….subtitled, goodbye Tom J, who recently joined “the banned” at Daily Kos.
Strikes of political blogs are generally only symbolic protests and this one is no different. A week ago, a Daily Kos diarist was banned from the site by an administrator, for no apparent reason, which ticked off Arab and Palestinian bloggers, and their sympathizers. So one of them called for a strike, and others joined in.
The banning was of Tom J. Tom J was a regular diarist at Daily Kos who provided factual diaries about daily events taking place in Israel and Palestine against its indigenous inhabitants, the Palestinians. Diaries about the effects of Israel’s occupation, the enforced colonization it has been conducting for over 40 years, stories about killings, house demolitions, wrecking of farmlands and orchards, and deprivation of water resources, all for the purpose of expanding Jewish settlements, the towns and cities Israel has built over the years on stolen Palestinian lands.
Tom J provided a daily account of the horrors taking place through news stories, pictures, and videos, the kind of reporting that is usually censored from mainstream US media. Without implying conspiracy, Tom J is also the proprietor of the site, STOP AIPAC.
By simply revealing the reality, Tom J continually disturbed the large gang of right wing Zionists who blog at Daily Kos, viewed his diaries as Israel-bashing, and him as part of the “Israel is always wrong” crowd. However, under the brutal conditions of the Palestinian occupation/colonialism, there has never been an “Israel is right” diary posted on Daily Kos that justified Israel’s behavior toward the Palestinians. Diaries about left wing peace activism inside Israel or Palestine or in the US, especially among Jewish peace groups like Jewish Voice for Peace, recently condemned as anti-Israel by the ADL, have always been considered Israel-bashing, strange as it may seem.
HERE is the proposal to strike Daily Kos by a Palestinian member, simone daud, previously known as the Palestinian Professor (annotated):
COMMENT
I’m now calling a strike of Arab participants on dailykos, until Meteor Blades (administrator) explains the banning of Tom J and why this ongoing disruptive behaviour and anti-Arab viciousness is allowed to persist in these threads.
The strike will last a week to the morning of 30th October.
Non-Arab participants are welcome to join the strike (some like Assaf, a Jewish Israeli and peace activist, did).
by simone daud
RESPONSE
We are definitely being personally abused in every essay.
I’m not feeling very welcome here.
The people that show up on every essay speaking to, and showing video of the crisis in Palestine get verbally abused and have their essays derailed by a vocal few who are trying to eliminate any Free Speech on the subject.
It is horrific when humanitarians and Peace Activists get shouted down by name calling and vile comments.
Tom J was a brilliant writer and a man concerned with our relatives there.
I had my ratings taken away months ago for uprating something by sheer accident, after removing it an apologizing for the scroll over. They were never returned.
I feel it is because I am an openly Arab man of Palestinian descent who speaks against the atrocities in Palestine.
But I am loathe to be silenced by those who throw “anti-semite” around to defend a Government that has run as far right amok as the Bush administration and beyond.
Let me sleep on this Simone.
by Peacenick
Other responses to the call to strike can be read at the link.
Tom J will undoubtedly become just another one of the more than 35 bloggers banned from Daily Kos in the past few years for advocating for the Palestinian cause for freedom and self-determination. In the same period, only two right wing Zionist bloggers, an obvious troll and a self-described jazz singer, have been banned. Daily Kos, it seems, has made a choice, not to advocate for democratic principles supported by say a Jimmy Carter, but to follow Steny Hoyer-like Democrats, the AIPAC fawns in Congress, by suppressing information about the truth about what is going on in Israel-Palestine. Diaries such as this one, Israel/Palestine News, by Friendlystranger, showing the reality on the ground may continue to be posted, but for doing so, he and others can expect to be banned.
So be it. As these bloggers fall, more and more will rise up to take their place.
Another way of saying “it is what it is!”
It is not only the Jewish lobby that has too much influence at DK, if you dare criticize an African American’s too strident voice you can be censored and cast aside as well. And their are other groups with special privilege at Daily Kos.
In a discussion I was criticized with the racist epithet “it is right in front of your white nose” And meteor whosis said shit. I took the hit. It is what it is!
It is what it is. Pimples, warts and all.
Well, what did you actually say?
memory dims, but basically, I told someone who was whining that their special victimhood was supreme that “misery is the river of the world” to quote Tom Waits and that no ethnic group has a especial claim to victimhood.
Even white nosed crackers are victims in today’s corporate America.
Very very true. The hispanic groups have the same status as the black groups. If you dare question the notion that the unlimited flood of illegals is wonderful, you immediately go on tentative status. I was TU until dumped.
Sorry am I missing something? Is this thread a joke? I mean come on! This isn’t about “reverse racism” story. I mean when white people give up there white privilege in society then it might be a different story.
It’s like you think that blacks and hispanics are riding the gravy train of the elites because they are treated so badly in society.
For real are you joking or are you smoking? I mean.. for real!?
That’s a pretty weird, meaningless statemet. What’s your point?
Shergald, I hope you don’t mind if I take some of this diary and print it at my.firedoglake.com, pffugeecamp.com, and freespeechzoneblog.com. The last two ‘specialize’ in refugees from dailykos.
Policy here is that everything written on the blog is in the public domain (Booman). So the whole thing is free to reproduce.
Note that one reason I have not ventured onto some of those sites is that they have been corrupted at times by anti-semites or trolls posing as anti-semites in order to destroy credibility. So use your own judgment.
Yup. Anyway, I’ve posted the links below. See what you think. I’m very impressed by the intelligent noisiness and active state of myfdl, btw.
http://freespeechzoneblog.com/diary/6760/arab-writers-strike-at-daily-kos
http://pffugeecamp.com/diary/875/arab-writers-strike-at-daily-kos
http://my.firedoglake.com/fairleft/2010/10/26/arab-writers-strike-at-daily-kos/
Excellent presentation of the event, which I hope gets noticed, even though DKos is unlikely to budge and reinstate Tom J.
Thanks. Maybe I’ll post it at Daily Kos. ;->
This made me chuckle. I look forward to seeing it. No one else other there seems to have protested the banning.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/10/27/174823/42?new=true
Fairleft, it’s not just the balls but you got the knack. Loved every minute of it, and almost read every comment.
Sockpuppetry is really, when you come down to it, one of the only defenses we have against censorship. Frankly, it’s the American thing to do.
And I did vote.
After you are banned, it is often the case that the anti-semite card gets thrown, when you unable to defend yourself. I have to thank bliekker for telling the truth in my absence. Volleyboy, who now runs Meteor Blades by the nose, was unable to come up with anything, because there wasn’t anything he could quote. Poor MB. He was once considered a left wing advocate for the Palestinian cause for freedom. Now I gather, he is on the payroll. Very surprised at the poor showing of the P side in your diary. I can only assume they are running scared after Tom J’s demise.
By contrast, the right wing Zionist, even Adam B, the worst of the lot, came on strong. Google Alerts or GYIUS alerts must have rang loud when you posted.
and wildwildleft.com
Thanks 🙂
Wildwildleft has the up-dated, next day diary:
http://wildwildleft.com/diary/1057
I just thought of posting the first diary at freespeechzone and pffugeecamp cuz those are Daily Kos refugee blogs that should have this sort of attack from the left on Kos censorship and bullying. I never think of you as a ‘refugee from Kos’ but more as a one-woman rebellion against the sorry mess that became of ‘myleftwing’.
I was blogging at POAC long before I got sucked into the mlw admin job. Thing is? When I ran it, it was positively thriving. I somehow managed to let both sides of this issue be heard without the bloodshed.
But when Likkarmafishud took to megaphoning the poor befuddled owner right as she got out of rehab/suicide watch and she took back over, it crashed into nothingness. He got into her brain like a virus.
So, mine is not a rebellion against that, despite the fact I detest the place now, it is just me doing what I had been doing all along.. running a successful far-left sight. Only this time there are no psychos to change the direction of the place hard right.
gah “site”
English really is my first language, though some days I wonder.
heh.
Very, very sad & unfortunate, though not surprising.
3 reasons:
DK is not a place for discussion in which you may actually question and challenge the liberal status quo. In specific, DK does not countenance any question about the issue of the Goodness of Plenty of Illegal Immigration. That position as much as any other is a serious problem for Democrats this cycle.
I seem to recall some DK diaries by you. But not recently.
Along with the 35, I was banned about three years ago. My sin was being prolific, but I also tolerated complaint after complaint by the right wing.
Here we have yet another banning at Daily Kos by the now infamous Meteor Blades, just two days after Tom J’s demise. Hard to believe after reading the diary complaining about troll hijacking by the right wing Zionists, which is demonstrated in the diary itself(see the comments).
Ya gotta love it, the censorship, that is.
You can read the diary itself here and judge for yourself: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/10/26/913726/-Palestinethe-Daily-Kos:-Dog-whistles-Or-Google-Aler
ts
Stillwater’s was a nice diary. Her conception of what might be happening makes perfect sense: the google alerts or some similar alternative. Her diary protest against abuse responded to with at least 150 belittling and abusive comments. Perfect.
Don’t laugh.
Here today we have yet another banning reported at Daily Kos by the now infamous Meteor Blades, just two days after Tom J’s demise. Hard to believe after reading the diary complaining about troll hijacking by the right wing Zionists, which is demonstrated by the very diary itself (see the comments).
Ya gotta love it, the censorship, that is. Meteor Blades has come a long way, from commentator to hatchet man for Kos. I really thought that was Hunter’s job. Live and learn.
You can read the diary itself here and judge for yourself: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/10/26/913726/-Palestinethe-Daily-Kos:-Dog-whistles-Or-Google-Aler
ts
I’m joining the strike! Well. Except I was banned a month or so ago by volleyboy1 and mets102. One night the two decided to hide rate every comment I made that could still be rated.
They are like conjoined twins of I-P. They do everything together. Even vote lukid! I guess that’s why Volleyboy1 says “living in peace side by side” all the time.
Still miffed at that event.
Anyways, if I wasn’t banned forever I would support you guys/gals.
I think at this point you could very well say that the Likudniks have taken over Daily Kos.
Believe it or not, at one point, Meteor Blades was part of a proPalestinian group called the Evenhanded Democrats, meaning Democrats who believed in a fair and just perspective of the government towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
People can change, I suppose. The two Likudniks you mentioned pretty much control IP at Daily Kos these days. Kos, I take it, saw that the bread was buttered more heavily on the Israeli side.
It’s true that back in the day, MB posted as of the most insightful, intelligent & ‘evenhanded’ members of the Kos community.
I found dKos some time in 2002 (pre-Scoop) & left the community just after the pie thing. Over time the heirarchical structure of the site has become ever clearer, as has Markos’ intent for the site, which doesn’t have anything to do with the Town Square. Take it or leave it, really.
Best to change it; if not that, let people know it’s definitely not what the mainstream media calls it, a ‘progressive site’.
I don’t think so, but on DK it certainly has. The problem with DK progressive is that there is no dissent.
It’s the posses that are annoying. There is the RKBA posse, the gay posse, the illegal smuggling posse, the IP pro-zionist posse, and several others. I had the RKBA posse and the illegal smuggling posse on my butt. So fuck ’em.
I remember the first development of what I’d call a posse — surrounding a personality, rather than an issue — & the quality of our discourse there started down the toilet at the same time.
Not sure why, exactly.
As for what the site’s role as some sort of standard bearer for the Left, it only seems so as a matter of convenience when & if a Leftist viewpoint is needed to present some fantasy about balanced coverage. The last time I heard Markos interviewed, as the opposing voice to some GOP media operative, he barely countered the usual perverted claims to reality & seemed much more interested in flogging his book. It was shameful.
It seems just as fruitful to counter dK’s part in the overall mainstream narrative as it does to counter any other part. What seems more important is to support true alternative media.
Even dKos started small. Hell, he used to post baby pictures ..
I agree; interesting post.
Damaging the false (corporate mainstream media generated and aided) image of DKos as progressive is one way to support the better alternatives. But even better, I think, is to start thinking of the public squares of the 21st century, large political blogs, as semi-public property, as in part the contributors’ property and not exclusively the private property owner’s.
I can’t agree more. What we need here is a Civil Rights Act for blogs that would enable all persons, regardless of political view, in. This idea that anyone can operate in the public arena without respect for everyone’s rights, and can willynilly decide to ban anyone because of his personal political view, is totally without first amendment protections.
The internet is a public place and respect for equal access there is no different than respect for anyone’s right to live whereever they please. We really haven’t looked at equality in the sphere of internet communications yet, and the time will come shortly.
Thanks for getting this diary out there, shergald, as well as your continual exposure of the injustices of the occupation. As usual, I disagree with your interpretation here and there. Hope you are well.
And I too hope that you’re doing well. Disagree? Well, I’m certain that we both can agree that the banning of Tom J is a loss. I followed his contributions, and never saw a basis for his getting the axe.
but I am not a fan of the state of Israel post Russian emigration wave.
We certainly can agree that the banning of Tom J is a loss. I am respecting the Arab writers’ strike this week.
The Orange Inquisition! Well, I can’t pretend it’s as bad as the Spanish one but Kos definitely and strongly lacks a necessary degree of common tolerance for any discussion to take place. The recommended diaries also keep getting shitier and shitier. Yes, the site has become parochial in the worst sense of the word. Israel yes, Palestine no. Isn’t that the stupid in quadruplicate.
If you take a look at the latest IP diaries, they are dominated by proZionist dialog with the usual ad hominems attacking the diarist.
What Meteor Blades has done, mostly through bannings, is shifted the IP area to create a strong right wing bias.
This is slightly off topic or not, depending on your viewpoint. I can’t find a way at DKos to close my account. Can anyone tell me how?
I think you might have to write them. But if you ever posted a diary or any comments, those will continue to be available.
Isn’t that difficult to swallow? I just found out what you wrote: ‘we’ don’t delete accounts! What kind of Stalinistic crap is this man called Kos? It almost makes me think the Democrats lost so badly last night because of any affiliation with that site. In my experience, tirst Ms Huffington went down the tubes and now Mr. Moulitsas (or whatever). Curious, both have a Greek background but that wouldn’t be it. Am I bigoted? Even if you write they won’t cancel an account and they delete comment on piece for piece basis. Evidently only diaries can vanish.
Well, my experience is that Daily Kos will delete diaries if they believe they are from what they call ‘sockpuppets.’ However, diaries from the banned are never deleted, like Tom J’s, and even his comments remain available. It’s a kind of self destructive practice because usually those sources never provide a legitimate reason for the banning in the first place. In the case of IP diarists, the reason is usually complaints from the right wing Zionists that cover the blog.