    'My Virulent Anti-Semitism' (And Theirs)

    By Mark Green MarkGreen@flashpoin t-tv.net September 6, 2006

    Mark Green is a former TV talk show host.

    After years of denial, I've concluded that I'm hopelessly anti-Semitic.
    Why? It's my terrible attitude. Not only do I disdain US militarism in
    the Middle East , but I've identified its key enabling causes:
    intellectual dishonesty, democratic corruption and media deception. But
    it gets worse: I place the primary blame for America's Mideast disasters
    squarely on organized Jewry.

    For those in the know, this makes me not only an anti-Semite, but a
    "virulent" anti-Semite, which is surely worse. Had I blamed everything
    on G.W. Bush, "Big Oil", or unnamed hawks in the Pentagon, then
    everything would be fine.

    Some might even call me a political leader. But what I've discovered
    doesn't take me there.

    Indeed, America's relentless Mideast military engagements consistently
    support the agenda of one nation only. That nation is Israel .

    It's undeniable that many savvy political observers agree that Israel
    tends to make its own rules, which is bad enough. What's worse, is that
    America tends to follow them. Take the war our ruling establishment is
    threatening to wage against Israel 's enemy du jour, Iran . Who would
    have guessed that the prospect of nuclear energy development 5,000 miles
    from the nearest American city would bring out the Sixth fleet? Funny
    thing. As it is, however, Iran's proximity is a mere 450 miles from
    Israel which, sadly, is the real reason America's on another war
    footing.

    Iran, you see, just happens to support several local resistance
    movements (called "terrorists", here) that contest Israel's confiscation
    of land formerly belonging to one neighboring country or another. This
    might not be such a big deal if not for an unexpected development which
    has crept up on America in recent years: when Israel gets irritated,
    Washington gets agitated.

    Let's agree that the cheapest and easiest option for the US is simple
    neutrality. It's an old-fashioned idea, sure, and one that's largely
    forgotten, but it's got a nice ring to it. After all, given the relative
    strength of Iran's army vs. ours, few experts see this less affluent
    nation launching a successful attack on the US for about two centuries.
    So we've got time. Unfortunately, there are lobby pressures here in the
    US to consider. That's where Israel comes in. Neutrality makes sense for
    a country with our strengths, power and accomplishments, sure.

    Only it's not an option. Why? "Strategic necessity". And in addition to
    that, don't forget the pro-Israel fundraisers, assorted intellectuals,
    DC lawyers, policy wonks, movie moguls, Jewish federations, Zionist
    donors, esteemed academics, news editors, advisors, Holocaust survivors,
    AIPAC's minions, TV executives, roving bloggers, and more ADL operatives
    than you can shake a stick at.

    In fact, with today's politics being what they are, the option of
    neutrality-- of doing absolutely nothing, of not sending troops -- is so
    totally out of step, so terribly reminiscent of Nazi appeasement (we're
    told) that it will certainly not even be considered-- at least when
    Israel's foes are concerned. This is what passes for contemporary
    political wisdom. "Great Powers" must always intervene.

    And in no instance is this more true than when the Great Power in
    question is the United States of America and the intervention in
    question concerns our plucky, defiant, besieged "democratic" (but only
    for Jews) ally, the State of Israel!

    There are a few drawbacks however. Serial warfare does, unfortunately,
    get expensive. Plus there's the problem of all those dead and wounded
    GIs...

    Then again, nobody said managing an Empire would be easy, right?

    Anyway, as for the latest nuclear "crisis" with Iran , first, a little
    background:

    Way back when, decades ago, long before Israel enjoyed the territorial
    breathing space it now occupies, Jewish operatives secretly decided to
    acquire enriched uranium. I don't recall them asking anyone's
    permission. From there, Israel upped the ante and cranked out a stadium
    full of atomic bombs. When the headline finally broke, Washington didn't
    fuss much. Nor in fact did N.Y., Hollywood or any of those other heady
    places where scorn and disapproval rain down upon those miscreants who
    break vital rules involving The American People and Revered Democratic
    Values. Later, regional rivals in the Middle East tried to follow
    Israel's bold example. Leading American voices responded: "How dare
    they?" Soon thereafter, high government decided that "measures" had to
    be taken: "These dangerous steps will not be tolerated."

    US political morality is less about the rule of law, than about
    alliances, "interests" and deals. The objective is power. How do we get
    it? Through the abuse of power. This is how the game is now played. And
    no government alliance with our great republic is more "special" than
    the one involving Israel . To merely call this "cronyism" does not even
    come close to acknowledging the absolute brilliance behind the
    accomplishments of a small, determined collection of Zionist
    visionaries. Their extraordinary feat took decades to achieve. And it
    all happened while the average American snoozed.

    Here we go:

    Billions in foreign aid? No problem.

    Zero accountability? Naturally.

    Special privileges, special rules? Of course.

    Ethnic cleansing? What's the big deal?

    Weapons of Mass Destruction? For YOU, anything anytime.

    To me, this smells like the deal of the century. But then, I'm a
    "virulent" anti-Semite.

    But for you remaining moralists out there, consider this:

    Like Iraq before it, Iran is a signatory to the international Nuclear
    Non-proliferation Treaty. Israel, however, refuses to sign. Israel, and
    only Israel, gets the perennial green light from Above to manufacture
    and possess nuclear weapons in all the Middle East. This unspecified
    privilege is rarely discussed, yet it's surely central to Iran's current
    quest to achieve its own deterrent capabilities. Despite all this, it is
    Iraq and Iran --not Israel --who face America's wrath for the mere
    possibility that they could follow the Jewish State's provocative lead.
    Israel's nuclear arsenal not only makes the possibility of atomic
    annihilation more likely, but it gives life to an arms race in the
    world's most volatile region.

    Washington, London , New York and Hollywood's collective wisdom on this
    matter may be summarized as followed: "So?"

    US foreign policies have become so uniquely inconsistent, so
    politicized, that they make a mockery of international law. Can moral
    decay be far behind? No wonder the UN is such a basket case. Like the
    corpse of a fish, it's rotting from the head down. In supreme deference
    to Israel , America has discarded its opportunity to lead the world by
    example, namely, upholding the impartial rule of law. Consequently,
    America's entire Mideast mission carries the stain of Jewish
    "exceptionalism" . Why so little outcry? The problem is demographic and
    ideological: America's media and political classes are overstocked with
    'Israel-first' loyalists. Their target: US public opinion and the
    institutions which shape it.

    To push this agenda, pro-Israel spin-meisters have convinced Americans
    into believing that our government's ongoing war dance towards all of
    Israel's adversaries signal nothing more than the mere convergence of
    US-Zionist interests. But that's a kosher fairy tale. Israeli
    fingerprints are all over America's disastrous war in Iraq as well as
    our continuing confrontation with Iran. And our President's
    self-righteous claims about spreading "freedom" and "democracy" are just
    as contrived. Not only have all the original rationalizations for the US
    invasion of Iraq been discredited, but comparable Israeli misdeeds are
    consistently met with American aid, diplomatic cover, and
    state-of-the-art weapons systems. This pattern has endured for decades.
    And woe to those would-be leaders who dare challenge this glaring double
    standard, as they tend to disappear.

    It can be argued that America is a nation under'soft occupation' by a
    shadow government serving a foreign power.

    Despite that provocative claim, my anti-Semitism has its accommodating
    limits. I strive to live harmoniously with those Jews (and others) who
    refuse to push our nation into needless wars. I even believe that our
    nation can make peace with most of the "Muslim terrorists" we Americans
    are programmed to despise. But Western interventionists must give them
    autonomy and leave them be, since we demand nothing less for ourselves.
    My anti-Semitism is real, yes, but nuanced. What about yours? Is it
    incorrect (like mine) or conventional (like Washington's)? After all,
    the US and Israel bomb, demonize and depopulate areas of high Semitic
    density way over there (near Israel) with some regularity - yet the ADL,
    both major political parties in Washington, the American Jewish
    Committee, FOX News, AIPAC, the majority of Christian evangelicals, and
    even most mainstream institutions of governance don't seem to mind much.
    Even the American voter (depending on the headlines) is pretty much on
    board. What gives? Are some forms of anti-Semitism a good thing? Are
    some Semites more equal than others?

    Indeed, it's clear that the very meaning of the word "Anti-Semitism" is
    kept deliberately fuzzy, and it is this ambiguity of definition which
    makes the term so politically useful. After all, we are reminded that
    the Nazis began their genocidal campaign by making accusations against
    the Jews, right?--And where did that lead? Thus, the suppression of
    "hateful" (or even "hurtful") speech is now one of the key unwritten
    rules of protocol when it comes to criticizing Semitic behavior that is
    Jewish. Yes, you may respectfully chastise Israel as it sends guided
    missiles into Arab neighborhoods, but there must be love in your heart!
    Better yet, just say nothing at all. Leave policy arguments to the Left
    wing ("pro-peace" ) Jews who, after 50 years, remain highly visible but
    dutifully ineffective. As for those other Semites -- those
    "Islomo-fascists, " those "homicide bombers" -- here is where the rules
    of discourse and engagement reverse course.

    Witness the modern, conventional and politically-correct form of
    anti-Semitism: identify the Jihadist enemies, vilify them, and crush
    them. The political movement might be Hamas or Al Queda or Hezbollah.
    Whatever. Who knows, and who cares? Their respective origins and
    purposes are as much of a blur in the American Mind as our reasons for
    hating them. What matters is that they, like Saddam Hussein before them,
    oppose American (and Israeli) "interests". Thus, we paint Hamas and
    Hezbollah with the same brush as Al Queda.

    Now go out there and vote you American knuckleheads. But watch out for
    what you say. Racism and bigotry will NOT be tolerated, especially
    anti-Semitism. What we've got to do is spread freedom, stop terrorism,
    and fight for... whatever.

    But when rhetoric fails to match reality, problems arise. US policies
    are in an moribund state. Despite the loud chatter about democracy, no
    nation on earth comes close to matching our quantity of unwelcome
    soldiers patrolling foreign lands. Yes, the Empire has no clothes, as
    we're running out of money and friends. Whether or not the average,
    clueless voter ever figures this out is another matter.

    Contributing to this problem, Big Media is in bed with Big Government,
    as they both need one another to effectively rule the world. America's
    hand-picked pundit class is not only pro-empire, but overwhelmingly
    pro-Israel. So the political forecast is grim. Expect continued war,
    escalating world-wide disgust with US-Israeli hegemony, and a further
    rise in political cronyism here at home. This, regrettably, is our
    political future no matter which candidate gets the nod in 2008, since
    all viable US office-seekers invariably run on the anything-for-Israel
    platform.

    Indeed, when we look closely at the contemporary phenomena of privilege
    and power in America, we see something quite different than what's
    commonly advertised. Those scary anti-Semites of the world are actually
    quite powerless, unfairly mocked, continuously threatened, and often
    destroyed. And their poor, beleaguered adversaries? American Jews are
    the most affluent, influential and accomplished minority in US history,
    criticism of their political actions by 'outsiders' is taboo, and our
    government is hog wild IN LOVE with the Jewish State. Champagne, anyone?

    In fact, it can be argued that we are in the midst of a unparalleled
    epidemic of PHILO-Semitism. Pound for pound, no nation on earth gets the
    amount of economic, military and diplomatic cover that we Americans
    lavish on Israel year after year. Despite the money and bloodshed,
    America's commitment to the Jewish State remains - to quote former
    Presidential candidate Al Gore - "unshakable" . And President G.W.
    Bush's infatuation with Israel may be even more off the charts. Indeed,
    no change of Administration, no U.N. resolution, no war crime charge, or
    US national emergency, ever diminishes our federal government's
    unsettling adoration for the Jewish State. More unsettling still:
    virtually no public figure dares to ask, "Why"?

    When we review our political relationship for the past generation or
    more, we find that there is simply nothing our nation is unwilling to do
    for our colonizing, nuclear-ready, ethnic-cleansing, "democratic" ally.
    Isn't this just a wee bit outrageous? It's certainly unprecedented. The
    costs of this alliance to the American taxpayer are absolutely
    astronomical and climbing rapidly. What it's done to our national
    reputation however, moves us in the opposite direction. Recent polling
    data indicates that a nearly a third of Western Europe considers the US
    a primary threat to world peace. Our nation's international reputation
    is probably at an all-time low.

    Indeed, it's America's unconditional love for one group of Semites over
    another that has lead us into a series of needless (and
    morally-bankrupt) wars. Even America's "War on Terrorism" may eventually
    be understood as little more than a manufactured pretext to advance
    bankrupt policies. After all, "terrorism" too is a fuzzy and politicized
    term. It describes merely a tactic, not an ideology. But the political
    grievances behind many acts of terror are real. Mideast terrorists hate
    us for what we do, not for who we are. And what we do is sustain Israeli
    militarism and expansionism virtually without condition. If this wasn't
    true, these terrorists could easily turn their sights on other "Western"
    targets. But don't hold your breath. You will never see Al Qaeda
    attacking the likes of Japan , Switzerland or Austria, since these
    Western nations don't advance meddlesome and hegemonic foreign policies.

    In fact, it's American taxpayers and Americans in uniform who are the
    unwitting fools in this whole scenario. America is a captive bride, the
    victim of an arranged marriage which, at its core, is actually loveless.
    The Israeli affection for the United States is born of political
    necessity. And their distrust of the American people is unmistakable.
    This is why we Americans, the "great friends of Israel", are subjected
    to continuous Holocaust propaganda as well as other kosher narratives
    day in and day out. America's once modest pride and sense of fairness
    has given way to collective hubris, guilt and arrogance. Gentleness,
    fair play and humility do not mesh well with war.

    How else do you explain the manufactured alarm over one small country's
    ambition to develop nuclear energy (Iran), while its famously-besieged
    neighbor confiscates land and water by force, systematically destroys
    non-Jewish property, launches a full-scale international invasion over
    the capture of two armed soldiers, and moves defiantly towards enlarging
    its already-terrifying arsenal of nuclear weapons? Do you see a happy
    ending on the horizon?

    More perverse still, our very own news media is determined to circulate
    the false news that it's the US, not Israel, which is most threatened by
    Iran's tiny step into the atomic age. US production of pro-Zionist spin
    simply never stops, since 'attitude management' on a national scale is a
    colossal job.

    Our Israeli-centric cultural values have created a swelling distortion
    in our nation's intellectual and political climate, which brings us back
    to the obsessive use of that overwrought and overused term,
    "anti-Semitism" . Why the fancy lingo? After all, those other Semites
    aren't at all what that unique term is designed to cover. So why the
    misleading label? The sacred taboo shields Jews exclusively, so why the
    avoidance of plain language?

    Why? Because plain language tends to undermine vital myths and taboos.
    When one removes the anti-Semite boogeyman from the political arena, the
    non-Jewish critic is free to choose sides in a complex struggle
    involving Jews, Arabs, Persians and Americans. Only then can one be
    legitimately anti-Jewish, pro-Jewish, whatever, just as one can be pro-
    or anti-Syrian, or pro- or anti-war, or pro- or anti-Republican. Seek
    peace. Cultivate your alliances. The presumed 'Original Sin' of
    anti-Semitism (concerning Jews) must be lifted from the American Mind.
    Only then can freedom of choice return to the intellectual marketplace.
    Thereafter, political discourse goes guilt-free. The playing field
    becomes level again. And finally, the option --the necessity --of
    exploring pro-Israel excess in American politics is legitimately on the
    table, where it belongs.

    Let's agree and state openly that hostility against Jews because of
    their genetic profile, economic status, or religious beliefs is utterly
    wrong. Unprovoked violence against any and all is unacceptable. But
    special protections and special privileges are a dangerous step in the
    direction of racial supremacism.

    The "anti-Semitism" taboo has become an abused privilege. The taboo
    assures that certain conduct and behavior (guided by Jewish
    self-interest) is beyond criticism. The charge, or veiled threat, of
    anti-Semitism succeeds by insinuation. The accusation, the suspected
    "whiff" is designed is to render critics guilty of 'bad character'
    automatically. As a political tactic it is brilliant, since it manages
    to keep millions whispering among themselves rather than speaking out
    publicly. These chains must be broken.

    When that day comes, will America regain enough independence of mind to
    re-evaluate its national prerogatives? It's possible. But the Israel
    conundrum is surely our greatest challenge. Certainly, all military
    alliances must be earned. And the double-standards must end as well.

    Indeed, the preferential treatment we accord the Jewish State would be
    illegal if practiced openly within the US, since it violates
    Constitutional provisions mandating equal treatment under the law, as
    well as the separation of Church (and Synagogue) from State. Isn't it
    about time our nation started respecting the world's Semitic peoples
    outside our borders equally, as we're required to do towards the many
    different ethnic and religious groups living within our borders? This is
    the core problem: America's "special relationship" with Israel is all
    about giving the Jewish State an advantage over its neighbors. And to
    maintain this preference, we Americans are subjected to a continuous
    drumbeat of noise involving anti-Semitism, The Holocaust,
    Islamo-fascism, Nazism and so on. This unending, repetitive chatter
    subliminally softens us towards bending in the direction of Tel Aviv.
    Without saying so, Israel requires (and gets) special consideration from
    Americans each and every day.

    The latest "crisis" concerning Iran's quest for nuclear energy/weapons
    is a valuable example of how this political reflex works. Here the
    message is clear but mixed: Iranians, Iraqis and non-Jews in the Middle
    East can't be trusted with nuclear deterrence. But Israel ? Your nukes
    are absolutely fabulous, babe.

    No doubt about it: Israel is not only America's most coddled ally, but
    Israeli-Americans enjoy government-sanctioned special treatment. Their
    Semitic neighbors on the other hand are the political equivalent of a
    leper colony. Which brand of Anti-Semitism will YOU be buying? President
    Bush's brand calls for an American-style Jihad against "Islamic
    fascism", even though Christians and Muslims have successfully coexisted
    in the Middle East for centuries. But this was before the Jewish State
    was invented. Polling data confirms that Arab Christians throughout the
    Middle East resent Zionized America every bit as much as their Muslim
    counterparts. Clearly then, the escalating tension between America and
    the Arab world does not involve theological differences or America's
    much-ballyhooed "freedoms". The core issue for millions of Arabs and
    Persians alike concerns longstanding US policies which favors Israeli
    interests over those of its neighbors. Foremost, this includes the
    festering, unresolved issue of Palestine.

    Therefore, what's desperately needed now is more responsible criticism
    of America's Israeli-centric policies, not less. Due to political
    pressures, anti-Zionist commentators and journalists have been
    sidelined. No wonder there's so little public discussion on this vital
    topic: would-be critics have been purged or unfairly smeared.

    Under normal circumstances, those waging war, dissembling propaganda,
    and confiscating lands are required to justify their actions, not the
    victims. Yet pro-Israeli American culture has turned this tradition on
    its head.

    This undermines our nation's sovereignty, democratic institutions, and
    the rule of law.