Comments on: What the Roman leaders said to the Jews http://johndenugent.com/jdn/2009/12/24/3207/ Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:04:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Jgarbuz http://johndenugent.com/jdn/2009/12/24/3207/comment-page-1/#comment-4185 Jgarbuz Fri, 12 Feb 2010 04:16:14 +0000 http://johndenugent.com/jdn/?p=3207#comment-4185 So I guess the Romans did not believe in national self-determination. Like all paternalistic empires, they expected that paternalistic treatment of "the natives" should make them grateful and docile. But I'm afraid that then, as now, every nation, every culture, seeks a degree of autonomy that no amount of paternalism can ultimately undermine or subdue. I lived in Israel during the 1980s before and during the first intifada. At that time the Palestinian Arabs had the highest standard of living in the Arab world. They got plenty of work in Israel, decent pay, and free health care. I know. My own ex-mother in law delivered 10,000 Bedouin babies herself in Beersheba's main hospital Soroka. But no amount of paternalism and economic aid can suppress the desire of a distinct people not to be ruled over by another. One can debate the wisdom of the Jewish revolts, and certainly the great Jewish historian Josephus warned his own people not to go down that route. He was branded a traitor, even though in his writings he strongly defends his Jewish culture and religion against the many rabid antisemites of his time. In the final analysis, it was Woodrow Wilson who preached the concept of self-determination after WWI, which led to the beginning of the end of the period of European empires. Every people has the right to a homeland somewhere on this earth. A people denied will eventually grow restless and even irrational when denied a home of their own no matter how benign and paternalistic the intentions of those who claim to have their best interests at heart. Just as every human would like to feel they had a mother and father, every people needs a place to feel rooted to. Otherwise they become psychologically and even physically malformed. That's the story of my people. So I guess the Romans did not believe in national self-determination. Like all paternalistic empires, they expected that paternalistic treatment of “the natives” should make them grateful and docile. But I’m afraid that then, as now, every nation, every culture, seeks a degree of autonomy that no amount of paternalism can ultimately undermine or subdue.

I lived in Israel during the 1980s before and during the first intifada. At that time the Palestinian Arabs had the highest standard of living in the Arab world. They got plenty of work in Israel, decent pay, and free health care. I know. My own ex-mother in law delivered 10,000 Bedouin babies herself in Beersheba’s main hospital Soroka. But no amount of paternalism and economic aid can suppress the desire of a distinct people not to be ruled over by another.

One can debate the wisdom of the Jewish revolts, and certainly the great Jewish historian Josephus warned his own people not to go down that route. He was branded a traitor, even though in his writings he strongly defends his Jewish culture and religion against the many rabid antisemites of his time.

In the final analysis, it was Woodrow Wilson who preached the concept of self-determination after WWI, which led to the beginning of the end of the period of European empires.
Every people has the right to a homeland somewhere on this earth. A people denied will eventually grow restless and even irrational when denied a home of their own no matter how benign and paternalistic the intentions of those who claim to have their best interests at heart. Just as every human would like to feel they had a mother and father, every people needs a place to feel rooted to. Otherwise they become psychologically and even physically malformed. That’s the story of my people.

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]]> By: The Holocausts true and false | John de Nugent http://johndenugent.com/jdn/2009/12/24/3207/comment-page-1/#comment-3969 The Holocausts true and false | John de Nugent Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:42:19 +0000 http://johndenugent.com/jdn/?p=3207#comment-3969 [...] enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. [See my post here: http://johndenugent.com/jdn/2009/12/24/3207/ The Romans begin to loot and burn the Temple in AD [...] [...] enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. [See my post here: http://johndenugent.com/jdn/2009/12/24/3207/ The Romans begin to loot and burn the Temple in AD [...]

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]]> By: Soft tyranny; habituation and horror filters; Reynouard released! « John de Nugent http://johndenugent.com/jdn/2009/12/24/3207/comment-page-1/#comment-3834 Soft tyranny; habituation and horror filters; Reynouard released! « John de Nugent Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:46:37 +0000 http://johndenugent.com/jdn/?p=3207#comment-3834 [...] JESUS CHRIST, speaking (as I said in my radio appearance, which you can hear above at the link) said to the JEWISH MISLEADERS of the Sanhedrin, who were leading the Jewish people to spiritual and material disaster (especially when the Romans annihilated them in AD 70 — see my powerful post HERE: http://johndenugent.com/jdn/2009/12/24/3207) [...] [...] JESUS CHRIST, speaking (as I said in my radio appearance, which you can hear above at the link) said to the JEWISH MISLEADERS of the Sanhedrin, who were leading the Jewish people to spiritual and material disaster (especially when the Romans annihilated them in AD 70 — see my powerful post HERE: http://johndenugent.com/jdn/2009/12/24/3207) [...]

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