When Will They Ever Learn... (American Jews)

Weekly Standard ^ | July 31, 2006 issue | David Gelernter

[Tax-chick]

bttt

[Salvey]

Gerlernter knows of whence he speaks, having been the victim of a terrorist attack himself by Al Gore's protege, the Unabomber.

[rellimpank]

--good article--as is anything by David Gelernter, who, for those unfamiliar was a victim of the "Unabomber"--

The point he makes here is also demonstrated by the typical Jewish intellectual attitude toward firearms ownership--

[seppel]

1. Here are your Israeli "friends" [via Fox]:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAoe26MaTew&search=fox%20news

2. Jews in the US know exactly what they re doing. They are pushing George into a corner, where he has to massively support Israel to get even 1 more Jewish vote, knowing how much they dislike the conservatives, but how important they are in the electoral college system. On top, they have the Dems in their pocket. The result: It does not matter who wins the WH, they have max support for Israel. Pretty clever heh?

[SkyPilot]

I have my own opinions as to why many Jews are staunch supporters of the Democrats.

But one that stands out stems from something a Jewish friend and college roommate told me back at Syracuse University many years ago.

To paraphrase, he said 'Jews don't like Republicans because we associate them all with Right Wing Christians who claim Jesus is the Messiah. That is offensive to us.'

[Tax-chick]

I beg your pardon? I'm just interested in reading Gelernter's article, because I think he's an excellent writer.

[SJackson]

Jews in the US know exactly what they re doing. They are pushing George into a corner, where he has to massively support Israel to get even 1 more Jewish vote, knowing how much they dislike the conservatives, but how important they are in the electoral college system. On top, they have the Dems in their pocket. The result: It does not matter who wins the WH, they have max support for Israel. Pretty clever heh?

Yup, us Jews are the slickest political manipulators the world has know.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel.

also Keywords 2006israelwar or WOT [War on Terror]

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[keithtoo]

Gelertner is always refreshing. And Skewering of Lib's. I like both of those things.

[MeanWestTexan]

Give me a break.

[navyguy]

The problem isn't the fact that they are Jews. Nor is it Judaism itself. The author correctly mentioned Nihilism as the force that guides them and those who pander to facists out to destroy Israel.

Nihilism is the problem, whether expressed by Jews or Communists or Christians. Ultimately, Western self loathing and the fear of value judgements creates a pool of cold pacifism that is unable to boil even when a hot knife is plunged into it.

We only mention Jews because Israel is involved.

[rbg81]

I dunno. Sadly, many Jews don't even know what it is to be Jewish anymore. Their new G-d is Liberalism and it has its own set of commandments which don't match the old one. Many liberal Jews are intolerant of Israel because Israel must be militarily aggressive to survive--this does not fit into their world-view. Same with Orthoox Jews--they don't embrace homosexuality and still respect the old traditions. As a result, they are viewed on with suspicion and animosity by their liberal bretheren.

How did this happen? Very slowly. It has mostly to do with the tug of education (to the Left) at the same time that Rabbis lack the moral backbone to tell their congregations that they are wrong.

That being said, the above phenomenon is NOT just limited to the Jews. It infects the Christian Left as well. Which is why both groups are slowly disappearing. That is the fate of those who have ceased to believe in G-d.

[rbg81]

Well said!!

[Spaulding]

"...not malevolence but naiveté ;naiveté so great, it is the next best thing to stupidity. Naiveté is an occupational hazard among all intellectuals. But American Jews at large respect their intellectuals as much as any group does, and more than most--and way too much for common sense. "

Gelernter may have a bullseye. Otherwise bright people take a position out of naive trust in the judgment of other successful, but naive people. For American Jews such choices about terrorism and "Palestinians" give them the reassurance of standing with the more knowledgeable and polite such as Charlie Rose and the NPR crowd. In Israel it is amazing that many evacuees from the North see this time as a vacation; they are guaranteed reimbursement for their time off and for damage to their homes. Remember, Israel began as a Socialist state.

Their world experience and knowledge of history don't provide the context to understand the endgame, or to believe that their country and lives are a failed missile interception, or failure to search a fishing boat from extinction. They can't perceive that to orthodox Islam, dying to kill nonbelievers guarantees salvation, and amongst believers, failure to support Jihad is a death sentence.

[sport]

They won't.

[BarbaricGrandeur]

For those who continue to insist on voting Democratic, the future is written in a recent column by Richard Cohen--who explains that the "greatest mistake Israel could make at the moment is to forget that Israel itself is a mistake." Who advises Israel to "hunker down," while "waiting (and hoping) that history will get distracted and move on to something else." It is hard to understand why Israel is a mistake if Switzerland isn't--or the United States, or any other nation or (for that matter) human being.

I don't like Cohen obviously, but I don't think he meant it in quite that way. I don't think he sees Israel's mistake as an issue of its philosophical right to exist, but the more pragmatic issue of practicality of maintaining said nation surrounded by enemies. I.e. a strategic mistake not a philosophical one. In that he might be right as Israel will always have to face Islam, as a enemy which surrounds it, and in the form of a fifth column within. Other then through genocide, one way or the other, I don't see Israel ever living in peace. Unless the Jews can start converting Muslims, to consolidate their hold and to build their own support in the Arab world, but Judaism has never been evangelical, and Islam has never been keen on others playing in their ballpark.

[Stepan12]

Gerlanter's article reminds me of the joint birthday party I had with my relatives -- also Jewish. They were saying things like Pres. Bush was the worst President ever; etc. Yours truly spoke up and said that Pres. Bush was doing a good job and had already won two wars in the mid east. The rest of my Jewish relatives told me to shut up and said I was an instigator. I finally said in exasperation that Pres. Bush is taking a lot of heat for not stabbing Israel in the back over this Hizbollah war and I beseeched my relatives to cut the guy a little slack.

My relatives were also of the opinion that Ann Coulter was beautiful but vicious. Of course I related how during my protests against the Left I wear my Ann Coulter t shirt and they said what do you expect?

And how did your parties with your Liberal relatives go?

[KenHorse]

I am a Jew, come from very liberal parents, grew up during the late 60's/early 70's and voted for George McGovern), the very first time I was old enough to vote. That was the last time I ever voted Democrat, by the way.

I woke up during the Reagan years (voted for him twice) and am now a staunch (and I mean STAUNCH) Conservative. And all I can add is that THIS Jew finds Libs/Leftists/Democrats (all the same in my view) repulsive, traitorous, seditious and generally a waste of protoplasm.

My brother believes the same. Do you think we're the only 2 Jews in the US who find Dems/Libs/Leftists the scum of the earth?

[rbg81]

Actually, for whatever reason, our family tends to the conservative side. I don't have a liberal bone in my body. Must be some kind of genetic quirk. When I make statements like: "to win a war, you must totally crush and demoralize your enemy", most of my Jewish bretheren look at me with horror and revulsion. I love shaking up their delicate sensibilities.

Of course, I can deal with all that--I really don't care what they think. I know I'm right and I find it liberating. The burden of being a liberal is that you must engage in perpetual self-deception.