The one true thing you can say about Andrea Mitchell is she has never met and liked anyone like Sarah Palin in her life. It's not her culture. And her disdain for Palin is evident every time she interviews anyone about Palin and begins to run down the backwoods parts of her character: "she's very socially conservative," she says, shaking her head, then speaks about creationism and choice as if these are the most signal aspects of policymaking in America.
On MSNBC, Mitchell and Rachel Maddow are making hay of the fact that McCain didn't choose Joe Lieberman, and so the Republican convention is turning itself into Houston '92 all over again, with Pat Buchanan foaming at the mouth about abortion.
Fine. I'm with them. I'm pro-choice, pro-stem-cell, the whole thing, and I love Rachel Maddow.
But why are they completely unable to talk about the exile of Jimmy Carter at the Democratic convention, a more important gesture than the failure to appoint a turncoat Democrat as V.P. nominee, out of fear that the Dems would alienate the Jewish vote/Jewish donors? We're only talking about the Middle East, which could detonate the world. We're only talking about Iraq, where our neocon-ultra-Zionist-fed policies have already destroyed hundreds of thousands of lives.
Do Jews in the media have anything to do with this? Of course we do. There are cultural prohibitions at work, which are indefensible. It is one thing to discuss these issues in the Forward or in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, among ourselves. But no one is talking about them on mainstream air, though there's a frikkin cavalcade of Jews on mainstream air, and they know this issue damn well, and how strongly many older Jews feel about it. Don't Americans have the right to know about this? The right to know–the basis of the press's power.
I know I'm repeating myself. And why not? No one seems to get it. No one's ashamed of having failed their job. No one's ashamed of having permitted dual loyalty to pervade the American Jewish community, no one's ashamed of displaying a thoroughgoing and unprofessional inability to talk about the religious Jewish agenda for Jerusalem, greater Israel, the settlements, the whole thing, which has now isolated the Democratic Party from world opinion and defiled the reputation of a great man, Jimmy Carter.
No: Just beat up on ignorant Christians in the heartland, all night long, because they–oh my god– mix religion and politics!
Superb post, Phil.
Thank you.
Am living here in the "heartland" thanks to my job and career path.
Slam those xtian 'publicans harder, please.
Meanwhile, there is this:
http://secular.embassyofheaven.com/usa/tripoli.htm
" As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion, – as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen, – and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."
Re-read the first sentence there, kids.
You're not repeating yourself, Phil. I hear a new indignation in your voice, I can feel your anger …it's not cerebral anyomore, it's in your gut now. It's just a matter of time before you admit to yourself that it's not really true what you say about "how strongly many older Jews feel about it." You are getting de-programmed and it must be a scary and liberating thing.
Fabulous post, Phil.
'No one seems to get it. No one's ashamed of having failed their job. No one's ashamed of having permitted dual loyalty to pervade the American Jewish community, no one's ashamed of displaying a thoroughgoing and unprofessional inability to talk about the religious Jewish agenda'
Very well said Phil, though my suspicion is that lots of them do 'get it' very clearly indeed, but their reaction is the polar opposite of yours.
Theirs is cowardice, yours courage. Yours is to get it all out and talk about it; the first step in moving past it. Theirs is to pretend it's not happening, to avoid even the mention of it for fear of the very exposure you seek.
I can understand fears a of a recrudescence; if I were a Jew it would worry me. But I am stumped by the fact that so many intelligent Jews seem to think that continuing to lie about the Israel effect, continuing burying the lede under anything that provides cover, is the best way to keep antisemitism at bay.
Too many people are now too aware for that to work and it has become counterproductive… the lies and evasion simply adding to the already dreadful impression that occupation and violence have created in the minds of informed people worldwide.
Keep that angry flame flickering – it's at the root of courage. Cowardice occurs in those incapable of mustering it.
Americans like Israel. Americans don't like Arab terrorists.
Better get used to it, Jewboy.
Brilliant post. Thanks.
Phil, until i found this blog i really believed that most jewish americans were cut out of the same cloth…you know the type i am referring to …they live in a world where dual loyalties are conflated because israel is such a lovely nation state full of love for all humanity, but dangerously surrounded by arabs that hate it for no reason at all, and anyone who tried to insinuate otherwise was obviously an anti semite and not speaking one word of truth.
imagine that, they hate them because they are free and lovely and kind and for no other reason…we here in the u.s have joined israel and are now hated also for no other reason other than because were free and humane and democratic and kind.
Phil is channeling the voice of the american people when they finally wake up en-masse.
In some future american time frame americans will ask is that what our sons and daughters really died for?
so, whats the line on how long before Phil becomes personna non grata for voicing these views…will it be sooner than later.
we havent heard from Camera in a while. i wonder what they are up to as they try to manipulate the press because of their "special relationship"
phil you will let us know if they try some form of blackmail to shut you up wont you?
"No one seems to get it. No one's ashamed of having failed their job. No one's ashamed of having permitted dual loyalty to pervade the American Jewish community, no one's ashamed of displaying a thoroughgoing and unprofessional inability to talk about the religious Jewish agenda for Jerusalem, greater Israel, the settlements, the whole thing, which has now isolated the Democratic Party from world opinion and defiled the reputation of a great man, Jimmy Carter."
I don't think that people like Mitchell feel a need to be ashamed, or that they are failing. I just wish that they would admit what they believe that their job is. What is their job?
LOL! There's no issue of dual loyalty among Jews. It's the Muslims that are an issue.
And not only in the US:
MOSQUES INCREASINGLY NOT WELCOME
Hell of a post.
Bravissimo!
Bravissimo!