'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.