Here is a perfect example of the trend I was talking about earlier, which makes it impossible for Israel lobbyists to use the term "antisemite" to stop their critics: good Mark Shields criticizing Israel on the News Hour last night. Shields's statements underline my point that There are many, many secret sharers in Washington of Chas Freeman's view that Israel has gone off a cliff, taking us with it. Is Shields an antisemite? No one would ever accuse him of that! Shields:
I think there's no question Charles Freeman had made statements which gave his critics and his opponents ammunition.
But I think that for somebody to express as he did the very factual statement that the oppression and brutalization of the Palestinians was not only not right, but was not in the long-term interest of -- an occupation was not in the long-term interest of the state of Israel or the United States of America was speaking very truthfully.
And I think that that -- he was doing a service to both Israel and to America and to peace by so doing.
I think that the administration, when David Broder called to find out, as the nomination was still very active, very alive, if they still supported him and said, "We'll get back to you on that," did not cover itself with either glory or courage in the way they handled it. If they wanted to drop him, drop him, but don't pretend that he's not your choice.
Oppression and brutalization. Would Shields have said this stuff before? I think not. I think Walt and Mearsheimer, and Jimmy Carter, and Iraq and Gaza, and now Chas Freeman, are giving the secret sharers more and more freedom to come out and call a spade a spade. Which is why I think that AIPAC, which is completely on the defensive on this issue, and anyone who's charted the three-year curve here knows that it will only get worse, should invite Mearsheimer and Walt to a debate at the May policy conference. It would be a, electrifying, and b, would put AIPAC on the high ground, willing to debate the issue on its merits. (Thanks to Yakov for tip.)
Shields showed some courage, but there's still a lot of work to be done. On the same show his fellow panelist Michael Gerson said:
"I think that we were saved, in many ways, from a very scary prospect, to have a man like this who is conspiratorial in his view of the Jewish community that close to a sensitive position. That's a frightening thing. And I'm glad it didn't take place."
I agree with Michael Gerson's comment! Interpretation of Freeman is not needed. The man's volatile & vindictive nature is self evident to anybody who has paid attention to him the whole past week.
And why should'nt Gerson express that view? Are you people endorsing totalitarian censorship? What's next? Arresting journalists for "buying wine?"
During the last decade, the financial service industry lobby has had undue influence on Congress and the Executive Branch. In addition, it has influenced policy in a negative way, which turned out to have a harmful effect not only on this country but on the financial services industry itself. Among other things, the financial services industry exercised its influence to get supporters appointed to government positions and deny positions to critics at the Fed., Treasury, SEC, etc.
Suzanne, am I therefore "conspiratorial" in my view of the influence of the financial services industry on government. I don't think so, do you? So what is the difference in your view?
flawed analogy, bennie boo.
The financial services industry lobby is only powerful insofar as it serves consumer needs. In other words, me & thee and a lawmaker or 3. EVERYBODY wanted to live beyond their means. GREED. Plenty of blame to go around.
So, given that your analogy fails at that basic level, the rest of it is pretty bogus. YOu can make the same claim about ANY political lobby you dislike–simply because you don't want them to have any political sway.
So far, nobody has been able to make a lucid and convincing case to our leadership–and by extension the American public–that our friendship with Israel is bad.
PS…they pay back on loans. A good customer. :-)
If I were you, Ben, I wouldn't even try. All you get are platitudes including an introductory humiliation ritual to pump up her faux grandiosity.
Well, at least we've established that it's not just the Israel Lobby Suzanne is in denial about. AIG, Enron, Citigroup, Madoff, Stanford et. al. were just doing what consumers wanted when they lobbied the government agencies, like the SEC, to look the other way.
Nice of you to twist my words around, Ben. My problem was with your analogy.
Let's try again: Are you implying that the Jewish political presence is as big, as monied, as powerful & as influential as the financial industry? Is it such a driving force in our economy that 99.9% of us are beholden to them in some way?
Or is the Israel Lobby simply acting the way dozens of other lobbies act, and you don't like it?
Of course, if you are like homicidal Ed and the other stormfront types here, the answer is going to be yes to all of the above. :-)
And be sure to televise that debate!
@ Suzanne
"The financial services industry lobby is only powerful insofar as it serves consumer needs. In other words, me & thee and a lawmaker or 3. EVERYBODY wanted to live beyond their means. GREED. Plenty of blame to go around.
So, given that your analogy fails at that basic level, the rest of it is pretty bogus."
Speak for yourself and those American you know, Suzanne. Nobody I know took on a mortgage, or second mortgage to live beyond their ability to pay to live some fantastical life style they thought they were entitled too, and they always pay off their credit card each month to avoid
excessive usury. Further, nobody I know sought to rake in dough by investing in, dealing in, or offering hedge funds
and other cloudy investment vehicles depending on lack of transparency. Israel lives beyond its means in the sense that it would live differently without the pyramid scheme dependent on generations of Americans living and unborn. USA citizens like me are not a small number. We resent both having to
pay for irresponsible USA greed and Israeli greed in the context I just provided. Secondly, we feel
all individual humans are responsible for their actions and inactions. We are not happy with Americans like you, whether in the context of your feelings of entitlement here, or in relation to Israel and its similar sense of entitlement. Eventually we will be heard on both issues.