TheNewTeddy

http://www.mapleleafweb.com/forums//index.php?showtopic=22226 I've decided to try to ask people to not take the discussion off topic rather than try to get it into any official rules. I'm curious if people will be so kind as to humor me.

Before I start I want to lay down some rules I ask - not demand - everyone accept. My question is: Can a Jewish State be a Democratic State? My suggested answer is no. While I have no problem with a Democratic state, or a Jewish state, I do have a problem with people who pretend you can be both at the same time, because, I do not believe you can be both at the same time. If Israel continues down it's current demographic path, it will be a majority non-jewish state. So what if these majority of voters want to un-jewishize it? Seems to be at odds with the idea of a democratic state in the first place, no? I argue that Israel can only be as democratic as a state that is designed for only one-religion will allow. That is, after all, more democratic than most of it's neighbours - frankly ALL of it's neighbours, even after their revolutions have been or will be completed. It still, however, leaves the problem that, like the PQ in Quebec, the idea of who the "people" are is skewed. The only difference is the PQ has never written their opinion of who is "nous" into the constitution while Israel has. Just as you or I or anyone else who is not "nous" could move to Quebec and live there and vote there and enjoy those freedoms, we could never be a 'true citizen' of Quebec, because we are not "nous" and the same is true for a Jewish Israel. As a bonus, I've outlined the existing west bank barrier: http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?authuser=0&vps=2&hl=en&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=214668381355121949879.0004d349473069069f564 Where the Barrier is not yet finished, I've added in where it is planned to go. Where there are multiple levels, I've added in where it goes the 'furthest' in to the west bank, and ignored the 'closer' barrier segments. Where those 'furthest' segments are unconnected to the main barrier, I've also ignored those. In other words, this would be the border if the barrier is accepted as the border. Note it leaves hundreds of thousands of Arabs on the Israel side. Hence why this debate is an important one to have.

able bodied =/= able minded Hope that helps you see how.

This weekend there are two polls. First the Austrian Referendum, where conscription is expected to be endorsed, and second, the election in the German state of Lower Saxony where the race remains neck and neck. ITALY 37.60% - Socialist 28.25% - Conservative 14.33% - Centrist 12.63% - Populist ISRAEL 34 - Conservative* 17 - Labour 14 - Jewish* 11 - Shas* 10 - Lapid 10 - Arabs 7 - Liberals 6 - Progressives 6 - Torrah* 3 - Kadima 2 - Nationalist 0 - Not-Shas * = Expected Coalition = 65 (majority)

This will "promote intelligent, honest and responsible discussion." by prohibiting people from just repeating the same tied old arguments over and over. It will allow people to enforce the rule of "If you are not bringing anything new to the argument, then do not say anything at all." http://www.mapleleafweb.com/forums//index.php?app=forums&module=extras&section=boardrules

Yes, Certain users could be banned from certain threads. It could be as simple as the thread starter asking that certain users not partake for certain reasons (IE people who have been known to turn topics on issue ____ into flame wars, could be asked by a threat starter on that topic to not partake) to being banned from all threads on that topic, to having it be a technical ban (not just someone asking, but the forum forcing the issue) I think we could actually civilly discuss issues like Israel or Global Warming if certain people were thread-banned.

I'm not the one who consistently makes racist comments against arabs.

Curious if the administration would be supportive of this idea?

I too find the comment just plain stupid; however, if you were truly banned from this place, you have no business making this kind of observation.Frankly, topics like this could do much better from a thread ban on those who are unable to debate the issue seriously.

No. I'm calling you a racist for your constant claiming that arabs are some kind of sub-human barbarian species that would do such a thing.

This is simple racism.

Upcoming elections: JANUARY 20th - http://en.wikipedia....eferendum,_2013 Austria Referendum 20th - http://en.wikipedia...._election,_2013 Lower Saxony (Germany)* 22nd - http://en.wikipedia...._election,_2013 ISRAEL 26th - http://en.wikipedia...._election,_2013 Czech (President) FEBRUARY 3rd - http://en.wikipedia...._election,_2013 - Liechtenstein 3rd - http://en.wikipedia...._election,_2008 - Monaco 17th - http://en.wikipedia...._election,_2013 - Cyprus 17th - http://en.wikipedia...._election,_2013 - Ecuador 18th - http://en.wikipedia...._election,_2013 - Armenia 25th - http://en.wikipedia....eneral_election ITALY Countries in ALLCAPS will get focus by me, while those with an asterisk* after them will get a "minor focus" (similar to Romania or Ghana) Other big elections this coming year http://en.wikipedia....ederal_election GERMANY - Sept? http://en.wikipedia....ederal_election AUSTRALIA - Nov? http://en.wikipedia...._election,_2013 WA (AUSTRALIA) - March 9th http://en.wikipedia...._election,_2013 Iceland* - Apr 27th http://en.wikipedia...._election,_2013 Lebanon* - http://en.wikipedia...._election,_2013 Nepal* - Apr/May http://en.wikipedia...._election,_2013 Pakistan* - March http://en.wikipedia...._election,_2013 Palestine* - http://en.wikipedia....eferendum,_2013 Zimbabwe Referendum http://en.wikipedia...._election,_2013 Zimbabwe Presidential BE SURE TO CHECK THE BOTTOM OF THE PREVIOUS PAGE FOR MY MOST RECENT POST!!!

In Lower Saxony in Germany the election has gotten very interesting. There is a 5% threshold to win seats. The Liberals are right on that threshold. If they do not make it the results would be as follows: 72 - Conservatives 57 - Socialists 23 - Greens Making for a Socialist+Green majority government However... if they DO make the threshold 68 - Conservatives 54 - Socialists 21 - Greens 9 - Liberals Making for a Conservative+Liberal majority government Conservative voters know this and it comes down to a simple question: Are they willing to vote for another party to give their party of choice a majority coalition? ISRAEL Things are a-changin! Kadima is back on the board. They are a right-liberal party that was founded by a former Likud leader and swallowed the old Lapid party - that is, the one lead by the current Lapid's father. Like Shas, Kadima will keep their name in my lists. It should be noted Kadima actually won the most seats last election. Also going on the list is the Not-Shas party. They were founded by a Shas member who wanted changes but was rejected, and thus, built a party to mirror the reformed Shas he desired. 35 - Conservatives* 17 - Labour 14 - Jewish* 11 - Arabs 10 - Lapid 10 - Shas* 8 - Liberal 6 - Torrah* 5 - Progressive 2 - Kadima 2 - Nationalists 0 - Not-Shas Members of Teddy's expected coalition (marked with *) would have 65 seats, and thus, a majority. ITALY Not enough new polls for a new projection, but rather, some interesting trends. Since Monti announced a centrist coalition, the total votes for these parties... have not really moved much. The Coalition is only up a few points from where the individual parties stood at the start of December. The Populists have lost a bit of their kick it seems. With another option (Monti) they have dropped a couple of points, and are now battling it out with the Centrists for 3rd. The Left have united into a single list, but are still having a hell of a time trying to make the 5% threshold. The addition of so many parties to Berlusconi's Conservative list has actually made them somewhat competitive. The main Socialist list is down slightly. Since the start of this year, the Conservatives have been as high as 30.7% and as low as 21.7% The Socialists have been as high as 42.0% and as low as 33.0% The Populists as high as 16.4% and as low as 10.0% And the Centrists as high as 17.6% and as low as 10.5%

Fatah and Hamas are just political parties.

I'm making the point that the argument is not about Israel, it's about a Jewish Israel.

Again: if it brings peace, why not? Especially if they can create an Islamic state out of it.

Why not? If that's how they can create a "one-state" country, just by naming it Israel, I don't see why they would not avail themselves of the opportunity.

Despite that, most Palestinians and especially Israeli Arabs want a one state solution. For those who don't know that means a single country, whatever the name, that is democratic and free, end story. Or in other words. An Israel that is not Jewish.

Most Palestinians want a single-state solution.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/01/13/india-bus-rape.html It seems to have happened again.

I don't care who he is. I'd still like to see an answer. If you'd like I can post my own take on the topic in another thread.

I'd actually like to see the response to this rather than an attack on the author.

Czech Republic Milos Zeman and Karel Schwarzenberg have advanced to a second round. Zeman heads the Party of Civic Rights and is left of centre, while his opponent heads the party Top 09, a right of centre party. The final round of voting takes place in 2 weeks time. Map: ITALY Updated projection (pop vote) 38.05 - Socialist 26.28 - Conservative 14.15 - Populist 13.65 - Moderates The hope for the smaller parties is to force the Socialists into a minority in the Senate.