Last night on TV news: a large, female Rabbi and Member of the British House of Lords (not much downtrodden, persecuted Judeaism there) trumpeted that she was applying for German citizenship because she was very upset by Brexit, and the Germans were doing such a good job being guilty about the Nazis. Her grandparents were murdered by the Nazis, and her mother, who escaped to Britain and spent her life there, hated Germany til the day she died. Never mind that, though, Germany does a nice line in guilt, and Europe must be kept together.

Talk about a bad case of the 'Loewnsteins'. What is it with many modern Jews, including the those in Australia, defending Section 18c, along with their Muslim and Left tormentors? Do they miss being persecuted?

A non-Jew myself, I have always sympathized with Jews and particularly Israeli Jews (and non-Jewish Israelis also at risk from Palestinian terrorists). Perhaps I should be directing my sympathy elsewhere?

Hey ttbn,
I saw this article too.

The thought that came to my mind was a question of national loyalty.
If her heart really belonged to Europe, why was she a representative of the people as a member of the House of Lords?

She may have been a foreign operative if her heart was not with England and the English people.

In Australia one measure I'd like to see is a banning all people with dual-citizenship from holding office as a representative of the people.

I'm not against people who identify with other nationalities from holding office, but they must be born here.

Dear ttbn,

"Criticising Israel is not anti-Semitic and
saying so is vile. But singling out Israel for
opprobrium and international sanction - out of
all proportion to any other party in the
Middle East - is anti-Semitic, and not saying so
is dishonest."
(Thomas Friedman, 2002).

ttbn: So you are surprised that the Rabbi is prepared to forgive (if not forget) past German behaviour. Yet in this forum and elsewhere there are repeated demands that Aborigines stop whinging about the evils of the past, get over it, be good Australians. Perhaps she is just being pragmatic and seeing the advantages of German citizenship with free access and travel through Europe. We expect Aborigines to be pragmatic, and see the advantages of Australian citizenship, without holding onto past grudges, however justifiable.

Armchair Critic:
1. Surely you meant if her heart was not with Britain and the British people? The British Parliament doesn't just represent or govern for England and the English, but also for Scotland and the Scots, Northern Ireland and the Irish and Wales and the Welsh.
2. So you'd ban all people with dual-citizenship from holding office - what if they were born here and hold dual citizenship in another country, by right of descent or by marriage

Dear ttbn,

The following link explains why the lady chose
to do what she did:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/15/rabbi-german-passport-nazi-brexit-europe

Hi Cossomby,
Yes that's what I meant.
But you know in a way the whole federation thing's pretty dumb.
Individual nations should have the right to make and live by their own laws, not laws imposed by foreigners, otherwise they aren't really sovereign nations at all are they?

Might as well just reform the Soviet Union.

Yes I would ban all dual-citizenship holders from holding office.
As for the other mixtures you mentioned, no.
You don't earn the right to represent Australian people simply by having sex with one and then marrying them. No.
The only exemption I can see would be if both parents were Australian-born citizens and have a child born in a foreign country whilst visiting as tourists.

This is not about racism.
This is about making sure those who represent us have ONLY this rock named Australia and it's interests in their hearts.

You seem to support dual-citizenship leaders.
If they are only half-aussie, then in my mind they are also half foreign operative.

So No.
If you think that's prejudice then fine, it is, and it's supposed to be.
I'm prejudiced against the idea of foreigners telling us how we should or should not live in our own country, people that don't really have this nations interests at heart. Simple.