[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--

[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.'

[keithtoo]

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

[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.

[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.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

FOR YEARS I have watched the Palestinians do absurdly self-destructive things, and have never understood them until now.

I find that an amazing statement. Gelernter was a victim of Ted Kaczynsi, the Unabomber.

[jackv]

Well when I heard alan colmes say the other night that he was Jewish, I thought, oh good grief!! If he represents most American Jews it makes me very sad.

[plenipotentiary]

During WWII Communists worldwide were initially allies to the Nazis. This was because the USSR and Germany were allies, and jointly invaded Poland.

When the Germans turned on the USSR, and allied themselves with the Japanese who were at that time in China, and possibly fighting USSR as well, the worldwide Communist movement (including those Jews who were affilliated) changed to be anti-Nazi.

There was nothing patriotic about the US Communist behaviour. They were doing what they always do, following the international Communist line.

This explains why a surprising number of Jews are pro Palestinian, and now even pro Hezbollah, pro al Quaida, pro Iranian Mullah. They will support the pro Communist and their allies in whatever circumstance, even if that means the destruction of their homeland, Israel.

[RobbyS]

Cohen forgets that the Mulims have been enraged by the turn of events since Napoleon's time. The Crusades hardly made a dent in the Muslim consciousness. But the humiliation of Western expansion did. They hate what Cohen prizes most: his liberalism, his nation that his secular view of the world deserves anything but to be eliminated.