On the surface, the decision by the Republican Jewish Coalition not to invite Rep. Ron Paul to their forum for presidential candidates seems ill-advised. Some will ask, what would be the harm in giving the eccentric libertarian a hearing?
But just as no one would consider a demand the GOP group provide a platform for a Democrat, there is no reason for it to allow Paul to pretend he is anything but an extremist who is far outside of the mainstream, especially when it comes to issues concerning the U.S.-Israel alliance. Though the isolationist sometimes claims to be a friend to Israel, few are deceived by this disingenuous stance. There’s no reason why the RJC needs to buy into the pretense.
Paul claims his opposition to aid to Israel ought not to disqualify him for pro-Israel voters. He says aid is bad for the Jewish state and that he respects its sovereignty more than many of its friends who seek to impose American solutions to the peace process that it rejects. But this is not a serious argument.
As for the aid, when Israel was receiving massive amounts of economic aid, one could have argued that U.S. funds merely subsidized the country’s dysfunctional socialist system and did as much harm as good. But that aid has long been phased out, and now the assistance the U.S. provides Israel is to its military. The idea that Israel would be better off without that assistance — and the security cooperation that goes with it — is absurd, especially at a time when the threat from Iran and the Arab world is growing. It should also be noted that almost all of that aid is spent here in the United States on American-made weapons. For Paul to assert that it isn’t needed is a clear indication of his attitude toward Israel’s fate.
But Paul’s extremism goes farther than his opting out of the bipartisan pro-Israel consensus on aid. His view of America’s place in the world and of its Islamist adversaries — who also desire Israel’s destruction — is so skewed as to make his views indistinguishable from those voiced on the extreme left.
Paul’s isolationism is so hard-core that he sees America as a force for evil in the world and its adversaries, such as al-Qaeda, as being justified in their determination to fight us. Paul’s perspective is that of someone who has no quarrel with Islamists who are waging war against both the U.S. and Israel. Even in the GOP’s presidential debates, Paul has rationalized the Islamist regime in Iran and voiced opposition to any effort to stop their drive for nuclear weapons that pose an existential threat to Israel.
People like Ron Paul have taken the valuable libertarian creed of opposition to intrusive government and support for individual freedom and twisted it into a belief system that doesn’t view U.S. security abroad or the life of a besieged democratic Jewish state as something Americans should care about. Far from respecting Israel’s sovereignty, Paul is willing to watch with complacence as its very existence is called into question without the U.S. feeling obligated to lift a finger. His “respect” for Israel is little different from the sentiments voiced by an earlier generation of isolationists — the “America First” group — whose admiration of Nazi Germany and indifference to the fate of the Jews restrained the country’s initial response to both Hitler and the Holocaust.
Rep. Paul has every right to voice his views and run for office. But that doesn’t obligate the RJC to give him a platform for views that are antithetical to the organization’s principles. If he doesn’t like it, I’m sure there are gatherings of Islamists and anti-Semites where he would be welcomed with open arms.
Vitriol with no substance. Push the religious line. Wars are not fought over ideas and religion. They are fought for resources and strategic positioning.
Who ever heard of the RJC? they tweeted last night that on the strength of their forum -cough- debate, they have almost 5000 twitter followers. Ron Paul has over 114,000 twitter followers. It seems like a special interest group not at all interested in 'debate', but in a bidding war funded by American taxpayers. n nI am confident few other candidates will appear under these circumstances.
it only shows you how moralistic the other candidates are. They have all confirmed to attend.
What a load of misinformation…how is trade and friendship with all nations isolationism? How is being the ONLY candidate that honestly stands for Israel's sovereignty anti Semitic? This is just more Zionist Neo conservative pandering for US blood and US welfare.
Dale. We don't provide Israel with any 'welfare' money. We give them about three billion dollars a year for military spending (they receive no economic aid) and we receive in return fifty to sixty billion dollars worth of military aid and intelligence. The former head of U.S. Air Force Intelligence Gen. George Keagan has publicly said that "Israel is worth worth five CIAs." And none of our soldiers are stationed on Israeli soil either – we are not bleeding for them. You are in the Army, how do you not know all of this? n nWhat you really mean by giving them 'true' sovereignty is abandoning them, because you blame them for both wars. We have no control over what they do and we have an equal relationship. They are not parasitic, unlike almost every other country we send money too and they are the only one we can rely on. n nRon Paul would make a terrible president. Yes he has some interesting ideas for domestic policy but his foreign policy is absolutely ridiculous and will pave the road to destruction. The last thing we need is a Nuclear Iran. China's military is growing exponentially while our Navy and Air Force are shrinking. Putin has said that the biggest mistake in Russian history was disbanding the Soviet Union. n nI understand that you have sacrificed a lot in the Army and I know that I can't even begin to relate to what you have been through. But get your facts straight.
In return for our charity to Israel we receive military intelligence? Such as Saddam Hussein having WMD's and providing safe haven for Al Qaeda? That info was worth every penny, alright. We also receive the "military aid" of black flag ops against us, like the attempted destruction of the USS Liberty and the insidious Lavon Affair, for starters. n nIsrael's agenda is manipulating the American people to fight it's wars for them. To quote the former CIA chief of the Bin Laden unit, Michael Scheuer, "Both Israel and Saudi Arabia are much more dangerous enemies to the United States than the Iranians are". n nAny president putting the interests of a foreign government, (ANY foreign government) ahead of our own is guilty of treason, plain and simple.
Ron Paul will make a great President. Maybe not great for Israel but great for the United States. As an American JEW, that's what I want. Let Israel take care of its own problems. We got enough of our own. Israel is the country that appears to want War otherwise they would begin dismantling their own nuclear arsenal and reach out to their neighbors for peace. Maybe if they showed some compassion for the Palestinians, I personally would respect them more. I have nothing against Jews, but the Zionist agenda has to go. G-d did not intend for Israel to be a military state.
I fail to see how a person that considers himself a Jew is not a Zionist. Israel is our homeland, pure and simple. Leaving aside Ron Paul for the moment, Israel's problems are America's problems. The only difference is that Israel is geographically closer to the problem. You think that a democratic country like Israel wants war? Do you think that Israeli kids want to hit the battlefield with an opposition that devalues human life? I think you have things exactly backward. If the Arabs lay down their weapons, there would be peace tomorrow. If Israel lays down its weapons, there will be no Israel. Study the charters of the various terrorist organizations and you will see a recurring theme: the destruction of Israel. So, how do you reach peace with people that, not only do not recognize the right of Israel to exist, but admit that they want to destroy Israel? n nIsrael has nuclear weapons as a deterrent to another holocaust. Iran wants nuclear weapons in order to destroy Israel. Compassion for Palestinians? Are you kidding me? The average Israeli does have compassion, but sees a people that are solidly against Israel. Read what is currently happening in Hebron, an ancient Jewish city where our founders are burried? Jews can not safely pray at the tomb because the Arabs see the tomb as a holy Muslim site. Really, Abraham is holy to Muslims? At every turn these people are trying to erase any Jewish history in the Middle East. n nI love your line "I have nothing against Jews". You forgot the rest of the sentence which is: some of my best friends are Jewish. If you deeply feel Jewish you should feel respect and a kinship with the people of Israel. I think a trip to Israel would be awesome for you. n nI completely agree with you that G-d did not intend for Israel to be a military state. However, since Joshua led our people into Israel, there have been people who have wanted distort us. Some things never change, I guess.
"Israel is our homeland, pure and simple." n nLair, lair pants on fire. n nI was born and raised in Northern New York. THAT is my homeland. Not some crap-hole in the middle of the desert.
Let's not forget that Israel elected a known Israeli terrorist as its Prime Minister, Menachem Begin. He, like the "terrorists" in Palestine was fighting for the establishment of an independent state. A little history (lest we forget)… n n"Begin was responsible for the bombing of the British administrative and military headquarters at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, in 1946… 91 people, British, Arab and Jewish, were killed." n nNow one side has nuclear weapons – 300 of them on missiles. The other side? None and with no launch capabilities. But let's launch a few, kill thousands of innocent women and children – because they are "terrorists". n— n"Begin quickly made a name for himself, both as a fierce critic of dominant Zionist leadership for being too cooperative with British ‘colonialism’, and as a proponent of guerrilla tactics against the British, which he saw as a necessary means to achieve independence. In 1942 he joined the Irgun (Etzel), an underground Zionist group which had split from the main Jewish military organization, the Haganah, in 1931.[10] n nIn 1944 Begin assumed the organization's leadership, determined to force the British government to remove its troops entirely from Palestine. Giving as reasons that the British had reneged on the promises given in the Balfour Declaration and that the White Paper of 1939 restricting Jewish immigration was an escalation of their pro-Arab policy, he decided to break with the Haganah. Soon after he assumed command, a formal 'Declaration of Revolt' was publicized, and armed attacks against British forces were initiated. n nBegin issued a call to arms and from 1944–48 the Irgun launched an all-out armed rebellion, perpetrating many attacks against British installations and posts. Begin financed these operations by extorting money from Zionist businessmen, and running bogus robbery scams in the local diamond industry, which enabled the victims to get back their losses from insurance companies. n nBegin with Irgun members, 1948 nFor several months in 1945–46, the Irgun’s activities were coordinated within the framework of the Hebrew Resistance Movement. Begin was responsible for the bombing of the British administrative and military headquarters at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, in 1946. n nThe attack was conducted as part of a joint response to the British Operation Agatha, during which many Jews were arrested, weapons were seized and the Jewish Agency, from which many documents were removed, was raided. n nIrgun later claimed that warnings to evacuate had been sent but were ignored, though this has always been denied by the British authorities, and 91 people, British, Arab and Jewish, were killed. According to a documentary by 3BM Television, this made it known for decades as the deadliest terrorist attack of the 20th century.[13] Begin later defended the attack saying the Irgun provided advanced warning that a bomb had been planted." n n
"Ron Paul would make a terrible president." n nTherefore, we should just keep on electing globalist neocons who do the bidding of the central bankers, while we watch OUR sovereignty go down the tubes? Yeah, how's THAT working out for us?
The last thing the world needs is a nuclear Israel. Remember that Iran hasn't attacked anyone in over 100 years
"We give them about three billion dollars a year for military spending" n nHate to burst your bubble but that's welfare.
Your hole comment is filled with misinformation: n- The U.S. aid to Israel is indeed a little over a billion a year, and is provided mainly in military equipment. The U.S. receives nothing but the satisfaction of having an inconditional ally and a captive client for the military-industrial complex. n- General George Keagan retires in 1977, and died in 1993, so anything he said is irrelevant to the actual situation. n- Opinion polls in Israel show that more than 40% of the Israeli people believes the U.S. have a negative impact on their sovereignity. n- The military budget of the U.S. is almost SEVEN TIMES higher than the next country's (China). Neither China nor Russia's military is "growing exponentially"; in Russia's case, their military is the shadow of what once was. n- U.S. Navy and Air Force are shrinking IN PERSONNEL as a result of technology. The military budget on the contrary has been steadily rising. n nThe feud of the RJC with Ron Paul has a lot more to do with their own interests as a powerful lobbying organization deeply involved with banks and corporations, than with Israel's well-being.
welcome to commentary magazine, Jew haters! I see you're out this morning in force, sticking up for the weird little guy who thinks Iran should have a nuke. n nRon Paul would be dangerous if anyone listened to him. fortunately, nobody does. n nsorry, Pauliacs. the presidential race will go on without your boy, who isn't ever going to be a player, no matter how many times he runs. sorry.
I am a Ron Paul supporter..and a Jew. I don't want Iran to have a nuke, but I don't want Israel to have one either, although according to my understanding, Israel has plenty of nukes. In over 100 years Iran has been invaded and attacked by the US, Britain, the Soviets and Iraq. Iran has never attacked anyone in over 100 years. NO ONE. The Zionist agenda is Satanic. It is not Jewish. Don't make yourself out to be a Jew, you are a Satanist. You believe in Satan. I laugh at your comments, because you obviously have no clue how many people ARE listening to Ron Paul. You are going to see that despite the Zionist agenda of the major media outlets, he will win in Iowa. Just watch Satan.
not only may the Presidential race have to go on without Ron Paul, but one day Israel will have to go on without America. Let's hope that day comes soon
The world will have to go on without many millions of people, if America and Israel spark WWIII by attacking Iran.
I think it's tacky and a little disturbing.
I remember Congressman Rand Paul, making a pint of sitting in his office and not attending when Netanyahu made a speech to the joint session of Congress a few months ago. n nThat said it all. Even if one were an isolationist, one could be friendly to leadership of other friendly countries, and pay them the courtesy of greeting and listening to them. n nThe fact that he made a point of not attending, and allowing (inviting?) the media to show him doing so, speaks of something darker. n nAshe seems to have learned everything else at Dad's knee, perhaps he learned this as well? n n
Rand Paul skipped Netanyahu's speech because Harry Reid wished the speech to stop unanimous consent to move into the USAPATRIOT Act. In fact, he spent the entire day on the floor. n
The Capitol building is a place where the American people are represented, not foreign heads of state. Ron Paul does not sit through such unconstitutional, anti-American, hate-propaganda sessions in Congress because he is principled.
I am a Jewish Republican. I am very disappointed in the RJC's exclusion of Ron Paul. I believe that his positions would strengthen Israel. Not relying upon the United States for decision making. See how it has worked with Obama. Dr Paul wants to free Israel of United States intrusion upon their policy and decision making. This is a positive for Israel. Ron Paul has a real chance of being elected President of the United States. As far as him requiring Congressional authority to go to war, that is in the Constitution. Dr Paul is merely supporting the document upon which this nation was founded. RJC's position is irresponsible, the comments in the article are hateful and this stance does no service to American Jews. I am very disappointed in this organization. Ron Paul's views may not be in-line with other Republican candidates' views, but they are what the nation needs to survive. Both for the United States and Israel.
As an American Jew, I stand wholeheartedly behind you.
Good and right call by RJC.
Nonsense. Why even have debates if no contrary opinions are allowed? I don't care if you agree with Paul, but if you just have a bunch of folks competing for who can produce the best "I support Israel" soundbyte, the political process is worthless. The whole thing should be about many different Republican candidates with differing views, offering the choice between them to the people. Not 7 identical candidates, so you only get to choose which candidate is the "most fun to have a beer with", as if the President's job is just to have a beer with folks. (Although, given all the "Beer Summits", Obama might just think that.)
Rick Perry has also stated there will be no aid to Israel either and they are inviting him so this place is just a buncha hypocrites with a politicla agenda.. sad really that a religous outfit like this has to play political games, you should be ashamed!!
Harry McGuire Jr: correction. Governor Rick Perry believes in zero-based budgeting, including for 'foreign aid'. Since all of US 'aid' to Israel is military, and 75% of it has to be spent on Made in USA military assets, Gov. Perry is well aware that such aid to America's closest ally in the Eastern Med, and most reliable ally near the Suez Canal, would be in the interest of America, NATO, and Israel, who, in return, supplies critical defense technologies in avionics, drones, cyber-war, and counter-terrorism. And the blood-absorbing compress bandage that is credited with saving the lives of many Americans, including AZ Rep. Gabriel Giffords. nGov. Perry started the Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce fifteen years after his first visit to Israel in 1992 as Texas Agriculture Commissioner, to learn about Israeli irrigation and water reclamation technologies.
At the core Ron Paul wants a free and prosperous Israel as much as anyone else. At the core Ron Paul wants peace in the middle east and here for the US. The author and his sympathizers wish to twist a disagreement in policy of how to get Israel to the core goal mentioned into pretending Paul doesn’t want Israel to exist at all and that he is an anti-semite racist. n nWhat kind of anti semite has a picture of framed (Austrian Jew) Ludwig von Mises hanging on the wall of his Congressional office? What kind of anti-semite cites the late Murray N. Rothbard (Jew from New York) as a friend and mentor? n nLabeling someone a racist for their policies is a dirty attempt to control the dialogue. This goal of the RJC is clear. There is no easier way to control the dialogue than to not have it in the first place.
Israel is an ally to the US government. Unfortunately, it is becoming a burden to the American people. The money they are taking is our hard earned tax dollars that could be better spent here at home where so many people are losing their jobs and their homes. That’s not anti-Semitic, that’s pro-American. Israel should be responsible and take care of itself.
Israel is an ally to the American government. Unfortunately, it is becoming a burden to the American people. We should not be giving our hard earned tax dollars away when that money could be better spent here at home. Israel should be responsible and take care of itself. That's not anti-Semitic it's pro-American.
RJC's loss. Nothing to see here. Move along folks.
The rjc are against anyone who doesn't believe they have no say so in our country and since Ron Paul doesn't believe in pandering to them they call him racist , rascist is believing your the chosen ones and believing a president should be picked based on how much they cowar to isreal.
So the so called Republican Jews are proving that they are not really Americans at all,just infiltrators and spies,heck if they plot an attack on a foreign country or try to manipulate our elective process while in this country that should be considered treason.The American people have spoken,no support for Israel.True colors.
"there is no reason for it to allow Paul to pretend he is anything but an extremist who is far outside of the mainstream" n nTo quote Barry Goldwater, "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice" Sticking to principle in Washington might be extreme, but that is no pejorative to the American voter tired of lies, wars and bailouts. n nTake a look at the Nov 28 Iowa GOP poll results. Among Democrats and Independents, Paul has 56% support – about 20% higher than any other Republican candidate. Only in the narrow world of warmaking neocons does such support imply that he's far outside the mainstream.
Because of Einstein, I have been liking Jew people. Because of Jon Stewart, I have more like on Jew people. I thought Jew people were smart and intelligent and objective. But now, because of the stupid and biased behavior and speeches of some members of RJC, I start to realize that there're some very foolish and selfish and disgusting Jews in this world. Shame on those people who smear the good image of Jew people. Because RJC unfair treatment toward Dr. Ron Paul, I will work harder to spread Ron Paul's message.
I see the Paulbot Facebook team showed up to skew the thumbs up numbers. nHenry Ford, Sr. lives on – perhaps a genuine pacifist who nevertheless was deranged by his belief in that singular global conspiracy theory from a Tsarist propaganda fiction that never dies. n nIs the RJC Forum going to be televised or livestreamed? If not, I understand, although disappointed. n nLet someone else expose the dark subset of Paulbot-world. I took one google glimpse and saw how American history does repeat itself. n n
Looks like you were right on cue, K2K, by observing the number of downing hits you got from the Paulbots.
In 2007, the RJC excluded Congressmen Hunter, Paul, and Tancredo, and lied about the positions of Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo to justify their selection process. I quit the RJC in 2007 over the lies. Are you going to claim that Hunter or Tancredo were weak on Jihad. nThe RJC has an absolute right to write of Congressman Paul and Governors Johnson and Roemer. But they do themselves and the pro-Israel community a disservice. n
Too much deceptive thinking from this writer to comment on each instance. n nSo many insults about Ron Paul. So little objectivity. So little logic. But why? n nThose who do not have reasons for their positions resort to insults. Just calling someone a name instead of saying what is right or wrong about their policies. n nJonathan, you may be open to hearing facts rather than uninformed opinion. If so, here are some: n nNo, no, no… I don't want your emotion, Jonathan. I don't want your passionate insults or your name-calling either. I just want the truth. I just want reasons. A rational argument. You know, those pesky things that are the basis of decisions. The old-fashioned logic of discussion. n nFrom the article, it seems this organization just wants complete US loyalty and financial aid for Israel to continue no matter what Israel does. And it wants candidates to commit the US to doing this. n nOkay. That's pretty clear. "Be my friend and give me money and back me up whatever I do no matter what." Good summary? If I got that wrong, please correct. n nBut there is another point of view. Perhaps you will post it, perhaps not. You may not want me in your comments party – just as the RJC does not want alternative policy views in theirs. But here goes: n n— nBack in 2008, Paul gave the following explanation: n n"We treat Israel as a stepchild. We do not give them the responsibility that they deserve. We undermine their national sovereignty. We don't let them design their own peace treaties with their neighbors. And then we turn around and say that when you want to do that, or you want to defend your borders, they have to check it out with us. I think Israel would be a lot safer. I made the point earlier. We give three times as much money to the Arabs. Why do we arm their enemies? So if you care about Israel, you should be against all the weapons that go to the Arab nations." n nThe Congressman's stance does indeed go both ways. He does not just advocate less aid to Israel; he also stands up for Israel's national sovereignty. He went so far as to say that it is Israel's own business if it wants to attack Iran. n nSome Jewish people may agree with Paul's stance." n— n
Interesting development and good but thinly snide Tobin article. I find it curious that postmodern ‘Right’ thinking Jewish organizations would ban any significant US Presidential candidate? That is not very astute as Ron Paul mostly aligns with a Conservative/Libertarian policy that poses a lot less threat to Jews and Israel than the Progressive Leftist the majority of Jews historically support. There are some big changes in the near future, we all need as many allies as possible, right?
Simply amazing. The author actually thinks this article qualifies as journalism? Mr. Tobin either has his own axe to grind (thereby completely ignoring the prime principles of journalistic integrity), or he is utterly clueless as to Dr. Paul's values and where he stands on the issues. Dr. Paul has always used the Constitution as his yardstick for measuring ideas. It's not always "convenient," but the truth often is not. However, once compromised, the door is opened for all sorts of unintended consequences. Instead of trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, why not try a candidate who actually wants to help restore liberty, the Constitution, and the rule of law in this country?
Wow. Accusations of anti-Semitism. The neocon version of the race card. Hypocrites.
If the arguments against Ron Paul's positions are so robust then why ar they afraid to have him there? n nIs censorship the way to promote Israel as a democracy with diverse viewpoints? n nWhat evidence is there that US aid even helps Israel's economy? n nWhat happened to the Kfir? Why isn't Israel allowed to fully develop it's own weapons programs without US meddling? n nHow is it not a subsidy to the US military-industrial complex to give money to Israel and then demand that that same money be used to buy US military hardware? n nHow is giving aid to Israel's enemies being anti-Israel? n nHow does this act of censorship not play right into the hands of anti-Semites? n nYes, I suppose censorship and name-calling is much easier than responding to inconvenient questions.
It seems to me that Israel is more of a threat to Iran than the other way around. Let's not forget that Iran has attacked no one in over 100 years but have themselves been invaded and occupied by the US, the Soviets and Britain since WWI. Their oil was privatized by the puppet Mossadegh and BP oil was created. Israel, the British and the US supplied Saddam Hussein with biological and chemical weapons that killed hundreds of thousands of Iranians, and now Israel is beating the drums for war. Without the support of the US, they don't have the balls, and that's the truth. They yell and scream alot but it's almost like the kid in the school yard who orders his friends to attack someone, but when they're alone, they don't have the balls to do it themselves. The US should know better. If we stopped supported Israel financially and militarily, they would have no other choice but to sit down and make peace with their neighbors
To Hell with the RJC. We all know to which nation they pledge allegiance, and it is not America.
For less than 1% of Israel’s GDP in US Aid, the US has been telling that country what to do for a long time. At the same time the US continues to give large sums of money to all the other countries in the region, many who openly don’t like Israel. Israel should be able to do as it wants without worrying about the US. For example in 1981 when Israel bombed the Iraq nuclear reactor, Ron Paul was one of the only congressmen to refuse to condemn Israel for doing so. The US should of course continue to be friends with Israel, but it should stop the foreign policy of trying to bribe the world to act nicely towards US interests. r nr nOh I’m also surprised Israel isn’t still upset at the US CIA backed regime change in democratic Iran in ’53, which led to the radical authoritarian country it is now. Another shining example of failed US Foreign policy.
Aid to any nation is detrimental, but aid to israel has been truly disastrous. Magazines like Commentary and others are the first to criticize an administration when they start telling Israel how to conduct its affairs. Yet they erroneously blame the Democrats for this even while Republican administrations do the same thing. The real culprit here is foreign aid. It is the justification the the U.S. uses to force Israel and other nations to do their bidding. It is apparently unimportant to some that this military aid is actually quite tiny (only 25% of Israel's MILITARY budget) or that the Israel's enemies combined receive more aid than Israel, or that Israel has actually become a wealthy nation over the past few decades and should (like all sovereign nations) support itself, or that foreign entanglements have resulted in the loss of American lives and freedoms. The neoconservatives promote aid not because it benefits Israelis, but because they use it as a political weapon to herd the uninformed masses into their camp. As a Jew who supports Ron Paul, I am embarrassed by the RJC and the rest of the neoconservatives. Not just because they are catering to the ignorant, but also because they are smearing a sincere man who believes in the idea of liberty. The fact the both parties have throughly eroded our constitutional freedoms should be a paramount concern of Jews and every other American. Our nation's belief in individual freedom is what enabled the world's outcasts, including Jews, to seek refuge here while empires with large, intrusive and militaristic governments ceaselessly persecuted all but their elites. Over the years, Republicans and Democrats have, through central banking and a bloated military, gradually chipped away at the inalienable rights that made this country great. if history is any guide, perhaps we should be less distracted by external affairs and be far more concerned with what happens at home.
"…But this is not a serious argument". nWhat isn't serious is the author's qualifications and intelligence. nAnd for a final, crazy thought, how about we look in the Constitution and figure out where we give the Feds the right to give foreign aid? Perhaps I overlooked that section?
This is a Presidential election, not a diplomatic visit. To not allow your fellow countrymen to hear a voice you don't care for, is more than a bit selfish. RJC's decision reflects poorly on them, and will only harm Israel's rapidly sliding image here in the states. Dr. Ron Paul is a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, a sitting U.S. Congressman of 20+years, and a highly respected Physician. He's spent his life in the service of others, in this country as well as abroad. It is men like Dr. Paul, men of honor, duty, and courage who heeded the call when the Jewish people were facing certain extermination in the teeth of fascism. Both of my grandfathers enlisted to join the fight at the ages of 17 and 18 respectively. Both were wounded on D-Day on Normandy Beach, and their medals hang in my house as a reminder of the sacrifice they made in the service of others. I've known men of great honor, and Dr. Paul is one of those men. The RJC certainly has the right to silence Dr. Paul in this forum, but they would do well to remember that right only exists, because of honorable men like Dr. Ron Paul…..
Mastafing wrote "…It is men like Dr. Paul, men of honor, duty, and courage who heeded the call when the Jewish people were facing certain extermination in the teeth of fascism. …" n nI recommend reading Timothy Snyder's "Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin", and Andrew Roberts' "The Storm of War" to understand that America did NOT enter World War II because "…Jewish people were facing certain extermination in the teeth of fascism…." nEuropean Jews were NEVER a factor for America. n n
Perhaps, K2K, perhaps. A blanket statement. Many knew that something was going on. Many knew the policies of Hitler regarding the Jews. Many knew. Some of them were Americans. n nThe point Mastafing is making should be taken seriously. Those men and women enlisted for patriotic reasons. Many gave their lives to serve. Those today owe their freedom to those people. n nAnd what do they do with that freedom? They use it to attempt to silence dissent, limit debate to cheerleading contestants and smear the honest, principled men of the US. n nThis is not what the American soldiers of WWII fought for. They fought against that. Those who oppose freedom of thought have the same spirit now as those who persecuted freedom in WWII.
JasDal: Dr. Ron Paul, after his medical residency at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, was drafted into the US Air Force in 1963 because the Selective Service Act of 1948 "…required all men, ages 18 to 26, to register. It also created the system for the "Doctor Draft" aimed at inducting health professionals into military service. Unless otherwise exempted or deferred, these men could be called for up to 21 months of active duty and five years of reserve duty service. …" from wiki on Conscription in the United States. n nDr. Ron Paul admits he was drafted, and I assume he completed all of his service with honor. n nHowever, that does not give anyone the right to conflate the military service of Dr. Ron Paul, who had no intention of voluntary service, with the men and women who VOLUNTEERED to serve during World War 2, and the Korean War. My father, may he rest in peace at Arlington National Cemetery, gave up his exemption as a highly skilled machinist, to volunteer on December 8, 1941, and serve in the United States Navy for the entire war. nHe then re-enlisted for the Korean War. n n
Good point. I had no intention of doing that. Honorable service should be honored.
Anyone who read Hitler's "Mein Kampf" knew his genocidal intentions to the Jews, and Roma, and, Slavs. Most chose to NOT believe anyone would act on such intentions, including tens of thousands of German converts to Christianity who had Jewish grandparents, and thus were deemed racially "Jewish" under Hitler's Nuremburg Laws. n nThe U.S. State Department, with the acquiesence of President Franklin D Roosevelt, refused to even fill the quotas allotted for immigrants from Germany in the 1930's because that meant too many more Jews when American unemployment was still high. n nGermany declared war on the United States after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. FDR had his opportunity to go to war to save Europe and Great Britain from Facsim and oppression. Saving European Jews was NOT a factor. Hitler accelerated his Final Solution after D-Day. n nWe have more than two thousand years of knowing what happens when a nation decides to get rid of the Jews. nIt is only an accident of Dutch history that any Jews were allowed to emigrate to British colonial America. n n
Interesting. Let us not also forget the little known story of the sorry treatment of the gypsies in Europe. Many other peoples have been persecuted. One can include the early Christians and most religious groups when they are in their infancy. n nBut all these groups found freedom in the US. That is when the US was a beacon of freedom when it honored the Bill of Rights and its Constitution. No more. That is just treated as pieces of "obsolete" paper. Sad.
The Roma I cited as targets of Hitler's genocide are what you call 'gypsies'. n nThe USA as a "beacon of freedom" started losing it's glow in the 1840's when the Irish Catholics fled the atrocity of their British-induced famine for the FivePoints slums of New York. n nEnough. Having flashbacks to the signage of my childhood in the 1950's "No Jews or Dogs Allowed" n nDon't get me wrong – with the re-birth of the Jewish State of Israel, at least now we know we are targets, never "victims". But, America is always on the edge of Jew-hatred – it never disappears. nMost of the world just can not stand when Jews shoot back
You have a seemingly good grasp of history. But I do have some things that puzzle me based on your short summary of – well, let's face it, 2000 years of history. n n- "No Irish Need Apply" was also a sign in New York during the immigration wave. "No Italians" before that. "No Pakis". "No Chinese". Basically, no new immigrants – now that I, an immigrant, got here first (I just want my relatives here too). n nSo, okay, let's accept your premise that Jews have been hated throughout history. The question is "why?". If you examine hatred in human beiings – it does not arise out of nothing. Much of it is through mis-education of some group not being responsible for its own problems – and blaming others for them. n nBut, at the risk of being labeled "racist" (and there is really only one human "race" – we are all 99.999999999% genetically identical. Superficial differences) – why? Why are Jews hated so much (if this is true and not just paranoia). n nCould it be that they have a belief system that says: "God, the creator of absolutely everything says we are his chosen people. We are special. We are closest to God. He loves us best. We are better. The rest of you? mmm…. not so much. n nBeing teacher's pet is – well, not going to make you many friends in class. How about just being equal to all the other students? n nOr perhaps you have other reasons to explain this irrational "hatred" of one group throughout history.
Short history of antisemitism: n1) Greek and Roman polytheism that evolved from animism was threatened by the first monotheism, Judaism. n2) After the Roman Empire adopted Christianity as the official state religion, and some Jews refused to convert, the Church spent almost 1,700 years on Jews as Christ-killer. The two major Christian schisms, and devolution of those schisms into sects was very bloody, but the Jews still refused to convert where the Church held political control. (that is really the short version) n3) post-European&American Enlightenment mid-19th century, racial theories of "the other" based on "science" were very popular. n nBoth Christianity before the Protestant schism, and Islam have laws against usury. Add in the stereotype of Shakespeare's Shylock. nCertainly not about "chosenness". nNo Hindu or Buddhist ever had a problem with Judaism.
History is long and complex. The roots of mono-theism go back further than the Judeo-Christian emergence. How about to the ancient Egyptians. Ah yes, AKHENATEN, the erased Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt… n— n"Akhenaten and Judeo-Christian Monotheism: nThe idea of Akhenaten as the pioneer of a monotheistic religion that later became Judaism has been considered by various scholars. One of the first to mention this was Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, in his book Moses and Monotheism. Freud argued that Moses had been an Atenist priest forced to leave Egypt with his followers after Akhenaten's death. Freud argued that Akhenaten was striving to promote monotheism, something that the biblical Moses was able to achieve. Following his book, the concept entered popular consciousness and serious research. n nOther scholars and mainstream Egyptologists point out that there are direct connections between early Judaism and other Semitic religious traditions. They also state that two of the three principal Judaic terms for God, Yahweh, Elohim (morphologically plural), and Adonai (meaning "our lord", also morphologically plural) have a connection to Aten." n nYep, they persecuted Akhenaten too. Another "cult" persecuted. It is the common theme in all religions – it is also a good "us-vs-them" game that is played out even today – also called: "we-are-victims-whom-evil-ones-persecute". n nMost of this comes from the human tendency to avoid self-criticism and self-responsibility. Ever hear God say: "Oops! Sorry, my fault! Won't happen again! "
Mr. Tobin: This post is your finest hour! nNow you have a glimpse of what it is like to enter Obamaworld, when the topic is Israel. n nI really miss when wars, including cyber-wars, ended with unconditonal surrender.
At the Republican presidential debates in the coming months, there will be no shortage of candidates. But after a tumultuous Saturday which brought us a new and formidable contender in the person of Texas Governor Rick Perry and Michele Bachmannu200b’s victory in the Ames straw poll, there are now only three persons who have a chance to win the 2012 Republican presidential nomination: Mitt Romneyu200b, Perry and Bachmann. — 1st paragraph of Tobin's 8/14/11 Commentary article, nOnly Three Plausible GOP Candidates
A lot of Israelis support the idea of not receiving military (or any) aid from America. With $285B national GDP of Israel, the strings that come with the $3B aid are a detriment to Israel's decision making. Both Bush and Obama interjected their foreign policy world view which resulted in weakening Israel's position in the region and compromised its security (e.g. pullout from Gaza, which became a rocket launch and arms smuggling haven for Hamas, taking over from more moderate Palestinians). Military cooperation is very likely to continue anyways because it's in the interest of both sides to share intelligence and co-train on new weapon systems. If you take a rational view, you'd quickly realize that the US gets a super-CIA like support from Israel for a fraction of the cost and without placing any US soldier at harm. The RJC is taking a very narrow-minded viewpoint in my opinion, albeit stating on their website that they're for diversity of opinion. Note that I haven't commented on the article itself, which doesn't qualify as journalism in my book, more like a drunken, fact-less rant. By the way, I'm an ex-Israeli American Jew and am personally embarrassed by the inevitable reputation flack the RJC's decision is inflicting on Jews in general. I wouldn't be an RJC member, that is for sure. Ron Paul is not nearly as extreme as the RJC's decision to exclude him from a republican debate. Time will prove the RJC wrong. Ron Paul 2012!
Oh give the eccentric Tobin a break! Although he chooses an isolationist view of the truth here and sometimes claims to be a friend to Israel, few are deceived by his disingenuous stance. There’s no reason why anyone needs to buy into his pretense. n nThis is not a serious argument. Only a fool would defend the fearful actions of the RJC and their barring of a principled truth-teller. Tobin is not a fool. He knows what he is doing. n nTobin values the truth above all political agendas. He was just pulling out legs. Funny!
Rarely have I seen so much nonsensical ignorance packed into so few paragraphs. nAll the gratuitous use of the fallacious epithet "isolationist." Ron Paul is not an isolationist; anyone who tosses that bogus accusation towards him is either ignorant or disingenuous. nIt is those who advocate continued meddlesome warfare statism and strike-first warmongering who are the real isolationists. They are the ones who want the rest of the world to view Americans as callous, arrogant, and careless bullies. Ron Paul just has enough sense to understand that real leaders by example, don't try to impose ideas and values on others by force, and that America's interests are best served by a policy of free and open trade with all nations while shunning unconditional alliances and partiality in disputes being foreign governments.
RJC's position is much like that of a perverted parent who wants to keep her child weak and dependent so that the parent can feel important and needed. n nRon Paul's position is like that of a loving father who wants to see the child grow up strong, healthy, and independent. n nPresently, we give many times more aid to Israel's enemies than to Israel. She would be better off if it ALL stopped. With a stockpile of hundreds of nukes and by far the best military in the region, Israel is certainly able to take care of herself if we would only let her, and allow her to make her own decisions about what is in her own best interest. Instead, we insist she give up land and sit on her hands. That is not healthy, that is extremely sick.
“My friends, you don’t need to do nation building in Israel. We’re already built. You don’t need to export democracy to Israel. We’ve already got it. You don’t need to send American troops to defend Israel. We defend ourselves." ~ Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, May 2011 before the U.S. Congress n nGuess the Prime Minister of Israel is anti-Israel too from the standards of this article…
Do you know what isolationism is? Just because we aren’t going to participate in the disputes of other nations and spend our money nation-building overseas doesn’t make us an isolationist country. Also, do you know what a debate is? I’m sure there are many Jews who would preferred to see a real one, rather than just the candidates that your organization decides are right. What an absolute disgrace.
Looks like some Paulistinians dropped by and downrated my early comment on this thread. It's an honor to be dissed by such characters. n nThe RJC Forum was terrific. Glad I got to see it online. Keep up the great work RJC (and Commentary.)
I'm voting for Ron Paul 2012. Its too bad the RJC could not invite Ron Paul who is an honest man to the debate. Are they afraid of the truth? They made Jews around the world look like a specialized group. They really messed up big time, and seem to be clueless. I am getting lots to vote for Ron Paul, and when he wins, this group will wish they had him at the debates.
The sun does not rise and fall on Jewish / Israeli interests. Ron Paul gets my vote, and countless other votes, no matter who doesn't like it.
I'm just curious as to why the internet doesn't automatically put 'stink lines' above your excrescences – I mean writings.