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So boycott all American goods? Maybe throw China in as well for their human rights record. You'd have to throw out 50% of everything in your household. Not very realistic.Damn right, lets address what props up Israel.
Everyone knows Axl Rose is a prick already.Guns n Roses played there the other day. Did I miss the furore over that?
I think it's more the surprise of a group generally seen as having ethical standards. A lot of people play Israel but I was not expecting Radiohead to be one of them.So from that can I take it that people were more upset that a band they like is playing Isreal. Which makes themselves look bad?
I don't know. I don't particularly chart who plays there. I've noticed a lot more people being called out on it though, Neil Young was booked to play there a few years ago and there were protesters outside the Marquee in Cork. The Israel gig was cancelled in the end but it did seem odd that someone known for protest was going to play there.Even though they've played there a few times over the last 20 years. (That's what Thom said wasn't it?)
Not directing this to you but to this in general.
Yes ultimately I'd support it over not supporting it but i'm just iffy about A) the insistence that it's the same as South Africa b) whether it'd be at all effective and C) the idea that people will think they're off the hook by doing the almost nothing that this boycott involves while meanwhile:So boycott all American goods? Maybe throw China in as well for their human rights record. You'd have to throw out 50% of everything in your household. Not very realistic.
As @hugh pointed out this is a far more viable cause. One well-established, set-up by the Palestinian people, endorsed by a large chunk of the artistic community and with one very specific goal at the heart of it - end the occupation of Palestine.
I don't really know the circumstances of the Ken Loach film being screened in Israel but if this is simply a case of the film being screened in cinemas then this is a cheap shot. I imagine this is part of some sort of worldwide distribution arrangement that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to exclude specific countries from (anymore than Radiohead could, if they wished, exclude Israel from distribution arrangements for their CDs or Spotify streams or whatever). If however Loach is travelling to Tel Aviv to attend the opening of a film festival who are screening the film and interviewing him about it then that's another matter and the charge of hypocrisy is valid. I don't think that's the case though but open to correction if I'm wrong.
Of course but if we're gonna get outraged and start throwing the word genocide around, as has already happened in this thread, then maybe "well i dunno, that'd be hard to do" isn't a good enough excuse.Loach thing: sure, it's not unthinkable but unlikely and possibly unworkable. Someone who works in film distribution would have a better idea on this.
Agreed 100%If Radiohead were really interested in building bridges or encouraging dialogue or whatever it is then they would be playing in Ramallah as well as Tel Aviv. Why don't they do this?
Guns n Roses played there the other day. Did I miss the furore over that?
I'm sure everyone is aware that there are many bands playing in Israel this year as well as Radiohead. They are all ignoring the boycott. We could start a thread about every single one I suppose and go through exactly the same arguments. Wouldn't that be exciting?
As for Anthony's point about there seeming to be a bigger furore in general over Radiohead than any of the others (e.g. Guns'n'roses), well, it's a fair point. I've no idea why. Their high profile? That many of their fans are particularly attuned to these issues and hence particularly vocal about it? That the BDS campaign is specifically targeting them to gain more publicity? Some combination of all those things? Who knows but, you know, you make your bed..
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