Topic: (Sigh) Another blog war

[rickl]

This one's between Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs and Baron Bodissey of Gates of Vienna.  The point of contention is whether anti-Semitism has infiltrated the English Defence League.

I haven't visited either site in a little while, so I just got up to speed about it today.

Pamela fired the first volley here, then the Baron responded here.

Pam then proceeded to kick it up a notch here.  The Baron hasn't yet responded directly, but he did post this late last night.

Naturally, most of the commenters at both sites have chosen sides.  Everyone is accusing everyone else of being another Charles Johnson.

[IronDioPriest]

For whatever reason, conservatives tend to eat their own. I don't get it.

[Pandora]

Auster lends some clarity:

Spencer dismisses the open letter as nothing but the "desperate" effusions of jealous people who are willing to tear the anti-jihad movement apart for nihilistic reasons of pure ego--the sort of response Spencer would routinely make to me, and, really, with variations, to everyone who has ever criticized him. I can't think offhand of a single instance in which Spencer has acknowledged that a substantive criticism of himself was made reasonably and in good faith.

As for Geller, in her response at Atlas Shrugs she goes on at great length about her past problems with Baron Bodissey of Gates of Vienna, by way of proving his ill intent toward her. No one but the parties immediately involved could care to follow this long, detailed rehearsal, which in any case is besides the point.

The point of the open letter was that Geller's denunciation of the EDL contained no facts. Instead of admitting this, Geller engages in a degree of blatant double talk I have rarely or never seen. First, she says that her denunciation didn't need to contain any facts, because the facts were provided by EDL leader Tommy Robinson's statement yesterday, which, Geller asserts, confirms Geller's charges that the organization has been so "infiltrated" by neo-fascist and anti-Semitic elements that the organization itself has effectively become neo-fascist and anti-Semitic, and therefore she withdraws her support from it. Nothing could be further from the truth. Robinson affirms over and over that his organization has always eschewed anti-Semitism and continues to do so.

There's more at the link.

[RickZ]

Gates of Vienna went under CJ's bus first, so I'm sticking with them.

Sometimes (oftentimes), Geller can be over the top.

What's sad is Spencer is dragged into this as well as hurting, overall, the anti-jihad movement.  In the search for purity, we are our own worst enemies.

[Alphabet Soup]

For whatever reason, conservatives tend to eat their own. I don't get it.

FWIW: Both the left and the right do this. It quite often starts with the most zealous or extremist (or purist) advocate expressing his/her impatience and/or intolerance with a more moderate POV. I see it all the time when people start yelling past one another instead of to each other.

I'm just as guilty as the next guy but I'm trying to adopt an internal "pop-off" mechanism that reminds me when communications have given way to insults.

It doesn't always work so good 

[rickl]

For whatever reason, conservatives tend to eat their own. I don't get it.

FWIW: Both the left and the right do this. It quite often starts with the most zealous or extremist (or purist) advocate expressing his/her impatience and/or intolerance with a more moderate POV. I see it all the time when people start yelling past one another instead of to each other.

I'm just as guilty as the next guy but I'm trying to adopt an internal "pop-off" mechanism that reminds me when communications have given way to insults.

It doesn't always work so good 

That's a good point.  Remember Monty Python's Life of Brian?  They had the "People's Front of Judea", the "Judean People's Front", and the "Popular Front of Judea".  That was a parody of rival leftist splinter groups.

[Alphabet Soup]

I do remember....I studied Monty Python when I was supposed to be studying math LOL

[rickl]

Anyway, this sort of thing reminds me of a time in 3rd grade when my two best friends hated each other's guts.  There wasn't a whole lot I could do about it then or now.

[Glock32]

I haven't really followed any of this, but doesn't the EDL have a "Jewish chapter" or something like that? I seem to recall their banners shown at one of the counterdemonstrations against the Muslim invaders.

[John Florida]

Once in a while it's good to clear the air but the outcome remains to be seen.