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Published on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 by CommonDreams.org
Israel & Aid
On July 10, 1996, at a Joint Session of the United States Congress,
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a standing ovation
for these words: “With America’s help, Israel has grown to be a
powerful, modern state. …But I believe there can be no greater tribute
to America’s long-standing economic aid to Israel than for us to be
able to say: we are going to achieve economic independence. We are
going to do it. In the next four years, we will begin the long-term
process of gradually reducing the level of your generous economic
assistance to Israel.”
Since 1996, the American taxpayers are still sending Israel $3 billion a year and providing assorted loan guarantees, waivers, rich technology transfers and other indirect assistance. Before George W. Bush left office a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Israel stipulated an assistance package of $30 billion over the next ten years to be transferred in a lump sum at the beginning of every fiscal year. Israel’s wars and colonies still receive U.S. taxpayer monies.
What happened to Mr. Netanyahu’s solemn pledge to the Congress? The short answer is that Congress never called in the pledge.
In the intervening years, Israel has become an economic, technological and military juggernaut. Its GDP is larger than Egypt’s even though Israel’s population is less than one tenth that of the Arab world’s most populous nation. The second largest number of listings on America’s NASDAQ Exchange after U.S. companies are from Israel, exceeding listings of Japan, Korea, China and India combined. Its venture capital investments exceed those in the U.S., Europe and China on a per capita basis.
Israel is arguably the fifth most powerful military force in the world, and Israel’s claims on the U.S.’s latest weapon systems and research/development breakthroughs are unsurpassed. This combination has helped to make Israel a major arms exporter.
The Israeli “economic miracle” and technological innovations have spawned articles and a best-selling book in recent months. The country’s average GDP growth rate has exceeded the average rate of most western countries over the past five years. Israel provides universal health insurance, unlike the situation in the U.S., which raises the question of who should be aiding whom?
Keep in mind, the U.S. economy is mired in a recession, with large rates of growing poverty, unemployment, consumer debt and state and federal deficits. In some states, public schools are shutting, public health services are being slashed, and universities are increasing tuition while also cutting programs. Even state government buildings are being sold off.
Under U.S. law, military sales to Israel cannot be used for offensive purposes, only for “legitimate self-defense.” Nonetheless, there have been numerous violations of the Arms Export Control Act by Israel. Even the indifferent State Department has found, from time to time, that munitions such as cluster bombs were “likely violations.”
Violations would lead to a cut-off in aid but with the completely pro-Israel climate in Washington, the White House has never allowed such findings to be definitive.
The same indifference applies to violations of the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act that prohibits aid to countries engaging in consistent international human rights violations. These include the occupation, colonization, blockades and military assaults on civilians in the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza, regularly documented by the highly regarded Israeli human rights group B’Tselem as well as by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
This week, Prime Minister Netanyahu visits President Barack Obama after the recent Israeli announcement of 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem made while Vice President Joe Biden was visiting that country.
The affront infuriated New York Times columnist, Tom Friedman, who wrote that Mr. Biden should have packed his bags and flown away leaving behind a scribbled note saying “You think you can embarrass your only true ally in the world, to satisfy some domestic political need, with no consequences? You have lost total contact with reality.”
Friedman, a former Times Middle East correspondent, concluded his rebuke by writing: “Palestinian leaders Mahmoud Abbas and Salam Fayyad are as genuine and serious about working toward a solution as any Israel can hope to find.”
But until a few days ago, the U.S. government had no levers over the Israeli government. Cutting off aid isn’t even whispered in the halls of Congress. Raising the issue would further galvanize Israel’s allies, including AIPAC.
The only lever left for the U.S. suddenly erupted into the public media a few days ago. General David Petraeus told the Senate that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has foreign policy and national security ramifications for the United States.
He said that “The conflict foments anti-American sentiment, due to a perception of U.S. favoritism for Israel. Arab anger over the Palestinian question limits the strength and depth of U.S. partnerships with governments and peoples in the Area of Responsibility…Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda and other military groups exploit that anger to mobilize support.”
A few days earlier, Vice President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Netanyahu in Israel that “what you’re doing here undermines the security of our troops who are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.”
What Obama’s people are publically starting to say is that regional peace is about U.S. vital interests in that large part of the Middle East and, ultimately, the safety of American soldiers and personnel.
As one retired diplomat commented “This could be a game-changer.”
Since 1996, the American taxpayers are still sending Israel $3 billion a year and providing assorted loan guarantees, waivers, rich technology transfers and other indirect assistance. Before George W. Bush left office a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Israel stipulated an assistance package of $30 billion over the next ten years to be transferred in a lump sum at the beginning of every fiscal year. Israel’s wars and colonies still receive U.S. taxpayer monies.
What happened to Mr. Netanyahu’s solemn pledge to the Congress? The short answer is that Congress never called in the pledge.
In the intervening years, Israel has become an economic, technological and military juggernaut. Its GDP is larger than Egypt’s even though Israel’s population is less than one tenth that of the Arab world’s most populous nation. The second largest number of listings on America’s NASDAQ Exchange after U.S. companies are from Israel, exceeding listings of Japan, Korea, China and India combined. Its venture capital investments exceed those in the U.S., Europe and China on a per capita basis.
Israel is arguably the fifth most powerful military force in the world, and Israel’s claims on the U.S.’s latest weapon systems and research/development breakthroughs are unsurpassed. This combination has helped to make Israel a major arms exporter.
The Israeli “economic miracle” and technological innovations have spawned articles and a best-selling book in recent months. The country’s average GDP growth rate has exceeded the average rate of most western countries over the past five years. Israel provides universal health insurance, unlike the situation in the U.S., which raises the question of who should be aiding whom?
Keep in mind, the U.S. economy is mired in a recession, with large rates of growing poverty, unemployment, consumer debt and state and federal deficits. In some states, public schools are shutting, public health services are being slashed, and universities are increasing tuition while also cutting programs. Even state government buildings are being sold off.
Under U.S. law, military sales to Israel cannot be used for offensive purposes, only for “legitimate self-defense.” Nonetheless, there have been numerous violations of the Arms Export Control Act by Israel. Even the indifferent State Department has found, from time to time, that munitions such as cluster bombs were “likely violations.”
Violations would lead to a cut-off in aid but with the completely pro-Israel climate in Washington, the White House has never allowed such findings to be definitive.
The same indifference applies to violations of the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act that prohibits aid to countries engaging in consistent international human rights violations. These include the occupation, colonization, blockades and military assaults on civilians in the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza, regularly documented by the highly regarded Israeli human rights group B’Tselem as well as by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
This week, Prime Minister Netanyahu visits President Barack Obama after the recent Israeli announcement of 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem made while Vice President Joe Biden was visiting that country.
The affront infuriated New York Times columnist, Tom Friedman, who wrote that Mr. Biden should have packed his bags and flown away leaving behind a scribbled note saying “You think you can embarrass your only true ally in the world, to satisfy some domestic political need, with no consequences? You have lost total contact with reality.”
Friedman, a former Times Middle East correspondent, concluded his rebuke by writing: “Palestinian leaders Mahmoud Abbas and Salam Fayyad are as genuine and serious about working toward a solution as any Israel can hope to find.”
But until a few days ago, the U.S. government had no levers over the Israeli government. Cutting off aid isn’t even whispered in the halls of Congress. Raising the issue would further galvanize Israel’s allies, including AIPAC.
The only lever left for the U.S. suddenly erupted into the public media a few days ago. General David Petraeus told the Senate that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has foreign policy and national security ramifications for the United States.
He said that “The conflict foments anti-American sentiment, due to a perception of U.S. favoritism for Israel. Arab anger over the Palestinian question limits the strength and depth of U.S. partnerships with governments and peoples in the Area of Responsibility…Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda and other military groups exploit that anger to mobilize support.”
A few days earlier, Vice President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Netanyahu in Israel that “what you’re doing here undermines the security of our troops who are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.”
What Obama’s people are publically starting to say is that regional peace is about U.S. vital interests in that large part of the Middle East and, ultimately, the safety of American soldiers and personnel.
As one retired diplomat commented “This could be a game-changer.”
- Posted in
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82 Comments so far
Show AllSlowly but inexorably, Israel's erstwhile friends are deserting her. Today Britain expelled the local head Mossad man at the London embassy over the cloning of the passports of British citizens living in Israel.
Brash little Zionist Israel. It's time is long overdue. If history is any indication, when it finally happens, all Jews will suffer. Though not politically correct, I suspect that anti-semitism is as rife now as it has ever been.
But we all know that Ralph is an Arab, so his voice is meaningless on this issue.
J Street says they are trying to make a difference, but I saw in their NYT ad that they say "It’s time for the Palestinians to end incitement to violence." And they don't suggest an end to aid to Israel so I am not sure they are really the answer. They may just want a little more friendly occupation. We need many more Jewish voices to call for the end of aid to Israel in order for this to get any traction.
There are plenty of Jewish voices. Nobody is listening. When Ralph speaks, and I don't care if he is a cousin of Osama, he is listened to. Like it or not, his voice is never meaningless.
So it is OK for Jews to comment but not for Arabs or Americans of Arab descent? Sounds awfully racist to me. BTW I did not flag your post, although I do find it racist and unacceptable.
ALL people have a rigth to criticize injustice, war crimes, racism, imperialism etc. If it does not conform to your racist view, too f-in bad.
I think perhaps it was more sarcasm than racism. At least that's the way I read it.
I do hope you are correct RV and I am wrong , if so I retract my post.
My post was intended to be facetious although based on my personal experience which I explained in reply to your earlier response. I would add that in addition to my small circle of friends, that in the MSM few if any Arabs are given voice, much less credence, in this area if the comments toward Israel are negative. I want to see justice for Palestinians, if pointing out that Arab views on this are routinely discounted strikes anyone as racist, I must admit to not seeing it but meant no disrespect to anyone.
That's how I read it too, RV.
Agree or disagree, but the commenter's point is that non-Jewish critics of Israel are reflexively discredited for that reason.
One wonders why visitors choose the anonymous flagging option instead of at least registering their objection and perhaps even seeking clarification.
It's like riding a train with a few passengers who suffer panic attacks and pull the emergency brake instead of trying to get a grip on themselves-- or just ask for help. ;)
Do you even know he's of Arab descent?
I pulled this off some website ...
Are Lebanese Arabs?
Lebanon is a mix of ethnic groups. Part of the Lebanese are Arabs; 20-30% of the Lebanese in Lebanon and 10-20% of Lebanese in Diaspora are Arabs(estimates). Most of the Lebanese are the descendents of the Canaanites who inhabited Lebanon from around five thousand years ago.
They were called Phoenicians by the Greeks and Punic by the Romans. When the Muslim Arabs conquered the North of the Arabian Peninsula in the seventh century AD, they couldn’t conquer most of Lebanon due to its mountainous nature.
Some Arabs settled in coastal cities and mixed with the inhabitants while some of the Phoenicians converted to Islam, which made them Muslims not Arabs, i.e they changed their religion not ethnicity.
The Canaanites/Phoenicians, the Arabs, and the Syriac-Arameans are the three major ethnic groups in Lebanon. Armenians, Greeks, Hebrews, Assyrians, Kurds, Persians and other groups form the rest of the Lebanese community.
"Do you even know he's of Arab descent?"
Why does it matter so much to you? Yes, I do know that he is of Arab descent, as he has said so. But it sounds like you would prefer it if he weren't which kind of makes my point, in that Arabs or those with Arab names seem to be discounted when it comes to this subject while other voices are given more credence. I am speaking from personal experience and knowledge with friends and acquaintances who would not believe anything negative about Israel until they heard it from Jewish commentators. Perhaps their/my experience is unique, I acknowledge that it is anecdotal, but I suspect that it is wider spread than just me.
And Israel uses that aid to bite the hand that literally feeds them.
Remember the USS Liberty.
Never will. That was a travesty that LBJ never should have let slide. An Arab country looks at us funny and we're ready to bomb them back to the Stone Age, but Israel can purposely attack our sailors and we all look around the room (awkward cartoon style) and pretend it didn't happen.
Yeah. Look at where the USS Cole got us.
The USS Liberty friendly fire incident happened in 1967.
That was before the US gave foreign aid to Israel.
To Letto:
"Friendly Fire", eh???
Regarding the USS Liberty, several survivors have written books on the subject and there's a very good BBC video for you to watch called, "Dead in the Water".
I suggest you do a little research on the subject of what happened to the USS Liberty then check back in, eh??
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Liberty_incident
On July 2, 2003, the National Security Agency released copies of the recordings made by the EC-121 and the resultant translations and summaries.[8] These revelations were elicited as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by Florida bankruptcy judge and retired naval aviator Jay Cristol. Two linguists who were aboard the EC-121 when the recordings were made, however, have claimed separately that at least two additional tapes were made that have been excluded from the NSA releases up to and including a June 8, 2007 release.[2]
English transcripts of the released tapes indicate that Israel still believed it had hit an Egyptian supply ship even after the attack had stopped. [9] [10] After the attack, the rescue helicopters are heard relaying several urgent requests that the rescuers ask the first survivor pulled out of the water what his nationality is, and discussing whether the survivors from the attacked ship will speak Arabic. [11]
Wikipedia is a source used by intellectually stupid for historical facts...especially Israel's history....
The US has been sending foreign aid to Israel since 1949. See "U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel", Congressional Research Service report for Congress. Jan 2, 2008, by Jeremy M. Sharp.
Repeatedly attacking a US ship is NOT a friendly fire "incident", IDIOT!
Hmmm
So very impressive stats for such a little country. Clearly Israel didn't achieve this without massive aid, manipulation and outright criminal activities on thier behalf by the United States. It is time to not just cut the financial cord, but the military connection with Israel as well. Israel continues to insist that it is above the law and can do as it pleases; well then, they can do it without our help. And the next time Israel starts to slaughter women and children (let alone another American)We must respond exactly as Israel has done to the Palastinians-with military might. Only this time the Marines should be landing in Israel to protect the non jewish women and children.
"Israel continues to insist that it is above the law and can do as it pleases ..."
In that, at least, the grounds for its long-standing alliance with the U.S. does seem quite apparent.
I don't think they regard those options as mutually exclusive, although their U.S. military "allies" do seem to be getting just a bit nervous about the potential for detrimental impacts on broader geopolitical missions in both cases.
"But we all know that Ralph is an Arab, so his voice is meaningless on this issue."
THEN CALL ME AN ARAB TOO!
Ralph Nader thinks that the strongest argument against Israel's regular malfeasance is the fact that it is endangering our military in the Middle East. I think the fact that we are paying for Israel's socialized healthcare system and cannot afford one of our own is something which all Americans should tell all other Americans. Make sure every person you talk to knows that his or her tax dollars are saving Israeli lives while our sick uninsured here in America are left to die.That should get someone's attention.
It probably would get lots of attention if it were widely known. But there are some things, especially about Israel, that simply are not discussed in "polite" USA Incorporated society and its organs of propaganda.
The vast majority of US aid money to Israel is going toward buying US weapons (creates US jobs) and NOT to the Israeli health-care.
The problem with the US health-care is with the system, and not the lack of funding.
Canada has a better health care system (Life expectancy in Canada is 3 years higher than in the States) and the spending per capita (Individual + Government combined) is about half of what the US is spending per capita. It is NOT Israel's fault that the US has chosen the most inefficient health care system on the planet. It is not Israel's fault that rich Americans are willing to pay more money for the same service, just so poor peoplr won't get any treatment.
Let's send Ralph to Gaza!
What an intelligent, well-informed and well thought out comment, thanks so much for your contribution.
Do you not believe that Ralph is a wise and skilled negotiator and leader?
Why wouldn't someone prescient enough to pen "Only The Super Wealthy Can Save Us" be capable of effecting some significant change in the Mid-East?
Perhaps your quick reply wasn't well thought out, huh?
You are quite welcome for my contribution... I try.
Why isn't this a violation of our constitutional prohibition on state-sponsored religion? Not only do we aid a nation that's segregated along religious lines and that denies many of the privileges of citizenship on the basis of religion, we earmark much of the money specifically for the oppression of particular religious minorities. That's got to be unconstitutional. Can't we sue somebody over this?
You've touched on a much larger and more fundamental issue with the whole concept of Israel as "a Jewish state" and its demands for recognition as such. It's never entirely clear whether that is statehood based on ethnicity or religion or both. In either case, it seems like a rather questionable exclusionary principle in today's world.
The "Jewish state" ruse is a calculated strategy that allows Israelis to commit any war crime and then call their critics "anti-semitic" for criticizing Jews. That's their rationalization. It's a thinly veiled way to be both a criminal and a victim at the same time. But the world is catching onto this charade. In reality, Israel disgraces the Jewish religion: to commit war crimes and human rights violations in the name of Judeism only demeans Judeism. If Israelis were truly a religious and ethical people, they would stop stealing land, stop the inhumane occupation, stop assassinating Palestinians, and stop blocking the peace process. Unfortunately, they will continue all these things, and when we criticize, they will scream anti-semitism. But by now, the word has lost all its meaning.
Yup. It's quite sad in a way to note the consequences of their long-term misuse and abuse of terminology. But they've no one to blame but themselves and I think many are realizing it to their sorrow. There seems to be a growing element of desperation that could be very dangerous to all concerned.
You're right. Iraq received $18 billion a year of US aid, and they have segregated religious lines, (in fact, more than 4 million people become refugees only because of their religion, and hundreds of thousands die for that reason alone) while denying many of the privileges of citizenship based on religion.
Same thing with Egypt. (Though Egypt do it on a smaller scale, and they gets only $2.4 Billion.)
Any aid to the Egyptian puppet dictator is for the benefit of Israel (certainly not for the Egyptian people). This aid began when Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, and it is just another cost to the U.S. of our "special relationship" with Israel. Ditto for a significant portion of the trillions the Iraq war will cost us.
ALSO SEE: "Israeli Couple Forbidden From Renting to Bedouin Friends", by Jonathan Cook — Antiwar.com, 03/23/10
(EXCERPT) The Zakai and Tarabin families should be a picture of happy coexistence across the ethnic divide, a model for others to emulate in Israel.
But Natalie and Weisman Zakai say the last three years – since the Jewish couple offered to rent their home to Bedouin friends, Ahmed and Khalas Tarabin – have been a living hell.
“I have always loved Israel,” said Mrs. Zakai, 43. “But to see the depth of the racism of our neighbors has made me question why we live in this country.” Three of the couple’s dogs have been mysteriously poisoned; Mrs. Zakai’s car has been sprayed with the words “Arab lover” and the windows smashed; her three children in school are regularly taunted and bullied by other pupils; and a collection of vintage cars in the family’s yard has been set on fire in what police say was an arson attack.
To add to these indignities, the Zakais have spent three years and thousands of dollars battling through the courts against the elected officials of their community of Nevatim, in Israel’s southern Negev desert, who have said they are determined to keep the Tarabins from moving in...
ENTIRE ARTICLE – http://original.antiwar.com/cook/2010/03/22/israeli-couple-forbidden/
And what about the aid to Iraq?
What about the 4 million displaced Iraqis?
And why did we go in to Iraq? Who came in front if the US congress to pressure them to attack Iraq right after 9/11? Are you stupid? Or just have selective memory?
Please enlighten me.
Was it George Bush? George Tenet?
You just proved my point about your choice of selective history....ignoring things that makes you look down right stupid.
Israel is a threat to the security of the USA. The imperialist war crime policies of the USA threaten the security of the USA as well. Two peas in a pod. We can debate on who is the boss Israel or the USA but it does not really matter. In the eyes of the foreign policy neo-aristocracy the interests of both countries are mostly one in the same. Of course, these people are irrational, bloodthirsty, greedy, callous and are completely removed from the reality of most people.
If the average US resident heard the debate framed like Ralph mentions (Uri Avnery also advocates this by the way: see Counterpunch) it would have huge impact. When fear and security are brought in to the argument, many folks, who are raised on nationalist propaganda, will snap to attention. If Israel is seen as biting the generous hand that feeds it and then spits in our face, it will be a game changer.
However the MSM will never allow it, this will have to come from grass roots efforts, as usual.
Norman Finkelstein's new book should be a good read, as I believe he has something to say related to this.
Israel, among other benefits to American elites, serves as a perfect wedge to divide the Left-liberal-progressive vote. Lots of otherwise reliably progressive Jewish Americans freeze up and go native on the issue of Israel. These are people who would be no more at home in one of those zany, ultra-Right, apocalyptic "settler" communities than I would. Still they defend the "settlers" and their enablers in Likud and Kadima, no matter what the latest outrage. Against a Palestinian community that includes a huge number of secular, educated people with whom they have much more in common.
I have put the question to my Jewish friends. In response I get things like, "why is everybody always picking on Israel?" or "why can't we defend ourselves?" (who's "we"?) or "there will always be anti-semitism and Israel's actions don't make it worse".
I'm not Jewish or in any way religious, but I have always had a lot of Jewish friends and always respected the culture. Jews have always valued personal accomplishment, in arts, public affairs, sciences and business. They have always encouraged and supported education. They were among the first whites on the line for civil rights and in early union struggles. The religion and the culture encourage a sense of humility (and it must be said, guilt) and a sense of justice.
And by unquestioned or at best, grudging support for the fanatical settlers, Jews undermine all this and stoke the flames of anti-semitism. No small irony here, in that Israel was ostensibly established to give the world's Jews a safe haven from anti-semitism.
In the end, I fear, it'll be Israel and its 200 nuclear weapons against most of the rest of the world. Is there any happy or even reasonable ending to that scenario?
" Who's we?" Exactly. And " Jews ... The religion and the culture encourage a sense of humility ..." HUMILITY? That's sarcasm, right?
Steve Fournier
__ “Why isn’t this a violation of our Constitutional
prohibition on state-sponsored religion?”
Who are you? For surely all the regulars here are fully aware that we never had a Constitution.
Now, your not referring to that ungodly Manifesto our ungodly Founding Fathers used to establish they corrupt Republic, are you?
For their fake morality called a Republic has declared that, “All men are created equal" to the super-intelligent rich and therefore all men deserve to be rich. For as most of our Founding Fathers have stated in their writings, “We are a Christian nation.”
“If you don’t know history, its as if you were born yesterday.”
Howard Zinn
Ralph Nader, a true American hero of reform, has provided an excellent list of reasons--moral, legal, financial and military--why the US should at least qualify its unconditional support for "the Jewish state."
What Nader does not even attempt is an explanation why the US and Israel have such a close "special relationship." Such an explanation would examine the longstanding US/Israeli imperialist alliance for domination of the Middle East; an alliance that exposes the latest (Gen. Petraeus) complaints about Israel's embarrassing behavior as but a Public Relations problem of empire, to be handled in the usual Public Relations manner, i.e., by lies and corruption, the route followed ever since Oslo.
The rest of the grounds of complaint marshaled by Nader--the Arms Export Control Act and the Foreign Assistance Act--never meant anything and never will, as mutely witnessed by Nader's failure even to mention Israel's longstanding violation of international law and UN resolutions.
Nader also neglects to mention that US requests for changes in Israeli behavior do not exceed the cosmetic--Sec'y Clinton et al. say they want Israel to freeze "new" settlement activity; in contradistinction to simply obeying the law.
In the upshot, Nader's presentation manages to play the imperial card without mentioning imperialism. Concludes he, "What Obama’s people are publically [sic] starting to say is that regional peace is about U.S. vital interests in that large part of the Middle East and, ultimately, the safety of American soldiers and personnel."
In his farewell book to the US progressive movement, Nader counseled that Only The Super-Rich Can Save Us. Now he counsels saving "regional peace" by reliance upon "U.S. vital interests" (i.e., imperialism).
In either case Mr. Nader is hitching his wagon to a turd. --Which is why he is today as he has always been, a bourgeois reformist, not anybody's revolutionist.
Nader has never claimed to be but what he is, a reformer, one that has benefited all of us and continues to do so. This should be enough for us.
Where, I wonder, did you get the idea that he or anyone on his behalf claimed the status of revolutionary?
doubledee: I made an observation concerning Nader's political character; I corroborated that observation by analysis of and inference from his positions on American politics ("Only the Super-Rich . . .") and Middle-East politics (Only the American imperial project will motivate . . .).
Your last sentence bespeaks a failure of reading comprehension; which failure you have filled by an assertion entirely of your own making.
How you "got the idea" that I thought that Nader is, claimed to be, or was claimed by others to be a revolutionist is the question for you to work out with your reading instructor. I never said or implied that Nader is anybody's revolutionist.
In your haste to pledge allegiance to Nader you managed to miss the criticisms of Nader that I detailed. By ignoring the points raised you again prove the irrelevance of your remark. And, please, if you want to hitch your wagon to Nader's Super-Rich and imperialist bandwagons, kindly speak for yourself without declaring, "This should be enough for us."
It's not enough for progressive politics. It's not enough for justice in the Middle East.
Thanks for the insult, I guess its all you've really got. Sorry to have bothered you but I will continue to look for real reformers who use logic and fact instead of sarcasm, insult and constant negativity.
jareilly
“Israel benefits the American elite, as it
serves as a perfect wedge to divide the
Left-liberal and Progressive vote.”
LIGHT
Above is just a symptom of the wedge, not the wedge itself.
For the wedge is an intelligence dictatorship, created by a majority of society feeling they deserve more then those less intelligent, and this gives them a guilt-free conscience as they strive to enrich themselves upon the misery of those less intelligent. And the more intelligent one is, the greater their pride and desire to plunder.
CLASS GREED
1% High Society has 80% of wealth
10% Country Club class has 10% of wealth
40% Intelligent middleclass has 10% of wealth
49% laboring class has 100% of debt
Now that we are broke and Israel is not they should send us foreign aid.
Perhaps enough to cover Madoff and Goldman-Sach's plunder.