Conversation

Changing ones mind

Mihai Martoiu Ticu referred to https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/evolutionary-human-sciences/article/opinions-on-hardtodiscuss-topics-change-more-via-cohort-replacement/D11EC23A36D627465FDC9AA52AD049E1 when he wrote (in https://infosec.exchange/@martoiu@mastodon.social/113738185220054379):
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Opinions change not because people can be convinced with sound rational arguments, but because those holding old opinions eventually die.
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Maybe I'm not an average guy, but in my life I've changed my mind on multiple subjects. And I'm not ashamed of it - on the contrary. I'm a human; I don't know everything there is to know (partially because info is withheld from me, but also because of 24x7 and/or not having my curiousness triggered).

For example, I changed my opinion about IT-matters a number of times. I like debates with multiple points of view, in particular when based on obvious facts.

On Oct. 7 2023, my gut feeling told me that the attack by Hamas did not occur "in a vacuum". However, at the time the first association with Palestinians that would come up in my mind, was terrorism. "Of course" Jews had the right to their own state.

I have always been too busy with ICT and infosec to dive into such topics, but now I felt the need to spend more time on learning why that attack took place.

I've read a lot. Including some of Mihai's writings, such as https://www.mihai.nl/internationaal-recht/de-vvd-laat-zich-ringeloren-door-de-israel-lobby/ (from 2016), which provided new insights I was not aware about.

We should not be so ashamed to change our minds based on facts we learn. Of course it is important to at least double check what you read before jumping to conclusions.

However, i.r.t. to Gaza, the Westbank,Lebanon, Syria and Jemen, the evidence of warcrimes committed by Israeli soldiers is overwhelming, while Israeli representatives and supporters keep lying.

Note: I'm not stating that all Arabs are good people: some are insane idiots who also commit warcrimes or other cruelties to, often called, "inncocent people" (it depends, but the younger a child, the more innocent it is).

Anyway, my govermnent treats Israel as an ally that needs our unconditional support. That is why I feel the need to raise my voice - more than i.r.t. other unimaginable suffering (such as in Sudan, Afghanistan, Ukraine etc).

Most Israeli's do not want to integrate with Arabs; they want them to be silent slaves, migrate to other countries or die. And their desired map is still incomplete.

If Israel *really* is the most democratic country in the Middle East (like, among others, Ronald Plasterk argues, see https://infosec.exchange/@ErikvanStraten/113702504098264750), then the *majority* of Jews are inhumane and/or look away from the truth (in contrast to many Russian citizens, Israeli's *have* access to less biased media - such as Haaretz and foreign news agencies).

If a majority of Jews in Israel hates (oppresses, discriminates, rapes, tortures, kills) Arabs, then, IMO, not a single Jew has the right to occupy land in the Middle East.

And I may change my mind even further.

@martoiu
#DefinitionOfAntisemitism #Gaza #GazaGenocide #Westbank #Lebanon #Syria #Jemen #Warcrimes