Haaretz has a great piece suggesting that Rahm Emanuel may actually help the U.S. interest because unlike some Jewish power-predecessors, he's not secretly guilty about never having gone off and served in Israel and thereby doesn't need to serve Israel in the White House by deferring to rightwing religious generals. Haaretz:
Rahm Emanuel was selected for his political skills and experience, not his background. But he is still unabashedly Jewish in every way, doing nothing to hide his family and personal ties to Israel.
He served as an Israel Defense Forces volunteer not once, but twice. Despite this, during the 1998 Wye Plantation talks, the Israeli delegation was more wary of him than any other member of President Clinton's staff.
His knowledge of Hebrew and appreciation of the Israeli psyche enabled him to advise his boss on just how to handle the recalcitrant Israelis. The Israeli media has been speculating that therefore his appointment might not be that good for Israel's interests.
But the reality is much simpler. Emanuel is the new American Jew. Comfortable in his identity, his loyalty is to his homeland, and naturally to his own career in its service. And as a Jew, he loves Israel and isn't ashamed of that.
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How come guys like Emanuel repeatedly volunteer to serve in the IDF but never once in the US Marines? Isn't the usual practice to volunteer for the country you are living in and in whose government you serve?
Interesting. McCain actually has a son in the service, as does Palin, and even Biden (though not in a position where his life will likely be threatened–all three in Iraq, or at least Biden's is scheduled to go there.
That's a better record than nearly all of congress and the current
POTUS.
Still, Duscany's question is a good one. Emanuel was for, and has never retracted, the USA's decision to attack Iraq–why didn't he
go in the US military and repair or organize brake shoes?
Our government leaders have long reminded me of securities manipulators, playing with other people's money for their own
benefit, and so they've played in Iraq–with no skin in the game
they could call their own.
Other people's skin doesn't matter much.
Had Rahm volunteered for the Taliban, he would have received twenty years in prison.
There is no positive way to spin Emanuel's service in a foreign military. Why don't we just dissolve the Union if that is acceptable?
If hiring an illegal nanny can't be justified, how can serving in a foreign military be acceptable?
Haaretz: His knowledge of Hebrew and appreciation of the Israeli psyche enabled him to advise his boss on just how to handle the recalcitrant Israelis.
C.M.: This is an interesting notion, insofar as he is willing to use this insight to do right by putting American interests first. The ugly reality that "there is no positive way to spin Emanuel's service in a foreign military" during a time when OUR nation was at WAR makes me suspicious of the relevance of any additional expertise he acquired through his choice in previous employment. All we can do is keep our eyes open and hope for the best. President-Elect Obama has not given me the slightest vibe that he doesn't know exactly what he is doing. I will continue trusting his judgment until shown otherwise.
Obama got to know Emanuel before either one of them thought Obama was likely to be president. Obama is "wicked smart" to use Phil's term. Since we're in the honeymoon phase of the Obama presidency, I like to think his choice of Emanuel is very clever. It compensates for his own image as tall, thin, young, black, intellectual, inexperienced, by putting a pushy Jewish mafia type, with a take-no-prisoners attitude, and proven penchant for getting things done, out there as his chief of staff. The people who report to Obama will have Emanuel to report to, too, so intellect is balanced by operations. Emanuel was also the guy who introduced him and vouched for him to AIPAC, an old friend of a made man, a son of the Irgun. He had a mountain to climb at AIPAC, he isn't done climbing it, either, but Emanuel has been as effective as anyone could be in neutralizing his substantial opposition in this sector. Obama has also been very re-assuring to AIPAC, more so than most of us on this blog would like. He's been more pro-escalation in Afghanistan, more intolerant in his statements toward Iran, and less sympathetic toward the Palestinians than I would prefer. But I like his instincts. I put a lot of hope in his ability to mediate disparate interests. It should be obvious to all but the pathologically warmongering, those who envision a generations long clash of civilizations, that everyone in Israel as well as the Middle East will be better off with a lasting peace than with the unsustainable status quo. I will hope that Obama can work his magic of listening and hearing what is in the hearts and minds of Israelis and Palestinians, and find ways forward for both sides to improve their lots, to shed their corrosive hatred, and start playing a plus sum, instead of a negative sum game.
Well spoken Doppler, here's to hoping you are right! *raises can of nasty cherry zero that i can't stop myself from drinking, blech*
Maybe all USA patriots should go overseas to support a foreign army? A new litmus test for what is good for the USA.
Talk about turning something on its head.
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