More Hate Speech from the Middle East
It's hard to see what Obama can do to stem the tides when there's so much hate speech coming out of the Middle East. These people can't control themselves - it just spews out naturally. Take a look - this is the situation we're trying to step into, make civilized. Any chance of that happening? And if we don't succeed, it just reflects badly on us. Make sure and watch the video - it's the straight-to-camera attitudes that often get filtered out of the news, lost in translation.
Better to focus our energies on rebuilding Detroit. Those people share our values.
PS - here's Glenn Greenwald's take on Obama "interfering in Israeli politics"
PPS - And I find something distasteful about Bill Ayers advertised over to the right. Okay, I give - give me back the Muslim women matrimony ads - I'll take sexist over... over whatever Ayers is supposed to be.
Are you being flip here. Its late and I'm not sure if I am following you on this one. He interviewed a group of drunk 19 year old American neocons in training. American Jewish kids who are proud, ignorant, and have just discovered beer. I saw one Israel interviewed and he had the only nuanced statement in the whole video.
The teenage liquid courage speaks more to the ignorance divide in our country then anything about middle east politics.
June 5, 2009 3:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
Not being flip - being complicated and twisted. Some of these kids are also going to fight for the Israeli army, some will be lobbying our government based on their ignorance and hate. If we see pictures of Palestinians or other Muslims ranting like this, we say, "What a backwards ignorant people". What do Palestinians and Hezbollah see on the other side of the line?
Even progressives in Israel have trouble because of the hard-line Israeli-over-all stance in the US, especially in Congress. This video gives an idea why the Palestinians and the Muslim world are screwed. Until Obama confronts that, none of his proposals are going to take root, and we'll just see more settlements and more bloodshed. These drunken kids are our ambassadors. Think about it.
June 5, 2009 3:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
That was my initial take on the video as well sal, but I decided to take Blumenthal's word at face value when he wrote:
June 5, 2009 3:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Despite my great respect for Blumenthal's journalism and this project, I still saw a bunch of drunk American kids spouting utterly ignorant statements.
I have a number of Israel friends and everyone of them can name their own prime minister, in fact I think they can name every prime minister they have ever had.
But yes I am aware that Israel, like America, has a surfeit of nationalist naricisism. I am aware that these views are not unique to the drunk American kids. A few great military victories and decades of bunker mentality has infected god's chosen people with quite the ego. (full disclosure-my father is a zionist who spouts the occasional hateful comment).
However most Israeli adults have a bit more of an understanding, or at least they used to. Or maybe I am merely being wishful. But the demographics are not flavorful, surely some of the intelligentsia recognize this.
I am not very pollyanna on peace prospects (please see my moniker, bonus points if you diagnose any daddy issues). I was only pointing out that i didn't think this video showed Israelis speaking about Obama's speech or Israel.
It was just a bunch of drunk Americans talking smack- Des was being flip, but he makes a very good point.
June 5, 2009 4:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
You're right, this is about stupid American students on their trip abroad playing amateur politician/ugly American ambassador. The problem is the simplistic, racist mindsets they're exhibiting at this age will continue to inform their stateside beliefs and attitudes through their adulthood.
(I think Blumenthal's point is they have a number of Israeli equals, even though there's a large intelligent Israeli population as well - he lives there, I don't).
June 5, 2009 5:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well that was depressing. Can the US give up the world policeman role? Might be like asking a junkie to give up the goods. Perhaps... when the money runs out.
June 5, 2009 3:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
My take on this is that if they hadn't been drunk they would have been more careful about what they were saying, but they would have had the same hateful thoughts in their minds. This gave me chills.
I hope Obama survives all this hatred to accomplish as much as he can.
The FBI is looking for who took 13,000 dollars out of the bank and remarked to the teller that he was on a mission to kill Obama -- Daniel James Murray. For every one we hear about there are probably 10 more we don't.
June 5, 2009 9:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, THIS is irritating. The Ayrabs sure gotta do more to fight this kind of stereotyping of Americans!
June 5, 2009 9:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
I thought it was a pretty fair depiction of the quality of the average American University's Political Science Dept.
Ha!
June 5, 2009 5:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
so true, so god damn true.
June 6, 2009 12:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
I probably agree with Q here.
For some reason I keep worrying about assassination--of my favorite President.
The hate is so great.
Oh and good post Desi.
June 5, 2009 5:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not that I don't agree with your post Des, there is an error in one of your post: the link. You linked Glenn Greenwald's story on Obama and Israeli politics and the story that came on was what Greenwald wrote on Hillary and China. Just wanted to let you know about that.
June 6, 2009 2:07 AM | Reply | Permalink