Best Of

Trump could end up going down as the President who solved the two most contentious culture war issues: abortion and gun rights.

https://x.com/sentdefender/status/2016262773244613010

Reporter: “Sir, was Mr. Pretti acting as an assassin? Do you think he was acting as an assassin in Minneapolis?”

Trump: “Who is that?”

Reporter: “Mr. Pretti. Your Deputy Chief of Staff [Stephen Miller] said that. You don't think so?”

Trump: “No, I don’t think so. With that being said, you know, you can’t have guns. You can’t walk in with guns. You just can’t.”

Reporter: “What about the Second Amendment?”

Trump: “Listen, you can’t walk in with guns. You can’t do that. But it’s just a very unfortunate incident.”

Criticising Zionism would have got me fifty likes

Criticising Islamism gets next to none

I understand that Islamism is much scarier to oppose

Perhaps the site statisticians can confirm, but I’d be AMAZED if any post has received 50 likes.

Have you got your hyperbolic beer googles on?

The most liked post in PB history received 61 likes.

It was by JohnO telling he was okay after his cardiac arrest.

I think that’s the only post to go past 40 likes.

https://vf.politicalbetting.com/discussion/comment/3404262/#Comment_3404262

Is opposing Islamism Islamophobic?

Is opposing Judaism antisemitic? I'd say yes to that, so I'd also say yes to your question.

Islamism is different from Islam. Look them up

Being opposed to Islam isn't islamophobic. It's a religion, and therefore a philosophy, a belief system, and may be opposed. Exactly as you may be opposed to a political philosophy.

Similarly, being opposed to Judaism, the religion, isn't antisemitic.

You oppose the 10 commandments?

Yes, of course.

A few of them are just universal good sense, like do not commit murder. But that is nothing special.

Others are not positive at all.

Most are not laws.

We should not put the commandments on a pedesral.

Have you been coveting thy neighbour's ass again?

Is opposing Islamism Islamophobic?

Is opposing Judaism antisemitic? I'd say yes to that, so I'd also say yes to your question.

Islamism is different from Islam. Look them up

Being opposed to Islam isn't islamophobic. It's a religion, and therefore a philosophy, a belief system, and may be opposed. Exactly as you may be opposed to a political philosophy.

Similarly, being opposed to Judaism, the religion, isn't antisemitic.

You oppose the 10 commandments?

Some of them. But in any case people can support elements of a religious philosophy whilst being opposed to some fundamental tenets of the faith itself.

Someone might find a lot they like about the teachings of Jesus but still oppose the religious institutions promoting it, or just not agree with (and so oppose) fundamental aspects of its beliefs (eg that Jesus was the son of God).

I’m personally opposed to the whole “you must forgive people who’ve shown no contrition” thing.

It's horrible, difficult, and creates all sorts of problems when you try and run an organisation or country that way ("trespassers will be forgiven", as the Franciscan farm sign says)...

... but it's also the only thing that works, both internally and as a way to stop the eternal back-and-forth of resentment. It's the way that Northern Ireland and South Africa eventually got lucky and Israel/Palestine haven't yet.

Northern Ireland and Israel/Palestine are about “I must kill my enemies before they kill me, round 3,767.”

I don’t have to forgive anyone, to not kill them. I don’t forgive the PIRA (or the UVF and all the other dreary murdering shits) - I don’t see why I should, either. If they apologised, I might consider it. But they won’t.

The Peace Process is about retiring the Men Of Violence, in place. So they all die of old age, eventually. Then we can piss on their graves.

Peace processes also require change from the status quo. In Northern Ireland it was the power sharing agreement. In South Africa it was the end of apartheid. In Israel/Palestine there will have to be some similar sort of agreement that recognises the needs of both sides and makes peace more viable than fighting.