Comments on: Obama Is Brilliantly Marketing Leftwing Answers to an American Majority (as Reagan Marketed the Right)

By: jonathan ekman

jonathan ekman — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

I doubt very much whether Saint Barack, should he be elected, will have the courage
to force a solution on the Israelis, considering how indebted he is to powerful
Jewish interests in his campaign.

By: Richard Witty

Richard Witty — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

Obama won't force a revolution on his Jewish constituents.

He will do as he's said that he will.

He will support the relationship between the US and Israel, and help Israel transition to a just reconciliation with its neighbors.

Not revolutionary, evolutionary.

The right and kind way to go.

By: Jim Haygood

Jim Haygood — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

"He knows the Israel/ Palestine issue from a progressive perspective. But he disguises this analysis brilliantly, in a way that will be palatable to Americans generally."

I wish I could agree with you, Phil. But Obama's endorsement of targeted assassination is not progressive; nor is his promise to ramp up the Afghan war. Obama's administration is going to be as blood-stained as Bush's. PLEASE read everything he said last week to the Jewish group in Cleveland, not just the bits which make him sound progressive.

You are right about one thing. Hillary has an unerring instinct for barbed remarks, which make her opponents feel insulted. Obama is good at withdrawing the stinger first, so that even when you disagree with him, you don't dislike him.

I just wish Obama's extravagant political talents could be directed to getting the U.S. OUT of disastrous middle east wars. His intention to escalate the Afghan conflict could make him into a left-wing version of Bush, increasingly resented as the bloody quagmire of his own making deepens.

Will Obama allow photos of the flag-draped caskets coming into Dover Air Force Base? Better ask him now, because this is the future Obama has promised us. I want to be really pointed about this, because his quoted remarks are absolutely clear and unmistakable. And you, Phil, are not getting it.

By: Charles Keating

Charles Keating — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

Ohio is the World. Obama told the buckeyes he would put some local humanity into NAFTA, while sending his rep to tell Canada not to worry as he's just playing politics.

Who knows what Obama really will do once in office? Well, we know what he did to get a nice home for wifey and kids. Where's the change?

By: Jim Haygood

Jim Haygood — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

Where's the change? See the linked cartoon:

http://www.overcompensating.com/comics/20080303.png

"Mosquitos," as Mondoweiss readers know, is an insider-joke reference to "Palestinians." Take a bow, Richard Witty -- you've made the big time!

By: Charles Keating

Charles Keating — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

We need a need lemon law for our foreign policy tank. Nader knows the lemons.

By: MM

MM — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

At last, a real leftwing candidate, one who promises MORE money for the Pentagon and presents no alternative to U.S. neoliberal foreign policy (client state imperialism). One TRUSTS that rogue states like Colombia and Israel will continue to get their enormous allowances from Uncle Sam under President Leftwing, as well.

By: Richard Witty

Richard Witty — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

"Mosquitoes" is a description of the political strategy of irritating Israelis with low-level violence until they "voluntarily" leave.

It has nothing to do with any generalization about Palestinians, or Arabs (Hezbollah employs the same strategy).

It would describe anyone that undertook low-level violence repeatedly, pretending that it was non-violent (innocent) civil disobedience.

You are able to distinguish between a criticism and a generalization, Jim?

By: Charles Keating

Charles Keating — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

Or tactics and strategy?
Metaphor and reality?
Propaganda and objectivity?
What critique assumes or displays no generalization(s)?

By: Richard Witty

Richard Witty — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

I meant no offense to Palestinian civilians.

I meant offense to Hamas, Hezbollah, and any "resistance" that uses low-level violence as a means, pretending that it is innocent or "non-violent".

I meant offense to those among the "solidarity" that regard low-level violence as incidental, as not terrorism (especially rockets that do kill) or not "mosquito-like".

You know it characterizes the strategy well.