Right-Wing Blogger: Jews Dumber Than Dogs
Max Blumenthal reports, “Early on the morning of June 20, award-winning blogger and well-heeled Claremont Institute fellow Scott Johnson posted the following on the Powerline blog:
THE WISDOM OF DOGS
If I recall correctly, in book 1 of the Republic, Socrates jokingly observes that dogs are philosophers, because they determine who their friends are based on knowledge. If American Jews were as canny as dogs — at least if they knew who their friends are — somewhat less than 70 percent of them would still be voting Democratic. One would think that the presence of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Cynthia McKinney, John Conyers, Jimmy Carter and their ilk among the honored members of the party, or Michael Moore as the party’s intellectual lodestar, would prompt some serious second thoughts…
“After receiving a deluge of complaints, Johnson scrubbed his suggestion that ‘American Jews’ are dumber than dogs because they generally vote Democratic. Without noting what exactly the deleted line said, Johnson added a half-hearted apology to his post (which preceded his mockery of Dick Durbin’s apology for far less poisonous remarks) then claimed he is Jewish.”
More on this issue here. Also check out the top ad on Johnson’s site for “Conservative T-Shirts.” Just so we’re clear, it’s okay to objectify women and call Jews “dumber than dogs”, as long as you’re not a Democrat. (c/o SNAFU)
In related news, Democratic National Commitee chairman Howard Dean had a coronary over the distribution of pamhplets at a DNC event charging Jews with responsibility for the Iraq war. Dean issued a statement which included the following remarks:
As Americans we believe in the right to free speech, and as Democrats we open our doors to a variety of opinions and perspectives from our fellow Americans. Unlike the current administration, we do not believe that closed hearings, restricted audiences, and carefully scripted meetings are good for our democracy. But anti-Semitism and bigotry are unacceptable and un-American, and they have no place in civil political discourse. As for any inferences that the United States went to war so Israel could ‘dominate’ the Middle East or that Israel was in any way behind the horrific September 11th attacks on America, let me say unequivocally that such statements are nothing but vile, anti-Semitic rhetoric. The inferences are destructive and counter productive, and have taken away from the true purpose of the Judiciary Committee Members’ meeting. The entire Democratic Party remains committed to fighting against such bigotry.
Dumber than dogs, eh? Rather we should be Conservatives? (c/o NormBlog)
Intersting. As a dog owner and Jew I can say that the two of us have never been confused for one another. I can not make the same claim regarding Peter Brady.
It seems the left has become pretty desperate as of late trying to prove that they are the jews and Israel’s true friends.
As long as the democrats continue to align themselves with European and arab interests, and continue to coddle with the most fierce of anti semites, more and more young jews (and some older ones) will continue to defect. These silly examples of conservative anti-Semitism that you post will do nothing to change this.
a) please refrain from using such digusting nicknames
b) john kerry’s voting record on israel was impeccable so your whole “desperate as of late” remark is nonsense
point b) is completely irrelevant to my point. It is cute how you think it refutes my point, when it doesn’t even come close to addressing it.
I don’t think Kerry is a real leftist. Nader was right: Bush vs. Kerry was like picking Dwiddledee or Dwiddledum (in which Kerry is Dwiddledee, I guess). Nader, btw, is a leftist. He’s no friend of Israel’s.
Disgusting nickname aside, I think the douche bag above has a good point. Democrats, at least the ones on the left, really do align themselves with European and Arab interests. While the execiutive and legislative branches of the American government continue to support Israel strongly, there are efforts, mostly on the left but sometimes from the Buchanans of the right, to break the alliance.
Just read the Nation or Alternet a few times and tell me if any of those people wouldn’t erase Israel from the map if they had half a chance.
i don’t entirely disagree tuna, but it’s hogwash to say that the right doesn’t coddle arab interests. the saudis (including the bin ladens) and the bushes are tied at the hip. and while bush may be no friend of europe, if they money was right i’m sure he would be.
but that’s not even the point. the point is that we are a world community and any agenda that’s irrespective of european and arab interests neglects membership in that world community. if the world is wrong on an issue, it’s important to take a stand. but is the world wrong that the israeli occupation is abhorrent? and is saying so the same as calling for the destruction of the jewish state?
Well, no the world isn’t wrong in calling for Israel to end the occupation and it is not the same as calling for Israel’s destruction. My comment above about the Nation and Alternet refers to how regularly those left wing publications blame Israel for everything wrong in the Middle East, and refuse to hold the Palestinians accountable.
But the question is no longer whether there will be a Palestinian state or not. The question is how we get there. The left still wants Israel to “withdraw” as though that would actually work. I’ve been amazed at how negative left wingers have been about the “unilateral” nature of the disengagement, as though that isn’t what they’ve been clamoring for for years.
When Europe starts to hold “secret” talks with Hamas, that tells the terrorists that there is nothing wrong with what they are doing and encourages them to continue. It’s an old European strategy called appeasement, which has been employed before with very poor results.
That’s why leftists who push for this type of approach cannot be looked at as Israel’s friends. That doesn’t mean the right loves Israel too much either. But at the moment, it is clear that only the right believes in pressing the PA to halt terror while the left is pushing for more Israeli concessions. While the left will talk about how much it hates and abhors terror, take a look at the actual rhetoric. Along with the occasional “Abbas should try harder” line there is a litany of very practical demands on Israel.
The left is appeasement. I don’t know what the right is exactly, but appeasement is wrong. That much I know.
It is so tiresome to hear the same ranting about Dems and Republicans, over and over, with the same charges and counter charges. In fact, deal with specific issues by specific people rather than a party that garners 50% of a nation’s vote (one party or the other)…as for Nader: whatever you think he may or may not be, he came out early on to stop ALL finacial aid to Israel…He did not say the same thing about money going to Egypt.
this guy’s “if American Jews were as canny as dogs… they would know who their friends are” doesn’t strike me as anti-Semitic. it’s the mirror image of a claim Thomas Frank makes all the time about how if lower-income Americans knew who their friends were, they wouldn’t vote Republican. Frank just isn’t a total moron and thus doesn’t compare people to dogs the way this guy did.
The key phrase here is “Michael Moore as the [Democratic] Party’s intellectual lode star.” Anyone who remembers the pained expressions and frantic distancing, let alone the fact that Moore came out and called the Rape of Iraq bs while Democrats were still struggling for LBJ-esque justifications, should’ve spotted it.
Well, what do you expect? Rightist ideologies have a tendency (though not a guarantee) towards hatred because of exclusivity elements in them (leftist ideologies can have hatred in them but are m,ore likely not to — again, this is a tendfency and not a guarantee). To the rightists, Jews are the good little boys holding the Middle Eastern Line after the loss of our neo-colonies in Lybia and Iran, nasty vindictive stereotypes who kick ass and remember names out of certain crappy Golan action flicks, a race in need of concentration in their homeland (which just happens to get them out of the neighborhood — surely an unforeseen side effect!), wheelers and dealers who make decisions in smoky back rooms and who can get things done like say arms sales to terrorist regimes after the US Congress starts getting curious, but, significantly, never “us,” never a true interchangeable counterpart. Rethugs are friends with nobody, and this is about the nicest return you can expect to get back from them.
its more than just the left aligning with Europe and the arabs, its the whole leftist mentality. Look at the U.N, look at academia. These lefty cornerstones arent simply saying the occupation is wrong, they oppose the very existence of israel and demonize anyone who supports the country.
the problem with the democratic party isnt the kerrys or clintons, its the party’s support for these anti israel and anti semetic elements who have made their way to the mainstream of the party.
i’m going to repeat myself this last time, then i will proceed to ban and delete your posts henceforth: pick a non-offensive nick and stick with it or say goodbye
Mo, you’ve arrived.
You have your own GOP paid and unspayed troll, complete with hate oriented talking points.
Welcome to the bigtime.
David, are you mobis cheerleader or something?
It doesnt even seem like mobi is denying the fact that the Democratic Party is becoming more and more with the anti-Semitic left.
more *Aligned
that’s it piss-fetish nazi. you’re done.
Leftists try to cram EVERY issue into the pigeonholes of race-, gender-, and class-base analysis. Israel is viewed as a colonial oppressor of “noble” brown-skinned people.
The Pals are given a pass time and time again – even their violence DURING AND AFTER A PEACE PLAN is excused as a “people’s uprising”. The Pals almost singlehandedly invented the methodology of modern terrorism against non-combatants – but the left gives the Pals a bottomless coffee cup of grievance that excuses even the most immoral, brutal violence.
NOTHING the Israelis have done is recognized – even though the Israelis have been far more restrained in their actions than any other nation would be. This is because the politics of race/class/colonialism totally undercuts any legitimacy for the Jewish state.
A few left/liberal Israelis are catching on to the fact that their “fellow travelers” don’t really distinguish between them and the “bad” Jews – and don’t distinguish between their “valid” homes in Tel Aviv and the “illegal” settlements. It doesn’t take more than 5 minutes to get most lefties – including many American Jews – to admit that they just don’t think the Zionist enterprise is legitimate – at ALL, in its ENTIRETY, EVERYWHERE.
The most pitiful SOBs are the Moby-types who haven’t yet woken up to how “out” they are – how smelly and Jewish they will be no matter how much they badmouth their brethren and strike the “correct” poses.
ben-david, you can either make your point without resorting to a personal attack against me, or you can find another venue to spew your paranoid ranting and right-wing rhetoric.
This gut may or may not be an anti-semite, but he is not the issue. I think what he says carries some serious validity.
Not saying Dems are anti-semetic/Israel, but the ‘values’ of leftist libs often are.
Mobius points out that Kerry voted impeccably for Israel, but when speaking to Arab crowds he calls Israel’s Barrier Wall an obstruction to peace (to his credit, when addressing Jewish crowds he expressed his support of the wall). Dean refuses to call Hamas a terrorist group, rather militants. Bill Clinton rolled out the red carpet in DC, Bush refused allowing him in to the US, and Giuliani expelled him from a NY UN function (took serious cahonas).
Something like 70% of all UN resolutions condemn Israel, the left is always seeking the support of the corrupt Anti-Israel/Semetic UN.
Clintor rolled out the carpet for Arafat.
I think everyone’s really loosing focus here on the israeli issu.
THINK, We were given the land after world war two as a homelanf for us.The land was also promised to the arabs who helped during the war, That’s history. Then the rest of the world watched, to see who would get it. We won. We wanted peace in the begining, and when they attacked us we won aure land. And so on and so forth. Throuought history people colonized land and then fought over it, eaither ending in a treaty or one taking over the other. WE WON THE RIGHT TO LEAVE IN OUR LAND BY WINNING.
The quistion should be not how can we appease the arabs by giving them som,e of our land, but HOW CAN WE KEEP THE LAND THAT RIGHTFULLY BELONGS TO US WHEN THERE KILLING CIVILIAN CHILDREN ON PUBLIC BUSSESS.
HELLO!!!!! The issue is why aren’t we stoping them with toughness instead of letting them bully us around!!!
Don’t become numb. There are peopl, jews, our fucking brothers and sisters out there dying!! being blown to fucking pieces!!! Wake up! If any motherfucker touched you’re brother, or sister, you have a MORAL obligation to Knock them the fuck out. Maybe you are just insesitive but since when does blowing people up justify giving them land!!!
What? You kill my family and i’ll…………um….g ive you a lolypop? So um…….please stop ok? THAT WONT,DOSN’T AND NEVER WORKS!!!!!Wake the fuck up. They(terrorists and fanatics) Deserve to be blown sky high. If i take youre ball does that justify you blowing my brains out???? Are we scrambeling to explain and justify murders of innocents?? if so Back the fuck up, ’cause i’m not waiting for you. You stand with terrorists, you can die with them to. Fuck all you who think that all we have to do is ‘explain things to them,. and they’ll understand’ wake up, it’s a real world out there, and real people die, there’s no ketchup.
Peace out brothers and hold the faith, were almost there.
i actually don’t quite understand why saying jews are dumber than dogs is an inaccurate or anti semitic statement. if i kick my cat, it will avoid me. jews are kicked everyday by the left: read any issue of the nation, read the guardian or the independent, attend any anti war march, read the statements of john conyers, al sharpton, michael moore, noam chompsky, and other icons of the left, and the one hatred they all possess (equalled only by their hatred of bush) is their feelings towards israel. now perhaps the right wing isn’t great, but their desire to convert me i can handle, it’s more difficult to handle arming the enemies of israel and making my life impossible at universities if i want to support israel or jewish causes. strategically, if is often necessary to support the lesser of two evils, we did that in wwii by supporting stalin over hitler, i don’t think anyone thinks that’s a bad decision. so for now, jews who want to be kicked support dems; i’d rather be on the other side.
yes, there are marginal repubs who are outright anti semites, and pat buchanan is a prime example. but he is a fringe element in the republican party, he can’t mount a campaign or secure voter support for his repugnanat views. but michael moore sat with expresidend carter in a seat of honor at the democratic convention (carter himself is hardly a friend of israel). al sharpton was taken seriously as a democratic party candidate for president; go to the move on website and see the trend of their comments about israel. by way of example, it’s not that all muslims are tarred by the handful of terrorists in their midst, rather muslims are tarred by the refusal of muslim clerics and muslim organizations to declare terrorism against israelis, americans and others ungodly and repugnant. in the same fashion democrats are tarred not because they generally are antisemitic, but rather by their refusal to purge their ranks and refuse support from the antisemites.
mobi, you seem to ban, or threaten to ban almost anyone who disagrees with you. Your responses to those who disagree with you are becoming embarassing to read.
so chill out grandman, youre being hypersensative.
Both sides are plagued by nasty ideaologies. We’ve got on the left folks who don’t differentiate between Gaza and Haifa, and there are folks on the right who love Israel but also love to give a kippah-wearin’ dude an incredibly smug “Merry Christmas.” Personally, I’d rather hang out with the left. Even if they’re intellectually dull on the whole occupation thing, it’s not because they G-d forbid hate Jews, but because they expect better from us. On the other hand, the right views Israel as a regional strategic asset (and there are rumblings there, as better bedfellows are made of Saudi Arabia, etc., of change in that department), and only coddles the religious affection for Israel because it’s useful. One can’t argue that the right’s fondness for Israel isn’t extremely cynical. Push comes to shove, I think the Left would ultimately stand for the existence of Israel long after a sovereign Jewish state ceases to be useful in the region.
The Spam blocker asks me to type ‘Christianity.’ This may be the first time they’ve protected me from anything. Woohoo, make the dead pope a saint!
How did the “right” become synonymous with Christians? There are millions of more secular conservatives out there (not to mention neoconservatives, who we know are not all Christian). They largely support Israel on the basis of Israel being in the right (no pun intended), shared values, the benefit of a stable ally, and disdain for Israel’s murderous enemies. Not a bad deal. And the idea that Leftist negativity toward Israel has anything to do with “expecting better” (itself anathema to nearly all Leftists – after all, it implies ethnic or cultural superiority) is belied by almost anything you see or read concerning the Left.
In case anyone doubts who is kicking the dog, liberal v. conservative xtians, see the following:
NEW YORK, June 28 (JTA) — A clash between evangelicals and mainstream Protestants on divestment from Israel marks what appears to be the groups’ first direct confrontation over the Jewish state.
Following the lead of several Protestant churches who are considering dropping their holdings in companies that do business with Israel, the United Church of Christ will debate divestment at its July 1-5 synod in Atlanta.
In response, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, which is primarily supported by evangelical Christians, launched a petition drive Monday urging the UCC to reject the anti-Israel resolutions: two considering divestment and one condemning Israel’s West Bank security barrier.