Category Archives: Antisemitism

Hurling stones…Moral superiority is no vindication for a poisonous heart. Hate always begets hate, never enlightenment. The Truth needs Love.

Stephen_Stoning_Lauri
^ The stoning of Stephen… Ironically Saul would become St Paul the Greatest Apostle and chosen vessel of God to preach Grace unto humanity… ending Moral legalism. After meeting Christ and receiving his commission he never again picked up the stones. He said “If it be possible… as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men”.
Among other principles … including the love of God towards all men *as individuals*, and their equality he laid down the principles that would one day give birth to Libertarianism and the concepts of God given inalienable rights of individuals…. yet my post is only indirectly about this.

Todays blog post is on a subject that has been fermenting in my mind for many years, and it is written just as much to myself as to others.
It has to do with my personal development as a human being… a growth in personal wisdom and character., and most importantly it is aimed at making me a more effective soldier in the battle of Ideas.
My life over the last 20 years has been in Flux…. High Highs and low lows… and via the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune I have battled forth …. Flailing my sword about driven by emotion as much as reason…. And emulating others as much as blazing my own trail… and this has had as many disadvantages as advantages.
Not only have I learned Good habits, but also very bad ones, and todays post is about understanding all this better, and attempting to up my game… and become a better person in the process.
It wont be easy… as not only does it involve breaking entrenched habits that have become natural to me but also provide me with a certain amount of pleasure… and on top of that it involves reinventing my own Self-image of who I am… loosing some vices that I have mistaken as virtues and as such given me self esteem when I should have felt shame… and yet if I succeed in this I will start to see the virtues of character traits I have held to be vices… and I expect to generate a new basis for self esteem… via improved character and more effectiveness as a crusader for Truth, justice, and the salvation of individuals.
Big claims huh! :-)… yet definitely worthy of contemplation.

Lets get into it …
In these times of Terror and barbarity, it is commonplace to find the so-called lovers of Liberty to be openly pouring out hatred upon Muslims because of their concepts of Sharia Law, Jihad, intolerance, and brutality and so that even their most benign activities receive the most vehement responses.

You can be sure that at any mention of Islam that within minutes Self Righteous people seeking to promote terror and hate will post un-moderated pictures and accounts of atrocities that are supposed to foster and vindicate their outrage and hatred towards Muslims.
This is particularly noticeable in the attitudes of the disciples of that most militant of atheists… Ayn Rand… who collectively go by the name of ‘Objectivists’… yet also is common place rationale among other Non-Muslims… Jews, Hindus… and tragically… among the majority of those who go by the name of Christian.
What bothers me is that this negativity and outrage…. While at face value appears both Natural and justified… it does little towards actually saving the world, but plays into the hands of the terrorists and haters.
It is great at stirring up support for closing boarders to the Displaced, and Sending in the stealth Bombers…. Yet we have all herd the motto that while military action can be essential and justified… that wars are ultimately won in *battlefield of the minds of humanity.*
That forced peace due to military might is always short lived… with the evil still fermenting *as hatred*… just under the surface… just waiting for fresh opportunity to boil over again.
What I am about to say is not only worth contemplating in regards to ultimately winning the ideological war against Islamic extremism, but I believe is valuable in all aspects of the winning support for truth and enlightenment.
Here is an example of the problem as I see it…

Recently I came across some Objectivist Atheists engaged in their favorite past time of slinging shit at Islam… under the pretense that this was Righteous Indignation against an insidious Evil… yet for the record this conversation could just as well have been found coming from Christian supporters of Donald Trump.
A school was having a “Try the Hijab Day”…. followed by the comment ‘Why not have a “Try a Nazi Uniform day” also?’.

Sure enough the following comment and picture was solicited…
.
“Well done XXXX XXXXXX. What a great man you are. Islamic sadism is a terrible thing. Murderous attacks on innocent female victims including even infants are not just the action of a lone wolf or even of the multiple “lone wolves” involved. .There is an appalling mindset inculcated and encouraged from birth, so embedded and reinforced that not even one individual does anything to deter the horrific violence against the powerless. In civilised communities public entertainment comes in the form of sporting contests, musical entertainment and events uplifting for families. In savage anti-humanity societies public entertainment is a large hate-filled crowd of males exulting in the worst imaginable brutality.”

bashed by muslims

^^^That escalated quickly! … yet is typical.
The post went from an inter-cultural school lesson designed to ‘de-alienate children into an attempt to subvert them into accepting… maybe even committing atrocities!

Of course the terrible deeds committed in the name of Islam should generate indignation and elicit vocal responses, yet identifying problems and evils is at best only the beginning of the solution… and I believe that too many people allow *the problem* to cloud their better judgment and actually turn them into just another part of the problem rather than taking the higher road that leads the world out of darkness.
Terrorism and brutality ferment reciprocal hatred…. an unqualified blind type of hatred that is quick to pass a sentence of collective guilt upon an entire demographic because of the activities of a few.
Those drawn into this mindset mistake bigotry for righteous outrage and this is exactly what the terrorists, and hate groups feed upon.
This sort of reciprocity highlights the dilemma of being a Libertarian who hopes to create a better world.

As a Christian Libertarian I myself believe Islam to be a dangerous false religion,and am not at all surprised by the horrors that are being committed in it’s name, yet in the same token I also know that Atheism is also a dangerous false religion and that it too is responsible for infinite evils.
I also know that many so-called Christians are vile Statists… that they too support political oppression, and I respect the right of people to express their views, and criticize others.
Yet as a Libertarian I know not to be suckered into bogus collectivist mentality that underpins Bigotry.
While exercising my right to express my views, and fulfilling my duty to God to defend the faith,
I dont say *All Muslims* *All Atheists* are ‘Blar’ ‘Blar’… I try to avoid promoting bigotry.
With regards to Islamiphobia, it is sometimes too easy to post horrible pictures of victims of various hate groups… without clarifications… this is usually done *to promote bigotry… to illicit support for nasty prejudices*… and that is why It is very hard to be a Good Libertarian…. Speaking out against bigotry ,yet without underplaying the veracity of legitimate concerns .
And here I get to the crux of my argument for this post… the point in which I seek to improve my own game…
I believe this ‘essential balance’ between boldly facing heinous truths, yet not falling into bigotry can only be done by the sincere of heart who are prepared to look at both sides of any contentions… and to be found to be discussing things as objectively as possible… and that is never achieved by over-generalizations… and furthermore by looking not only at the truthfulness of contentious issues, but just as essentially *at the heart motive* of both ourselves… and of the Diatribes we encounter.
It is only if we maintain a clean heart… free of Rancor… motivated by Love…with our eyes on the prize … that we can be effective evangelists of enlightenment.
I am not saying I have mastered these arts.
In fact I am sure I haven’t… yet I am aware of the ‘Bad habit’ and base ‘pleasure’ that comes from opening up cans of malice upon the objects of our scorn.
I try to reserve that sort of ‘disregard’ for those whom I believe truly embody willful Evil… those whom have no desire to see their own wickedness… but revel in it… yet still you cant expect pouring out indignation to win anyone for truth!
It is in this sense an admission of frustration and defeat.
It is a sad truth that *some people*… many people are beyond reason… even those who claim to be champions of it!
The human factor is always at work… the bible says “the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.”, and again “That this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world but that men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.”
The problem with dishing out Evil for evil is that while it is relatively easy to identify evil values and beliefs, and to take some sort of pleasure from the idea that we are morally superior, yet after this what do we do with our knowledge?
Do we allow it to ferment hatred and justify aggression, justify building walls from which we throw righteous stones? (its amazing who condemns the stoning of sinners in the old testament yet who support their governments doing the same thing and worse… to foreigners with foreign beliefs)
Or do we try and overcome ideological evils via the higher path… via enlightened values… reason and example?

handshake

Do we even care about those people lost in darkness enough to open up and maintain dialogues, or do we write them off as wicked reprobates and stamp their foreheads with ‘Child of Satan’?
I believe that if the world is going to become more free and civil requires not just military supremacy, but Victories of enlightenment and good will to triumph over Darkness and reciprocal malevolence… and this can only be done by ‘Lovers’ not ‘haters’.
Our societies must not only truly embody Libertarian justice and equality, but also the spirit of benevolence towards ‘the lost’, and a desire to ‘win’ them over in their hearts and minds…. And these are ‘Christian humanitarian values towards the lost’ and why Christianity is one of the few ideologies with the power to overcome savagery, Crime, evil superstitions, and bigotry.
I am not simply saying that Christianity practiced well is both truthful and righteous… which it is… but that everybody… non-Christians as well can learn valuable insights into how to stimulate the growth of civilization… how to bring light and peace into areas of Darkness and Barbarism.
I also say that these truths expose Rancid ideologies that pose as Reason and enlightenment yet are in fact hotbeds of bigotry and hate… and that despite their self-acclamation as being the champions of humanity and social progress… are actually a big part of the problem!
They are almost as backward and deranged as the evils they profess to be the vanguard against.

Thus we must take care how we wield our Ideological swords.
Too often the ‘Superiority complex’ is used as justification for Hatred, bigotry, and pouring out Guile…. which only exacerbates the troubles and further alienates those who we should be trying to lead up the higher path.
And This is why the *heart motive* behind what we write and say determines the ‘Spirit’ of actions and the success or failure in respect to the war of ideas.
For sure Tirades that spew forth hot coals upon their chosen targets are ‘successful’ for attracting the applause and fame within other haters yet absolutely fail at bringing more enlightenment into the world.
I think there are times and places to have ‘in house’ pep talks to the troops that may be spoken in strong terms to emphasize the gravity of what is at stake… and the urgency with which they must rally, yet that cant be a summary of your entire modus opperandi!
You need to make it clear the while the evils are vile, and that arms may be needed, not to mistake this as an excuse to become a hater… and that Goodwill towards humanity must always be at the forefront.
If we realize that most people in dark lands believe backward things only do so because they have not been exposed to the truth in a way that they can see as being not only true… but delivered by souls of good will who *want their betterment*… this is far more likely to increase the sum in favour of enlightenment and lead to real victories in the battle of Ideas.
Missionaries are just as essential as Arms in the struggle as ultimately it is only an enlightenment that can overcome Evil ideologies.
And this is basic stuff… because we know that we ourselves are far more likely to respond positively to truths that are presented out of care than out of hate.

darkness vs love
I found this…From someone who actually won over hearts and minds rather than just pouring out scorn… upon those who deserved it.

changing the world
Actions speak louder than words

Now look at this pic below posted to an Objectivist FB page, and think about what such cartoons hope to achieve.
Read the comments

toilet koran... not smart.

Like • Reply •
B R
Bf That kind of shit will plug up your pipes in the worst way.
Like • Reply •
J M
J M Throw the Bible in there as well to make it even better.
Like • Reply •

Now read my comment…
Tim Wikiriwhi
Tim Wikiriwhi You know XXXXX that I can see the amusement factor in this picture… *yet contemplate this for a moment*… do you think it actually serves to further the cause of Freedom?
Do you think that it will be propitious in convincing Muslims to listen to you… to forsake Islam and embrace your values and ideals?
Dont you understand that this is actually childish and counter productive to your professed desire to enlighten the world?
Dont you see that this merely panders to the Haters… the bigots, those people who dont give a shit about *Saving the muslims*… but seek to insult them and vent hatred upon them?
Like • Reply •

I receive a typical response …. And my answer follows
B R said…. “ They will never forsake their values or their ideals. That is not islam. Islam is above any other ideals. To them anyone other than islam is beneath them. You can’t reason with someone who always thinks he is above you. You can bow to their needs. They will never bow to yours. How many women and children have to be raped and murdered for you to see this.”
Like • Reply • 2 hrs
My Reply…. “B R.. You have defeated yourself… maybe willfully so…. what you have said is something *You want to believe* rather than something that is empirically true, and you do it to excuse your own lack of reason when dealing with this problem.
You say they are beyond reason when the truth is ‘You cant be bothered trying… and you actually *hate* them… ie you dont have any compassion…. yet you have plenty of spleen that you want to vent.
Your character is such that you cant even be polite to them.
You look down your nose at them.
And you are cowardly.
The idea of befriending a Muslim terrifies you.
Let me tell you that Plenty of Muslims have been converted to Christianity by Christians who *Care enough* to take the trouble, and run the risks.
Christians *see the prize* and believe it’s worth every effort.
Wining lost souls to the truth… to truth that raises savages out of Dark superstitions and brings civilization… and ends Barbarisms…. fosters good will and peaceful co-existence.
Christianity sees Muslims and atheists *as valuable … precious individuals*… not as hopelessly Damned sub-humans.
Now if Objectivism really did value the human individual… really was ‘a movement for civilization’ it would not generate such defeatism , indifference…. Worse absolute hatred towards billions of human beings.
Like • Reply • Just now

self righteous

^^^ So my post looks to be finishing on a condemnation of the philosophy of Objectivism as *Anti-Individualism*
*Anti-Humanity* …. A Wolf in sheeps clothing.
Every virtue it pretends to extol are found to be Hot air…. mere platitudes.
It does not tend towards enlightenment and the value of human individuals and that is why it’s ranks are peopled with egotistical narcissists of malicious minds… and this leads them to promoting very *inhuman solutions* in dealing with the likes of the Victims of Islamic extremism and western foreign policy… solutions completely at variance with the founding principles of Libertarianism… esp with regards to the current Refugee crisis.

No doubt my comments here will not find many Objectivists open enough to see that I am right.
They might even say that I’m practicing ‘hate speech’ against them… that I’m not being PC enough towards them … that by my hardness I am not demonstrating ‘love’ towards them, and so failing on every level to reach *Their hearts and minds*…. Yet even if this were true… would not such an accusation actually vindicate my whole post?
You see that even if I fail to live up to this post myself, it does not diminish its validity… it just exposes my own hypocrisy, and poor character.
Ironically I learned this polemic ‘Militancy’ from my Objectivist mentors!
This is a fact that i now seek to remedy.
It is more characteristic of the Pharisee Saul *Before* he met the risen Christ.
St Paul typifies conversion from the spirit of Moralistic persecution.
His zeal for the truth, is tempered by compassion and humanity,… the true spirit of Evangelism… and he was willing to lay his life down for it.
Nobody has been a more ardent defender of truth against superstition, yet still he used the power of persuasion to win converts… from a loving heart not self righteous malice.

He said “… yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.”

Maybe Paul appreciated the grace God had shown him when he was in the throws of self righteous persecution.
Maybe his compassion comes from being once blind… yet by God’s grace… now he sees… and he knows that without brave preachers of grace and Good will… large swaths of humanity will remain under Satan’s Demonic sway… and be damned.

Realising my own problem… I am hereby seeking to learn better skills of communication… and this is what I meant in my introduction about this post being aimed as much at myself as at others.
Let me again talk about balance. I am not an apologist for ‘Politically Correctness’.
I believe The truth should be ruggedly defended and that content is far more important than grammar and worrying 24/7 about offending petty sensitivities… in fact as a Westy Bogan I simply cant function at that ‘Ivory tower level’… nor do I seek to be a part of that ‘elevated’ world.
I speak as a common man hoping to reach common people using common folk lingo and rationale.
And when talking to the likes of Objectivists you would hope that for all their claims of Rugged rationality that they of all people ought to be able to handle the truth hard spoken… yet again we find their claims to be hot air…. They love to dish it out but cant handle the slightest amount in return… so precious are their sensitivities… so vain are their egos …. They are not just beyond reproach… they are beyond reason.
I await *just one objectivist* to admit that I my post has validity, and that they will try and modify their behavior… to better embody the values their philosophy claims to precipitate.

I wrote a speech 10 years ago for the NZ Libz party, In it I talk about why I believe Objectivism fails to win over hearts and minds… and why Christianity on the other hand changed world history… and it has a lot to do with what I have been trying to talk to you about in this thread.
It is below.
I would like to point out that while I am no fan of PC rubbish, I think it is too easy… too convenient to pull out the ‘PC is evil’ card to justify rancid and obnoxious, and bigoted Tirades that are then expected to be vindicated as ‘Righteous indignation’… and ‘Rugged defense of liberty’ … etc when it is just Guile…

So To all you out there involved in the Battle of Ideas… no matter what color of faith or values you seek to propagate in this world, I hope my post helps you to appreciate that for victory in this ideological Battlefield, that *Heart motive* is just as important as being right.
It is sad to apprehend that sometimes the advocates of Evil understand this truth better than anyone, and that is why many of them *pretend* to care about those people in distress… only to lead them to destruction.
Tim Wikiriwhi
Christian Libertarian.

My Speech >>> Libz 10th birthday speech. Monday, 31 July, 2006 11:23 PM By Tim Wikiriwhi Christian Libertarian.

More From Tim….

The lonely road. My divorce from John Ansell.

A High Calling.

Anti-Terrorism at its finest. The Road out of darkness into the light.

They are out there! Heroic and Virtuous Islamic Granny Schools Murdering Extremists.

Islamic Cleric Against Religious Extremism

What can we do? Socialism’s Tungsten shell, and the refugee crisis

God Bless Angela Merkel, and those Germans whom courageously support her in these times which try Men’s souls.

The Art of Assimilation. Culture shock, Lawlessness, and the challenges facing humanitarian good will

Good Eye Closed. The Powder Keg. The Dead keep washing up on the coasts of Europe.

Not In My Name! Muslims Condemn Isis Terror.

Insidious Evil . When ethics are used as a weapon against you.

IDF Code of Ethics. Fighting a just fight.

The Diabolical tactics of Hamas: What the IDF is up against.

How does the Israeli Defence Force minimize civilian casualties?

“One Day”. The Peace Song of Our Generation. Matisyahu.

You will be next! The power of the terror mongers. When fear dominates reason… evil prevails

The Boston Bombing. Christian Grace and Freedom and the Higher Path.

Watching Buses Bear down… Why bother to Proselytize? Penn Jillette

The Battlefield of the Mind. Eternal Vigilance!

Life’s a Stanley Milgram Experiment. (part1)

Jefferson’s God. The Rock upon which Liberty is founded. (God save us from Atheism!)

Materialism renders Man Nought. Meaning-less, Value-less, Right-less

Protestant Christianity had a Baby… Libertarianism.

Monism: Evolutionary Psychology and the Death of Morality, Reason and Freewill.

We are not Robots Ayn Rand. We are Moral Agents.

Standing up for Justice more important than Personal Ambitions

The World is a Vampire.

The Hobbit is a Biblically Inspired Story

[Guest post by Julian Crawford, Leader of the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party.]

smaug-the-hobbit-copy

It is well known that J.R.R. Tolkien was a devout Christian, who attended church daily and was responsible for bringing fellow author C.S. Lewis to faith.

What is less well known are the vast parallels between The Hobbit and The Bible, particularly the Old Testament.

While the Hobbits were based on English people and Elves speak a Celtic language, the Dwarves resemble the Jewish people. “The Dwarves… wouldn’t you say that in many ways they remind you of the Jews? Their words are Semitic, obviously, constructed to be Semitic,” Tolkien said in a 1971 interview.

In The Hobbit the company of Thorin Oakenshield travel to the Lonely Mountain of Erebor to reclaim their homeland and its vast gold reserves from the dragon Smaug. The Lonely Mountain shares many similarities to Mt Zion in Jerusalem, otherwise known as the Temple Mount.

The Dwarves had been driven out of their homeland and forced to “wander the wilderness” following Smaug’s capture of the mountain. The Jewish people were also forced into exile from their holy land.

The Dwarves lived in a grand cavern where their king’s throne was located while Mt Zion became the site of King David’s palace. His son Solomon build the temple there, which was the throne room of God.

Erebor is full of vast treasures particularly massive amounts of gold, just as the Jewish temple was full of gold ornaments.

The most precious treasure of the Dwarves was the Arkenstone, known as the King’s Jewel which was kept above the throne. The holy of holies in the Jewish temple was the site of the Ark of the Covenant. Inside the Ark were two sapphire stone tablets with the ten commandments written on them.

“He prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord there.” – 1 Kings 6:19.

“Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. So he overlaid the whole interior with gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.” – 1 Kings 6:21-22.

The Lonely Mountain and other dwarf kingdoms feature huge mines where the precious stones and metals were mined, while King Solomon also commissioned massive mines, known as King Solomon’s mines.

The vast wealth of the mountain corrupted the Dwarvish kings just as Jewish kings also became corrupted following the establishment of monarchy.

Five armies surround Erebor just as armies have often surrounded Jerusalem to try and capture the Temple Mount.

When the dragon drove the Dwarves out he become king under the mountain. In The Bible Satan is described as a dragon. Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman and Islamic empires have all conquered Jerusalem and are represented in the bible as beasts.

Babylon captured vast amounts of the gold in the Jewish temple and took it for itself until it was returned by the King of Persia, who allowed the destroyed temple to be rebuilt.

The Hobbit is an epic battle between the forces of good and evil involving many armies. It is apparent that an epic battle has also been raging for millennia to control Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. That battle continues right up until the present day, with Islamic groups such as ISIL and Hamas determined to make it the capital of their Islamic Caliphate. While Zionists are equally determined to rebuild Solomon’s Temple on the same site and solidify Jewish control of the Old City.

Insidious Evil . When ethics are used as a weapon against you.

quote-force-and-mind-are-opposites-morality-ends-where-a-gun-begins-ayn-rand-150942

Ayn Rand could not be more wrong.
Despite the reality that Satan will try and use your virtue and morality against you, the truth is when guns are pulled *morality becomes absolutely essential!*
It is essential that the virtuous remain distinguishable from the Wicked.

I’m going to dig deeper into the subject of ‘Ethical conduct’ in war… which was the topic of my last blogpost…Here>>> ‘IDF Code of Ethics. Fighting a just fight.’

in particular the dilemma’s being faced by the IDF in retaliation to Hamas Terror campaign against the Civilian population of Israel, I read an interesting (and pertinent) article in today’s NZ Herald.
An Israeli organisation of Ex IDF military were very critical of how the Israeli operations in Gaza were being conducted, esp the use of artillery in civilian (urban) areas as being immoral, and decried the heavy casualties being borne by the civilians of Gaza.
This is a very interesting line of reasoning considering the IDF’s Code of ethics.
They argue that while they respect the Israeli Defence Force’s duty to defend Israel, they insist the use of artillery is *immoral* because in their opinion artillery is an *imprecise weapon*, and therefore cannot but result in careless damage/ harm to property and Non-combatants.

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Read the NZ Herald story >>> Ex-soldiers’ group speaks out to condemn Israeli shelling of civilians

“Davidovich, 27, educational director for the ex-soldiers’ group Breaking the Silence, served in field intelligence during Operation Pillar of Defence, a previous Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza in 2012. He says he was repeatedly ordered to help prepare for the firing of artillery during the hostilities.

“We got orders every day that at 5pm we will shoot artillery. We prepared all day for this, but in the end it didn’t happen. It was surrealistic to see kids playing in Beit Hanoun … I don’t remember that anyone ever spoke about the civilian population. I thought to myself, ‘How can you fire without harming civilians?’ Artillery is an imprecise weapon. Artillery fire to an area inhabited by civilians cannot be moral, we trained on open areas.”
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An-Israeli-mobile-artillery-unit-fires-a-shell-towards-Gaza-from-its-position-outside-the-central-Gaza-Strip-January-6-2009.-REUTERSBaz-Ratner-ISRAEL-960x616

Speaking from past experience Ex soldiers and members of ‘Breaking the silence’ said it was horrible to be asked by Commanders to ready the artillery for firing into ‘high population’ areas thinking “How can we fire into areas full of innocent civilians?”
As an example They said that it is very easy in the heat of battle for mistakes to occur regarding the various weights and payloads of projectiles which are being fired, which can result in ‘Bigger bangs’, or projectiles landing several hundred meters off target.

They also didn’t think giving warnings prior to a strike for the civilian population to evacuate the area absolved culpability for civilian casualties, of those people whom for whatever reason ignored the warnings.
They reported training exercises in which Commanders contradicted the IDF code of ethics imploring their soldiers to take no thought of ‘Collateral Damage’ when seeking to fulfil the objectives of their mission. eg ” If you gotta blow up a Mosque…. blow it up!”

I noted there was no mention of being callous with regards to civilian lives in this criticism.

Spokesmen for the IDF said this group has a history of making unjustifiable criticisms, and that their comments could be used by the enemy against Israel.

APTOPIX Mideast Israel Palestinians

I have made some inquiries with experienced military personnel seeking their perspective as to whether or not modern artillery can be considered to be a precise weapon.
I asked how close would they call in artillery support?
To what degree of accuracy you would expect ‘the first shell’ to hit a target with GPS co ordinates?

Here is two responses I received from US Vets…

Justin said… “I personally wouldn’t call it in no less than 300 meters from my position which is danger close and as far as accuracy it depends on the ppl firing the rounds”

James said… “Exactly what Justin said. I will add that the only time I would use danger close is if my POS was in imminent threat of take over by the enemy. (See movie platoon, final fight scene.) I would do that if I had to. As far as it being accurate I would trust only 2 FISTERS to lay down accurate arty fire under danger close and if they trusted the crews behind the guns then so would I.”

These responses add credence to the criticisms raised by ‘Breaking the silence’ that Artillery is not a prudent weapon to use in urban Gaza.

Surely there would be better/ more accurate weaponry available to the Israeli commanders.
Artillery rounds may be more economical, yet because they are inaccurate, their use would suggest their use has resulted from commanders whom don’t place Ethical considerations as a priority, and so it would appear that though Hamas is undoubtedly responsible for the Lions share of Misery and death in Gaza, that sadly Israel cannot claim to be absolutely blameless.

Another friend of mine suggested that Israel may in fact be using high tek Guided artillery shells.

This is a very important unanswered question.
The spokesman for the IDF made no attempt to argue that they were using such high tek shells, and so in absence of such assurance, I dont think Israel can consistently claim that *all Civilian casualties* have resulted from Hamas using Human shields.
And this being so, the use of Artillery in Gaza means that Both sides have acted unethically… and unfortunately it is the innocent Palestinian Children whom pay the price.

It is a testimony to the great liberty enjoyed by the people of Israel that ex soldiers can form an association which is vocally critical of their own military, and express compassion for the people of Gaza, and whom boldly raise such important questions regarding the ethical conduct of their own Army superiors.

I would be very surprised if Hamas would tolerate *anyone* questioning their use of ‘human shields’…. weapons training of Children, etc.
I would say that any brave enough to do so risks being labelled a traitor… and being murdered… swiftly.

If anyone can dispute my assertion I would appreciate being corrected.

(update: The links below suggests Hamas dont tolerate Palestinian criticism for their actions
Angry Palestinians Attack Hamas Official Over Gaza Destruction

Palestinians in Gaza Try Anti-War Protest, Hamas Executes Them )

j_street_u_wash_u_1_0

Thus while I appreciate ‘the PR problem’ for the IDF when it receives criticism about it’s conduct of the battle from it’s own people, yet in truth having the liberty to criticise the government and military is in reality a wonderful testament to the liberal Civilisation of Israel, which stands in stark contrast to the Tyrannies run by it’s enemies.

I also hasten to add that if the critics are correct in their assertions…. and it certainly appears that they are…. that it is extremely callous to use artillery bombardment, thus it is not the critics whom ought to be ashamed, or blamed for any PR capital Hamas gain from such public accusations *The fault lies squarely with the Military Commanders* whom are not following the IDF Code of ethics.
*They are harming* the Israeli cause.
*They are stepping off the moral high ground*
*They ought to be replaced with Better/ more moral commanders*

article-2695540-1FB0900500000578-926_964x683

What interests me most is that these criticisms are not being made by Tree hugging Liberals facebooking from Starbucks in Hollywood, but from experienced military personnel whom have seen action.
Thus they ought to be *more realistic about the nature of war*… yet they seem to believe Israel could be handling things much better… resulting in less unnecessary misery and death of innocent non-combatants and their property.

On the flip side it could be argued that the horrors and realities of War have so traumatised the members of ‘Breaking the silence’ that they suffer ‘Diminished capacity’ to some degree and are *not capable* of clearly appreciating what must be done… under the circumstances.

Perhaps the Israeli commanders can honestly say they are conducting operations so as to achieve the objectives of the IDF with minimal loss of life, and damage to property.

That to me seems a very hard sale.

I do appreciate though, that when a Commander tells his troops not to hesitate blowing up a mosque if they must, he’s telling them to look out for their own safety… dont let ‘politically correct’ niceties get you killed.

We all know that Hamas are employing despicable tactics which are war crimes… apparently a Hamas textbook on tactics has been captured which contains the Hamas rationale regards the use of Human shields.

*Read about Hamas Stratagems knowing Human shields are a problem for Israeli forces seeking to minimise Civilian casualties, and for Hate Propaganda >>>Here<<< We have herd reports about Hamas preventing Gaza residents from evacuating when Israel has warned of a strike. We have seen countless photos of 'The Brave Hamas' firing their weapons from behind civilians standing in the middle of Combat... and it is inconceivable that these people would be standing there if they were free to take cover.... they are obviously told to stay put, or have their families slaughtered. Then we see Hamas Parading the Dead 'parents and children' saying "Israel is too scared to fight Hamas, and so they slaughter families instead". Hamas is fighting a despicable War of Lies seeking to breed hatred of Israel, and Isolate Israel from her western allies. And it is a testament to the foolishness and wilful, growing anti-Semitism in the West that so much of the lies of Hamas and other Fanatical Islamic terrorist groups are lapped up and endorsed by Politicians about the globe... in the UN .... even here in New Zealand by Labours Phil Goff, and (no surprise) by Mana party Leader Hone Harawera. ham scum

I have no doubt that Hamas is not only the aggressor in this conflict, but is also with respect to its Anti-Semitism fundamentally a psychotic criminal organisation on a Par with Hitler’s Nazi’s.
I don’t believe there can be peace with such organisations, and that Israel is fully justified in destroying them all.
I am simply asking the question whether or not they are maintaining the high ground with how they conduct their military.

War sux!
There can be no disputing this, and it is understandable that those whom have seen war up close can become disgusted, and seek to bring the carnage to an end.

Yet it is wrong to automatically think that military commanders ‘enjoy war’… or deny that they are seeking to restore peace with minimum loss of life.

When you are dealing with the likes of Hamas… it’s always going to be an ugly barbaric affair.
Innocent people will die in large numbers…. in do believe Hamas must bear the lions share for the misery of Gaza.

Update: 8-8-14.
I received another professional Military opinion regarding the use of Artillery.
Mike says…. Essentially, Forward Observers will call in indirect fire as close as it is needed to safely suppress, neutralize, or destroy the enemy – end of story. The general rule of thumb for danger close is 600 meters for cannon, rocket, or mortars, 1,000 meters for naval gun fire, and 2,000 meters for MLRS. This is just a warning to the individuals who carry out these missions, and NOT RESTRICTIONS. Just because friendly troops, civilians, or sensitive structures are with in the danger close zone does not mean rounds will not be dropped. When used correctly, Field Artillery can be used as a sniper rifle that is guaranteed to destroy it’s target without putting friendly forces in danger.

There are risk to using Field Artillery in an urban environment, especially one as contested as Palestine. However, I will tell you this; the Field Artillery units in Israel are striking targets with pin point accuracy in such a manner that mitigates collateral damage. Their willingness and ability to utilize state of the art technology and proper planning in the deployment of their Field Artillery assets has enabled them to eliminate enemy targets in such a manner that actually posses less collateral damage and loss of life to Israeli soldiers and Palestine civilians, then sending in droves of ground forces throughout Palestine.”

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^^^Thus there is a *Moral argument* which can be tabled in support the use of Artillery… suggesting it can be very accurate, reduces casualties suffered by Israeli infantry, and ultimately results in Less misery and property damage.

Watch a video about what the IDF is up against >>> Here<<< Thus the terrible dilemma's faced in war by Commanders and troops is weighing up the cost/ risk to innocent civilian lives and property against the safety and ultimate success of your own troops... which ultimately could bring the conflict to a swifter end and thus save lives on all sides. One thing is certain... Hamas are the dirty dealers.... choosing to base their attacks from within the living space of the Palestinian people.... out of a sheer evil intent to gain safety for their own fighters... at the expense of the safety of the Palestinian people. Update: A clear Moral argument is presented in my later blog post>>>> Raining V2s. Proportionality of force in military law. British Army Col Richard Kemp on civilian casualties in Operation Protective Edge.

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Looking at the wake of WW1, and what Chamberlain was willing to surrender to Hitler under the delusion of achieving ‘Peace in his time’… and how ultimately his gullible and effeminate submission to the Evil Machiavellian brought not peace… but a monumental tyranny and oceans of Blood…. both Military and civilian… we ought to appreciate why “Never Again”… is a byword in Israel.
I just hope they better maintain the distinction of what separates the virtuous from the Unholy.
The IDF needs to review their strategy.

Commanding a defence force against such an insidious evil as Hamas takes gargantuan Balls… and just like Winston Churchill seeking to Defeat the Nazis… and the Dresden Bombing, or The decision to Drop the A Bombs in Japan… these Actions won the War and *that Generation* was grateful for the boldness of their leaders, and had little doubt that these actions were justifiable, though later generations…. in the comfort of the Liberty they enjoy because of the Bravery and leadership decisions of the War generation… boldly label Churchill and co… mass murderers.

Ingratitude?
It’s a little too easy for some of us to prance about talking about Ends and Means when we don’t carry any weight of responsibility.

Ultimately God will judge.

In the meantime…. “Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”
Jesus Christ Matt 5vs 9

compassion-soldier-looking-out-for-children

May God’s grace be poured out upon the Earth, and his Kingdom of Peace come quickly.

The urgency of the Gospel has never been greater.

Tim Wikiriwhi.
Christian Libertarian.

*Special thanks to US Military Vets Justin, James, and Mike for their objective opinions regarding Artillery.
I take full responsibility for how the information they supplied was utilised in this blogpost, and in no way are they responsible for the opinion expressed herein.*

Read more…

IDF Code of Ethics. Fighting a just fight.

The Diabolical tactics of Hamas: What the IDF is up against.

How does the Israeli Defence Force minimize civilian casualties?

RIP Matt Judd. Tributes to a Veteran of the War to Liberate Iraq.

“One Day”. The Peace Song of Our Generation. Matisyahu.