Rightist Israeli Group To Flood US With 28 Million Hate Videos To Tip Election
This is some story, one that the netroots needs to get into.
A shadowy Israeli/neocon operation (in cooperation with a Jewish proselytizing outfit) is distributing 28 million racist videos about Muslims and Islam in advance of the US election. The video -- which is a nasty screed -- has been kicking around in far right circles for awhile. But the mass distribution now is intended to defeat Barack Obama.
No faction has more to lose if Obama wins than the neocons. Republicans, in general, are less than thrilled by Mc Cain. Even the Christian right can't warm to him. But the neocons are determined to maintain their hold on US foreign policy. They are desperate to get us into a war with Iran and fear that Obama won't go to war while Mc Cain might. They also tend to be pretty serious racists when it comes to Muslims. Obama is a Christian but neocons just don't like his looks or his name. (I don't have to spell that out).
Check out EMET which is behind this thing. Note: it has billions of dollars behind it. Also note: despite its backing by fringe right-wing Jews, this is a group that is as representative of Jews (who are overwhelmingly behind Obama and oppose attacking Iran) as Sarah Palin's Wasilla church is representative of Protestantism. The difference is that these folks are loaded and they have owned US foreign policy for the last eight years. They do not intend to let it slip out of their hands.
When John McCain sang "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran," he was joking (I think). For this crowd, it's a national anthem. They did it once; they can do it again.
Do people really watch hour long political DVDs that are distributed through newspaper inserts? It just screams "crank operation," doesn't it?
September 27, 2008 8:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Except the videos are probably just the tip of the iceberg. These folks know how to play American politics. Don't doubt it for a minute.
September 27, 2008 8:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
People in Bucks County, PA. got their copy with the newspaper about 2 weeks ago. Knowing what it was, I put it aside and forgot about it.
I noticed Gaffney, Pipes, and Woolsey are advisors to EMET.
The fund below is mentioned on the lower right corner.
http://clarionfund.org/
September 27, 2008 8:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
I like to see hate mongers waste their money. The greatest horror for the neocons is that their tired, discredited narrative has finally beenmarginalized, where it belongs. I know its too soon to celebrate, but good news sure has been a longtime coming. I've been waiting since Bobby died.
September 27, 2008 9:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Let's hope -- even pray. The 20th century was all about the incredible horrors pure evil could accomplish before it was defeated. I'll believe these monsters will lose control when I see it.
September 27, 2008 9:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sounds like a bizarre net rumor. I am a strong Obama supporter.
September 27, 2008 9:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
God--it *isn't*:
STATEMENT BY CLARION FUND REGARDING FEC COMPLAINT BY CAIR
September 24, 2008 -- The controversial group Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) filed a Federal Elections Commission complaint yesterday against Clarion Fund, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
CAIR alleges that the free distribution of 28 million DVDs of the documentary Obsession is designed to help John McCain win the presidential election. This is a false accusation designed to distract the public and media from the issues raised in the film about radical Islam.
"CAIR is attempting to stifle First Amendment freedom of speech," said Raphael Shore, Clarion's founder and director.
What is Clarion?
Clarion is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit organization created to educate the public about national security issues such as radical Islam. Its donors are Christians, Jews, and Muslims and include Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Clarion has made Obsession DVDs available to a national audience through newspaper insertions, national magazine insertions, and as an online download.
What is Obsession?
Obsession is a highly acclaimed documentary that has been vetted by major news organizations, leading think tanks, and the management of the 70 newspapers that agreed to include the DVD as a paid advertising insert. Obsession was released in 2006 and received positive media coverage, including a highly rated one-hour special that aired several times on Fox News Channel in November 2006.
The film does not mention any presidential candidate or political party. Clarion does not endorse any candidate for president nor is it acting at the behest of any political campaign. The Clarion website, www.radicalIslam.org, contains hyperlinks to the homeland security policy positions of both McCain and Obama, and endorses neither of them.
CAIR also has claimed that Obsession is intended to foster hatred of Muslims. However, a statement shown at the start of the film points out, "Most Muslims are peaceful and do not support terror. This is not a film about them." Despite being seen by millions, not one incident of hate has been attributed to the film. In fact, Muslims have praised the film.
September 27, 2008 9:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
My advice: Don't give it attention.
September 27, 2008 9:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Robert,
good advice. When I received my copy I put it aside and forgot about it till I read this column;
its now in the trash can.
September 27, 2008 10:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
CAIR labels anything hate speech that is remotely critical of the extreme negatives that exist in the Islamic world and the pathetic policies of governments in those regions.
September 27, 2008 9:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
So it's the Muslim ADL?
September 27, 2008 10:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Please continue to expose these dishonest cowards whose clear aim is to get Americans to fight and die for their cockamamie and extremist agendas. These are some of the same hate-filled and fearmongering hypocrites who deluged the American news media with disinformation in the mad rush to invade Iraq in 2003. A pity this kind of exposure was not more prominent then, but better late than never.
September 27, 2008 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks, help spread it to other blogs.
September 27, 2008 10:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
I heard about it on NPR yesterday:
Charity Floods Swing States With Anti-Islam DVD
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95076174
September 27, 2008 10:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Raphael Shore got an assignment from AIPAC to do something they couldn't do? Besides AIPAC why do I have the impression that one of Richard Mellon Scaife's right wing fringe groups is part of this blatantly partisan film.
Thanks MJ for the alert !
September 27, 2008 12:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Another in the almost endless list of examples of MJ's ignorance:
He says the film is distributed by a "Jewish proselytizing organization". Judaism does NOT proeseltyze, and I bet even MJ knows that but by making this false comment, he is trying to motivate "the progressive troops".
September 27, 2008 12:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Aish Ha torah does proselytize just not to non-jews. it zooms in on secular jewish kids and through all the usual proselyting devices tries to get them to become right-wing and orthodox. jewish cults always proselytize but for tribal reasons not to gentiles. Chabad also proselytizes.
On any campus, you'll find rightwing Jews proselytizing. It is not to their credit that they only reach out to fellow Jews because the refusal to do so derives not from respect but to maintain purity.
From the point of view of modern secular Jews whose kids were induced to live the 21st century for the 18th, its proselytizing and no more welcome when it's practiced by Jews or Christians.
September 27, 2008 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bottom line: for YBD, it is only proselytizing when Christians do it.
September 27, 2008 1:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
CAIR should send out 28 million videos of 'Settlers Gone Wild.'
September 27, 2008 1:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dave,
or Debbie Does Dallas.
September 27, 2008 1:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Proseltyzing means trying to convince someone to change his religion. You just stated that Aish Hatorah does NOT try to convince people to convert to Judaism, they just try to convince Jews to deepen their Jewish observance. What's wrong with that? You are always trying to get people to agree with you. Then according to your weird definition of "prosyletization", you are one as well. Regarding "hate mongering"...aren't you the one who said "Russian Jews should go back where they came from" and that settlers are monsters? You are no different than the people you claim are hatemongers because they point out the dangers of radical Islam...you are always raving about the dangers from the "Right" and "Orthodox" in Israel.
September 28, 2008 12:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
The word proselytizing is not restricted to religion, it also applies to secular recruiting efforts in favor of particular institutions and causes. Many religious groups have secular arms that also happen to advance their religious agenda.
September 28, 2008 6:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
With the understanding that political influence is not allowed by these types of groups, why is the obvious so overlooked.
In legal argument, what is considered more, effect or intent? I would assume it is the effect of someones action that is judged.
The freedom of speech is often raised as concern (one that the NYT uses to profit from this DVD's distribution - and what a sham). But even the freedom of speech can be limited because of certain effects it might have. The old yelling fire example is based on just that. Even if someone only intended yelling fire as a silly joke, if the effect is mayhem, it is restricted.
With the DVD's, the distributing company says it's intent is only to educate and reach the press, on its face this is certainly reasonable desires. But by the simple decision to market them to certain areas, the swing states, the effect (what ever it is) will be concentrated in areas defined by their political importance. Even if they profess that they don't intend this to effect the voting outcome, it would have a definite higher influence over the outcome of the election than say if they sent them to either solid Republican or Democratic leaning states.
Regardless of the effect, these dvd's have a higher chance to created an effect solely because of the political volatility of these states. The political effect will be considerably higher only because they chose to market them to a certain states.
For fear of losing even myself in this argument, I go back to the old yelling fire stand-by. Yelling fire in a theatre is a no-no, yelling fire while swimming in the middle of a lake is fine.
September 28, 2008 12:24 AM | Reply | Permalink