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Unfair apples-to-oranges comparison

Reader comment on item: Americans Battle the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Submitted by Dan Simon (United States), Mar 11, 2015 at 18:36

I don't think it's fair to compare the virulence of the most extreme partisans in the US with official Middle Eastern spokespeople. I'm fairly confident that high-level American politicians are generally far more measured and moderate in their pronouncements on Middle East politics than their counterparts in the region itself, and similarly, that even radical extremists in the US pale beside those in the Middle East in the virulence of their rhetoric. (The exception, of course, is discussion of American policy, where non-Americans tread lightly for fear of offending the US, whereas US politicians feel free to vent their spleens uninhibitedly with respect to their domestic partisan opponents.)

Sure, an American fanatic on behalf of one side of the Arab-Israeli conflict will occasionally seem more extreme than an urbane buttoned-down diplomat visiting the US from the region, but that's an apples-to-oranges comparison.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (21) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1Another conclusion I draw from this column [58 words]There is NO Santa ClausJun 28, 2015 08:39223975
a useful analogy [197 words]Charles MartelJun 21, 2015 22:12223895
You say the West sees black and white and the Middle East sees all the shades of grey yet... [541 words]LynnApr 4, 2015 13:43222644
1The Jewish people war of survival was not won when Hitler lost. It continues to this day [173 words]YJ DraimanMar 15, 2015 18:27222336
Excessive Focus On Israel [120 words]DaveMar 15, 2015 16:00222334
Great observation with clear and present danger in Iranian context [110 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
asokMar 15, 2015 03:51222326
Israeli-Arab Conflict NOT to be Resolved on the World's Terms - America Notwithstanding [417 words]M. ToveyMar 16, 2015 12:01222326
Arena politics vs Projection politics [149 words]David ScholemMar 14, 2015 08:46222317
Very Insightful, but not Universal [92 words]AlexMar 13, 2015 18:32222311
Belief of the conspiracy teory [36 words]CzeslawMar 12, 2015 04:20222297
Progressives hate the idea of "nations" - Period. [164 words]Uncle VladdiMar 11, 2015 21:43222295
Unfair apples-to-oranges comparison [142 words]Dan SimonMar 11, 2015 18:36222293
Sobering [5 words]Jay AbouafMar 11, 2015 17:44222291
1American Arabs may be more anti-Israel than Middle East Arabs, but American Jews go both ways [171 words]Alan SteinMar 11, 2015 15:48222288
Why do Israelis seem ambivalent concerning Iran? [206 words]Michael S.Mar 13, 2015 04:43222288
1Karpman Drama Triangle [404 words]Jonathan CareyMar 13, 2015 13:55222288
1Bullying has nothing to do with the conflict [126 words]Michael SMar 17, 2015 15:37222288
3I like this article [370 words]Michael S.Mar 11, 2015 12:54222285
1Consider this! [321 words]There is NO Santa ClausJun 28, 2015 08:54222285
Kickenjudenaustheirlandenheit and Antisemitism [2168 words]Michael SJul 3, 2015 04:25222285
The master of the divisions have found the additional line of the opposition. [79 words]PermReaderMar 11, 2015 12:00222283

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