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Proof of unjust treatment is not enough

Reader comment on item: A French lesson for Tom Harkin

Submitted by A French Lesson for Tom Harkin (Canada), Jan 5, 2004 at 14:44

Your remarks to the American Jewish Congress in Oct 2001 and 2002 were deceptively general for the relatively uninformed reader like myself. Your statements made no reference to the fact that most high profile, 'mainstream' muslim groups are in no way middle of the road, regular american immigrants.

I know, from reading your articles this last year, that there are an infinite number of hard facts supporting the notion that almost all high profile muslim groups in the US and Western Europe right now are to some degree subversive and increasingly radical.

You should never make remarks such as those made to the AJC without at least some simultaneous reference to these facts about generalized muslim radicalism. There are too many that want to villify and discredit you. At the moment you are almost a solo voice in Washington....

I am not jewish. I am tired of hearing older jews complain about how bad their relatives, not they, had it 60 years ago. But what is happening to Jews today, in my opinion, is far worse than Himmler's twisted tango of 60 years ago. Then, the world ignored or was little moved by the horror Germany inflicted on Jews. That was only a lack of courage and decency.

Today the West is no less cowardly or lacking in decency when dealing with Jewish issues. But now, when faced with certain, urgent Jewish international issues, the West publically accepts the absurd and irrational as normal. It is one thing to pretend to believe a lie. It is quite another, and destructive beyond measure, to pretend to believe that what is absurd and irrational is also reasonable and worthwhile.

The best example I can think of is as follows:

With its Western subsized media and schools promoting the hatred and murder of Israelis on a daily basis, and child suicide broadly accepted as a valid form of political expression, the US and most EU countries still insist on treating West Bank and Gaza Muslims as a ‘people' ready for independence, capable of democracy, and deserving of the concern, if not the respect, of the civilized world.

Such a view is the logical equvalent of saying black is white, wet is dry and hot is cold. Sustaining such an absurd and irrational view of West Bank and Gaza muslims has been enormously costly for the world in lives and dollars over the last 60 years. Such colossal burdens are not borne naturally such as when one faces up to the misfortune brought by hurricanes and floods. The need to bear such a burden, borne on such a wide scale by so many nations, can only be explained in terms of a deference to a higher power or concern.

Classic western anti-semitism, as ugly as it is, does not meet this standard. The world as it is would never accept such colossal costs and trouble, such as those incurred in the Middle East, just to be shitty and uncaring to a few millions sons of Abraham.
Pleasing those who control, or who are allowed to control, something of such profound importance as the world price of oil does meet this standard. The Saudis alone have the power to demand such deference, as well they have over the last 60 years.

We cannot continue much longer to treat as a reasonable and humane nation the Saudis and the murderous policies and institutions their billions support on a world wide scale. If we were to treat the Saudis as we have treated Iraq and Afghanistan it is entirely possible that Arab Muslims in general and West Bank Arabs in particular, thus deprived of their fabulous but very conditional Saudi grants, gifts, loans, salaries, endowments, investments and subsidies, would become responsible world citizens much faster then we now think. Perhaps within a decade.
Submitting....

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Reader comments (43) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Assimilation or Domination [233 words]Logical ThinkerJan 12, 2009 17:33147870
success of terrorism [75 words]donvanJan 13, 2009 12:37147870
Harken, Harkin [188 words]no dhiDec 14, 2005 13:1829952
Keep Up the Good Work [10 words]Amir StamperDec 22, 2004 11:5519110
The real new anti-Semitism [196 words]Brian LuedkeJul 31, 2004 23:2216183
USA or Israel ?? [137 words]GOLANIFeb 20, 2004 10:0613946
Islamist threat [70 words]joyce ghoshFeb 5, 2004 22:4813777
Harkin the lliberal [46 words]Ralph BalascoFeb 5, 2004 22:2513775
A French Lesson for Tom Harkin 1414#comment [256 words]S.C.PandaJan 20, 2004 05:0413416
Daniel, you are omitting important info [42 words]PadriaghJan 19, 2004 12:4913406
Reply to Sen. Harkin [41 words]Joseph SitrickJan 11, 2004 22:2913298
French exodus [60 words]SteinbergJan 11, 2004 08:0813285
How to Characterize Islam [448 words]Allen WeingartenJan 9, 2004 08:5313265
Change of E-Mail Address, and Praise for your articles/commentaries [56 words]Thomas J. Roth, Sr.Jan 7, 2004 09:2913179
Who cares! [23 words]sgreenbergJan 6, 2004 11:4613163
Islamist Leadership vs. Islamic leadership [89 words]leora levyJan 6, 2004 10:0613161
suggestion [49 words]irwan wahyudiNov 3, 2007 08:3213161
Harkin's mother very relevant [134 words]Karl EricsonJan 6, 2004 03:5913156
article on Harkin & French Jews [9 words]Eugene NarrettJan 5, 2004 23:4913153
Muslems and their islamofashist leaders. [34 words]natalieJan 5, 2004 21:4313147
Harkin & Associates [38 words]Alon ReiningerJan 5, 2004 21:3613145
as usual, you are right [205 words]Michele FineJan 5, 2004 20:5913143
Bravo Mr Pipes [63 words]Douglas Sprung MDJan 5, 2004 20:5113142
what's in it for the 'honorable' senator? [58 words]forrest shalomJan 5, 2004 20:4513141
When "moderate" becomes Islamist [173 words]Phil OrensteinJan 5, 2004 19:4513138
Muslim assimilation: our best option [111 words]Mori Krantz MDJan 5, 2004 19:1813137
Limits of Assimilation? [248 words]Peter J. HerzJan 5, 2004 19:0213135
Mr Harkin Expresses the Great Utopian Illusion [252 words]Darwin BarrettJan 5, 2004 18:5313134
Harkin "Cant stand the truth" [85 words]Joe FitzgeraldJan 5, 2004 17:4513131
Article 1414#comment [87 words]Joanne PrivesJan 5, 2004 17:1213129
Harkin is wrong on the size of the Iowa Jewish community [213 words]Janet StevensonJan 5, 2004 16:4713128
JEWS AND ARABS [454 words]Fred KellerJan 5, 2004 16:1813126
Proof of unjust treatment is not enough [635 words]A French Lesson for Tom HarkinJan 5, 2004 14:4413125
National Post piece regarding Denmark's immigration problem [134 words]John HarmanJan 5, 2004 14:2213124
That was a very nice post, I'm proud of you! [10 words]VassiliosMay 24, 2007 17:4713124
Warning on Islamist influence in the US [33 words]TreshoJan 5, 2004 14:1913122
Hypocritical Harkin [54 words]Harry MeekinsJan 5, 2004 13:5813120
Readers should email Harkin and Iowa newspapers [176 words]Gamaliel IsaacJan 5, 2004 13:5113119
Bravo ! [50 words]bunuelJan 5, 2004 13:4513117
Easier said than done! [35 words]W. WagnerJan 5, 2004 12:4113110
Islamic influence [53 words]Herb JuristJan 5, 2004 12:2513109
Thank You Daniel Pipes [69 words]saul coopermanJan 5, 2004 11:4113106
Well said daniel [111 words]John GrahamJan 5, 2004 11:1213105

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