The Freemasons are a standard target for conspiracy theories in what Daniel Pipes calls the Secret Society Tradition of Conspiracy Theories. He identifies two such traditions, the other being the Jewish Conspiracy Tradition of course. He describes them as separate traditions and some who subscribe to the Secret Society Tradition have nothing against the Jews at all, and may find themselves astonished to be accused of antisemitism when they are only attacking the Freemasons and the Illuminati and the British Royal Family etc. According to Pipes this is what happened to Pat Robertson. Since few people differentiate between the two traditions everybody assumed his conspiracy rants were aimed at the Jews when they were aimed at a different target altogether. Of course the two often go together, and do so more and more in the contemporary world.

Pipes’ two books “The Hidden Hand” on Middle Eastern Conspiracy theories and “Conspiracy” on the wider phenomenon of such wackiness, are very good and very interesting. Sobering too. Well worth reading. Sadly they are out of print. Try abebooks.com if you are interested.

In any case, Alex, I am just soooo tired of the politics of hate, I can’t even tell you. I must be terribly naive, because it seems to me that if Israel does certain things, like declaring its final borders and evacuating the WB, and if the Palestinians do certain things, like releasing Galid Shalit and voting Hamas out of power, we can begin to move forward in a positive direction.

Silly me!

;O)

Notice that no one is even asking Hamas to remove this and similar clauses from its charter. People did that with the PLO although as long as the PLO said by golly they would get around to doing that one day, that was enough. They can’t even get Hamas to lie and promise to do it, which is a point for Hamas–they are truthful about what they want to do. Still, you’d think that at least someone in western media or diplomacy would invoke the rule: The way to peace is for the Jews to do things and the Arabs to say things.

As to Ms. Rice’s efforts to find a solution, I am reminded of my high school debate partner’s line (mumble mumble) years ago. “If you want to shoot me twice, and I don’t want you to shoot me at all, it isn’t really a compromise if you shoot me once.”

listening to condi and other “experts” just makes me want to set my hair on fire. oh no, wait, isn’t that (and more) what the jihadis want to do to all infidels?

the hubris of thinking we can force/help other nations “overcome” their differences when this has never happpened . . . it makes me crazy that our leaders and diplomats refuse to see the obvious about islam.

love ya on snn

I assume that you’ve read Hamas’s charter. It’s a thing of beauty, really. Either that or some of the most profoundly crazed nonsense ever put to paper.

Aside from calling outright for the murder of Jews, we get gems such as this:

“They (Zionists) stood behind the French and the Communist Revolutions and behind most of the revolutions we hear about here and there. They also used the money to establish clandestine organizations which are spreading around the world, in order to destroy societies and carry out Zionist interests. Such organizations are: the Freemasons, Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs, B’nai B’rith and the like. All of them are destructive spying organizations. They also used the money to take over control of the Imperialist states and made them colonize many countries in order to exploit the wealth of those countries and spread their corruption therein. As regards local and world wars, it has come to pass and no one objects, that they stood behind World War I, so as to wipe out the Islamic Caliphate. They collected material gains and took control of many sources of wealth. They obtained the Balfour Declaration and established the League of Nations in order to rule the world by means of that organization.”

That just slays me. The Freemasons? Rotary Clubs?

Zionists were behind the French Revolution?

Ah-ha-ha-ha!!

Perhaps after the Gazans give up Galid Shalit and vote out Hamas, Israel should consider ending the blockade… but not before.