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Must read of the day

Bookworm on Jul 01 2009 at 10:49 am | Filed under: Uncategorized

Actually, this column isn’t really a must-read for you guys, who already understand that the Left is deeply antisemitic and that its poison is spreading. Instead, this article is a must-read for those of you who find yourselves surrounded (as I do) by people who insist that the Democratic party is a Jewish haven, as opposed to the Jew-hating Republicans. That line might have worked back in the years from 1880 to about 1940, when Jews flocked to Communism and white shoe Republicans barred Jews from their clubs, but those days are dead and gone. In the here and now, it’s the Progressives that should leave Jews running scared.

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35 Responses to “Must read of the day”

on 01 Jul 2009 at 5:45 pm 1suek

Sigh.

To _wreak_ havoc. To have _wrought_ havoc. Or even _wreaked_ havoc…but not _wrecked_ havoc.

But it _was_ a fine article. Just a small bone…
on 02 Jul 2009 at 6:34 pm 2DCrockett

Boston used to be filled with individuals of Irish descent who sent large sums of $$$$ to the IRA, much to the hindrance of any resolution to the Irish conflict, as you can easily imagine. Your own identity politics and identity-based solutions, Booklish, (which vast swaths of Israeli society reject) are the latest incarnation of the confused, safely removed, American war-monger who would impose their identity-based political purity onto a society in which they have no connection whatsoever, other than racial affinity.
on 02 Jul 2009 at 8:17 pm 3Ymarsakar

Boston used to be filled with individuals of Irish descent who sent large sums of $$$$ to the IRA, much to the hindrance of any resolution to the Irish conflict, as you can easily imagine.

Certainly we can imagine, but the question is, do you lack imagination or simply a conscience in order to funnel money to terrorists in the Middle East without a qualm?
on 02 Jul 2009 at 8:55 pm 4Mike Devx

Ah, Good, a chance to defend Book!

DCrockett says above,
>> [Book's] identity politics and identity-based solutions [...] are the latest incarnation of the confused, safely removed, American war-monger who would impose their identity-based political purity onto a society in which they have no connection whatsoever, other than racial affinity.

Far be it from me to put words into Book’s mouth, but here are my thoughts.

DCrockett has failed to do basic homework. This person could easily review Book’s posts on Israel. If DC were to form a fair assessment of Book’s position it would probably be:
a. It would be understandable if American Jews were split 50-50 between Democrat and Republican, Statist vs Conservative. That would imply no odd imbalance. Instead, they are astoundingly in the Democrat/Statist column.
b. If there were any imbalance, it ought to tilt conservative. This is not due to DC’s claim of warmongering, but it is due to the deep hostility of the Democrat party towards Israel. However, the imbalance is in the other direction, which is surprising to many.

Which brings us to DC’s key phrase:
>> impose their identity-based political purity onto a society in which they have no connection whatsoever, other than racial affinity

I can sort of see where DC is going here. Israel is a nation founded by Jews, primarily for Jews. So in that sense there is an “identity” basis here.

But isn’t it interesting that DC calls it “racial”? I believe it is cultural and religious, not racial, but that’s the mistake that Leftists and Statists make all the time. Excuse me, while I watch someone cry, “racism! racism! racism!” when it is nothing of the sort…

Pity the poor Ethiopian Jew and the Russian Jew… how ever are they to figure out this common race that they belong to? Racial, racial, racial, indeed.

If the Democrats were to abandon their hatred of all things Israeli, I suspect no one, including Book, would be perturbed were the Statist/Conservative split among American Jews 50/50. For one thing, Israel does in fact have a socialist/commune tradition that fits in nicely with Democrat Statism. It’s the Democrat party’s hatred of Israel that prompts the question: Why do American Jews, who actually do think of themselves as Jews, hate a country that represents the identity they keep as their own?

And why can’t people like DC dig a little deeper before dashing off unfounded slurs?
on 03 Jul 2009 at 7:46 am 5DCrockett

That’s it? No one here can muster any greater critique of Booklish-as-the-American-Jewish-Warmonger than a pointless comment from Yam. and an irrelevant recognition from MD that Jewish identity transcends ethnicity?

But then, Identity politics aren’t open to rebuke, which — of course — is the charge rightwingers (such as Booklish) endlessly level at anyone who practices any politics other than that which they identify with.
on 03 Jul 2009 at 8:07 am 6Ymarsakar

than a pointless comment from Yam

So long as we are feting you, my dear narcissist in chief, there is always a point to the proceedings. So des neh.

I think DC is one of those puppets promoted by the Puppet Master in Chief. The style seems familiar. But then all Leftist robots and myrmidons look alike to me.
on 03 Jul 2009 at 8:12 am 7Ymarsakar

practices any politics

I didn’t know inhumane lack of conscience in hurting women and children was considered by the Left to be a practice.
on 03 Jul 2009 at 8:21 am 8Ymarsakar

Btw,

http://northernva.typepad.com/rubicon3/2009/06/heaven-and-hell-in-an-elevator.html

Gael has up the quintessential “escape from the belly of the beast” video up.

The journey from the pit to the heights of enlightenment. What more could encapsulate the journey from fake liberal totalitarian enabler to true classical liberalism?
on 03 Jul 2009 at 8:29 am 9Bookworm

DC, I think we’re all politely saying that your fact-free name calling isn’t worthy of a response. Speaking for myself, I had no idea what you were trying to say and was too lazy to make the effort to decipher.

My comments and the link were simple: I was saying that the linked article goes a long way to explaining why those on the statist side of the political spectrum are so hostile to Jews and Israel. What were you trying to say?
on 03 Jul 2009 at 9:46 am 10DCrockett

ha ha ha… It’s easy to see why that big fancy firm found your lawyering wanting.

I’ll break it down for you:

Your views benefit from your geographic distance away from Israel.

Your views are only informed by your identity politics.

Your views are rejected by an awful lot of Israelis who practice a real politics (among other kinds of political thinking) that challenges the biases of American right-wingers, such as yourself.

Like the American Irish who funded the IRA, your interest isn’t in resolution of a conflict but in a blood-at-all-costs affirmation of your personal identity.

So, when was the last time you step-danced? (so to speak; your blog articles have never described any activity that you or your nuclear family have engaged in — cultural or religious — that expressed your Jewish heritage, other than your tireless promotion of Middle East war-mongering [although I certainly recall, acknowledge, and respect the extreme hardships endured by your family during WW2])

Which is to say, you’re a American right-wing war-monger whose identify politics include a Jewish fixation.

I hope that helps.
on 03 Jul 2009 at 9:53 am 11BrianE

Thank you BW,
I read and reread DC’s post and couldn’t make out a coherent point. I thought maybe it was me.

20% of Israel citizens are Arab and they comprise 10% of the Knesset and yet almost all of the attacks against Israel come from outside the country. If the Irish analogy were valid, shouldn’t any insurgency be coming from inside Israel?

I’m not sure who’s warmongering who, or is it whom?
on 03 Jul 2009 at 10:37 am 12Charles Martel

I love it when a lurker finally decides to enter the room and comes in with both cap pistols blazing.
on 03 Jul 2009 at 10:51 am 13DCrockett

I love it, Charles, when right-wingers are flummoxed in the face of superior reasoning and are left with nothing to say, except the ad holmium attacks that Master Newt taught them in the 90s.
on 03 Jul 2009 at 10:59 am 14Charles Martel

Ad holmium?

Ah, yes, the new transuranium element that those clever scientists at Berkeley just discovered!

First reference to it I’ve seen outside of technical journals, DC. You are on the ball!
on 03 Jul 2009 at 11:09 am 15DCrockett

Thank you, Charles, for so clearly personifying the “flummoxed” right-winger who has no other tactic in their arsenal but the razor-sharp ability to spot a typo. Attaboy!
on 03 Jul 2009 at 11:36 am 16BrianE

Your views benefit from your geographic distance away from Israel.
Are you suggesting that were she living in an area where crude missles lobbed into her neighborhood potentially harming her or her family would provide a better perspective to form an opinion?
Then living in America does provide a benefit.
Your views are only informed by your identity politics.
Do you mean “formed” not “informed”? Are these identity politics based on her ethnicity or worldview? Don’t you mean that her identity politics forms her views? What the heck is “identity politics” anyway?
Your views are rejected by an awful lot of Israelis who practice a real politics (among other kinds of political thinking) that challenges the biases of American right-wingers, such as yourself.
Going to need some source. By “an awful lot” do you mean a majority?
Like the American Irish who funded the IRA, your interest isn’t in resolution of a conflict but in a blood-at-all-costs affirmation of your personal identity.
What is your idea of a resolution to the conflict? Do the residents of Gaza have any obligations prior to additional concessions by Israel leading to a resolution?
on 03 Jul 2009 at 11:59 am 17Charles Martel

I’m going to conjugate “flummox:”

flummoxo = I flum
flummoxes = you flum
flummoxet = he/she flums

flummoxemos = we flum
flummoxeis = you (pl.) flum
flummoxen = they flum

Glad I could be of help.
on 03 Jul 2009 at 12:02 pm 18DCrockett

Not to worry, Booklish knows identity politics and the terrible harm it does:

http://www.bookwormroom.com/category/identity-politics/

(Hint: It describes everyone but her and her promotion of Israeli war-mongering.)

Israeli public opinion is quite a bit more problematic. This article captures something interesting in its first paragraph:

http://www.alternativenews.org/english/1724-the-predictable-trajectory-of-israeli-public-opinion.html

All of which furthers my analogy that Booklish’s war-mongering differs in no way from that of Americans who funded the IRA. Which is to say, Booklish’s identity is affirmed when Middle Eastern blood is shed.
on 03 Jul 2009 at 12:17 pm 19Charles Martel

I apologize if what I say here sounds like an ad holmium, but this is the mission statement of the “news” source DC linked to. Notice how laden it is with Marxist duckspeak—”praxis,” “colonial,” “global justice,” “local struggle must be. . .situated within the framework,” “weltanschauung” (wow, these guys are heavy!)—the usual morte main prose style of the extreme left.

AIC Mission Statement

The Alternative Information Center (AIC) is an internationally oriented, progressive, joint Palestinian-Israeli activist organization. It is engaged in dissemination of information, political advocacy, grassroots activism and critical analysis of the Palestinian and Israeli societies as well as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The AIC strives to promote full individual and collective social, economic, political and gender equality, freedom and democracy and a rejection of the philosophy (ideology and praxis) (weltanschauung) of separation.

The most urgent regional task is to find a just solution to the century-old colonial conflict in Palestine and confront the ongoing Israeli occupation-regime within its international framework. The AIC method of action develops from the awareness that local struggle must be practically and analytically situated within the framework of the global justice struggle.

The internal AIC structure and working relationship aims to reflect the above mentioned values.”
on 03 Jul 2009 at 12:18 pm 20Mike Devx

DCrockett says to Book:
>> ha ha ha… It’s easy to see why that big fancy firm found your lawyering wanting.

Well, I was about to say, Ban DCrockett now, Book. You don’t need to put with an unending flow of insults directed at you. But #18, I must admit, is better, except for the very odd “Booklish”. So DC thinks Book is a warmonger and finds a comparison between her support for Israel and the Boston Irish’s support for the IRA. I think a more valid comparison to Boston support for the IRA is any support or money flowing to Hamas. After all, who engages in terrorist attacks, Israel, or Hamas? But that’s just me… being irrelevant again.

While it is irritating to be called irrelevant, I can’t say I really mind my analysis being treated as “irrelevant”. I’ve been both irrelevant and wrong before. Yesterday I posted a comment stating that Mark Sanford was just another lousy, corrupted member of the Legislature in DC. Um, with a little thought, I’d have remembered he’s a governor. Oh well.

But if DCrockett can’t refrain from endlessly insulting you, Book, I say, dump him/her. This is YOUR domain. We may snark at each other. But never at you.
on 03 Jul 2009 at 12:39 pm 21BrianE

DC, I don’t mind trying to have a debate with views I might disagree with, but first we have to make sure we’re using the same words.

I’ve said before that I am not a racist — I’m a classist or values-ist. Always have been. I don’t care about your external color or sexuality or whatever; I do care about the beliefs you bring to the table.
What this means is that I’m pretty hostile to identity politics.-Bookworm

You’re going to have to give me a more specific example of how BW engages in identity politics, since I’ve never noticed it in the year I’ve read her blog.

More problematic is your tossing the allegation of “war-mongering” about. I wouldn’t blame BW for being somewhat incensed at your insulting attitude without providing something substantive.

What constitutes a “war-monger” in your viewpoint? I consider that a serious allegation.

Also, you didn’t answer what you consider the solution to the conflict.

Also, I think MikeD does correct your faulty analogy.

What does “a real politics” mean? Do you mean “real politic”? Are you suggesting that these Israelis align themselves with the goals of Hamas?
on 03 Jul 2009 at 1:31 pm 22Gringo

DC Crockett:

Your views are rejected by an awful lot of Israelis who practice a real politics (among other kinds of political thinking) that challenges the biases of American right-wingers, such as yourself.

From DC Crockett’s statement, it would follow that support for Obama would be greater in Israel, which is of course not tainted by the biases of American right-wingers. About 78% of Americans of the Jewish faith voted for Obama. What do we find in Israel ?

“Only 6 percent of Jewish Israelis consider the views of American President Barack Obama’s administration pro-Israel, according to a new Jerusalem Post-sponsored Smith Research poll.”

The “real politics” as practiced by “an awful lot of Israelis” appears to be of the point of view that Obama means no good for Israel.

Sorry DC Crockett, verbiage doesn’t substitute for knowledge.

Book, get rid of this ignorant troll.
on 03 Jul 2009 at 2:00 pm 23Bookworm

You guys are so great. I’ve been having a family day today, so the blog has gone untended but you’ve picked up the cudgels and engaged DC on substance. That’s what I always like. DC’s first comment left me confused, but his second comment contained a bit more information and that deserves to be addressed. When (if) the family stuff slows down, I’ll look at it, although I have to admit y’all seem to be saying what I would say anyway.
on 03 Jul 2009 at 2:23 pm 24Gringo

DC Crockett:

“Your views are only informed by your identity politics.
Like the American Irish who funded the IRA, your interest isn’t in resolution of a conflict but in a blood-at-all-costs affirmation of your personal identity….
Which is to say, you’re a American right-wing war-monger whose identify politics include a Jewish fixation”

I support Israel, and abhor anti-Semitism : I found the article linked to an sensible one. By the way, DC, I don’t believe that you could link “identity politics” to my stance, as I am a card-carrying member of the goyim. By the 1640s, European ancestors on both sides had established themselves in America. My Native American ancestors had done so much earlier. Your “identity politics” screed is a copy-and-paste attempt to denigrate those whom you disagree.

“Identity Politics.” Mere boilerplate.
You haven’t an original thought inside your cranium.
on 03 Jul 2009 at 11:07 pm 25Ymarsakar

All of which furthers my analogy that Booklish’s war-mongering differs in no way from that of Americans who funded the IRA.

DC supports funneling money to the terrorists in the Middle East. He calls this irrelevant because he feels no guilt. Of course it is irrelevant to him.
on 03 Jul 2009 at 11:11 pm 26Ymarsakar

More problematic is your tossing the allegation of “war-mongering” about. I wouldn’t blame BW for being somewhat incensed at your insulting attitude without providing something substantive.

If this guy had a clue, he would know that Book isn’t the war monger.

If anybody is the warmonger, that would be me. And all of you know why. Well, most of ya’ll.
on 03 Jul 2009 at 11:15 pm 27Ymarsakar

DC’s first comment left me confused, but his second comment contained a bit more information and that deserves to be addressed.

I’ve had some experience dealing with the warped views of those like Helen when it comes to the written form. DC’s comment was rather transparent to me.
on 04 Jul 2009 at 10:18 am 28Mike Devx

Charles M, #12:
>> I love it when a lurker finally decides to enter the room and comes in with both cap pistols blazing.

I didn’t see that the first time around. There’s nothing like a good belly laugh to start my day! Thank you! If only DCrockett would show us his sense of humor, too. On second thought, if DCrockett put a sense of humor on display – it would be fake – because we know how utterly humorless Statists always are… and thus we would get the DCrockett version of that horrifying Hillary cackle where she’s trying to fake the laugh. Please… no!
on 04 Jul 2009 at 6:43 pm 29SADIE

I read Book’s post July 1 after I had returned from having a tooth extracted, which left me devoid of enough strength to sit up and read anything more than the Front Page article.

I think that all the responses were truly magnificent.

Although he directed his venom towards Book, all of you came to her defense and by osmosis mine. As many of you know, I have seen the conflict first hand and know the difference between ‘identity politics’ and survival mode (unlike the AIC).

Using that euphemism “racial identity” is so damn nazi-induced hysterics.. As has been said here many times before, the tactic to attack the messenger rather than the message is beneath contempt.

The man is emotionally constipated and if anyone has a Jewish fixation …

You all did what most do, when you see a Crock/ett – you flush it.

p.s. to Gringo
“I am a card-carrying member of the goyim”

I am rescinding that card and issuing you a new one – Righteous Gentile.
on 04 Jul 2009 at 7:23 pm 30Gringo

Sadie, I grew up in an area that had enough Jewish people around that Yiddish phrases were part of the common conversation. I later moved to an area that was not so. Not so long ago I used the word “schmooze,” and got the reply, “Whaat?” And this response was from a person with a Ph.D. from a school that some have called a State U Ivy!

I also grew up with enough people of Arab descent to see no need to put up with the nonsense that one hears from the Middle East. That is, I saw no need to patronize pathologies that the Arabs I grew up with did not manifest.

Including a Palestinian Christian who lived at our house my last two years of high school. His father told his children to get out of the West Bank – and this was before the Six Day War. Reason: Muslims will always promote Muslims over Christians. As a member of the Jordanian civil service, his father knew what he was talking about.
on 04 Jul 2009 at 7:31 pm 31Charles Martel

SADIE:

I agree that this room dispatched DC with his tail between his legs.

Someday—although I don’t think any Jew haters and most statists are up to it intellectually—we’ll get a leftist entering this room who is articulate and knows how to be civil, even if he despises us.

It would be fun to discuss things with a member of the Inner Party as opposed to the blue coveralls-clad DC-type drones of the Outer Party.

Now there would be a feast!

PS: I know Gringo will be honored with the new card you’ve issued him.
on 04 Jul 2009 at 8:09 pm 32SADIE

Gringo & Charles – you two are forever bound (you both posted within 8 min. of one another).

I am flattered that you each took the time to console my anger. Oh, it’s not really anger it’s more like a rage and if I could pull his lungs out through his throat.. ahem…calm down, Sadie, take that OODA Loop approach Ym speaks about, although of late, I rather like the teeth against cement approach. I am breathing, big breath here……………just a little foam left at the corner’s of my mouth.

Gringo, you certainly schmoozed me over (wink wink) and quite right about Muslims over Christians. Bethlehem can barely hold a minyan as the Christian population has been dwindling the past decades. If you have read anything I have had to say about the situation in Israel, you know my family history and some of my personal history. Oh, did I mentioned getting stoned (literally) back in the early 60′s. I’ll save that for another discourse, along with the tribal mentality that keeps the arab world in the 7th century.

Charles, dispatched you did, indeed. That tail you spoke of is an indication that you were all dealing with an ape. Any normal discourse is impossible with an inferior species. Just fire up the bananas and toss them in the right direction.
It is sadly impossible to have a viable discussion when someone runs into the room throwing verbal hand grenades. There are only two approaches to this type of behavior…shoot him or shoot him dead.
on 04 Jul 2009 at 8:46 pm 33Gringo

Sadie: The Palestinian Christian I was referring to was from the Bethlehem area. He had a cousin born in Bethlehem on December 24! And yes, Christians in Bethlehem are a disappearing group.

There is another family member, call him Ishmael, who has long been QUITE VOCAL in condemning the Israelis. “We all lived together in peace before the @#$ Israelis took over.” You know the drill.

(At the same time, I can understand their not liking being under the Israeli thumb. What I do not like is how they blame the Israelis instead of blaming the person responsible: King Hussein. Had he not attacked, the Israelis would not have taken over the West Bank. I am not saying that King Hussein is responsible for whatever the Israelis did post June 1967, but that he is responsible for the Israelis being there. Ishmael, by contrast, views the Israeli takeover of West Bank as a consequence of “Israeli aggression.”)

I have also read of cousins of Ishmael being strong-armed or worse by Muslims. Ishmael forgets what his relative said about Muslims and Christians, passes over how Muslims treat his cousins, and condemns Israel.

Sad.
on 04 Jul 2009 at 9:19 pm 34SADIE

“At the same time, I can understand their not liking being under the Israeli thumb.”

And yet…so little to say about being under the arab fist. Amazing.

As you know the story predates 1967. No need to go into it here and now.

I think that Christians some/all, I don’t know the stats, blame the Israelis because they are fewer in number and therefore an easier target politically. Let me clarify fewer (globally).

Since Christian populations are living under the ‘thumb’ of arab mayors in many cities and towns they are heavily influenced. I don’t remember what the Christian population is exactly, 2% maybe more. You just imagine if they started complaining about the locally elected. Bethlehem, Nazareth and Tel Aviv-Jaffa, are probably the largest communities of Christians outside of Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, the separation continues between Armenians, Greek Orthodox, Catholics…(I’ve omitted the Ethiopian Church) it’s quite a mix of many, who as you know have their own disagreements.

I have a pen pal in Beirut (don’t ask, it’s an epic story). Anyway, he is a Christian and unlike his counterparts in Israel, detests the Palis who live in their own enclave in Beirut. This enclave is not by choice, but by Lebanon’s internal policy, knowing full well that they are an accident waiting to happen and therefore are not integrated into the political system.

I really should get him to post his take her on ME politics. I’ll work on it.
on 05 Jul 2009 at 5:51 pm 35SADIE

BrainE:

You mentioned a PR campaign (as in a positive Israeli image). I found one. Enjoy.