tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393996338560944889.post5284627040227974500..comments2024-03-02T02:26:00.928-05:00Comments on bleakonomy: The erasertetracontadigonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04604381739383227553noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393996338560944889.post-82537867571034321242010-03-13T10:54:55.844-05:002010-03-13T10:54:55.844-05:00Israeli politics are complicated by the fact that ...Israeli politics are complicated by the fact that anyone Jewish can become a citizen by asking. My patrilineage is Irish, too, but I'm not eligible for automatic Irish citizenship. If I were, I'd probably care more about Irish politics and my views might actually have a smidgen of weight.Gadfly Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393996338560944889.post-18287336866177382522010-03-12T16:55:13.961-05:002010-03-12T16:55:13.961-05:00hey Dan, only if epic's husband cooks the meal...hey Dan, only if epic's husband cooks the meal. hah<br /><br />charoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393996338560944889.post-54497897826817173452010-03-12T15:30:27.373-05:002010-03-12T15:30:27.373-05:00Suffice it to say, the vagaries of my religious up...Suffice it to say, the vagaries of my religious upbringing, ethnic background and cultural affinities are such that "quasi-outsider" is about right. The details are not the kind of thing that lend themselves to discussion in a venue such as this. Drive up to Maine, and we can discuss it at greater length over dinner.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11213051268392108382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393996338560944889.post-88539458331161322262010-03-12T14:59:12.147-05:002010-03-12T14:59:12.147-05:00"Looking on Jewish culture as a quasi-outside..."Looking on Jewish culture as a quasi-outsider"<br />What in the world is a quasi-outsider? You are either inside or outside. Or are you one of those people who lives in the doorway?<br /><br />Not being jewish I can't really say much about the culture. I am not sure I agree that being Jewish is somehow equated with Israeli politics. The only people who have any control of that are Israelis. For the rest, it is just opinion. A little more of an awareness of an outsider status would be good. I am American whose family came from Ireland, I might criticize Irish politics but I know I do it as an outsider, that my opinion holds no real weight. I would certainly not put Irish politics at the top of my list about changing Irish American culture, the IRA notwithstanding.<br /><br />I long for the day (if ever) when Israel will be just like Denmark. I am sure there are plenty of Americans whose family came from Denmark, I am also pretty sure most don't care in the slightest for Danish politics.<br /><br />charoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393996338560944889.post-40799098986017695362010-03-12T08:13:50.006-05:002010-03-12T08:13:50.006-05:00Prescriptive grammarian? Mercy me and mine, whoev...Prescriptive grammarian? Mercy me and mine, whoever could you be describing? (Or should that have been "whomever"?)<br /><br />I found McWhorter's list much more in-depth and intelligent than the list over at The Root that inspired it. But then, McWhorter is reliably more intelligent than most.<br /><br />Looking on Jewish culture as a quasi-outsider, I've always loved the self-deprecating humor. From my perspective almost all subcultures have jokes about the culture at large that contain a subtext of resentment, but humor has always struck me as a healthy way of ameliorating those feelings.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11213051268392108382noreply@blogger.com