Susan Sontag passed away last Tuesday after a 30 year struggle with cancer.
A highly visible public figure since the mid-1960’s, Ms. Sontag wrote four novels, dozens of essays and a volume of short stories and was also an occasional filmmaker, playwright and theater director. For four decades her work was part of the contemporary canon, discussed everywhere from graduate seminars to the pages of popular magazines to the Hollywood movie “Bull Durham.”
Publisher at Jewlicious
Founder and Publisher of Jewlicious, David Abitbol lives in Jerusalem with his wife, newborn daughter and toddler son. Blogging as "ck" he's been blocked on twitter by the right and the left, so he's doing something right.
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Come on, come on… why didn’t you comment on what Susan said about 9/11. That ought to warm the hearts of families who had loved ones die that day. For those who don’t recall, she said we had it coming to us due to our support for causes that antagonized the Arab World, e.g. support for Israel.
I’m amazed you honored her passing with a mention on your blog.
Dude. Susan Sontag was a complex individual. I didn’t herald her life, just noted that a controversial Jewess has died. I mean we noted Arafat’s death, right?
While she did cavort with the viet cong in the 60’s, in the 80’s she called communist regimes in Europe fascism with a human face. Her comments re. 9/11 were retarded of course: “Whatever may be said of the perpetrators of Tuesday’s slaughter, they were not cowards.” Well, yeah they were Susan. Most of them didn’t know it was a suicide mission and they were the most cowardly of the cowardly.
But please note a total lack of editorial commentary on the post. You can make up your own mind about Sontag.
While we are remembering that she was far from perfect, it should be noted that she was among the first and most prominent writers who launched the Palestinian spin after their failure to adopt any part of the deals that were offered to them at Camp David II by Barak under the auspices of the US Administration. She wrote a lengthy diatribe in the NY Times where she criticized Israel even before Malley and Agha came out with their infamous critique in the NY Review of Books.
Needless to say, her views on that topic were, unfortunately, wrong.
You only spoke of the perceived good things she did and failed to mention any of the crap that self-hating Jew spewed. No where did you mention she was “controversial” or that her impact had anything remotely connected to the negative. Susan was, lets face it, one sick puppy. I will note her passing as one of the best things in the rear view mirror of 2004.
Sam,
She was no Arafat. I understanding having a problem with her politics, but expressing joy for her passing away is perhaps a little, um, unkind?
Sam, dude… chill. I posted a link to her obituary, Her obituary fairly discussed the totality of her life, wrinkles and all. I didn’t really think it was my place to actually speak ill of a dead old Jewish lady. When Chomsky dies (bimhera beyameinu) I won’t gloat either ….
If you won’t gloat, I will do it for both of us, k?
OK Sam… I can deal with that – never told anyone not to gloat, just that I won’t. You are of course free to do what you like, and I won’t even judge you.
I’m with CK on this matter. My friends on the extreme Right/Left of Israeli/Jewish politics do so out of a conviction that their belief system is moral and just. Of course, these are my friends. I have no doubt that racist Jews exist (I’ve heard a few comments from settlers that unerve me) and many more self-hating Jews walk among us. Alas, I believe most Jews/people mean well and should be treated with respect when then pass on.
Yeah!!! Awright shtreimel! Chomedey ROOLZ!
OK. That was an idiotic response. As for racist Jews, I’ve heard shit from all political spectrums, so to be fair, left wing Jews have said some rotten crap too.
Did I ever mention Chomedy in my posts? Do we know each other? Did you also get your assed handed to you by some greek thug who got his ass handed to him by his father and his father got his ass….
I ate greeks for breakfast in Chomedey. We discussed this once on Orthodox Anarchist or Jewschool or something. I played football for the Chomedey Blues… no one ever handed me my ass.
Hey CK,
Did you know a guy named Eric Shp. He’s a very good friend of mine, sorta well known amongt the Chomedy Blue crowd. In the day, he could’a gone pro…both in hockey or football. Alas, he ended up in Calgary studying philosophy.
Nah. I never went to school in chomedey and mostly fought with my “team mates” But it sure made me big strong – holy cow!
Hey ck,
You seem like a reasonabley well adjusted sort of fellow…so what’s your take on John Brown and why Mobius allows him to post on Jewschool? Curious.
CK is to T_M as Mobius is to John Brown
Really? But I like CK, TM and even Mobius, at times. John Brown is just plain yuchy.
Shtreimel,
Awww shucks….
Oh. My. G*d. E – you are so off. John Brown is a friggin retard. Seriously. I think he’s mentally imbalanced. And above and beyond all that, he’s a total anti-Israel, anti-Zionist douche bag lacking all reason. T_M is a great guy! I may not agree with all his minute politics, but I sure do agree with the broad strokes – T_M loves Israel and loves Judaism. No question about that. No one even remotely resembling John Brown will ever post here. Not on my watch.
CK,
Awww shucks.
And dude, feel free to tell me to tone it down when you feel I’m out of line.
As if.
“No one even remotely resembling John Brown will ever post here. Not on my watch.”
Ohhh, so forceful…