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Whither the Elders of Zion?


Once upon a time, the American Jewish Congress, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Anti Defamation League of B'nai B'rith seemingly drove a marathon news cycle of outrage against MoveOn (dot) org, because someone in a contest posted a 30-second video comparing the Bush-Cheney administration to Hitler's Germany.  More recently, the highest paid broadcaster in radio history, Rush Limbaugh said that "Adolf Hitler, like Barack Obama, also ruled by dictate...," and rambled on like that, comparing liberals, environmentalists and Nancy Pelosi to Nazis.

As Glenn Greenwald notes,

It's really amazing -- though not at all surprising -- that when an anonymous Internet user compares Bush to Hitler, the media goes into Full Hysteria Alert, but when the most influential conservative figure in the country does the same thing, they utter barely a peep of recognition.  We'll see if that changes as America's leading Jewish groups -- and even some principled conservatives -- issue rather harsh condemnations of Limbaugh's comments.

While I remain skeptical about the oft-stated power of the American Jewish establishment when it comes to setting the bar of politically correct discourse, in this case I would really love to see them drive the news cycle as long and hard against a popular conservative demagogue as the news industry whipped up its outrage at MoveOn for an anonymous and ultimately deleted entry in an open video contest. 

But what is more likely to happen is a bittersweet recognition that this kind of power really has much less to do with any contrivances of "political correctness" than it does about the confluence of moneyed interests.  In this particular case, we have a glaring example of the extent to which both cable and network news and health insurance are comfortably deregulated industries that will do whatever they must do to stay that way.

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The bonding of CUFI and AIPAC might be more important than calling out Shock Jock radio hosts and Shock Jock Congresspeople.

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That's pretty much beside the point.

But in any event, you would have to go a long way to convince me that Pastor John Hagee maintains his former stature after the embarassment he caused Candidate McCain last year, and as AIPAC goes, it is visibly shrinking beside the upstart liberal lobbies like J Street and APN. Check out this James Besser column....

Then there’s this line: “As you all are familiar with other ‘Pro-Israel’ organizations such as J St, APN, and others; their pressure on Congress is being felt and is making these signatures harder for us to get.”

‘nuf said. How long do you suppose it will take J Street to put that in a fundraising letter?


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Zionista...I agree with your larger point(s)

In this particular case, we have a glaring example of the extent to which both cable and network news and health insurance are comfortably deregulated industries that will do whatever they must do to stay that way. and would add that there seems to be an "orchestrated" aspect to their coverage.

Calling some people nazis, fascists and the like is ok depending on who the accused are. I wonder if an American Jewish leader who came out against this crap could even get past the bookers to make his case.

A wellknown media figure like Dershowitz could get air, maybe.

As far as Hagee et all, their influence among their followers and allies has only increased as the creepy cufisters become more critical in both the political and monetary realms (tourism to Israel by the deathcultists is seen as a priority).

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But what is more likely to happen is a bittersweet recognition that this kind of power really has much less to do with any contrivances of "political correctness" than it does about the confluence of moneyed interests.

Not sure which of us will be more astounded at this development - but I agree with you. Good post.

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Bar Kafka

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  • Location Fox River Watershed, Great Lakes Basin
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