Friday, December 22, 2006

President Carter's Loathsome Book

Alan Dershowitz is a controversialist. When he’s wrong (as when he bashes cops), he’s egregiously wrong; but when he’s right, he’s the best there is. Here is a summary of what is wrong with President Carter’s book about Israel.

Carter was never a great president. But today, let's cut the man a little slack. He is awfully old. That may impair his judgement.

The problem with these kind of screeds isn't Carter; it is the people who support them no matter what. Some people simply don't care about facts; only statements that support their point of view. Here the controversy isn't about whether Carter (or you) support Israel or the Arabs; it's about statements thereon should be factual or not.

Some time ago Carter issued a statement condemning the War in Iraq. So far, okay. But in it he cited as one of his reasons for opposing the war that none of the organized religeons in America supported it. Huh? The nation was left wondering if the religeous right had suddenly vanished. Even it that had been true, since when did Carter and the Democrats expect the USA to follow the directives of the nation's organized religeons? Whatever happenned to the seperation of church and state.

But I go on. The problem was that nobody cared - especially to those on the left. The statement was anti-Bush and that was all that mattered. As with his present book on Israel. There is the problem.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I should really set up an account. lol

Jack Le Moine said...

Are we living on the same planet Niall?

George W. Bush will certainly be glad to learn this:

Quote
______
Too often in the US these days people are absolutely unwilling to question their government's stance on foreign policy issues (unswerving support of Israel). People should always be ready to question!!!
_________
End Quote

So why did the Democrats win that last election? Nobody is against the War in Iraq and so on?

As for Israel, big picture question here: Who was it that withdrew from Gaza? Who was it who hurled all those rockets against Israel? Who is it who wants to wipe Israel from the map?

What's a country supposed to do when faced with all of that?

Anonymous said...

Who was it that withdrew from Gaza? Who was it who hurled all those rockets against Israel? Who is it who wants to wipe Israel from the map?


1.Withdraw from Gaza but not back to the recognised lines - that is to say Israel is in breach of international law, even by the US, in that it should be at the borders as drawn up in 1967!! That is to say that all Israel did in withdrawing from Gaza is to withdraw from land that it has zero claim to!! Absoluely none.

2.Who is it that kills thousands of palestinians? That question works both ways. The problem lies with journalists who claim that all Israelis who die at the hand of palestinians die as a result of terrorism whereas any palestinians who die at the hands Israelis are said to die in nondescript clashes.

3.That was the claim by the Iranian president. An absolutely abhorrent statement and there is no excuse for it. To deny the palestinans a claim to their own state, within borders internationally recognised by the UN from 1967 is a disgrace. Israel have ignore that resolution and since built a huge wall well into palestinian territory. This is nothing more than colonialism.

Niall

Jack Le Moine said...

Why this fixation on the year 1967. Weren't the Arabs just as dedicated to the destruction of Israel in 1966 and before as they are now?

Anonymous said...

Because in 1967 there was the 6 day war that resulted in the UN Security Council adopting Resolution 242 - accepted by all members which called for Israeli withdrawal "from territories occupied" in 1967.

Israel has never withdrawn from the occupied territories but have rather begun to build settlements on this land - also considered illegal under the Geneva Convention.

The US recognises that Israel is in breach of international law on all these fronts but yet does nothing! Most likely due to the ridiculous influence of APAC on foreign policy.

Niall

Anonymous said...

APAIC

Anonymous said...

AIPAC rather - cant spell obviously :P