The only period of the last 2,000 years when Jews weren't a plurality of the residents of Jerusalem was during and right after the Crusades, because 200,000 Jews *in Israel* were murdered during them.
How were there 200,000 Jews there if we're somehow all from Europe?
How were there 200,000 Jews there if we're somehow all from Europe?
November 24, 2025 at 10:06 PM
The only period of the last 2,000 years when Jews weren't a plurality of the residents of Jerusalem was during and right after the Crusades, because 200,000 Jews *in Israel* were murdered during them.
How were there 200,000 Jews there if we're somehow all from Europe?
How were there 200,000 Jews there if we're somehow all from Europe?
I think "Western" as a term can be pretty loose, because I would consider Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan to all be "Westernized" in the sense of "adopted a Western basis for how the state functions". I don't know enough about Mongolia or Nepal, though.
November 21, 2025 at 5:59 PM
I think "Western" as a term can be pretty loose, because I would consider Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan to all be "Westernized" in the sense of "adopted a Western basis for how the state functions". I don't know enough about Mongolia or Nepal, though.
A lot of it comes from how I conceptualize "Israel as a Jewish state in the religious sense"- a lot of times people don't realize how ingrained their own states incorporated Christianity into their versions of secularism so when they see it down Jewishly it looks overtly religious.
November 21, 2025 at 1:20 AM
A lot of it comes from how I conceptualize "Israel as a Jewish state in the religious sense"- a lot of times people don't realize how ingrained their own states incorporated Christianity into their versions of secularism so when they see it down Jewishly it looks overtly religious.
New York City puts up a Christmas tree, and blocks a major highway to transport it.
I understand that to many, Christmas is secular, but to others, it's very much not.
I understand that to many, Christmas is secular, but to others, it's very much not.
November 21, 2025 at 1:13 AM
New York City puts up a Christmas tree, and blocks a major highway to transport it.
I understand that to many, Christmas is secular, but to others, it's very much not.
I understand that to many, Christmas is secular, but to others, it's very much not.
This is a sort of "Christian secularity", it's secular when you come from the position of being Christian. But to a religious Jew, being told "sorry, the post office is closed today because of a Christian holiday" doesn't feel very secular.
November 21, 2025 at 1:12 AM
This is a sort of "Christian secularity", it's secular when you come from the position of being Christian. But to a religious Jew, being told "sorry, the post office is closed today because of a Christian holiday" doesn't feel very secular.
To its credit, it's one of the closest countries the world has ever seen to a secular country, but it still has a ways to go.
November 21, 2025 at 1:07 AM
To its credit, it's one of the closest countries the world has ever seen to a secular country, but it still has a ways to go.
Hell, name an actually secular country. Even in America everyone's expected to celebrate Christmas.
People get confused when I say "I don't celebrate Christmas because I believe that to do so violates my religion" but it's a federal holiday. America is a Christian country.
People get confused when I say "I don't celebrate Christmas because I believe that to do so violates my religion" but it's a federal holiday. America is a Christian country.
November 21, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Hell, name an actually secular country. Even in America everyone's expected to celebrate Christmas.
People get confused when I say "I don't celebrate Christmas because I believe that to do so violates my religion" but it's a federal holiday. America is a Christian country.
People get confused when I say "I don't celebrate Christmas because I believe that to do so violates my religion" but it's a federal holiday. America is a Christian country.
I was thinking specifically of a time when a coworker asked ChatGPT to "answer as if it's a feminist" (just to see what it would do) and it spat out the most generic caricature of a radical feminist. I don't know exactly how the model got there, but it was interesting that it did.
November 21, 2025 at 1:04 AM
I was thinking specifically of a time when a coworker asked ChatGPT to "answer as if it's a feminist" (just to see what it would do) and it spat out the most generic caricature of a radical feminist. I don't know exactly how the model got there, but it was interesting that it did.
Name me a single secular country that isn't Western. And no, Communist countries don't count, in those Communism functions as religion.
November 21, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Name me a single secular country that isn't Western. And no, Communist countries don't count, in those Communism functions as religion.
Whenever you say "answer as if you're an X", what really happens is "what does the average person expect X to sound like, that's what I'll mimic"
November 21, 2025 at 12:45 AM
Whenever you say "answer as if you're an X", what really happens is "what does the average person expect X to sound like, that's what I'll mimic"
I mean... "rights for LGBTQ individuals is a Western ideal" is accurate. I personally don't mind saying "okay, so there is at least one Western ideal that is wholly superior to others."
November 21, 2025 at 12:38 AM
I mean... "rights for LGBTQ individuals is a Western ideal" is accurate. I personally don't mind saying "okay, so there is at least one Western ideal that is wholly superior to others."
Aww, what happened, did Joe Rogan hang out with too many Nazis?
November 19, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Aww, what happened, did Joe Rogan hang out with too many Nazis?
I am personally very urbanist, but I like cities because I like the advantages of "everything close by" more than the disadvantages of "open space" and "potentially long commutes". But you're not going to convince people of urbanism by paternalistically claiming all suburbanist sentiment is fake!
November 19, 2025 at 2:34 PM
I am personally very urbanist, but I like cities because I like the advantages of "everything close by" more than the disadvantages of "open space" and "potentially long commutes". But you're not going to convince people of urbanism by paternalistically claiming all suburbanist sentiment is fake!
I wonder if the OP has kids. Having a yard of your own is a very big draw.
Oh wait, I forgot that "having kids" is ideological too to some people.
Oh wait, I forgot that "having kids" is ideological too to some people.
November 19, 2025 at 2:32 PM
I wonder if the OP has kids. Having a yard of your own is a very big draw.
Oh wait, I forgot that "having kids" is ideological too to some people.
Oh wait, I forgot that "having kids" is ideological too to some people.
I know it can be hard for "our side" to hear, but: there was, for a period, some amount of hunger. This is something extremely pro-Israel reporters reported on, based on sound analysis by pro-Israel analysts.
The annoying thing is "hunger" and "famine" are very different things, but are conflated.
The annoying thing is "hunger" and "famine" are very different things, but are conflated.
November 12, 2025 at 9:17 AM
I know it can be hard for "our side" to hear, but: there was, for a period, some amount of hunger. This is something extremely pro-Israel reporters reported on, based on sound analysis by pro-Israel analysts.
The annoying thing is "hunger" and "famine" are very different things, but are conflated.
The annoying thing is "hunger" and "famine" are very different things, but are conflated.
THE GUN IS GOOD
THE PENIS IS BAD
THE PENIS IS BAD
November 12, 2025 at 9:14 AM
THE GUN IS GOOD
THE PENIS IS BAD
THE PENIS IS BAD
Literally "I just want to grill" politics
November 12, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Literally "I just want to grill" politics
I remember reading once that there were Russian Marxist groups that praised the invasion, but then got arrested anyway a few months in for being Marxists.
November 12, 2025 at 8:30 AM
I remember reading once that there were Russian Marxist groups that praised the invasion, but then got arrested anyway a few months in for being Marxists.
"Trapped in your own terror tunnel" should catch on as a modern "hoisted by your own petard".
November 4, 2025 at 10:00 AM
"Trapped in your own terror tunnel" should catch on as a modern "hoisted by your own petard".
Fun fact, one of the very first Israelis who proposed the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank after the Six Day War was Jabotinsky's son.
October 20, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Fun fact, one of the very first Israelis who proposed the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank after the Six Day War was Jabotinsky's son.
"of fetid memory"? I think you're being uncharitable, but I think I understand where it comes from. Jabotinsky himself was very different than what Herut under Begin ended up as. But people associate Begin's Herut with Jabotinsky.
October 20, 2025 at 1:11 PM
"of fetid memory"? I think you're being uncharitable, but I think I understand where it comes from. Jabotinsky himself was very different than what Herut under Begin ended up as. But people associate Begin's Herut with Jabotinsky.
Stalin wasn't socialist?!
October 16, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Stalin wasn't socialist?!