Just an occasional dose of cynicism never did anyone any harm

I actually regard cynicism as one of the most corrosive and dangerous emotions, especially when it comes to education and politics. I've spent too much of my professional life around seeing teachers destroy their self respect and any chance of real improvement in what they achieve through using cynicism to undermine any new attempt to improve the outcomes for the pupils they are responsible for.

You know the sort of thing. We've seen it all before. It'll never work. Oh, it's just the latest fad. Not with kids like these. Not with parents like these. Idle consultants/inspectors/advisers who couldn't teach to save their lives. You'll see, blackboards and chalk and talk will be the next fashion. And so on. And so on.

But... just occasionally, I come across a cynical comment that really makes me smile with pleasure because it so deftly demolishes some enormous centre of grandiose self importance, or some utterly undeserving icon of international adulation.

I don't usually spend time reading the readers' comments on Ha'aretz' talkboards. Too much predictable ranting and raving. But today, there's a real gem in comment no. 21, from a commenter called Meni, in response to a routine anti-Israel article by Amira Hass, their renowned correspondent who actually lives in Ramallah. As it happened, since I spent some time responding to the comments of an Adloyada reader of my previous post who called Amira a saint, the tenor of the article to which this comment was a response was already on my mind.

Meni's cynical comment "The Amira School of Journalism" captures perfectly Amira Hass' journalistic approach and Ha'aretz' role in fearlessly publishing her:

How to write an article:

A. Find topic (ie cell phones).

B. Identify heroic, persecuted victims (Palestinians).

C. Identify cruel, heartless, bloodthirsty and shrewd oppressors (Zionist entities).

D. (A)/(C - B)

E. If author is part of C, but supports B, any article about topic A in regards to C - B will generate attention due to readers who support B thinking "what a brave lady" and readers who support C thinking "what a terrible lady".

F. Rinse and repeat, and pay for groceries and rent using proceeds.

Comments

[Thrawn]

Haaretz in general, and Amira Hass in particular, lends a fake legitimacy to the Israel haters of the world. In addition to being an Israel hater, she is an appallingly bad reporter.

[Matan]

I understand your point of view, but do beg to differ. The stories published by Amira Hess and Gideon Levi are some of the only information venues on events in the occupied territories available inside Israel: there is no other "embedded" reporting in main stream media. There is a PR problem when their stories are used and abused by interesants, pro-palestinian, anti-israeli and others. That, I feel, is an acceptable price for the small pip-hole to the goings-on in the occupied territories they provide for Israelis.

[Jeremy Jacobs]

Slightly off topic. What's your view about Alan Johnston?

[szeni]

Is Matan saying that Hass and Levy are the only source of information for Israelis about Ramallah and Jenin? And if this fantastic claim were true, should Israelis be grateful to H&L for the lies broadcast day in day out? I keep repeating that Hass is a certified peddler of falsehood, convicted in court. As for Levy, the boy has gone native and sounds like his brain is controlled by his Palestinian wife

[Zayd]

in the 2nd paragraph hass eanlxips The Greek government wanted to save people ..from a traumatic and perhaps even fatal experience. The Greek foreign minister .explained that Greece wanted to prevent a humanitarian disaster in the event of a clash between the Israel Defense Forces and the protesters. then,We wanted to save you from the Israeli army, he told one of them. The Jew of the blood libel, of whom one must be wary, has been replaced by an Israeli navy commando. in this context the image i have of what the greek government claimed they wanted to save them from was the image of the soldier pumping bullets into furkan's brain. therefore the jew of the blood libel' is the stereotype of the vicious jew. i'm sure hass knows more about blood libel than i do but my understanding is that a blood libel is a lie but furkan's murder was not a lie. does the greek officer thinks one should be wary of the jew of the blood libel' which indicates he believes in the stereotype? hass's impression was the greek officer believed in the stereotype or at least that was the rationale.i don't believe in the jew of the blood libel' but i am very wary of the iof and israel's navy commandos. i don't think they are enhancing israel's image and as a result those who believe israel represents a global jewish image (i do not believe they do, they do not for me) it's bad for jews. bad like blood libels are bad for jews. but lots of israelis seem to like this image of themselves, the powerful assassins. they seem to wear it as a badge of pride. not very smart imho. it's a warrior image but warriors don't look so brave when they are killing innocents.