whole problem many of the Arabs States do not want her there and it has been documented that in the past they have tried to destroy her. If Israel was not a Jewish state she would soon become another Arab state and the Jewish people would again be without any safety. <br />And I still contend that Israel is not tied to Judaism but to the ethnicity of being Jewish. Those are two different things. Now that is debated in Israel but I don’t think the debate is over.Viola Larsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09146967423654966140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7560220615271337359.post-79574479865271308542009-08-03T01:30:04.571-07:002009-08-03T01:30:04.571-07:00The same argument could be made about the Kurds or...The same argument could be made about the Kurds or Gypsies or Uighurs, or a dozen other nationless persecuted people's on this planet. Perhaps you are right and they each need a nation of their own. Personally I think the very idea of nationhood is a failed experiment that far from leading to security leads to greater warfare than ever in history. <br /><br />But... if we are going to have nations - the most successful and peaceful variety have been secular non-ethnic geographic representative democracries. Meaning that the nation is purely defined by its geographic boundaries and equally responsible to all of its citizens regardless of ethnicity or religion.<br /><br />Actually I think other kinds of nations are to varying degrees illegitimate. Imagine if the USA decided you had to be related to an original British colonist to be a citizen. Or if any nation in Europe suddenly disenfranchised all people not ethnically "french" or "german" or "swedish". The idea is repugnant.<br /><br />I am not contesting Israel's right to exist, at all. Israel is there. It is not going away. It's citizens deserve protection etc.. etc.. I am merely saying that Israel would be better off (and the whole middle east and the whole world by extension) as a secular nation not tied to Judaism. Theocracy or Ethnocracy or whatever you want to call it is a bad idea under any circumstances.Aric Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15241157655075444268noreply@blogger.com