Have I got this right? Does this mean that I am not allowed to say "I support Hezbollah in defending Lebanon from Israeli invasion", for example?

I thought you said there was a ban on Lebanese restaurants.

Which would be a shame since I just found one that got great reviews in a nearby town.

Now that would be an outrage. Lebanese food is possibly my favourite type of cuisine in the world.

It means you're not allowed to "encourage support" for its "military wing". And yes, that is outrageous.

I can "encourage support" for Israel in invading Lebanon, because they aren't terrorists. But I can't "encourage support" for Hizbollah in resisting such an invasion, because they are.

Nice and simple. Fucking hell.

Why is it whenever there's a bit of mindless New Labour repression, McNulty's name is never far away?

Major Rawls is right about that asshole.

Major Rawls?

It's a reference to The Wire, GO.

I've never read any of wingco's music criticism.

The thing is, I do support Hizbollah's military wing, and I do encourage you all to do the same.

I can't imagine it's going to be much of a problem, but it could be, couldn't it?

Yes it is. Hizbollah are a load of evil bastards. Ask a Lebanese who is dealing with their military take-over of Beirut. Vile undemocratic racist anti gay fundamentalist bullies.

Oh, the idea itself could be a problem, yes, that's certainly true, and worth talking about.

Were I to accept your characterisation, the point would remain, though, wouldn't it?

(It's certainly true that there are Lebanese people who would agree with your characterisation of Hizbollah. It's also certainly true that there are Lebanese people who wouldn't. So now we've got the "testifying" out of the way, you can have your own opinions.)

If you're saying that you should have a fundamental right to state your political position, then I agree with you (and am delighted by your implicit support for Enlightenment values).

I thought you might be presuming a general agreement with your support for Hezbollah- which I would want to challenge, not least because of their opposition to Enlightenment values in almost every area of human activity.

I don't think I'm saying either. I'm certainly very unlikely to be making any appeal to "Enlightenment values". Though I would hope for general support for the defence of Lebanon against Israeli invasion, I'm probably thinking of a much different otf in expecting that.

"I can't imagine it's going to be much of a problem, but it could be, couldn't it?" was related to how much I should worry about restating my position.

TonTon wrote:

QUOTE:
I'm certainly very unlikely to be making any appeal to "Enlightenment values".

Every Marxist makes such an appeal, even if only implicitly.

(Discuss.)

If you mean that you have decided that Marxism makes appeals to what you consider to be "Enlightenment values", it would seem that the answer is "yes".

(That is, it surely depends on what you mean by "Marxist" and "Enlightenment values". Which is not necessarily the same as enlightenment values. Should such a category be accepted at all)

I don't really follow that. I just mean that Marx