I was making lunch and only caught about ten minutes of Bill Kristol's speech at the Young America's Foundation yesterday. But this is a blog, and ten minutes is enough for a post.
I was surprised by how backward-looking and rueful Kristol seemed about the whole conservative enterprise. No one could have anticipated our victories, he said. We didn't really know which way history was going, we just committed and said what was right. Whittaker Chambers did the right thing, he didn't think history would vindicate him. (I think these are really smart points.) No one predicted Reagan, Thatcher, no one predicted the fall of the Communist bloc as rapidly as it occurred. No one anticipated the triumph of capitalism.
But the implication was: no one could anticipate the recent collapse either.
Backward looking. How many kids in the audience had even heard of Whittaker Chambers (who died nearly 50 years ago)? I didn't hear the second half of the speech when presumably Kristol talked about the present and applied some rouge to events on the Euphrates. But I got a foreshadowing of gloom. He said that a lot has worked out well, and some other things haven't worked out so well. Like, maybe we were on the wrong side of history?
Kristol's mood was different two years ago when he spoke at Yivo. He was plucky and defiant, though he obviously felt hunted by people like me, who were blaming Jewish Israel-loving neoconservatives for the Iraq war. Jewishness has never been a factor in my progress, he said on that stage, until recently, when there has been this "insanity" and conspiracy theory. The names Walt and Mearsheimer came up, and he called them "schmucks." He suggested that Judy Miller might have gotten hung out to dry by the Times because she was Jewish. Two years on and what has happened–Joe Klein has endorsed that insanity; Klein has said that the Jewish neocons with divided loyalties pushed the Iraq war. And I wonder if it hasn't gotten to Kristol a little, if his reflectiveness at the event yesterday shows some greater awareness of the ways that conservative Zionists misplayed their hand, got on the wrong side of history.
Related posts:
- Now he tells us: Bill Kristol says Obama-McCain election was about Israel
- Fresh From Torching Iraq, Bill Kristol Eyes Europe
- Did ‘The Times’ Leave Judy Miller Out in the Cold Because She Was Jewish? And Other Parochial Asides from an Angry Bill Kristol
- Antisemites Are on My Side of These Issues. How Much Should I Care?
- Gold and Goldberg pick wrong side on Gaza slaughter
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'The wrong side of history': Sounds terminal …Taking it all to the next logical step:There are plenty of Lib Jews, who don't want wars, and value all life. While they can be the new candidates. Could they countenance the predatory capitalism that has been a 'hidden' in the Neocon movement. Actually without the wars, the predatory capitalism couldn't survive.So the Lib Jews, the new candidates, will need a new economic formula. And what about the hidden hand of religion? Religion by definition must be compassionate. Where are the Lib Religious Jews? All the Libs are going to begin to stop ducking bullets and create a new voice.And the Israelis, well now there is an issue, they got brains and humour, but the predatory part, well ….. That's gotta go.Where's the Israeli peace corp? Is smashing the sword into words a Jewish thing?(I never get the expressions exactly right).
Kristol was on TV in the last day or so. He said, in essence, We (I) didn't know for sure we we were right, but it's nice to see we were, very supportive of who we've been. So, he grabed kudos for honesty (in a vauge world anyone could ID with), while simultaneously, saying he was correct (after all). What precisely he was right about is a mystery. Perhaps the anti-Phil posse can provide the light?
I promise to listen, not merely care only for non-Jews.
vauge=vague. Sorry about the type.
Poor Phil. He doesn't know what he is doing, feeding the born anti-semitic crowd. Once in a while they make a semi-valid point, but they always pervert it–that's their nature.
What is fairness?
"feeding the born anti-semitic crowd"
They need not be fed!
.
Bill Kristol blew it big time on the last war (Iraq). Wonder how he's gonna screw up the NEW war (Georgia-Russia)?
The U.S. had its fingerprints all over Georgia's "Rose revolution" in 2003. Its president, Mikheil Saakashvili is — get this — a U.S.-trained lawyer (LLM, Columbia; J.D., George Washington U.).
With U.S. backing, the BTC (Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan) pipeline was run through Georgia to avoid Russia, Iran, Armenia, and other places which offered shorter routes but more political risk to the U.S. Now if Georgia falls back under Russian control, all that dodging and weaving on the BTC pipeline route was for naught.
Israel has a potential stake in the matter too, because it has been proposed that oil from the BTC pipeline may be transported to eastern Asia via the Israeli oil terminals at Ashkelon and Eilat. Whether Israel currently gets oil from BTC, I don't know, but they might.
Bush and NATO have been provoking Russia by proxy, via the former Soviet satellite countries which have fallen under U.S. sway. Now, in the case of Georgia, it has turned into open war.
Let's see how long it takes the neocons and Big Media to line up behind our heroic, DEMOCRATIC ally Georgia and its U.S.-educated lawyer leader. The Israeli press probably will develop the official line first, since they are in the neighborhood, have a stake, and understand the geography. And whatever we do has to be good for Israel — the Lobby will see to that.
You'd think running an Asian empire would be easy. But the natives and neighbors just keep acting up. What a bother! Shame about all the corpses.
Good to know your consistent Haygood. Iran, Russia, Hamas. The good guys. United States, Isael, Georgia, the evil empire I suppose. But then I forgot that any war, everywhere, has Jewish fingerprints all over it. Glad you filled me in. But certainly Obama will get everybody to join hands and sing kumbaya
"Good to know your consistent Haygood."
Dear Sword of Gidion:
Back in the days when you used to post on Phil's old blog under the name Bill Pearlman, you consistently wrote "your" for "you're" as you did in the above quote. I don't mind your Jewish supremacist, Israel-first rants particularly (God knows one sees enough of them in the mainstream press and on other websites) but I do wish you would post your rants in good grammar. The contraction of "you are" is "you're", not "your."
Re: "'feeding the born anti-semitic crowd'
They need not be fed!"–John Dickerson
Geez, Dick, get a clue. Jane is not your friend.
Duscany, SOG could care less. Otherwise, he would have changed his bad English long ago. He doesn't even care when
Witty disagrees with him on a tactic (not the contemplated strategy end).
He's IDF cannon fodder. Except, he likes to suck off the goys in USA land & is allergic to actally dealing as just anothe Jew in Israel.
Duscany and Charles,
SOG is feeling a bit down, as the only Jews who will respond to him are American ones:
Phil Weiss, who for some reason stands up for the Zionazi for giving him the nitty-gritty on sports – while ignoring his fascist rants – go figure. I have yet to see Phil write a post thanking Joachim about his education on Eastern European Judaism.
Richard Witty, who sometimes reprimands the little Zionazi for his schoolboy sick sexual humor while laughing behind his palm.
Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.
Richard Silverstein, who threatens SOG with reports to the authorities about his borderline threats. Richard is the only one of the three whose response makes sense to me.
Even his blood brother bar_kochba over at the Bloody Pigeon (Realistic Dove) ignores Bill Pearlman's direct questions addressed to him about Israel!!!! Talk about a tribal slap in the face!!!!
I guess Bill Pearlman must contine to engage his nemesis, the Phil Weiss posse, hard-riding, badge-wearing American lawmen who want to see the supreme law of the land retake its position as thus. It will take radical invasive surgery of the American corpus, in areas of law, society, and culture to remove the disease that it is riddled with.
PM
It's possible that Richard Witty is afraid of SOG. It's clear that their end game is the same: Jews survive as Jews (with collective ethnic-biblical memory) at all costs–even if its the demolition of the USA population or any other country's. Who can dispute that?
Witty (and his posse on blogs other than Phil's) is smart to push SOG off a bit. He (they) can see it's not good for marketing the Light To The Gentiles most useful for Jews as Jews, not merely humans–yeah, yeah, the concept of The Chosen shows how Jews expire for the benefit of mankind–if that was true, why did Jesus come along and Saul later extend the spiritual empire? After reading the Talmud, does anyone actually think kissing the foot of someone with leprosy was not symbolic? Of course the Talmud came along later to correct the issue, much like the dialogue between the donkey and elephant parties in the USA–and, for the same reason.
RE: "I have yet to see Phil write a post thanking Joachim about his education on Eastern European Judaism."
Well, Phil gave Joachim a stable url reference on his own site. And, Phil has taken considerable heat for that.
Phil & Joachim are great, together most informative towards truth. They are, in my humble opinion, the hope of the world–Jews in the best human tradition. Perhaps, I am jaded. I guess I never could free myself from my own gentile father's main instruction: Be honest.
Or, you take Chaney's POV & actions.
This is an old battle.
'Phil Weiss, who for some reason stands up for the Zionazi for giving him the nitty-gritty on sports – while ignoring his fascist rants – go figure. I have yet to see Phil write a post thanking Joachim about his education on Eastern European Judaism.'
I seem to recall him doing just that; or at least thanking Joachim for a heads-up or two. As for his tolerance of BP/SOG, I'd rather praise than bury him. I can't muster the magnanimity to be nice to that person myself, but I respect someone who can. He is practicing the ecumenical, talk before fighting approach he preaches. He asks questons forst and shoots later, if necesssary, which is more than can be said for most of the rest of us, me included.
Irving Kristol in his pomp declared that the art of statecraft was 'knowing your enemies' when any statesman worth his salt knows it lies in trying to make even enemies friends, and if that's not possible, at least disarming them enough that they are no longer enemies.
Phil's civilised approach to Bill so differs and is so obviously superior to Bill's own (Bill Kristol's too) that, if Bill has a skerrick of decency left, he will respond by subtly altering his own behavour, at least with regard to Phil. Olive branches may not always work, but then swords don't either, do they?
You don't have to sleep with the enemy but the occasional chat doesn't go astray.
Okay folks,
I was too harsh on Phil with regards to Joachim. He HAS given a stable link to his blog, and he HAS thanked him for a heads-up before, though nothing concerning Eastern European Judaism. Phil certainly has taken heat for the link to Joachim's site, as the Zioposse fear people like Joachim the most. He's highly-educated, well-studied in the history of Eastern Europeon Jewry, a member of the elite of the tribe, and yet the results of his research point to a number of facts that the Zioposse would like to ignore, forget, or flush down the memory hole. First, the Ashkenazim aren't Semitic people, and as such, they have no historical roots in the land of Israel. Second, despite all of Abe Foxman's panicked statements against the fact, there really have been "Jewish cabals" all along (Judonia), and although the organizations have not represented the interests of Jewry worldwide, they have repeatedly worked to economically control the host countries they have inhabited.
I seem to recall Phil saying something along the lines that Joachim was too brilliant and too far out there for Phil to digest.
PM
Not feeling the love. Not sure how I'm going to bounce back from these slashing rhetorical blows. The Samir Kuntar fan club doesn't like me. boo hoo.
No problem. Want love? Go smell the flowers at Dr. Baruch Goldstein's Gravesite. Should perk you right up.
Or throw darts at Rachal Corrie's young picture.
Didn't I see you on TV at the welcome home party for Samir ( head crusher ) Kuntar.
Nope. I had a VA appointment at the time.
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