While I love nothing more than a robust discussion

You won’t get that from Antony Loewenstein, I’m afraid. Refer my earlier comments

He has never turned up to any form of debate, argument or what have you. Much better for him to put his hands over his ears, close his eyes, and then insist (ad nauseum) that nobody listens to him and he wants more debate.

It’s quite pathetic, really.

If you must insist on editing my comments, to protect the precious feelings of a known Holocaust denier, and a Crikey columnist who hosts her on his own blog, then the very least you could do is also clean up my HTML to get rid of the boldcaps.

Clearly Antony “Let the Debate Continue” Loewenstein wants to control the debate and ensure opposing voices (such as mine and JPL’s) aren’t heard. He prefers an echo chamber.

Don’t you Antony? I know you are reading this…

While I don’t disagree with your corrections, I don’t see what the problem with “lobbying” actually is. Loewenstein is obsessed with references to what he calls “The Lobby”, which he uses as a perjorative. However lobbying is a perfectly normal part of any healthy democracy.
The green lobby is fine. The women’s lobby is fine. Union lobbies are fine.

The frequently dishonest Palestinian lobby, is clearly fine, and even have Loewenstein as one of their flagbearers.

Unfortunately, as always double-standards apply when it comes to the world’s only Jewish state. Heaven forbid that Jewish groups should be allowed to advocate their opinion. Can’t have that!

By the way, referring to my earlier comment, notice how Loewenstein still hasn’t responded? It’s much easier on his own blog, simply deleting comments. Gutless, Antony.

As I began speaking of contradictions I shall end with one. You say that there is “No denying that Holocaust revisionism is a growing problem and must be tackled in EVERY possible way.” I think what you meant to say was….every possible way EXCEPT charging those who racially vilify Jews and deny the Holocaust.
I hope you’re not offended, I trust that if you are – You’ll just get over it.

Ordinarily I would agree with you, that a blogger has the right to decide what is, and is not published on their blog.

Antony however is a special case. He has built a modest career, off the notion that he was “censored” and “silenced” for his highly unpopular views. As such, in his case it is completely hypocritical.

I am far from the only person who takes exception to this, by the way. I also note that he will have read my earlier comment (and numerous others, on other blogs) yet as I mentioned, has never responded. What Antony has derided as “smear campaigns” and “vicious” “tactics”, is little more than what would otherwise pass for robust argument. The simple fact is, Loewnestein can give it out, but he can’t take it. Ultimately, he has no genuine interest at all in “debate”. Merely blowing his own trumpet, and hopefully selling enough books to pay the gas bill.

The obvious analogy is this: If someone kicks you out of their house because they don’t appreciate what you say, is that censorship? Of course not.

So, it’s probably not worth using the comments section on the Crikey website to grind what appears to be a personal axe.

If that is truly the case, you would have to wonder why [a known Holocaust denier]* appears almost daily within the comments section of Antony’s blog.

In contrast, all of my comments there, and those of many others, have been censored by Antony “Freedom of Speech” Loewenstein, simply because he doesn’t agree with them. He has a long documented history of this hypocrisy.

He can spare us the bit about “robust engagement” having never, ever, engaged any of his critics online or in the blogs. Instead, he thinks replying to fair criticism is beneath him, and his opponents can only possibly be mean bullies. As opposed simply to people who have found so many, obvious academic errors in his work.

* [edited by Crikey]

As long as someone is trying to be lord and master of creation (forgetting, of course, that there already is one), there will be these kinds of irreconcilable power struggles.