There's a fascinating dialogue about Obama's Middle East collapse, here on Flickr between two photographers–AnomalousNYC, who I think is sorry, is not Arab, and Sky Redoubt. Says Anomalous:
Part of Obama's perplexing obeisance [to the Israel lobby] could
have something to do with Obama's Illinois
compatriot, Rahm Emanuel, the Karl Rove of
the Democratic party, chairman of the
democratic caucus and the congressional
campaign committee – he's basically the guy
who tells the other democrats who the
candidates going to be and who tells the
candidates what they're going to do to get
elected.
He's generally understood to be the
principal reason the democrats are so
insanely supportive of the occupation in
iraq, despite the fact that its a wildly
unpopular position with the majority of
voters – he handpicked pro-war candidates…
Emanuel is 150% zionist – comes from a
militant family. Emanuel is a
mysterious fellow, as evidenced by his
biography, which is readily available on
Wikipedia and in the piece in Fortune.
But there are a few things missing or not
fully explained. First, as is often pointed
out, Emanuel's physician father was an
Israeli émigré; but, according to Leon Hadar,
he also worked during the 1940s with the
notorious Irgun, which was labeled as a
terrorist organization by the British
authorities. Perhaps Rahm's current
interest in terrorism was first kindled at
his father's Irgun knee.
The Almanac of American Politics says that after leaving the White House in '99, Emanuel made gazillions as an investment banker in Chicago, then ran for Congress in '02, and his opponent was hurt by an ally who charged Emanuel with dual loyalty and said that he had served in the army in Israel during the 91 Gulf War. Well no, says the Almanac: he "volunteered as a civilian at an Israeli supply base." Still, Emanuel epitomizes establishment Jewish life now. The Clinton ascension, the pots of money, the helping Israel during the Gulf War, the meteoric rise. These guys are in the saddle! And Emanuel merges Clintonism, neoconnism, and Obamamania. The story touches on the Spengler story I did the other day. Zionist Jews in public life aren't especially upfront about their Zionism, while committing the U.S. to the same war against terror. And meantime they are rewarded for these views, granted position and favor. I can't wait for my people to change the channel on this stuff, to start embracing role models like Tony Karon and Joel Kovel. It's gonna happen. Hurry up…
