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Scootaloo

(25,699 posts)
62. What's there to "defend" them against?
Sun Jul 8, 2012, 04:18 PM
Jul 2012

You've come up with nothing that requires a defense, Shira.

1) OMG THEY CAN'T FORCE ASSAD AND HIS CRONIES TO STOP KILLING PEOPLE!
Well, no, they can't. Short of military intervention, the only way for that situation to stop is if Assad decides to stop, or if the people they're killing manage to overthrow his regime. However, Human Rights Watch has released a fairly comprehensive and quite damning report against Syria for what it's doing. It's a reporting organization, not a paramilitary force, and it's done exactkly what itsstated purpose is regarding Syria.

2) LOL THE FOUNDER DISAGREES WITH THEM NOW!"
Good for him, he'd changed his mind since 1988 (or 1978, if you want to go all the way back to Helsinki Watch.) At the same time, Human rights Watch has expanded its focus beyond just "closed regimes" because, obviously, human rights offenses take place in "open" regimes as well.

3) THEY HATE ISRAEL AND YOU CAN TELL BECAUSE THEY WRITE ABOUT ISRAEL SO MUCH!
Do they? Do you know what nation, bar none, has absolutely the most Human Rights Watch articles written about it? Israel, right? Oooooh, it's GOTTA be Israel. Israel's the poor innocent victim here, bullied by the big mean NGO, right?
Nope. it's not Israel. Not by a long shot. it's not even a combination of Israel / Palestine. It's China. Well, Israel must be second-place! ...Nope, that'd be Russia. Third place is the United States. Fourth is a tie between Burma and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Israel is in the "big middle" along with places like the United Kingdom or Egypt.

4) "THEY ARE DELEGITIMIZING ISRAEL!"
Like I asked... what, are they going to take away Israel's license? How does this work? Despite my browser's spellcheck's insistence, 'delegitimizing' is a real word, with a real meaning. Human Rights Watch has no authority to remove the legal status of a nation. Nor for that matter, does anyone else. I've noticed Team Israel has taken to using this instead of the older "right to exist" argument, but both are goofy arguments simply because as long as Israel's saying Israel exists, then it fucking does. The only way that will change is if Israel goes all Rhodesia and says "never mind," or if the Red Sea rift opens up and results in Israel (along with Lebanon and much of Jordan) becoming a new seaway between the Red and Mediterranean.

5) THEY'RE FALSE ALLEGATIONS!
Maybe some of 'em are. Already said I don't expect 'em to be perfect. Your argument isn't about "some," however. You've been screaming from your little rooftop this whole time about how Human rights Watch is completely without credibility. Absolutely, 100%, totally wrong about absolutely everything. Basically, if they reported on Slavery in Mauritania, you would be forced - by your absolutist standpoint - to dismiss it as false, malicious slander against the good people of Mauritania.

Also, you applied the "completely without credibility" and "malicious intent against Israel" to absolutely every NGO and international agency that contributed to the Gaza Report. One of those contributors was B'tselem. You've supported antisemitic slander, death threats, and intimidation against Richard Goldstone as well, while insisting he's completely wrong about everything. You don't get to hide behind them, Shira.

6) I TRULY CARE DEEPLY, WITH ALL MY HEART, FOR THE SLAVES OF MAURITANIA, AND MY CONCERN IS NOT SOLELY A FARCE TO DISTRACT FROM A DISCUSSION THAT ISN'T GOING MY WAY!
Still waiting on those links, Shira.

We're done here, Shira. But i'm not going to leave you empty-handed.


It's impossible to have a bad day with that stuck in your head.
The name of the accusers changes, but Israel continues to break international law. PDJane Jun 2012 #1
Maybe it has something to do with the lack of prospects for those children to get on in tbe world. bemildred Jun 2012 #2
Not a surprise at all azurnoir Jun 2012 #3
I wonder how juvenile offenders are treated in GB Mosby Jun 2012 #4
That is surprising... shaayecanaan Jun 2012 #5
I can tell you that in the USA juveniles are treated like fresh meat. bemildred Jun 2012 #6
especially since the privatization of dentention facilities n/t azurnoir Jun 2012 #8
There was an interesting tidbit on QI last night... shaayecanaan Jun 2012 #10
Thanks I did not know about how far the prison labor had went azurnoir Jun 2012 #11
Richard Millett: Save the children…except when they’re Israeli. shira Jun 2012 #7
I'm sorry, I stop reading articles when they do shit like this; Scootaloo Jun 2012 #12
The whole report is diversionary and politically loaded. That's the point of bringing up ... shira Jun 2012 #13
yep sort of like CNN and Fox News not thinking they had to read azurnoir Jun 2012 #14
Oh, okay. Why bother with information, when you can "just know" Scootaloo Jun 2012 #16
Yes, I do know that w/o question, and only the deliberately blind would deny it, there's an obvious shira Jul 2012 #17
So given the obvious agenda of you and your sources, what makes you the least bit trustworthy? Scootaloo Jul 2012 #18
My credibility isn't the issue. Did you read both links? Especially the 2nd one (not NGO-M)? shira Jul 2012 #19
I read the second Scootaloo Jul 2012 #20
The NGO's that fed Goldstone the central argument & conclusion of his report.... shira Jul 2012 #21
I know what your argument is, Shira Scootaloo Jul 2012 #22
No you don't. shira Jul 2012 #23
Yeah, I do; you're not very subtle Scootaloo Jul 2012 #24
An excellent post shaayecanaan Jul 2012 #25
Why does the sourcing of right-wing garbage "stick" here, anyway? Scootaloo Jul 2012 #30
I ask myself that all the time. Why do people constantly quote from Hamas approved media here? shira Jul 2012 #40
Shira, as I cover below... Scootaloo Jul 2012 #43
You didn't cover anything below. shira Jul 2012 #44
I think you're the one not understanding Scootaloo Jul 2012 #45
There's a difference b/w rightwing sources, liberal ones, and hard left ones.... shira Jul 2012 #48
Sigh. Here are some true/false questions you can either choose to answer or choose to evade.... shira Jul 2012 #26
You don't have to be so hostile; just give me a sly come-hither look! Scootaloo Jul 2012 #29
Why the thin skin when your posts to me are even more hostile? Anyway, I'm stunned w/ yr response... shira Jul 2012 #31
Thin skin? I was just saying you're quite the charmer! Scootaloo Jul 2012 #33
Uhh right, the antisemitic "Lobby" got to Goldstone (the poor victim). And after several posts.... shira Jul 2012 #34
I'm glad we agree on something, finally Scootaloo Jul 2012 #35
No, we don't agree. I think it's ridiculous to claim the "Lobby" got a "poor victim" like Goldstone shira Jul 2012 #36
"The entire report was invalidated" you say? Scootaloo Jul 2012 #37
It's dead and buried, in the dustbin of history. No one brings it up anymore... shira Jul 2012 #38
Nor have you responded to my question about HRW and their report on Syria, Shira Scootaloo Jul 2012 #41
What's there to really respond to? Let's say their report on Syria is perfect.... shira Jul 2012 #42
It's simple, really. Scootaloo Jul 2012 #46
When the original founder of HRW has a problem with them, something's up... shira Jul 2012 #47
Or perhaps Bernstein changed his mind. Scootaloo Jul 2012 #50
This is great oberliner Jul 2012 #51
Not a huge fan of the Henry Rollins Band Scootaloo Jul 2012 #53
Maybe you should ask yourself why Goldstone and Robert Bernstein turned on Roth and HRW.... shira Jul 2012 #52
I thought you were done, Shira? Scootaloo Jul 2012 #54
Just saying Goldstone, Bernstein, and B'tselem call BS on HRW claims. Deal with it as you wish. shira Jul 2012 #55
I had thought you were calling it quits, is all Scootaloo Jul 2012 #56
Can't defend HRW now, can you? Go back to where this all started in post #12... shira Jul 2012 #58
What's there to "defend" them against? Scootaloo Jul 2012 #62
LOL. Even B'tselem directors have a problem with HRW's main allegations vs. Israel... shira Jul 2012 #63
LOL. bemildred Jul 2012 #32
you may be shocked at this but links to sites such as the Volokh Conspiracy to prove your opinion azurnoir Jul 2012 #27
Don't really know what you're on about... shira Jul 2012 #39
well 'Alice' I guess the rabbit was talking to you or was it the queen? sounds more like the queen azurnoir Jul 2012 #49
By unique... Scootaloo Jul 2012 #57
could be n/t azurnoir Jul 2012 #61
When you adopt the rhetoric of regressive rightwing anti-Israel regimes and advocate.... shira Jul 2012 #59
so do Israels 'liberal' civil rights laws apply to the non citizen Palestinians living in the azurnoir Jul 2012 #60
No, of course not. But you're not merely for Palestinians having their own state... shira Jul 2012 #64
Palestinians civil rights are on hold spin that anyway you'd like it is the truth azurnoir Jul 2012 #65
a report on this from B'tselem who interviewed 50 Palestinian kids who had been detained by Israel azurnoir Jun 2012 #9
Arrests of Palestinian children– ‘a boy in leg irons’ — is becoming a big story in UK JohnyCanuck Jun 2012 #15
WATCH: Palestinian child kicked by Border Police in Hebron azurnoir Jul 2012 #28
Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Israel/Palestine»Israel sees Palestinian c...»Reply #62