Posted on 11/11/2010 6:21:23 AM PST by jjotto
Translated from the Makor Rishon newspaper
The tremendous significance that Israel’s Right attaches to last week’s elections in the US attests to the fact that the Right also pins most of its hopes on America. In other words, both the Right and Left in Israel suffer from the same delusion. For both sides of the political spectrum, everything depends upon our relations with the US – and not on our relations with ourselves, with the justness of our cause – and with our G-d.
The “pragmatic” perspective that disconnects destiny from existence is what ultimately prevents us from understanding reality and dealing with its challenges.
From a strategic perspective, the political process in the US does not have much importance for Israel. The building moratorium in Yesha began a short time after Rabin took office in 1992. Since then, we have been busy adjusting the height of the flames, while the situation has steadily deteriorated. Now, there is also a building moratorium in Jerusalem – even though officially, no such thing exists.
Obama did not create the problem. The problem is completely home-grown. We created it and the US pressure that accompanies it. True, Obama has intensified the problem and treats us less gently. But his behavior is actually helpful because it indicates which way America is headed – an indication that pragmatists like us insist on ignoring. Instead we look to the mid-term elections in Washington for salvation.
There are more than enough signs that the curtain is closing on America. If someone would have told us ten years ago that within less than a decade it would not be Israelis stuffing dollars into their mattresses but Americans rushing to buy the shekel, would we have believed him? If we had been told that within a decade the Governor of the Bank of Israel would be buying dollars in an effort to maintain the value of the American currency, would we have taken that information seriously?
What happened to the Soviet Empire, the British Empire and all the empires throughout history is beginning to happen to America. It is simply a historical rule to which the American Empire is also subject. Obama has hastened the pace of this process but he did not create it. Thus, his decline will not prevent it. The very fact that the majority of Americans so enthusiastically voted for the man whose entire being symbolizes the complete opposite of the values that brought about the establishment of the United States, indicates the deep rot that has spread through American society. The inevitable economic collapse that Obama is inflicting upon America is nothing more than a symptom of the moral rot.
Significant sections of the American population are still motivated by the values of America’s founding fathers. But they have no real ability to stop the crumbling of their society. The Hispanic immigration on the one hand and the Islamic pressure on the other have forced America to face a challenge that it cannot overcome. “Multi-culturalism has failed,” explained Angela Merkel. In America, multi-culturalism is in the Oval Office.
In these very days, when America is pulling out of Iraq with its tail between its legs and when it is already clear that it will suffer a similar defeat in Afghanistan, we can say that Bin Laden defeated Bush – in a big way. He defeated Bush, which just goes to show that the defeat is not Democratic or Republican. The defeat is American, the product of values that cannot face conflict with a religion or an enemy that is not a nation-state.
Where is Israel in this state of affairs? Clearly, nobody in Israel’s Foreign Ministry, in its plush universities, in Israeli politics or its generously-funded think tanks is even attempting to think about what will happen when we wake up one morning and America will simply not be there. For them, this would be tantamount to a religious person considering the ludicrous possibility that there is no G-d.
But that is exactly what will happen. First, America will not be there for Israel. And then it will not be there at all. It will collapse or turn into something reminiscent of Argentina.
All the important institutions that are supposed to warn us of this eventuality will fail miserably. That’s how it is with institutions. By their very nature, they cannot think out of the box. They will scoff at the type of article that you are reading now, just like they scoffed at everyone who warned that rockets would be flying into Ashkelon. Afterwards they will explain why they were right nevertheless or they will ignore their failure. The people who were paid fat salaries to prepare us for the new reality – and instead left us off-guard and helpless – will write glorious autobiographies and run for the Knesset.
So, despite all the warning signs, America’s collapse will catch us completely by surprise. Like the fall of the Berlin Wall, like the collapse of the Soviet Union, it is impossible to know when it will happen. But one way or another it will happen – and Israel should plan ahead and free itself now of its dependence on America.
How will we manage without the American veto in the UN Security Council? Maybe we should pre-empt that problem and simply resign from the UN? Don’t we have other strategic allies?
How do we fight without American weapons? Has anybody thought of the fact that in any case, we will not have American spare parts after a certain point? Did the recent F-35 deal take that into account?
In other words, instead of beginning to free ourselves from the sinking Titanic, we have added another rope that ties us to it. Simply because our pragmatism leaves no room for strategic thinking.
ping.
Good post.
Though I haven’t given up yet. Were else would we go?
“The very fact that the majority of Americans so enthusiastically voted for the man whose entire being symbolizes the complete opposite of the values that brought about the establishment of the United States, indicates the deep rot that has spread through American society. The inevitable economic collapse that Obama is inflicting upon America is nothing more than a symptom of the moral rot.”
For Americans, the stark danger - if not fatal wound - is this.
We have been given a chance to arrest them but that is all we have... a chance. If we don't take advantage of it, historians could one day write, America, Quo Vadis?
The second article at the link, “Isolation” by Rabbi Meir Kahane, is refreshing, and perhaps much more important to Israel. In their sojourns from the Exodus through Deuteronomy, Israel was not successful as long as it adopted the viewpoint of the surrounding nations. It was only as Israel put their complete faith in G_D that they prevailed.
We don't have the luxury of looking forward to the relatively unmolested third world existence of Argentina. Argentina remains unmolested because the USA exists protectively to the north. America is the protective empire. It would be replaced by one or another of the rising conquering empires. Neither China nor Russia nor the Mohammedans would leave Argentina unmolested.
It will collapse or turn into something reminiscent of Argentina.
Pelosi wants the Evita Perone gig badly!
America exploiting the entire world increased their wealth greatly..
BECAUSE...
Capitalism creates wealth, Socialism uses that wealth up like a VAMPIRE..
Yes. We will probably call them the Second Dark Ages.
Or America.
And if Americans have the choice of domination by China or Islam--most will choose Islam. Muslims know this. In fact, they're counting on it.
Pelosi wants the Caesar Augustus gig even more badly.
And if Augustus comes--can Caligula be far behind?
My point is that the relative prosperity of most Europe and the ALatin America and the freedom to engage in their little revolutions and upheavals is guaranteed by the US of A. When the USA is no longer a major force in the world then Europe and Latin America will lose their national freedoms to whoever is strongest. Will Brazil and India be ready to take over from America? Not likely. There is no one else who will be able or inclined to take on that role.
Pelosi wants the Caesar Augustus gig even more badly.
And if Augustus comes—can Caligula be far behind?
Any ideas on Caligula?
No. Caligula was the third Roman Emperor. If the Imperium is the model, we won't know until it's too late. Caligula was popular with the people at first. "Caligula" is a pet name that means roughly "Bootsie." He was the people's darling as a child. The American Caligula--let's pray that there is never one--could be a child now or not even yet born. It is a rare person who will not be corrupted by great power. To give enormous power--not to mention absolute power--to anyone is very dangerous.
good article for the Christian Supporters of Israel ping list
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