Danielle,

I find it rather amusing that, rather like the other issue, you confirm Chomsky's models whilst claiming to dispute them.

The article on postmodernism is excellent, and of course an opinion shared by others, not the least being physicist Alan Sokal. This is quite unlike Jurgen Habermas, who at least - in 1972! - sought to explore postmodernism as a theory of future social formations, which is how the word literally means and should be applied. Whilst personally I find contemporary postmodernism on occassion poetic, and useful - in the same sense that the structuralists were useful - what usually falls under the criteria of postmodernism is "fashionable nonsense".

You claim that "Multilingual speakers, especially those who speak traditional Asian languages, find him flawed". This assertion is easily falsified; I am personally quite competent in one of these languages (Tetum) and have no problems with the models of generative grammar, The fact that the now 50 year old model has spawned a variety of subdisciplines, such as phase structure grammar, lexical functional grammar and combinatory categorical grammar is clearly indication of a successful and continuing research programme. You are possibly unaware of the fact that Chomsky is taught significantly in computer science and more recently in music theory as well. Indeed, since the 1960s, Chomsky model has been completely dominant in the field of linguistics; not beyond criticism or elaboration to be sure, but undeniably dominant. To deny this is to live in a parallel reality.

Where are the UN resolutions on Dafur? They exist if you bother to do your research; including Resolution 1706 which called for 17,300 peacekeepers. Perhaps a good model for the Levant, n'est-ce pas? Where are the UN resolutions on Somalia? Again I implore you to do your research. They exist - specifically 1724 and 1725 - with the latter including peacekeeping missions. Keep in mind that the UN only deals with disputes between nations, not within nations.

Resist Palestinian problems? Not at all. I am quite critical of the existing factional infighting and lawlessness, which is not unusual for social groups in similar circumstances. I am not particularly fond of any of the main political organisations in the PNA, although I have some preference for Hizb al-Sha'b al-Filastini and Al-Ittihad al-Dimuqrati al-Filastini. As I have previously commented in this thread I recognise the desire for a single, secular and democratic state is a minority position - but one which is a necessity.

The Levant is a Jewish homeland; but it is also an Arab homeland, and site of significance for Muslims and Jews. Unless all people live with equal rights and without legal distinction in this space it will be a place of eternal conflict.

For the record, my honours degree is in Politics, Philosophy and Sociology and my doctorate is in Social Theory. I am employed as a systems administrator for the most powerful clustered computers in the state. My interests do cross multiple disciplines; I have no trouble according formal pragmatics to matters of scientific truth, social just and aesthetic beauty.

Thanks for your kind words, Danielle, and good luck in your conversation with Lev and others.
Lev, I think the appelation 'Indigenous' does matter, because part of the authority vested in modern states is their basis in an occupation, of which continuous occupation is the strongest form. This is certainly the case with the Palestinians, who claim their continuous occupation of the area which the Romans called 'Palestine' (after the Philistines, of whom there were none in the area at the time). But continuous isn't really the case for the Muslims in the area - after all, Islam was only invented around the 6th to 8th century AD, so their occupation can't have predated this. And to repeat, who did the invading Islamic armies find in Palestine? A population the majority of whom were Christian and Jewish, both of whom have maintained a presence in the area.
Why do Palestinians languishing in refugee camps and as foreigners in all but Jordan, the only Islamic country to offer Palestinians citizenship? It is the formal policy of all other Islamic countries to use the Palestinians expelled from Israel, and their descendents, as bargaining chips with the world against Israel. "See how much they suffer, expelled most brutally from their land?" it goes. The creation of the state of Israel was a war of national liberation, and so of course the former oppressors (and that's the whole population, who supported the oppression) had to be removed for the new state to have a chance.
The Palestinians are being held hostage to the Islamic desire to destroy Israel by any means possible. The Islamic countries insist on the right of return for these people and their descendents, knowing full well that, by doing so, Muslims would soon, if not immediately, outnumber Jews in Israel, and so the oppression of former times can be re-asserted.
And if you think the international community will protect the Jews (and Christians) against that, how successful are they in protecting minorities in Islamic countries right now? Even In Palestine? Heard about the expulsion of Christians from Palestinian Bethlehem lately?

Lev,

Tetum, like Bahassa, is virtually a pigin language.

Bahassa is spoken in both Indonesia and Malaysia. Bahassa was called Bazaar Malay, and was used by different races to communicate and trade with one another. I, too, spoke fluent Bazaar Malay. It was easy and simple to learn. Don’t bother to inform me that Bahassa is the official language. I know.

Bazaar Malay was very different from that spoken by the Malay elites, who spoke the beautiful, pure, and literary Rajah Malay, which was extremely difficult for Westerners to learn, let alone master.

“Chomsky, made the following comment - undoubtedly heartening to those studying languages.”

This was certainly no endorcement of Chomsky. I shouldn’t have descended to sarcasm. Without the vocal inflection you didn’t know what I meant ...

However, unlike you, I am sure others did. Even those with no knowledge of Chomsky would understand exactly what I was saying.

“The hypothesis underlying Kenneth E Iverson’s, (APL programming language) Turing award lecture, "Notation as a tool of thought”, was based on that of Sapir-Whorf.”

Iverson created APL ...

UN resolutions on Dafur and Somalia - a total of three! Prior to Egypt’s attack on Israel, Egypt successfully requested that UN peacekeepers be removed. Israel only has to sneeze and a plethora of UN resolutions are handed down. What about the constant rocket attacks from Gaza? In parts of Israel, school desks are made of metal, it being safer for students (including Arabs and others) to seek safety under these desks than attempt to run to underground shelters.

Despite the majority on both sides wanting a two state solution, you decide a single, secular and democratic state “is a necessity”. Hardly democratic ... sounds like the words of a tin-pot dictator. Good for banners. Incidentally, this is not an endorcement.

cont ...

The Weismann-Faisal agreement of the 1919 Paris Peace Conference agreed to a Jewish homeland, being signed by both Emir Faisal , son of Sherif Hussein, leader of the Arab revolt against the Turks, also Keeper of the Holy Places, and Chaim Weismann and other Zionists? This agreement acknowledged:

“racial kinship and ancient bonds existing between the Arabs and the Jewish people” ... and ... “the surest means of working out the consumation of their national aspirations is through the closest possible collaboration of the development of the Arab states and Palestine (a Jewish state).”

In fulfilment of the Balfour Declaration, the agreement called upon measures to:

“encourage and stimulate immigration of Jews into Palestine on a large scale ... as quickly as possible to settle Jewish immigrants upon the land ...”

Emir Faisal saw the Zionist movement a companion to the Arab nationalist movement.

Writing to Harvard law professor and future Supreme Court Justice Feliz Frankfurter on March 3, 1919, Faisal stated:

The Arabs, especially the educated among us, look with deepest sympathy on the Zionist movement ... We will wish the Jews a hearty welcome home.... We are working together for a reformed and revised Near East and our two movements complete one another ... And there is room in Syria for us both. Indeed, I think that neither can be a real success without the other.”

This agreement was conditioned upon British wartime promises of Arab independence, which, tragically, were not kept.

The fact that the leader of the Arab nationalist movement and the Zionist movement reached such a close understanding, indicates that Jewish and Arab aspirations are not mutually exclusive.

I am impressed with your qualifications.

Lev, guess what I mean ...?!

Camo,

When adressing Lev, don’t write in complex sentences with any subtext beneath. Better to stick to monosyllabic words, the simplest of sentences and devoid of any expression.

Paul,

If you are still reading this OLO, and haven’t moved off due to tedium, thank you for your support.

Camo,

In case you haven't realised Muslim is not an culture, it is a religion. The indigenous people of Palestine are Semites; Jews, Christians, Muslims, pagans, atheists, whatever. As previously pointed out the genetic differences between Semitic Jews (iirc less than 10% of Israel and the occupied territories) is nil with the other Semites.

Whilst I gave no support to those neighbouring Arab nations who refuse citizenship to Palestinian refugees, that does not condone the refusual of Israel to allow these people the right to return to their homeland. As I have previously pointed out a Jew living in Ripponlea whose family has not lived in Israel for fifty generations has greater Right of Return than Dr. Karmi herself who was born in Jerusalem. If you cannot see how this is morally repugnant, I feel very sorry for you.

As for your final point, apart from your religious bigotry and selective anti-Semitism, I would point out there have been suggestions for UN Peacekeepers to occupy the region, a position I would thoroughly support, especially if it meant the original borders are restored and Israel finally recognised the legitimacy of a Palestinian state; why is it, we may ask that every single Arab nation and the PNA have recognised the legitimacy of Israel but *not* the other way around?

Of course, if this is done it wouldn't surpise me if Israel started attacking UN Peacekeepers. After all, they seem quite willing to shell UN refugee camps.

http://www.bintjbeil.com/E/occupation/robert_fisk_qana.html