It’s safe to say Dave knew the risks going in. That’s not to downplay what Doucheblogger™ Richard Silverstein has done, but it was always possible. Dave took competent measures to conceal his identity but not extreme ones.
But lets just look at what we learned about the execrable Doucheblogger™ himself:
- Richard Silverstein will publish any anonymous information that he is fed via the comment box on his website. If you can invent an email address and successfully prove you’re a warm human, you can tell him anything.
- Even if your information is not very credible, has deliberate and glaring holes (fake photos, little backup information, does not pass even the most basic “smell” test) if it fits with Richard’s pathetic world view, he will effusively thank you and declare his undying love for you: “Bless you. I’m forever indebted”
- The main stream media have, over the last year, repeatedly believed fairly extraordinary things that only Richard Silverstein is promoting. Do you think he checked and double checked his sources with far fetched tales of The Mossad in Iran? No, I don’t think so either. On the plus side, if you want to feed any dis-information out to the New York Times, just drop Dickie a line via his website contact form.
- Doucheblogger™ Richard should know that falling for this particular bait will destroy his future credibility as a main stream source. In fact, I still hope that one more major news organisation picks up Silverstein again because this will destroy which ever reporter is dumb enough to take a tip from this muppet.
- Doucheblogger™ has a cheer-leading friend at the Electronic Freedom Foundation (the EFF) who places ideological purity ahead of a blogger’s right to privacy. I think the repercussions of that might take a little while to clear up.
Why does anyone want to be anonymous?
For my part I chose to blog and broadcast under a pseudonym because, at the time, I was working for “the man” in the UK. I had Muslim colleagues, worked in sensitive government departments: the whole nine yards. Had my online activities been easily linked to my real name, my employer would have had to either defend me or cut me loose.
I’ve changed most of those circumstances now by moving to Israel but I still choose to stick with a separation of online persona and real life. Today I have different reasons: I work with Arabs, they are customers and suppliers for me: I travel to Arab villages, the outskirts of Ramallah and eat good Humus and falafel with them.
When I sit down I don’t push my views of Islam or Israel on them. I don’t know how they feel beyond knowing that they are happy to do business with me, and I them. The Arabs I deal with are honest and good business people. We both agree dealing with Israeli banks is a nightmare (perhaps why they prefer old fashioned wads of cash).
I wouldn’t start talking to them about my thoughts on Islam and I suspect they wouldn’t tell me how they really feel about Islam either. I don’t suspect they’d seek out my writings even if they were easy to find, but that’s not the point.
The other wider point is that, to the best of my knowledge, those who choose to criticise Israel, to the point of calling for it’s complete destruction as a Jewish state experience almost no physical intimidation. They don’t wonder when someone is going to come at them or their family. That is not the case for those who criticise Jihad. Its simply the case that Jews sue and Islam beheads.
Defending Israel from, as I see it, the non stop Jihad to reverse it’s rebirth as a Jewish nation, is dangerous. If some choose to fight that fight in a way that separates their families and private existance from the fight, you should honour that. If you can’t honour that you’ve taken yourself outside the bounds of political discourse you are a Doucheblogger™
And Happy 2012 to you all!
