It will stop once "the magic number" of dead Palestinians is reached. No mortal knows exactly what this number is. At that point the ghost of Ariel Sharon will appear in a vision to the Israeli cabinet and let them know his thirst has been sated.

Where is the love in Darfur?
Where is the love between India and Pakistan?
Where is the love between Muslim and Hindu?

poor choice of threads for metachat. plenty of places on MeFi for this.

21 days? More like 2100 years.

terrapin, why do you have to be like that--if I would have posted it on Mefi you would have probably been the first one's to have said what you've said here--except you would have suggested I post it somewhere else, like on Mecha, and not on Mefi.

if I would have posted it on Mefi you would have probably been the first one's to have said

Huh?
Uh, dude, where's the love? This is not love.

Haha, I didn't mean it in an un-love way, DarkForest, terrapin:)

One of the things about the current attack on Gaza is that it's so bad, and so well covered, that discussion about it leaks into areas where it usually doesn't exist. Sad, tired or stressed people may not feel comfortable seeing it in their previously safe spot, so they complain as well. These reactions are not anyone's fault, they don't mean anyone is bad or doesn't have the love, and the fact that it's posted here just means someone's feeling a lot about the situation, doesn't mean they're an axe grinder.

Much as I agree with you BtGoG, this isn't a good place to have this conversation. We've had it before, and the fact that it's being bought up again is just going to provoke more anger & argument.

We get it hadjiboy - You feel very strongly about this issue. However, constantly coming back to it is just going to cause conflict.

Metachat is a public place populated by people with different world views. If you're going to post anything, you need to take this into account. We could post thread after thread about Darfur, Iran, Korea, Amerikkka, Zimbabwe, Abortion, Sexuality, Sexism, Religion and etc, etc. And we could argue constructively about those things that we feel passionately about.

But - If we all did this, the place wouldn't be metachat. It'd just be another place on the internet where people go to fight about whatever the current hot-button topic is.

This is not to say that we don't allow these conversations. But there's the potential of a tragedy of the commons here, and it's up to everyone (including you hadjiboy) to understand and respect that.

My feelings. Let me show you them.

*feels mullacc's feelings*

Ooh, nubbly!

Get a room, you two.

Agree with terrapin and seanyboy. I don't mind getting into this topic, but we did a week ago and it seemed to cause some upset. It's one of those issues where you know, starting out, that not everyone's going to have the same take on it.

Maybe I'll propose a good rule of thumb for posting -- when a person posts about a contentious topic when what they are really looking for is commiseration and support for their feelings as they presently view the situation, it's not likely to go well. Seanyboy's right that "constructive conversations" often manage to emerge anyway. But I believe that some thought given to how you begin the conversation makes a huge difference in the outcome. If you are hoping to have an open-ended, constructive conversation about [politics/foreign affairs/war/religion/sexuality/whatever] it can really help to word your question in a way that doesn't presume that everyone responding will all naturally support your point of view.

We don't all have the same point of view on many situations. So it's wise to understand that beginning a conversation with what amounts to a position statement is an invitation to opposition for those who do not agree with the position.

I think you're right that you would encounter some critique on MetaFilter for posting about this, as well. But for different reasons. MetaFilter is running about a thread a day on Israel, and editorializing in FPPs expressly discouraged in the moderation policy. But the underlying philosophy is the same: if the goal is productive conversation on sensitive topics, it helps to set aside presumptions. And if you don't want to set aside presumptions because you feel really really really strongly, then you might want to think about either (a) not posting the topic to MetaChat or (b) posting the topic with the understanding that things could swiftly get heated, and with the confidence that you can engage in the conversation without rancor.

I don't like to see a topic get posted and then the first responders being attacked for their [probably sort of predictable] response. Since it's by now sort of predictable that people will disagree on what should be done about the Gaza conflict, it might often be best to choose (a).

As you know, I don't mind strong disagreement but it's no fun when it gets personal and real feelings are hurt and grudges created, so let's avoid that if we can. It's a big world, we're not all exactly alike. But we can live togetherand enjoy the conversation if we're mindful.

Let's all join hands,
Start a love train.

Love train!

Everything worth saying has already been said by Oscar Wilde Miko.

If you are hoping to have an open-ended, constructive conversation about [politics/foreign affairs/war/religion/sexuality/whatever] it can really help to word your question in a way that doesn't presume that everyone responding will all naturally support your point of view

When I saw this topic, I pretty much formulated this exact same statement, and went into the thread to post it, only to see that I'd been beaten to it.

I think many people, and I speak for myself too, bristle at the implied consent to an opinion post when it's formatted as Miko described above. There is a bit of condescension in the implication that the reader will share the poster's POV.

Your average MeCha reader would legitimately call out a post such as this: "Planned Parenthood is opening a clinic near my house! I can't sleep knowing little childern are being murdered near my home! Help me feel better MeCha!" now, that's pretty out there, but the principle is the same. How would you respond to that post? Would you be irritated? Insulted? I would and I think most of you would too. Take the premise of the post, and substitute something else, and see if the logic holds up. That's a good rule.

Love train!

Now that's foreign policy I can get behind. ;)

Engine or caboose?

/that was meant as an open question for everyone

Way to kill the thread, Flo.

I'm more of a coal car type.

Engine or caboose? Pleez.

I'm the bar car.

Miko, you dirty dirty girl.

I'm a tanker car filled with bunny pee.

I'm the bar car.

All aboard!

I'm a tanker car filled with bunny pee.

Next stop: my house!

I'm a tanker car filled with bunny pee.

Next stop: my house!

Hey, this post got a reply from mudpuppie--yeeeah!

Listen, the whole reason for posting this here was to show that there were bad apples on both sides, and not to choose a side in particular.

For eg; Homosexual Children being executed in a Muslim city and how they are brainwashed to join the fight against Israel and die for it, and so on. And the type of support that Israel gets from the US Christian Right these days and how Jewish people were killed during the second world war--that brought a tear to my eye...

If only people could see how much damage they're doing to each other.

I think people are totally aware of how much damage they're doing to one another. They actually want to do the most possible damage so they can seem even stronger and more intimidating.

Hey, this post got a reply from mudpuppie--yeeeah!

Please don't use me like that. Whether I respond or do not respond to any of your posts (or any of ANYONE'S posts) has nothing to do with anything, except what's going on in my life right. this. minute.

Thanks.

Hmmm, bad Daanish--should've known you would've been called on it by mudpuppie for something... naaah, mudpuppie, I didn't mean to suggest anything except that I was glad to see you, even if it was on my post.

Peace, huh? And have a good life, you wonderful Metazen you!

Dude. Whatever. The good thing about the hooks on passive-aggressive fishing lines is that they're flaccid. The worms slip right off. So it's easy not to take the bait.

And I'm not taking it.

Peace out.

bad Daanish

Like the kind with the cherry preserves in them instead of cheese? Totally. I hate when the cheese ones are all taken off the tray and only the fruit ones remain. All you can do is eat around the fruit center and enjoy the flaky pastry with the drizzly sugar icing while trying to avoid the sourness of the congealing preserves....

Makes a special "ME" pastry for Miko, with the cheese preserves on it, instead of the cherries--bwak!

mudpuppie, never mind... it's all good--even when you're so pissed off at me that you can't even see that I was truly trying to say sorry.:)

Yes, Peace out indeed.

And so it ends....