Jewish Appropriation Tumblr

[JesusFightClub]

Not as much as I should do, but I'm aware of Stalin's general cuntishness in this area and I know about the "doctors' plot".

I wasn't trying to say that Stalin's paper on national minorities was good or I agreed with it, just that it was an actual solid contribution to theory (which he wasn't famed for). Most of it's taking shots at the Jewish Bund. So, misguided, but an attempt at discussion.

[2xx1xy1JD]

I guess the tumblr kept going during Shavuot....

Re the Sephardi/Ashkenazi question:

As a women born Ashkenazi who is married to an Iraqi-Jewish man, I'd say:

1. Yes, much of North America treats Ashkenazi as the default. Sephardim/Mizrachim have a large presence in some areas (Montreal, some parts of Toronto, some Syrian enclaves in New Jersey, some Iranian enclaves in Los Angeles), but otherwise Ashkenazi is seen as the Jewish norm, and non-Ashkenazi groups are seen as exotic. We also noticed that even in Israel, there is an assumption that Anglos are Ashkenazi.

2. That said, the kitniyot issue is not, strictly speaking, cultural appropriation. Instead, it is an extra dietary restriction that applies only to Ashkenazi Jews (and some Moroccans) during Passover. Legumes and rice aren't religious or cultural items per se. Since the ban on kitniyot is Ashkenazi, it's up to Ashkenazi Jews to determine if it still applies.

3. I've been known to joke that I married my husband so that I could eat rice on Passover. Technically speaking, there is a tradition of taking on the customs of the husband's family, so I can legitimately say that I'm Sephardi/Iraqi by marriage. FWIW, I've taken my kids to the Babylonian Jewish Heritage Museum, learned to cook Iraqi foods, and taught my kids the history of the community.

[Maggie Mae]

So I made spaghetti with moose meat for dinner, and yesterday I had tacos. For breakfast I had an English muffin and some pineapple. I made Tom yum taek for lunches this week and I had some popcorn as a snack. As I don't seem to have a dominate culture, I'd like to know what I'm supposed to eat. I don't want to "steal" someone else's culture or "other" them.

Am I allowed to wear hoodies, or is that stealing from hip-hop culture? Or did they steal it from medieval monks?

I'm wearing yoga pants but I don't take yoga. Is this something a should stop doing? I have a baseball jersey, but I've never actually been a New York Yankee, so should I burn it?

[crazyforkate]

So I made spaghetti with moose meat for dinner, and yesterday I had tacos. For breakfast I had an English muffin and some pineapple. I made Tom yum taek for lunches this week and I had some popcorn as a snack. As I don't seem to have a dominate culture, I'd like to know what I'm supposed to eat. I don't want to "steal" someone else's culture or "other" them.

Am I allowed to wear hoodies, or is that stealing from hip-hop culture? Or did they steal it from medieval monks?

I'm wearing yoga pants but I don't take yoga. Is this something a should stop doing? I have a baseball jersey, but I've never actually been a New York Yankee, so should I burn it?

As a Canuck I'm culturally appropriating from the US all the time, from watching their TV channels to using their cosmetics to accidentally referring to Obama as "my" president. Or are they the privileged ones, so it's totally ok? Help me, O Tumblr Gods.

[AVENues]

That guy... is in so much lurve with FJ. If he is reading here that means that he has moled himself in here and has an account and password for all this crap he's pulling on FJ. Why stay somewhere where you hate it?

[Arete]

So I made spaghetti with moose meat for dinner, and yesterday I had tacos. For breakfast I had an English muffin and some pineapple. I made Tom yum taek for lunches this week and I had some popcorn as a snack. As I don't seem to have a dominate culture, I'd like to know what I'm supposed to eat. I don't want to "steal" someone else's culture or "other" them.

Am I allowed to wear hoodies, or is that stealing from hip-hop culture? Or did they steal it from medieval monks?

I'm wearing yoga pants but I don't take yoga. Is this something a should stop doing? I have a baseball jersey, but I've never actually been a New York Yankee, so should I burn it?

Look, I'm willing to write a blanket note for you on behalf of all Greekdom that will allow you to:

-use fillo dough and strained yogurt with a clear conscience

-eat olives

-put béchamel sauce on any and all vegetables

-give you a lifetime pass for making Greek salads

-roast legs of lamb outside

-substitute lemon juice for vinegar

-boil the crap out of your summer veggies

-eat feta cheese

-make tar and call it coffee

This offer does not apply to ouzo drinking. Before drinking ouzo, consult with a matrilineal or patrilineal descended Greek, and have one present for all shots. Any Greek that allows you to do more than two shots is NOT your friend. Do not do ouzo shots if you have any of the following conditions (common sense, an aversion to hangovers, the need to speak in complete sentences when drunk).

You should keep separate notes from all cultures whose food you wish to appropriate.

[Maggie Mae]

As a Canuck I'm culturally appropriating from the US all the time, from watching their TV channels to using their cosmetics to accidentally referring to Obama as "my" president. Or are they the privileged ones, so it's totally ok? Help me, O Tumblr Gods.

I'm not Canadian but most of the USA doesn't realize that my state exists/is the largest/is on the same continent as 48 other states so I don't know if I have the right to grant you permission, however, I will do so. Just don't expect the paperwork to go smoothly.

Also you are the privileged ones, as you have Heath care.

[AVENues]

This person is a hate-filled, intolerant, entitled, entirely stupid little twit. God have mercy on people around him.

[mausi]

I'm not Canadian but most of the USA doesn't realize that my state exists/is the largest/is on the same continent as 48 other states so I don't know if I have the right to grant you permission, however, I will do so. Just don't expect the paperwork to go smoothly.

Also you are the privileged ones, as you have Heath care.

But Sarah Palin made Alaska famous! ;)

[GraceandFaith]

My account was finally approved!

Okay, so to introduce myself. My name's Tikva, I'm from Goynif, I'm an atheist Jew (the username is a bit of sarcasm). Go on and throw your questions at me now that I can finally answer them here.

Also, for the most recent posters here- oy. Eating food is not the same as say, wearing a star of David when you aren't Jewish. Eating other's food isn't appropriation. Yoga pants aren't appropriative because they don't actually have to do with yoga / aren't part of someone's culture- no one's been singled out and mistreated due to their tradition of wearing yoga pants, unlike say, religious garments like Tallit or Kippot.

Also, if you all could stop referencing me as 'he', that'd be cool. I'm a woman.

"

2. That said, the kitniyot issue is not, strictly speaking, cultural appropriation. Instead, it is an extra dietary restriction that applies only to Ashkenazi Jews (and some Moroccans) during Passover. Legumes and rice aren't religious or cultural items per se. Since the ban on kitniyot is Ashkenazi, it's up to Ashkenazi Jews to determine if it still applies."

This is true, but Ashkim aren't saying it no longer applies. They're saying "Oh, we're using teh Sephardi rule", like they're implying they're just taking the idea from them. If we/they were just dropping their own old rule that'd be different, of course.

[GraceandFaith]

The language "issue" isn't always quiet so straight forward. On a good day, I'm fluent in english and german and there are a number of words that are used in both languages. In some cases I've come to realize that they might be yiddish. "meschugge" is one example. It wasn't until I heard it in english that I realized it might not be a german slang word!

If I (unknowingly) use a yiddish word in the proper context, I'm not sure I'm deserving of the wrath of these culture-keepers/defenders/definers/enforcers....

There really are a lot of problems with cultural misappropriation, but I don't think correctly used language is one of them.

Straight up, if you aren't part of the group, you don't get to decide what's okay or not. Privileged groups do not get to dictate those rules.

They responded to one of my posts:

http://goynif.tumblr.com/post/50339015191/freejinger

Ok, I agree with this.

That's not cultural appropriation, though. That's ultra-nationalism, part of which involves treating your culture as a special snowflake, over which you have exclusive ownership and control, which cannot be contaminated by any "outsider". Prime example: Albert Einstein was simply a German scientist during the days of the Weimar Republic, but the Nazis focused on his Jewishness and found that his theories were "un-German". They weren't interested in adopting aspects of Jewish culture - they were doing the opposite and trying to "purify" German culture by erasing elements that were associated with anything or anyone Jewish.

Okay, appropriation is an element IN this. Note the part where Jewish influences in some cases are retained but with denial of whose influence it was / with the claim that those things were german all along and Jews falsely claimed credit. Cultural appropriation is indeed part of that, as often there are things absorbed naturally into the nationalistic culture which that culture can not or does not want to discard- so instead, they deny or obscure the source.

For instance, one of the major instances of this would be music. The influence of Jewish composers remained heavily visible in german music, they simply denied it / purged some Jewish elements in their music and claimed the others did not exist.

For Carla Bruni + the people discussing the UN + the guy who asked about circimsision:

http://goynif.tumblr.com/post/50524057160/oh-fj

http://goynif.tumblr.com/post/505172990 ... -the-un-is

http://goynif.tumblr.com/post/504965347 ... -spectacle

http://goynif.tumblr.com/post/504979461 ... to-clarify

http://goynif.tumblr.com/post/504960320 ... al-form-of

http://goynif.tumblr.com/post/505581400 ... he-obvious

http://goynif.tumblr.com/post/505455356 ... ssumptions

http://goynif.tumblr.com/post/504963410 ... m-the-only

â€â€â€œâ€Okay, I’m not Jewish and I’m not trying to say what people can or can’t do, I’ve just been genuinely curious what you all think about something and this thread is at least somewhat related.

What do you all think about someone who was/is genuinely Jewish and converted to Christianity (or another religion, I suppose)? Can they still identify as Jewish and incorporate Jewish traditions into their own religious practices? “â€â€œâ€

———-

A fair question asked with respect. I don’t know if everyone here will 100% agree on this, but my perspective is yes, they can still have Jewish items/culture. Because even if they’re no longer religiously Jewish, if they were born into it, they’re ethnically Jewish. Now, if someone converts to Judaism, then converts out, that’s separate. However, anyone who is religiously OR ethnically Jewish is a Jew and as such has a right to Jewish things.

There are some things they may want to be sensitive to, however. For instance, a Jew-turned-Christian should not try to claim all Jews should believe in their messiah, or that believing in yoshke makes them “more†Jewish (and yes, I’ve seen that happen!)

For the person who thinks I'm "17-20" with two degrees (I'm flattered!)

http://goynif.tumblr.com/post/504984956 ... ains-a-bit

Misc: http://goynif.tumblr.com/post/505152961 ... oppression

[Arete]

So, do you believe it's OK to call a gentile woman a shiksa, and that it is not derogatory? Please no linguistic lessons on how in the original Yiddish it simply means a female non-Jew. Where I grew up, it was specifically used as a slur, and to call non-Jewish women who dated Jewish men tramps.

[Buzzard]

I'm going to stick this here instead of on the tumblr because its blocked on my computer for some reason. Feel free to forward!

I blacked out the county for my own protection :wink-kitty:

The driver was a black female.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Straight up, if you aren't part of the group, you don't get to decide what's okay or not. Privileged groups do not get to dictate those rules.

Welcome to FJ!

So, according to you, who DOES get to give out the permission slips to use Yiddish expressions?

If Mordecai Richler writes a best-selling novel, read by Jews and gentiles, which contains a number of Yiddish phrases, can those be repeated?

Can Jon Stewart's jokes on The Daily Show be repeated?

If Leo Rosten writes The Joys of Yiddish, in English, and is wiling to have it available for non-Jews to purchase, is that permission?

As a Jew, am I supposed to be attending some sort of annual meeting where we review requests from non-Jews to use Yiddish phrases?

I'm inclined to think that if something bothers you - well, then it bothers you. I can't speak on behalf of all Jews to say that you aren't bothered. By the same token, though, if it's pretty clear that plenty of Jews are NOT bothered by something, a few individuals can't suddenly claim offense on behalf of the entire group. YOU may be offended because you are Jewish, but that does not mean that you can make a blanket statement about what is and is not offensive to Jews or any other group.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Re cultural appropriation and Nazi Germany:

Is what you are describing really cultural appropriation? Cultural appropriation is using specific cultural/religious symbols, when you aren't a part of that group, haven't been given permission to use them and show disregard for the actual people who are part of the specific culture/religion.

It sounds like the Nazis were happy to take things of some objective scientific or artistic merit, which happened to come from Jews, but then rewrote history to frame the contribution as coming from pure German sources. In other words - they wanted to purge the Jewish content.

[JesusFightClub]

Hello Tikva, and welcome.

I have got to say:

You're slagging the UN, to which, I feel you. But is this wise in someone with your course of study, and your work? I think (I am guessing) you're going to have to work fairly closely with them.

I'm a union rep and recently I got some guidance on what people have been canned/disciplined for posting on their (set to private) Facebook, let alone a blog open to the public. Would you not be better to ca'canny here?

(PS: One of the cases was someone who had said "Back to work after my holiday, I'm sooo looking forward to it *rolleyes*" or words to that effect. The case was won in tribunal and the worker got a payoff, but not the job back - we are not seeing cases where a win in tribunal means reinstatement).

This may sound a bit paranoid but it's the same advice I'd give to a member.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Hmmm. Interesting. I've seen a few of those kind of "stop fucking with my culture" blogs, but never a Jewish one before.

Strongly have to take issue with this:

That's reblogged from somewhere else, but obviously agreed with. It doesn't seem valid for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, that *is* tone-policing. Is there a special tone one should use to discuss that particular situation, which one is being antisemitic if one fails to adopt? If so, what would it be?

Obviously, the person isn't being blatantly antisemitic here, because I doubt the advice to an obvious antisemite would be "Please consider your tone". So what are they doing wrong? It's a topic which stirs strong emotions (ask me how I know) and so people are going to react emotionally.

Secondly, how does this person get to decide what is a "valid" argument in the context of Israel/Palestine anyway? If it was antisemitic, then obviously it would not be valid, but we're already told this person isn't an antisemite, it's just that tone has magically transformed a political argument...and, that the privileged side gets to pick the tone and arguments permitted, at that. What if a Palestinian who had family affected by the conflict was arguing with a Jewish American? Privilege lines are shifting here faster than anyone can keep track of.

By now, I think you know my style of debate on this issue, lol.

I think that there is a large group of people who will use expressions or support positions, without necessarily doing a critical examination of the entire background, or of their basic assumptions and motivations.

Personally, I've seen cases where crying anti-semitism was IMHO unwarranted (no, supporting the creation of a Palestinian state is not necessarily anti-semitic, and no, Amnesty International is not necessarily anti-semitic if they comment on prisoner treatment since they do that with every country). I've also seen cases where it WAS likely warranted, but ironically derailed the conversation. For example, there was one blog post that referred to the formation of Israel as "the greatest geopolitical atrocity since WWII". Given the other things said in the blog post, it's safe to say that the guy has some issues with Jews. However, 100 comments later, it's just a bunch of insults back and forth. "You're an anti-semite" was not a useful thing to say, even if it was what I was thinking. Finally, after being challenged with a list a greater atrocies, he admits that his statement is wrong. At that point, I think it's possible to question whether he was so willing to make and defend a false statement because of his personal views on Jews.

I'll also call someone out if they are using arguments like:

- How can I be anti-semitic if I'm married to/having sex with a Jew? [Plenty of people will have sex with an individual even if they hate that person's group - I've had divorce cases where someone tries to pull racist arguments against their ex]

- But this group of religious Jews is against Israel, so should you be as well? [i'm not Satmar. If I don't shave my head, or think that the Holocaust was a divine punishment for Zionism, why would I care what the Satmar position is? Do you think that all Jews have to think alike?]

- Israel is a horrible theocracy that must be destroyed - just look at the treatment of Reform and Conservative Jews [The concern for Reform and Conservative Jews is fake - they don't actually give a damn, but use the issue to support a position which is opposite to the actual positions of Reform and Conservative Jews.]

- falsely referring to Israeli Jews as "white", when the majority are of non-European origin

- demonizing an entire country and people, instead of opposing certain political positions, and saying that anyone is a legitimate target for death

- focusing solely on Israel, while turning a blind eye to every other state, without any particular logical reason for doing so

[JesusFightClub]

By now, I think you know my style of debate on this issue, lol.

I think that there is a large group of people who will use expressions or support positions, without necessarily doing a critical examination of the entire background, or of their basic assumptions and motivations.

Personally, I've seen cases where crying anti-semitism was IMHO unwarranted (no, supporting the creation of a Palestinian state is not necessarily anti-semitic, and no, Amnesty International is not necessarily anti-semitic if they comment on prisoner treatment since they do that with every country). I've also seen cases where it WAS likely warranted, but ironically derailed the conversation. For example, there was one blog post that referred to the formation of Israel as "the greatest geopolitical atrocity since WWII". Given the other things said in the blog post, it's safe to say that the guy has some issues with Jews. However, 100 comments later, it's just a bunch of insults back and forth. "You're an anti-semite" was not a useful thing to say, even if it was what I was thinking. Finally, after being challenged with a list a greater atrocies, he admits that his statement is wrong. At that point, I think it's possible to question whether he was so willing to make and defend a false statement because of his personal views on Jews.

I'll also call someone out if they are using arguments like:

- How can I be anti-semitic if I'm married to/having sex with a Jew? [Plenty of people will have sex with an individual even if they hate that person's group - I've had divorce cases where someone tries to pull racist arguments against their ex]

- But this group of religious Jews is against Israel, so should you be as well? [i'm not Satmar. If I don't shave my head, or think that the Holocaust was a divine punishment for Zionism, why would I care what the Satmar position is? Do you think that all Jews have to think alike?]

- Israel is a horrible theocracy that must be destroyed - just look at the treatment of Reform and Conservative Jews [The concern for Reform and Conservative Jews is fake - they don't actually give a damn, but use the issue to support a position which is opposite to the actual positions of Reform and Conservative Jews.]

- falsely referring to Israeli Jews as "white", when the majority are of non-European origin

- demonizing an entire country and people, instead of opposing certain political positions, and saying that anyone is a legitimate target for death

- focusing solely on Israel, while turning a blind eye to every other state, without any particular logical reason for doing so

None of that is weird except for the last one :D I'd hope that people who pull those stupid attitudes are stopped in their tracks sharpish.

However, why is "focusing solely on Israel" bad? Plenty of people have a political focus on one issue. The AR folk would look at you funny if you suggested less focus on liberating rats and more focus on the Nakba. I've comrades who specialise (as'twere) in abortion rights activism, Faslane peace activism (Faslane is Scottish nuclear submarine base), Tibet, antifa, environmental issues, etc etc.

What gets you into activism is when you see an injustice that, to your mind, desperately needs correcting. Where you notice this injustice can be anywhere, and so I don't think a focus on Israel is automatically antisemitic. After all, Israel is held up to us as a democracy (just like us!) in the Middle East, surrounded by barbaric furriners and bravely holding the line. If such a paragon sins, isn't it more noticeable?

For me, I don't treat all issues with the same focus. The environmental struggle is important and I'm glad comrades engage in it, but it ain't me. Faslane likewise - I'm not interested enough to risk arrest (and tilt dangerously into Stalinism on weapons questions :embarrassed: ). I'm proud of comrades who do that work, it's just not my work.

It's legitimate to think "I was really horrified when I found out/heard/experienced X issue, so I campaigned against it and made X issue the centre of my fight". There are problems that go along with this, but blatant antisemitism isn't one in my experience.

[Savoring Samsara]

Look, I'm willing to write a blanket note for you on behalf of all Greekdom that will allow you to:

-use fillo dough and strained yogurt with a clear conscience

-eat olives

-put béchamel sauce on any and all vegetables

-give you a lifetime pass for making Greek salads

-roast legs of lamb outside

-substitute lemon juice for vinegar

-boil the crap out of your summer veggies

-eat feta cheese

-make tar and call it coffee

This offer does not apply to ouzo drinking. Before drinking ouzo, consult with a matrilineal or patrilineal descended Greek, and have one present for all shots. Any Greek that allows you to do more than two shots is NOT your friend. Do not do ouzo shots if you have any of the following conditions (common sense, an aversion to hangovers, the need to speak in complete sentences when drunk).

As long as I can have feta and olives, y'all can keep the ouzo. I have sworn it off ever since it was largely responsible for the sickest drunk I have ever been. Curse you, Alcohols of the World party (or should I say EVIL CULTURAL APPROPRIATION KEGGER?). (why is there not a "shaking my fist" smiley?)

[GraceandFaith]

So, do you believe it's OK to call a gentile woman a shiksa, and that it is not derogatory? Please no linguistic lessons on how in the original Yiddish it simply means a female non-Jew. Where I grew up, it was specifically used as a slur, and to call non-Jewish women who dated Jewish men tramps.

Where I live, people use terms like "Asian-American", "Jewish-American" to denigrate someone and imply they're not a real American. Do you call people those terms? Please, no linguistics lesson, I'm not interested in facts, because my local culture is clearly the world / the ones who can redefine a word.

(The fact that some people use a word as a slur doesn't necessarily make it a slur. In the case of Shiksa, I understand enough people have taken it up for that to be associated, so I'm using a new word for referring to goyische women. Shame on the people where you live for turning a term into misogyny. The same thig has been done to Maven and so many other good terms- so sick of being unable to have any terms including my gender without them being used to smear women. )

[France Nolan]

I had a supervisor who referred to me as a goy and a shiksa. She did it privately and publicly, and I reported to HR. I have never heard those words user as anything but a slur. Neither had the Jewish man in HR who disciplined her.

[thoughtful]

Also, for the most recent posters here- oy. Eating food is not the same as say, wearing a star of David when you aren't Jewish. Eating other's food isn't appropriation. Yoga pants aren't appropriative because they don't actually have to do with yoga / aren't part of someone's culture- no one's been singled out and mistreated due to their tradition of wearing yoga pants, unlike say, religious garments like Tallit or Kippot.

I'm pretty sure the "am I allowed to eat ________?" posts were jokes -- I don't remember food being a big issue on your Tumblr.

But your saying that food is a non-issue does connect, I think, to the issue of non-sacred language. It does seem to me that the natural integration of language (spoken, not tattooed!) is similar. How is it worse for a non-Jew to say "meshugga" or "shalom" than it is for them to eat a blintz? In fact, how could they order gefilte fish or tzimmis without using Yiddish? :think:

Language evolves and grows, borrows and drops words. Angry or not, you and your fellow Tumblr posters don't seem stupid -- I have a hard time imagining that you cannot see the difference between these two things:

- a non-Jew calling themselves "a Torah follower," and keeping a mish-mash of rules they've decided are "Jewish" while insisting that Jews are doing it wrong and must include Jesus in their beliefs, sometimes in an actual attempt to pull in unsuspecting Jews :shock:

- a non-Jew calling someone "bubbeleh," or referring to something that is OK as "kosher." (we need a shrug smiley)

Rather than mocking FJ, looking here for material or allies might not be a bad idea. We snark at, or worry about, appropriation here frequently. But your Tumblr stands out as having post after post about the "little things," with not much about crap like Jews for Jesus or CUFI.

Heck, we had a thread about this nonsense, and I don't see it on your site (I apologize if I just missed it when reading):

AVkoQHCXSK8

I imagine you are not the person who is so over-the-top, and is getting all of the scorn here. But, as I said, it's hard to sort people out, since Tumblr doesn't seem to have avatars or automatic signatures.

Whoever that person is, that level of rage over borrowed words and the like seems unsustainable, to me.

My old-movie geekery emerges, as always --I am reminded of the scene near the end of Gentleman's Agreement, in which Gregory Peck's character has pretended to be Jewish for six weeks, and is in a rage about what he has encountered (OK, it's a Gregory Peck rage, so he's mostly smoldering handsomely :D ). Celeste Holm's character, who is Jewish, has been a bit puzzled about why a middle-aged Jewish man is still so full of fresh anger about it all the time. When the truth comes out, she says:

You fooled me, Phil -- completely. Though I did want to say..."how have you lived this long spending this much juice on it?" I get it now.

And that was about anti-Semitism that really damaged his life, got his child beaten up, almost ruined his engagement, etc. He was in a lather because he experienced so much, in such a short amount of time, that he hadn't known about before.

It's hard enough to live when in a constant rage about that sort of bigotry, even though it is well-deserved. I can't imagine burning so hot about the more minor aspects of appropriation, for a lifetime. If the folks on that Tumblr are not, in fact, very young, I want to ask "how have you lived this long spending this much juice on it?" too.

I think it's great to fight the good fight against bigotry, of all kinds. And it is none of my business to tell other people what should and shouldn't make them angry.

But I humbly suggest that, as time goes on, sorting out what really is and isn't worthy of rage might be a good idea, if only to keep from burning out.

As someone who is outraged about appropriation that is deeply offensive, or could be truly dangerous, I am entitled to my feelings, as well. And I feel that people who are that enraged about little things that really don't endanger minorities are weakening the arguments of those of us who decry the more serious stuff.

[2xx1xy1JD]

If someone WAS Palestinian, then of course that would be a focus for them.

I have more of an issue with groups like labour unions. It's not an issue that has anything to do with their main purpose (ie. advocating for their members and improving working conditions), and in some cases here, it's been a pretty single-minded focus. We're not talking about just an individual with a niche interest. If a whole lot of people are selectively horrified at X, while completely ignoring far worse horrors A,B,C etc., it's fair to point that out and ask why. Selective outrage, from a group which is not naturally tied to a particular cause, is discriminatory. It becomes a real problem when perceptions become distorted. When Americans criticize the U.S., they are aware of context - they are living there, they know that it's not the worst place on earth, and they intend it to be constructive criticism. When outside groups have a single-minded focus, all context is lost. If you are an average person who doesn't research everything, and you are surrounded by non-stop criticism on one side in an international dispute, you can naturally assume that this is the biggest issue in the world. At some point, advocacy turns into demonizing.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Re food:

Drawing the line to include language, but exclude food, seems rather arbitrary.

Even within Judaism - some foods have a ritual component, some are merely cultural.

Wouldn't it be for each culture to determine if there was offensive appropriation?

[JesusFightClub]

Ah, now you hit one of my hot-buttons ;)

Unions are not, EMPHATICALLY NOT, "just about advocating for their members and improving their conditions". We're not fire insurance. We operate in a tradition of solidarity - class solidarity, workers' solidarity - and this informs the bigger picture of how we see the world and struggles within it.

You can be solely about "advocating, improving...". and then you become a company union. You'll sell out the working class everywhere else to get benefits for your handful of adherents. I won't name the unions but that's how some unions in my sector work. Their advocates are delighted by "The working class can kiss my arse, I've got the foreman's job at last". That's not even vaguely a correct view of the function of the union.

For example - my union is affiliated to Palestinian solidarity movements. Comrades went over to Gaza and were very concerned about how our Palestinian fellow workers were forced to use substandard equipment and had very little training when it came to putting out fires. We paid for equipment and for some of the Palestinian firefighters to come over and receive training in our dedicated college. That was what solidarity meant to us.

I'm on 18k pa (UK money). My rent, council tax and bills come off from that. I'm broke all the time. Strike days don't help (I'm not sure how I will cover my bills). I am living the fucking life of luxury compared to firefighters who can't even afford to put out fires. If unions aren't for workers' solidarity, what are they for? If they can't stretch out a hand to comrades struggling for the basics, what are they for?

I would have been thoroughly ashamed of my union if they'd given me cash and not the firefighters. I would have refused it. I'll deal. They won't.