Zach Polanski is evil thread 2

I try and stay away from threads like this as I find them upsetting. And I'm not even Jewish. I do find it difficult that MN allows so much naked antisemitism here, but I suppose it is important to see their 'logic'. But I had a comment removed from a similar thread about the Green Party as I suggested that people voting for them might be... um... (rhymes with 'bassist' 🫣). They told me that as some people had said they were going to vote for them, my comment constituted a personal attack. Which I did find a bit peculiar, as I'm sure I've seen many posts left up calling Reform voters the same and worse...

PS I'm not a Reform voter - my deleted comment actually said they and the Greens are just as bad as each other. (Even though I've personally not heard Reform come out with anything close to as hideous as what I've heard from the Green Party.) But regardless, both are beyond the pale and I strongly judge anyone who would consider voting for either. Even if I can't call them names.

I don’t actually want to get into arguing with you but I do like the idea of both liberal values and nuanced conversation so I am going to try.

Here are some things it is possible to believe at the same time:

1. These stabbings, and the thinking that led to them, are appalling and the perpetrator should face punishment and never be allowed to do any such thing again. Our society cannot tolerate these behaviours.
2. A perpetrator can also have been a victim of something- whether that be failings of mental health services, institutional racism or police brutality. That can also be part of the conversation, or how is such an event to be avoided in the future? (Either an antisemitic attack OR, as also sadly frequently occurs, an attack by a man known to prevent and/ or mental health services)

it would be great if the world was like a simple monochrome drawing but it isn’t

“Febrile” is the right word for it.
When it comes to Iran, people seem mostly concerned about the energy prices, with not much thought given to the Iranian government and how it treats its own people.
Not much to say about the violent crackdown on protesters or the ongoing executions, but mention “Zionism” and those same people will rush to condemn it.

I think I could believe that when all this started. But after the attacks, after the murders, after the Jewish community and every right-minded person has pointed out that calls for 'anti-Zionism', 'intifada', 'jihad' and 'from the river to the sea to be [presumably palestinian, who have repeatedly voted overwhelmingly for the extinction of Jews]', is pretty fucking threatening, it's difficult to see how these people can be in any doubt at all what they're asking for. At best, you could argue they're only calling for the destruction of Israel, Israelis and anyone who supports Israel and Israelis, and they're happy for any 'good Jews' who publicly denounce Israel and Israelis to remain alive. For now.

And nothing's being done to stop it.

I think the atmosphere got febrile. Things were chanted and slogans deployed with little reflection.
Polanski seems to me to be a bit like this, tweeting "in haste", using soundbites, not reflecting and responding with any measure of sensitivity or circumspection.

I think the atmosphere got febrile. Things were chanted and slogans deployed with little reflection.
Polanski seems to me to be a bit like this, tweeting "in haste", using soundbites, not reflecting and responding with any measure of sensitivity or circumspection.

The problem is, they seem to be surrounded by an echo chamber of people who agree with them. If you read their supporters comments online they somehow think their anti semitism puts them on the right side of history. I think that many of them genuinely belief they’re right. It’s like 1930s Germany all over again!

what needs to happen is a massive investigation into the who party by external bodies and the most vile being imprisoned for their vile views. But then the issue is their disciples are so brainwashed that will be some “conspiracy against them

It's terrifying. I like to believe they're all bots. But then you see the marches, and that people are genuinely thinking of voting for people like this. We have allowed some very, very dark shadows to spread, and it's difficult to see how to dislodge without causing severe unrest. Scary times ahead. This is not a country I would currently choose to bet on tbh.

Yes, there have been some awful threads. Last night a particular bad one; minimising and denying what's happening to Jewish people in the UK, and completely blind to the serious problems in the Green Party.
It's not great in UK politics at the moment, is it?

Ffs how can a Jewish man be an antisemite? Just get over him!

I try and stay away from threads like this as I find them upsetting. And I'm not even Jewish. I do find it difficult that MN allows so much naked antisemitism here, but I suppose it is important to see their 'logic'. But I had a comment removed from a similar thread about the Green Party as I suggested that people voting for them might be... um... (rhymes with 'bassist' 🫣). They told me that as some people had said they were going to vote for them, my comment constituted a personal attack. Which I did find a bit peculiar, as I'm sure I've seen many posts left up calling Reform voters the same and worse...

PS I'm not a Reform voter - my deleted comment actually said they and the Greens are just as bad as each other. (Even though I've personally not heard Reform come out with anything close to as hideous as what I've heard from the Green Party.) But regardless, both are beyond the pale and I strongly judge anyone who would consider voting for either. Even if I can't call them names.

Oh there was a whole thread on this yesterday. People don't understand what policing is like.

I don’t think someone who has been tasered is capable of much

Why are you finding this so difficult to understand? He was capable of still holding onto his knife. Which means he was still capable of detonating any explosive he may have about his person. As he was wearing a very big coat, especially on a very warm day, that certainly looked to be a possibility. And most sane people don't think it's a good idea to just wait and see when a bomb's a possibility. Now I supposed they could have tried asking really, really, really nicely, or maybe offered a tasty treat in exchange for hands up... but it was probably safer just to kick. Actually, it would have been much safer to just shoot him in the head. But we don't tend to do that here.

I don’t think someone who has been tasered is capable of much

I don’t think someone who has been tasered is capable of much

He was still armed and wouldn’t give up the weapon. How exactly do you expect them to get the weapon from him? Until the weapon is away from him and he is fully secured he is still very much a threat.

I think it's the other way round, which is why he has backtracked a bit. He changed his tune because he got a pasting from Rowley ( which is why he was complaining about the open letter- he didn't like being publicly rebuked) then he got it in the neck from people in the GP so he backtracked on his backtrack.

I think there are people in the party who are a bit more intelligent than him (not a high bar) who maybe advised that he'd made a massive error of judgement, thus his updated statement.

There are plenty of ways to de escalate a situation and keep people safe from a man who has just been tasered lying on the floor with a knife. Don’t get close enough to be stabbed would be one easy, non violent solution, There was no need to kick a mentally ill man in the head.

That people are seeking to justify it is terrifying for society as a whole.

Then why has he picked antisemitic candidates?