The present does not believe in the wisdom of the past at all. The present knows what the past was: a long global nightmare of slavery, homophobia and bacterial infections. Wisdom? What wisdom? Everything they knew, we know, but we know so much more. DNA. MDMA. iPhones. H-bombs.
Need we say more? Science, anyone? This is the conventional view—the sociology of the present is verified by its quantum physics. It is worth remembering that the USSR and even the Third Reich were pretty solid at the hard sciences, leaving this not so great a case for our liberal democratic open society.Curtis Yarvin, Gray Mirror
11 responses to “Quote of the Day”
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Wanted to update re 2 things in our Israeli reality:
FIRST
Yesterday Hamas said that it returned “the bodies of hostages Shiri Bibas and her two young redheaded boys, Kfir and Ariel, as well as that of Oded Lifshitz, who was kidnapped at age 83.”
The ceremony with coffins being put on a stage near rockets with “made in America” sign was so horrible that even UN human rights chief called it ‘abhorrent and cruel’, to a large surprise of some Israeli citizens that UN noticed anything at last.
“Following Thursday’s handover, 66 of the hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 35 confirmed dead by the IDF.”
Shiri Bibas and her little sons were kidnapped … not by Hamas terrorists, but by the “peaceful civilians of Gaza,” whom the international community has been so protective of all these months.
The “peaceful civilians of Gaza” knew what Hamas had promised them: a reward of $10,000 and an apartment for each Israeli kidnapped and taken to Gaza.
Even the bodies of the Israelis they murdered were taken to Gaza by these same “peaceful Palestinians” from Israeli kibbutzim, knowing that Hamas would pay them well, because Israel would wait and exchange them for living Palestinian terrorists.
According to the assessment of professional officials, based on the intelligence available to us and forensic findings from the identification process, Ariel and Kfir Bibas were brutally murdered by terrorists in captivity in November 2023. (el: Hamas lied they were killed by Israeli bombing)
During the identification process, it was determined that the additional body received is not that of Shiri Bibas, and no match was found for any other hostage. This is an anonymous, unidentified body.
Ariel Bibas was four years old at the time of his death, and Kfir Bibas was ten months old at the time of his death.
Oded Lifshitz, the hostage whose body was returned on Thursday to Israel, was a veteran journalist, long-time defender of Palestinian rights, and a founder of the kibbutz where he lived and was abducted.
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More recently (el: at the age of 80+!), Lifshitz, an Arabic speaker, had been actively involved for years with Road for Recovery, an organization that helps Palestinians receive medical treatment in Israel.
According to his family, he would drive weekly to the Erez crossing on the Gaza Strip border to pick up sick Palestinians and transport them to Israeli hospitals.
Nevertheless, Israel proceeds with following its deal with Hamas and releasing terrorists in the attempt to receive 6 living hostages tomorrow morning.
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This is beyond terrible. These kids have become very important to everybody in the world. That they didn’t survive is crushing.
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\ That they didn’t survive is crushing.
It’s much worse than “didn’t survive.”
IDF Spokesperson has just updated that the boys were not executed by gunfire. The terrorists “brutally murdered them with their bare hands” and then “mutilated their bodies to conceal the crime.” The boys’ father “wants the entire world to know the brutal manner in which his children were murdered.”
“Oded Lifshitz, 83, whose remains were returned alongside the Bibas children, was executed by his captors in the early weeks of the war.”
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I heard it wasn’t Hamas who murdered the babies but civilians. Not that this will make the slightest difference to the freepalestiner crowd.
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\ I heard it wasn’t Hamas who murdered the babies but civilians.
The extremist Salafi organization Al-Mujahedeen (“Lords of the Wilderness”) is the group that held Shiri Bibas and her two young children, Ariel and Kfir, after they were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas-led October 7 attack. According to Israeli assessments, the group murdered them in captivity as early as November 2023.
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Unlike Hamas, which governs the enclave, Al-Mujahedeen maintains a distinct identity, often aligning with global jihadist movements.
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After the October 7 attack, Hamas transferred some hostages to smaller armed factions, including Al-Mujahedeen. Shiri Bibas and her children were among those handed over.
Al-Mujahedeen’s actions underscore the fragmentation of militant groups within Gaza and the brutality faced by hostages held by factions beyond Hamas itself.
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The brain can’t fully comprehend what was done to this family. The horror is unbearable.
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Before posting second news, I don’t know it you’re aware, but Shiri and her kids became symbols both inside Israel and abroad, representing the terror of 7.10, the failure of the state to protect and the plight of our hostages. Their father and Shiri’s husband was released alive a week ago. Yesterday, at Hamas’s morbid ceremony before giving the 4 coffins to the Red Cross, one of Shiri’s kidnappers said they kidnapped her with the kids since they “had pity on her” and then Israel killed them.
SECOND NEWS – as our hostage deal proceeds, Hamas attempts to carry out a mega-terror attack
Yesterday evening, “Explosions in three buses at an empty bus depot in Bat Yam.” Further search revealed 5 buses with time-delayed explosive devices.
The plan was for all of them to explode today at 9 AM, which is before Saturday starts and all public transportation stops in Israel. Many people use buses today not to go to work (since most don’t on Fridays) but to go shopping for the week ahead.
The terrorists from Tulkarem wanted to take revenge for Operation “Iron Wall,” during which the IDF has been eliminating terrorist cells in Tulkarem for a month.
By pure chance, two out of the five timers went off at 9 PM instead of 9 AM.
It’s important to understand that such a mega-terror attack would have thrown Israel back into the Second Intifada – highly symbolic, considering that during the hostage-for-terrorist exchange deal, nearly all the mega-terrorists of the Second Intifada were released.
There is an article re the West Bank now, if anyone is interested: West Bank terror crackdown sees largest displacement of Palestinians since 1967
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I started to try finding out what made even UN human rights chief call something ‘abhorrent and cruel’ since that morbid Hamas’s ceremony with coffins wasn’t on Israeli media.
As you read the following, keep in mind that “Al Jazeera does not even hide its role in organizing this nightmarish event.” I mention this since some people here quoted Al Jazeera as a news source, back when we discussed Israel years ago.
Turns out, the event had “large propaganda posters and celebratory atmosphere,” “loud music”, with Hamas operatives hosting ” a makeshift weapons show for children and teens, allowing them to hold their guns and pose for photos and videos.”
“In the aftermath of the ceremony in Gaza, jubilant Palestinian children took the stage for celebratory photos in the macabre setting.”
As a final touch, “Hamas put propaganda material in hostages’ coffins” which we discovered during the check of coffins for explosives.
As the coffins containing these tiny bodies were then paraded through the crowds, Palestinians who had gathered in Khan Younis in Gaza cheered. It bears repeating: they cheered at the sight of caskets with dead children in. The videos, which Israelis have been advised not to watch on television and Israeli state media did not broadcast, show hundreds of people celebrating the fact that two children have been killed alongside their mother. There is whistling. Some even try to break through to the front of the crowds to get a better photo of the coffins. Perhaps most grotesque is that in video clips of the macabre ceremony, children can be heard playing. Some men are clearly seen with babies strapped to their chests. Too young to walk, perhaps, but old enough apparently to attend this parade of the dead.
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The idea that neutrality can be harmful reminds us that being passive or indifferent in the face of injustice is not a solution. Taking a stand and being active in the fight against oppression is crucial to bringing about change.
It’s understandable that navigating the political landscape can be challenging, especially when you’re confronted with misinformation and divisive rhetoric. It’s important to stay informed, critically evaluate sources of information, and engage in meaningful dialogue to counteract the negative influence of those who seek to deceive.
Balancing this can be difficult, but focusing on your values and principles can guide you in making the right choices. Surrounding yourself with a supportive community and staying true to your convictions can help you maintain your integrity and make a positive impact.
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In the past, Rhodesia was considered more peaceful than SA. In some ways this still true of Zimbabwe. People who advocate for autocracy over democracy hope for Lee Kuan Yew, but they are just as likely to get Kim Jong Un.
https://dailyfriend.co.za/2025/02/16/what-are-the-lessons-of-rhodesia/
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A conservative literary critic and college professor
Clarissa's Blog 
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