Excellent summation of the utter insanity we are experiencing. The virulence is palpable and the number of nations who stand against Israel, staggering.
I wish we could even speak of " moral outrage " . We can't. It's not a moral quest by any definition.
It excludes the astronomical majority of the world, including the ubiquitous Israelis and Jews. It is essentially immoral.
Leaving aside the illness of Jew-hatred , the next sin that comes to mind is hypocrisy. The outside pretence clashing with the inside reality of human occult savagery, prejudice and hatred.
Third, there is emptiness. Religious, spiritual, even. Doug Murray calls " Palestinianism" a new religion. Vacuums are abhorred. Religion ,as " bonding" or " binding "( religio in Latin), for all its irrational flaws , grants meaning to humans forever looking for transcendence.
Lastly, we, parents are perhaps partially at fault . We let them " choose their path". Perhaps we could name it " permissiveness". To excess. We relinquished authority.
But what about the demented grown ups in those protests? That brings collective madness as an additional element. We are tribal, need acceptance, join and follow like sheep. And become mad as groups, time and time again.
So much to learn about collective psychology. Psychologists, after frying our brains with trivialities for decades, have let us down ,now that a new civilisational crisis threatens to erupt.
As an edit, I venture to add that a terrible subconscious spring for these deluded " moralistic " protesters is a form of surrender to their fear of an Islamic conquest. Their pre-Stockholm syndrome is appeasement to the Islamic cause. Hamas just happens to represent it in full.
This is how Western Civilization dies, infiltrated by radical Muslims and revolutionary leftists, It sustains body blow after body blow. The hour is getting late.
I am not Jewish but instead an aspiring Taoist and the great Taoist sage Zhuangzi says: "There is such a thing as leaving mankind alone. There has never been such a thing as governing mankind."
This is not an argument for pacifism or renunciation of the world (not entirely), but is a warning against grandiosity and presumption, esp in the realm of morals and politics. Zhuangzi, like anyone who's lived through tumultous times, saw clearly how so-called reformers usually botch more than they fix and cause more problems than they solve, but more to the point—these types of people are almost completely blind to their own motivations and power hunger, which is why yesterday's rebel/reformer usually becomes tomorrow's tyrant.
But just like anyone devoted to a religious or spiritual path, he aims at a more essential truth: you cannot save or govern anyone else if you can't save or govern yourself, and more simply, your supposed ideas and ideals, no matter how beautiful, cannot be any better than you are. You must rectify your own life and actions and try to see yourself and the world as clearly as possible, with all of this rooted in the constant pursuit of virtue and integrity. Otherwise you're just using the world as a stage and other people as props for you to perform and parade your Self, which ends up poisoning all it claims to heal.
The internet age seems to be a time flooded with endless, constant information and opinion yet is almost completely devoid of wisdom. The sad lost souls of Free Palestine! barely know anything about this complicated issue, but have little interest in knowledge or complexity, as these get in the way of moral certitude and the frisson of play-acting as grand historical actors fighting for Justice. All they can do now is stew in grievance like a baby stuck in a soiled diaper, as the truth starts to dawn that all their supposed facts were lies and their supposed compassion was only poorly disguised hatred.
Thank god for Josh Hoffman, a beacon of light in these dark times.
Thank you for mentioning Zhuangzi! Here is my 2 cents thanks to the great Taoist sage:
Zhuangzi’s frog in the well metaphor is an apt description for those clinging to the social (in)justice paradigm of oppressed vs. oppressor. The more attached one becomes to a particular ideology—like anti-Zionism—the more blind they become to the larger truth. They unwittingly bury the critical faculties required to transform the cesspool of ignorance into genuine liberation, for themselves and for the rest of humanity.
Ideological attachment is a recipe for narrow perspectives. Without the flexibility of thought—the ability to embrace nuance and challenge assumptions—the activist becomes intolerant of divergent opinions, which is the cornerstone of a free society. The unwillingness to debate on the merits, relying instead on slogans to delegitimize and demonize Israel, makes peace between Israelis and Palestinians an impossibility.
It's one thing to not know that your map and the territory don't always match or to realize there's so much of life and the world that you don't know about, that exists even outside of language and human perception and thought—but zealots replace standard human ignorance with malice for anyone who disturbs their solid certitude.
Ours is an age of algorithmic tribalism, ideological lobotomy and performative narcissism. People not only don't know how to think, they don't even know that spouting secondhand opinions has nothing to do with thinking.
Like my guru Zhuangzi, I've given up on fighting the mob and now just try to fight the mob inside my own heart and mind. It's a constant battle!
The one positive I can think of is the recent rise in popularity of Charlie Kirk's TurningPoint organization. Assuming the DEI crowd doesn't succeed in having them banned from campuses, it will continue to grow in popularity, bringing a message of reason, truth and love.
Many young people are moving to the right and denouncing what has gone on for the past few decades. The problem is the generations in between them and the baby boomers. They are likely to turn their back on Israel and Jews writ large.
We will see whether the Palestinians are just biding their time and waiting for another Obama or Biden to win the Whitehouse. If TurningPoint can energize the youth vote, things have the best chance of not continuing to drift left.
The problem with the present leftists is that they are so used to sloganeering with words they don't understand in substitute for reason and constructive ideas that they have nothing else. They have rendered words like racist, genocide, Nazi, and fascist into meaninglessness and are being ignored which further angers them.
excellent analysis... so much of politics and social justice is just performance art... personally... I am very triggered by the monumental stupidity and brainless chanting... can I sue for that???
shabbat shalom umevurach... it has been a truly blessed week...
The monstrosity and ugliness of the October 7th massacre, and the justified fury of the Israeli revenge, made it more difficult, but even more necessary, bonds of friendship and deep cultural and linguistic understanding of the peoples in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and the surrounding nations. The Hebrew scriptures and people will always be hated by evil men. But this sacred text and its original people are beloved by Christians, and, hopefully, by more Muslims, deists, pagans, and the secular. The Holy Writ and good people can still build common moral understanding, and while life lasts, to build sympathy and friendship between peoples willing to make the effort.
"Take Greta Thunberg, once the face of global climate awareness. She inspired millions of young people to care about the planet — a cause rooted in science, responsibility, and collective stewardship."
No, by the time she came along, scientific inquiry had been abolished and "accepted" science had become a religion without any questioning allowed.
Excellent summation of the utter insanity we are experiencing. The virulence is palpable and the number of nations who stand against Israel, staggering.
Bravo.
I wish we could even speak of " moral outrage " . We can't. It's not a moral quest by any definition.
It excludes the astronomical majority of the world, including the ubiquitous Israelis and Jews. It is essentially immoral.
Leaving aside the illness of Jew-hatred , the next sin that comes to mind is hypocrisy. The outside pretence clashing with the inside reality of human occult savagery, prejudice and hatred.
Third, there is emptiness. Religious, spiritual, even. Doug Murray calls " Palestinianism" a new religion. Vacuums are abhorred. Religion ,as " bonding" or " binding "( religio in Latin), for all its irrational flaws , grants meaning to humans forever looking for transcendence.
Lastly, we, parents are perhaps partially at fault . We let them " choose their path". Perhaps we could name it " permissiveness". To excess. We relinquished authority.
But what about the demented grown ups in those protests? That brings collective madness as an additional element. We are tribal, need acceptance, join and follow like sheep. And become mad as groups, time and time again.
So much to learn about collective psychology. Psychologists, after frying our brains with trivialities for decades, have let us down ,now that a new civilisational crisis threatens to erupt.
As an edit, I venture to add that a terrible subconscious spring for these deluded " moralistic " protesters is a form of surrender to their fear of an Islamic conquest. Their pre-Stockholm syndrome is appeasement to the Islamic cause. Hamas just happens to represent it in full.
This is how Western Civilization dies, infiltrated by radical Muslims and revolutionary leftists, It sustains body blow after body blow. The hour is getting late.
I am not Jewish but instead an aspiring Taoist and the great Taoist sage Zhuangzi says: "There is such a thing as leaving mankind alone. There has never been such a thing as governing mankind."
This is not an argument for pacifism or renunciation of the world (not entirely), but is a warning against grandiosity and presumption, esp in the realm of morals and politics. Zhuangzi, like anyone who's lived through tumultous times, saw clearly how so-called reformers usually botch more than they fix and cause more problems than they solve, but more to the point—these types of people are almost completely blind to their own motivations and power hunger, which is why yesterday's rebel/reformer usually becomes tomorrow's tyrant.
But just like anyone devoted to a religious or spiritual path, he aims at a more essential truth: you cannot save or govern anyone else if you can't save or govern yourself, and more simply, your supposed ideas and ideals, no matter how beautiful, cannot be any better than you are. You must rectify your own life and actions and try to see yourself and the world as clearly as possible, with all of this rooted in the constant pursuit of virtue and integrity. Otherwise you're just using the world as a stage and other people as props for you to perform and parade your Self, which ends up poisoning all it claims to heal.
The internet age seems to be a time flooded with endless, constant information and opinion yet is almost completely devoid of wisdom. The sad lost souls of Free Palestine! barely know anything about this complicated issue, but have little interest in knowledge or complexity, as these get in the way of moral certitude and the frisson of play-acting as grand historical actors fighting for Justice. All they can do now is stew in grievance like a baby stuck in a soiled diaper, as the truth starts to dawn that all their supposed facts were lies and their supposed compassion was only poorly disguised hatred.
Thank god for Josh Hoffman, a beacon of light in these dark times.
Thank you for mentioning Zhuangzi! Here is my 2 cents thanks to the great Taoist sage:
Zhuangzi’s frog in the well metaphor is an apt description for those clinging to the social (in)justice paradigm of oppressed vs. oppressor. The more attached one becomes to a particular ideology—like anti-Zionism—the more blind they become to the larger truth. They unwittingly bury the critical faculties required to transform the cesspool of ignorance into genuine liberation, for themselves and for the rest of humanity.
Ideological attachment is a recipe for narrow perspectives. Without the flexibility of thought—the ability to embrace nuance and challenge assumptions—the activist becomes intolerant of divergent opinions, which is the cornerstone of a free society. The unwillingness to debate on the merits, relying instead on slogans to delegitimize and demonize Israel, makes peace between Israelis and Palestinians an impossibility.
Zealots are more like poison toads!
It's one thing to not know that your map and the territory don't always match or to realize there's so much of life and the world that you don't know about, that exists even outside of language and human perception and thought—but zealots replace standard human ignorance with malice for anyone who disturbs their solid certitude.
Ours is an age of algorithmic tribalism, ideological lobotomy and performative narcissism. People not only don't know how to think, they don't even know that spouting secondhand opinions has nothing to do with thinking.
Like my guru Zhuangzi, I've given up on fighting the mob and now just try to fight the mob inside my own heart and mind. It's a constant battle!
Thanks for the kind words!
Of course! I will also show appreciation for moral clarity and wisdom, a rare combination. Give up the fight, but continue to share your thoughts 🙏
same to you and cheers
see ya out there!
Beautifully articulated, packed with wisdom! Heal thyself before imposing one’s dysfunction onto others. 🙏
You're completely right. The human rights movement has simply created a safe space for antisemitism.
Is there any *good* news about morally good and sensible reporting, too?Something to uplift, please!
The one positive I can think of is the recent rise in popularity of Charlie Kirk's TurningPoint organization. Assuming the DEI crowd doesn't succeed in having them banned from campuses, it will continue to grow in popularity, bringing a message of reason, truth and love.
Many young people are moving to the right and denouncing what has gone on for the past few decades. The problem is the generations in between them and the baby boomers. They are likely to turn their back on Israel and Jews writ large.
We will see whether the Palestinians are just biding their time and waiting for another Obama or Biden to win the Whitehouse. If TurningPoint can energize the youth vote, things have the best chance of not continuing to drift left.
More beautifully written truth. Thank you, Joshua.
GOD BLESS ISRAEL 🇮🇱 Amen 🙏
Amazing writing!
The problem with the present leftists is that they are so used to sloganeering with words they don't understand in substitute for reason and constructive ideas that they have nothing else. They have rendered words like racist, genocide, Nazi, and fascist into meaninglessness and are being ignored which further angers them.
excellent analysis... so much of politics and social justice is just performance art... personally... I am very triggered by the monumental stupidity and brainless chanting... can I sue for that???
shabbat shalom umevurach... it has been a truly blessed week...
The monstrosity and ugliness of the October 7th massacre, and the justified fury of the Israeli revenge, made it more difficult, but even more necessary, bonds of friendship and deep cultural and linguistic understanding of the peoples in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and the surrounding nations. The Hebrew scriptures and people will always be hated by evil men. But this sacred text and its original people are beloved by Christians, and, hopefully, by more Muslims, deists, pagans, and the secular. The Holy Writ and good people can still build common moral understanding, and while life lasts, to build sympathy and friendship between peoples willing to make the effort.
Justice, Equity and people "trying to save the world" are just new names for an old idea:
Communism.
"Take Greta Thunberg, once the face of global climate awareness. She inspired millions of young people to care about the planet — a cause rooted in science, responsibility, and collective stewardship."
No, by the time she came along, scientific inquiry had been abolished and "accepted" science had become a religion without any questioning allowed.
She was just the latest Priestess.