Comments on: More on Gaarder http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/ Everyone has a right to my opinions Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:08:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: mirax http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/comment-page-1/#comment-9284 mirax Sun, 13 Aug 2006 13:51:41 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/#comment-9284 >>Gaarder regrets having hurt the feelings of Jews and has scrapped his plan of distributing the piece abroad. If I were Gaarder, I would worry more about why my outrage made me reach for for the two classic tropes of anti-semitism : jews as christ killers and jews as the chosen people. A norwegian muslim is planning to translate and distribute the op-ed in the middle east. For the sake of peace he says! Just what those people need - another quasi-religious rant against the jews. >>Gaarder regrets having hurt the feelings of Jews and has scrapped his plan of distributing the piece abroad.

If I were Gaarder, I would worry more about why my outrage made me reach for for the two classic tropes of anti-semitism : jews as christ killers and jews as the chosen people.

A norwegian muslim is planning to translate and distribute the op-ed in the middle east. For the sake of peace he says! Just what those people need - another quasi-religious rant against the jews.

]]> By: Chairwoman http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/comment-page-1/#comment-9278 Chairwoman Sun, 13 Aug 2006 12:59:54 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/#comment-9278 One of the things that Gaarder sneered at was our two silly stone tablets (paraphrasing). I am not a religious person, but I do know that if we all lived our lives according to the majority of the commandments supposedly written on those stones (leaving out worship and graven images), there wouldn't be much wrong with the world. They don't appear so silly when viewed in that light. One of the things that Gaarder sneered at was our two silly stone tablets (paraphrasing). I am not a religious person, but I do know that if we all lived our lives according to the majority of the commandments supposedly written on those stones (leaving out worship and graven images), there wouldn’t be much wrong with the world.

They don’t appear so silly when viewed in that light.

]]> By: mirax http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/comment-page-1/#comment-9218 mirax Sat, 12 Aug 2006 21:41:50 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/#comment-9218 Fred Halliday's article on the current ME crisis is superb. It strongly emphasises some universalist principles which ought to govern the debate and direct a solution. If Gaarder had had the clearheaded compassion and gravitas to write like this, there would have been a lot less recrimination and wrangling. Please read and re-read. http://www.opendemocracy.net/globalization/arendt_deutscher_3813.jsp Fred Halliday’s article on the current ME crisis is superb. It strongly emphasises some universalist principles which ought to govern the debate and direct a solution. If Gaarder had had the clearheaded compassion and gravitas to write like this, there would have been a lot less recrimination and wrangling.

Please read and re-read.

http://www.opendemocracy.net/globalization/arendt_deutscher_3813.jsp

]]> By: Sirocco :: The Gaarder essay: final thoughts :: August :: 2006 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/comment-page-1/#comment-8906 Sirocco :: The Gaarder essay: final thoughts :: August :: 2006 Wed, 09 Aug 2006 18:33:39 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/#comment-8906 [...] The ensuing liberation struggle was predominantly non-violent yet eventually succeeded in ending oppression, with equal rights for all featherless bipeds entrenched in a new constitution. By no means did it involve the physical “obliteration” of South Africa. This is therefore an optimistic forecast, though as Robert Sharp and many others (including Norwegian debaters) rightly complain, it is not made explicit. [...] [...] The ensuing liberation struggle was predominantly non-violent yet eventually succeeded in ending oppression, with equal rights for all featherless bipeds entrenched in a new constitution. By no means did it involve the physical “obliteration” of South Africa. This is therefore an optimistic forecast, though as Robert Sharp and many others (including Norwegian debaters) rightly complain, it is not made explicit. [...]

]]> By: Sirocco :: The Gaarder’essay: final thoughts :: August :: 2006 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/comment-page-1/#comment-8821 Sirocco :: The Gaarder’essay: final thoughts :: August :: 2006 Tue, 08 Aug 2006 21:58:46 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/#comment-8821 [...] The anti-apartheid struggle was predominantly non-violent yet eventually succeeded in ending oppression, with equal rights for all featherless bipeds entrenched in a new constitution. By no means did it involve the physical “obliteration” of South Africa. This is therefore an optimistic forecast, though it is worthy of critique that, as Robert Sharp and many others (including Norwegian debaters) have pointed out, this is not made explicit. [...] [...] The anti-apartheid struggle was predominantly non-violent yet eventually succeeded in ending oppression, with equal rights for all featherless bipeds entrenched in a new constitution. By no means did it involve the physical “obliteration” of South Africa. This is therefore an optimistic forecast, though it is worthy of critique that, as Robert Sharp and many others (including Norwegian debaters) have pointed out, this is not made explicit. [...]

]]> By: Sirocco http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/comment-page-1/#comment-8807 Sirocco Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:21:06 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/#comment-8807 You're welcome, and thanks! After Aftenposten received over 1,000 letters to the editor in two days and many intellectuals and politicians have attacked the essay -- though others have expressed support -- Gaarder regrets having hurt the feelings of Jews and has scrapped his plan of distributing the piece abroad. Sadly he is also making self-pitying noises which confirm the impression that he isn't the brightest bulb around. A glimpse of the debate is available <a href="http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1414191.ece" rel="nofollow">here</a> You’re welcome, and thanks!

After Aftenposten received over 1,000 letters to the editor in two days and many intellectuals and politicians have attacked the essay — though others have expressed support — Gaarder regrets having hurt the feelings of Jews and has scrapped his plan of distributing the piece abroad. Sadly he is also making self-pitying noises which confirm the impression that he isn’t the brightest bulb around. A glimpse of the debate is available here

]]> By: Robert http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/comment-page-1/#comment-8806 Robert Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:01:01 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/#comment-8806 So you did. They were marked as spam, but I've managed to recover them. They take rightful place at the top of the comments list. Thanks for the translation, by the way. So you did. They were marked as spam, but I’ve managed to recover them. They take rightful place at the top of the comments list.

Thanks for the translation, by the way.

]]> By: Sirocco http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/comment-page-1/#comment-8805 Sirocco Tue, 08 Aug 2006 17:50:59 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/#comment-8805 I submitted a comment here yesterday with some thoughts on the essay I have translated, but for whatever reason (and I can't really think of any good one) it remains unpublished. I submitted a comment here yesterday with some thoughts on the essay I have translated, but for whatever reason (and I can’t really think of any good one) it remains unpublished.

]]> By: Robert http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/comment-page-1/#comment-8798 Robert Tue, 08 Aug 2006 16:43:54 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/#comment-8798 Actually, I understand he was specifically writing in the style of a historical writer. <em>Ought there not to be a way of resolving the Middle East crisis without threatening the Israeli Jews with expulsion if they don’t toe the line?</em> In fact, surely the <em>only</em> way to resolve the Middle-East crisis is to guarantee that the Jews aren't expelled. Actually, I understand he was specifically writing in the style of a historical writer.

Ought there not to be a way of resolving the Middle East crisis without threatening the Israeli Jews with expulsion if they don’t toe the line?

In fact, surely the only way to resolve the Middle-East crisis is to guarantee that the Jews aren’t expelled.

]]> By: Katy Newton http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/comment-page-1/#comment-8793 Katy Newton Tue, 08 Aug 2006 15:34:57 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/08/07/more-on-gaardner/#comment-8793 Could you go back and remove all the "n"s in my comments too please? :-) Could you go back and remove all the “n”s in my comments too please? :-)

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