I'm interested in Holzman's concept of the "sub-rational", because one of my pet theories is that what has to be done to make peace conflicts with the most basic cultural lies of both sides. Yes, these are generalizations, and yes, every generalization has a million exceptions, but in general, as a cultural norm, Arabs have to pretend th…
I'm interested in Holzman's concept of the "sub-rational", because one of my pet theories is that what has to be done to make peace conflicts with the most basic cultural lies of both sides. Yes, these are generalizations, and yes, every generalization has a million exceptions, but in general, as a cultural norm, Arabs have to pretend that they're always strong, especially when they're not, and Jews have to pretend that they're always morally superior, especially when they're not.
So what we have to do is:
1) Figure out a way for the Palestinians to give up all claim to 78% of where they used to live and feel like it's an act of strength.
2) Figure out a way for Israel to face up to the fact that they've been hated and killed not because Arabs are a Leon Uris style evil race or because Everybody Hates the Jews, but because that's the normal reaction to taking a country away from the people who were living there, and to see that admission as an act of moral superiority.
Like the wabbit said, that's a pretty good trick, Doc.
This is spot on (although that piece about Jews and moral superiority stung--I would have phrased it differently, but I get the point). The challenge will be restraining the primal instincts and their reactionary political parties, in favor of pragmatic solutions that maximize human life and dignity.
Thank you, I really appreciate it. I grew up in a time when you couldn't say what I said without being treated like the moral equivalent of Hitler, so sometimes I need a reminder that things have changed (only partly, but enough to matter.) So it moved me that you responded as you did.
I'm interested in Holzman's concept of the "sub-rational", because one of my pet theories is that what has to be done to make peace conflicts with the most basic cultural lies of both sides. Yes, these are generalizations, and yes, every generalization has a million exceptions, but in general, as a cultural norm, Arabs have to pretend that they're always strong, especially when they're not, and Jews have to pretend that they're always morally superior, especially when they're not.
So what we have to do is:
1) Figure out a way for the Palestinians to give up all claim to 78% of where they used to live and feel like it's an act of strength.
2) Figure out a way for Israel to face up to the fact that they've been hated and killed not because Arabs are a Leon Uris style evil race or because Everybody Hates the Jews, but because that's the normal reaction to taking a country away from the people who were living there, and to see that admission as an act of moral superiority.
Like the wabbit said, that's a pretty good trick, Doc.
This is spot on (although that piece about Jews and moral superiority stung--I would have phrased it differently, but I get the point). The challenge will be restraining the primal instincts and their reactionary political parties, in favor of pragmatic solutions that maximize human life and dignity.
Thank you, I really appreciate it. I grew up in a time when you couldn't say what I said without being treated like the moral equivalent of Hitler, so sometimes I need a reminder that things have changed (only partly, but enough to matter.) So it moved me that you responded as you did.