I need to file this datum before it leaves my gray matter for the shores of Tripoli. The other day on Hardball, they were talking about the biggest general election moments, and Howard Fineman of Newsweek said the biggest moment was when Obama showed up at the first debate and showed he was presidential. He won the election that night. Very smart. In the course of his comments, though, Fineman also said that John McCain had served in "the army." I find this stupendous. Famously the son of a Navy admiral, and a grandson of another admiral, McCain went to Annapolis. He was a Navy pilot. Fineman covered this campaign closely. He never registered that.
The reason I'm lighting on this goof is that it is revealing to me of Jewish success culture. We have no truck with the military. As I say here frequently, I never thought about serving in the military, and none of my many nephews, nieces, brothers, sisters has either. No one I know in the Jewish world has a kid in the military. Fineman's goof reflects my culture. As I have reported here, Jews have the lowest rate of service in the military among the big religions. More Buddhists are in the military than Jews (and there are 13 Jews in the Senate, maybe one black guy--how many Buddhists there?).
I know how Jews sustain this imbalance intellectually: We gave at the office-- Israel. A militarized state there, some of whose kids are spiritually battered by serving in occupation. Here we're the chattering classes. As Jews come to terms with our immense privilege in this society, we should deal with the issue of service.
Off topic comment:
It occurs to me that it is unlikely that Israeli planning for the attack on Gaza took place without some measure of coordination with American Jewish establishment institutions, at least with regards to preparing for public relations. I wonder if NSA or FBI counter-intelligence listened in on any interesting conversations.
Re: militarism and Jews: When I was in Israel, I found it quite interesting that I didnt meet any Jews–Jews being the people among whom I was raised and whose community I have been involved in for most of my life in Canada.
That Israel has ended up as an oppressive, violent colonizer and ethnic cleanser is a consequence of peaceful European Jewryâs struggle to masculinize, militarize, and establish their own patriarchal state in order to be recognized as ânormalâ–i.e., as human beings–by all the other patriarchal states.
I am an American Army combat veteran. I met one jew in my 3 years of service. My brother is a US Marine veteran. He met one jew also. I have a dozen uncles who served in WW2. They met none, though
that was the one war all American Jews were for, and conscription was on. The status show since WW2, the American Jews have rapidly
decreased their military service proportionately. Phil's stats are correct. What does this mean? What if you ask an Israeli family about
military service avoidance?
It's the same here.
Average Americans know who is pulling the weight, the maiming and dying, the years given up.
There's a giant crack in the USA's spirit. American Jews surely hi light it, with all their presence in all mouthy influential corridors of power–but their sons never serve.
They are not alone. But the goy elite hypocrisy is off set by the
"trailer trash" of their own blood, who die daily for this land.
When will it be obvious to every American that Jews care only about themselves and don't give a rat's ass about the country?
Another off-topic news alert:
At last, Jon Stewart has taken on Israel and the bipartisan cowtowing to the Lobby in WashDC!
And now for his guest David Gregory? Will Jon ask him about dual (or single) loyalty toward a Greater Israel?
The droning repetition of Israel as our ally our special friend our beacon of democracy in the Middle East, and how many Israeli soldiers have died in Iraq?
How many served in Iraq?
Colombian soldiers have died in Iraq.
Romanians. Italians. Australians. Filipinos. Brazilians.
No Israelis.
Why does no one even talk about this?
[As near as I remember it]
Jon asked David Gregory why politicians are afraid to criticize Israel, rather than why "reporters" like Gregory are.
Gregory responded with the usual slimy evasion that everyone dislikes Hamas.
Stewart asked about "settlements," and
David Gregory had the blasted ignorance to reply that settlements IN ISRAEL had increased by X percent under GW Bush.
The new host of "MtPress" can't even say "OCCUPIED TERRITORIES."
Jon managed to remind the audience that David Gregory is Jewish: "you're the tallest Jew I know," while accusing him of being too flexible with the truth in his answers.
Israel offered troops, planes, advisors, resources, etc. It was rejected on the grounds that it would "inflame" the Arab world.
Meanwhile, for those who aren't stupid, it's quite obvious that Israelis soldiers ARE in Iraq–the Kurdish areas. They're just smart enough not to get killed.
Phil:
I agree with some of what you say, but this post pissed me off and requires me to speak up.
I am a Jew who served in the Air Force from 1997-2002. While in, I met some, but not many, "co-religionists." I've since joined a Jewish vet group and follow Jewish servicemen here
link to jewsingreen.com<
My understanding is that Jews are less than 2% of the American population between 18-35. They represent, from what I gather, 1% of the military. That's less than proportionate, but I wonder how it matches with class. The majority of American Jews, nearly 60% are upper-middle class or above. The vast majority, nearly 90%, are college graduates by age 25. So yeah, not too many Jews in the military, but are they less than other well-educated, upper-middle class Americans?
By the way, Jews are 5% of West Point Grads. No shit!
Steve R:
It's not clear where on the stupid-smart axis you're placing me or my question, but you can't possibly think that this topic has never received any attention because it's so trivial.
Like it's almost a throwaway point.
Israelis, in Iraq? Nah.
And since you don't come down either side it's hard to tell if you can see the profound absurdity in the rationale you present, or if you're delivering it as making some kind of sense.
Certainly wouldn't want to have "inflamed" the Arab world by our behavior in Iraq, now would we?
Thank God we didn't "inflame" the Arab world by our behavior in Iraq.
I thought everyone knew the military is only made up of uneducated, lower class people with no other options, so of course jews dont join!
Besides, the Iraq war is illegal, and why would Israel involve themselves in Halliburtons war for oil?
wake up sheeple!!!
yeah, jews are in the kurdish areas, running false flag groups and other black ops.
I wonder how many Americans realize there are proportionately more muslims in the US military than jews. Perhaps one of the muslim GIs children will one day make a Hollywood movie about
ground troops in Iraq or Afghanistan. The show will open panning over an American soldier cemetery, rows and rows of stones sporting crosses, then settle on one–clearly visible behind it the one
stone sporting the muslim crescent…
Yeah, sans the Draft (the WW2 one, not the Nam one), its a socio-economic class thing–this underscores Phil's constant theme
that jews in the USA are very much full partners (and then some)
of the USA's governing and most influential elite. This means, in Phil's little example, a Fineman's carelessness over fly-over country extends even to the McCain family's navy history–McCain in Fineman's mind is just another grunt. Imagine what
the Finemans of the USA think of the real grunts…
thing
Could somebody – explain to me Fineman's 'goof' – because it's gone right over my head.
Personally I have no problem with jews in the U.S military. Obviously considering the role of zionism is America's current dilemma, it's perhaps cowardly that they don't back their views with action. But I oppose the military and so can't find fault with jews not joining.
And I would have thought Phil would be more critical of the MIC than that. As I've said before there's nothing that McCain did during his service that he or anybody else should be proud of.
Unless you agree with the cowardly bombing of defenseless peasants, including women and children from the air – which I certainly do not.