I think the problem is, as usual, with the word "progressive." They ain't liberal or all inclusive or pro-women's or gay rights...but they aren't Kochwhores, either.

I can see how her thinking out loud seemed offensive...we don't want to believe there is gun-toting, medieval, mental sludge on the left because we are the saviors of mankind.

Nonetheless.

their social policies are actually rather quixotic, often locally defined, and cannot be easily designated. Not really as "conservative" as many would suggest. However, their economic platform--or almost lack thereof, excepting a tacit, if somewhat uncommitted and confused, approval of status quo capitalist domination--places them roughly on the centre-right overall. Their management of the case of former Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas was thoroughly disgusting and pretty much laid bare precisely where things stand on those fronts. It showed that whatever principles might be voiced to the contrary, they will ultimately not take on "the 1%" (to use the label de jour for the plutocratic elites that run basically every society) in their own backyard, despite the fact that they're geniunely not really a part of it.

That said, I have long supported the party vis a vis the highly successful resistance, enormous social welfare efforts, and their adept foreign policy stances, but I have no illusions about where they stand on other matters. I consider myself "far left" (whatever that means), and I do not consider them to be such. There are many points of policy that align, and many that could not be more apart. They represent the revolutionary current of the early Islamic Republic, but have stalled in their firebrand nature since becoming respectable (and in control of the state--which is the death of every halfway decent revolutionary movement). The perceptions peddled by zionist fanatics and their fellow travellers are thoroughly detached from reality, as most of their public relations efforts tend to be, but that does not make the converse assumptions true either--this is a mistake that certain optimistic or naive intellectuals may make, perhaps also the subject of the original post (I am not familiar with her or the Germans(?) involved with the story, so I cannot comment otherwise).

This didn't so much apply to Hamas. I have so much contempt for the movement (though not along the familiar lines that zionists may appreciate--quite the contrary, perhaps) that any comment of mine would perhaps be inappropriate.

take the 3:41pm edit (final draft--excepting a 3:52pm addition commenting on Hamas that you might appreciate, or maybe not), as that contains many additions to my initial comments. If you're going to dispute what I have seen and heard with my own eyes and ears with something you read on some hasbarist vanity blog, just know that you can expect hearty laughter in return.

I appreciate the point you are making here.

hamas and hizballa and other theocractic movements are all the same:
they are all imperalisitic
all anti democratic
all take advantage of the poor and uneducated
very very conservative
very elitist
very nationalistic
very racist

the concept that they will somehow "throw away their beliefs" once in power doesnt bear out in reality, what we do see is their patience, but that too is a characteristic any religious based group. God gives them the patience to wait out any all problems that they face and slowly build their power base and once in remove all those that oppose and remove/limit the elections as well

The "anti-imperarlism" is only anti-western, they are in fact very nationalistic based on race and religion. Once in power they tend to attempt to expand their area of influence, and attempt to become the "imperial" power. (hizballas has been slowly expanding in Lebanon, hamas in to the west bank)

an internal hierarchy based on genes and family (i.e. racism)

their only "redeeming feature" is their social network starting with children, but the motivation is obvious. You feed the kids, keep them out of the govt schools and raise an army of poor, dependent, limited educated people. You may find that a "progressive" characteristic, and it may very well be, its also a far right nationalistic characteristic as well

hamas and hizballa are equally far right and far left, as they both have very identical characteristics

But try telling the truth about the alliance between the Far Left and radical Islamists and your post gets hidden. Hmmmm.

Check out the cartoon:

http://www.thecommentator.com/article/1581/the_guardian_s_beacon_of_islamist_justice_the_crescent_moon_shines_bright_on_comment_is_free

I also just came across the following recently:
http://hurryupharry.org/2011/12/13/did-the-guardians-seumas-milne-spend-his-gap-year-training-at-a-pflp-camp-in-beirut/

I swear I cannot tell the difference between the far Right and far Left. Birds of a feather...

=======

Now watch out. Some here will take this as an attack on all Leftwingers. Maybe they should educate themselves WRT the difference between the decent vs. the vile Left:

http://brockley.blogspot.com/2010/09/influential-left-wingers_18.html
http://brockley.blogspot.com/2010/12/influential-left-wing-ideas.html

Are you saying that he's a "decent" Leftist, or merely that he differentiates between "good" and "bad" Leftists. Some of his ideas are questionable at best. I have no idea whether he's a decent human being or not, but I think that most Jews think that the "one-state" idea he espouses is evil.