YEAH, IT'S AS BAD AS THEY SAY...

...take one more look at the Christians United For Israel conference video at http://www.maxblumenthal.com/ ("Rapture Ready" 7/27/07).

If anything, the "liberals" have understated the problem. Lieberman shows his colors here magnificently. For shame, any Connecticut Democrat who voted against Lamont, especially any Jewish Connecticut Democrat. Why? Because Lamont was a goy? Have none of you figured out that the battle lines have been redrawn? The "high-church" Protestants whose fathers and grandfathers wouldn't let us into the country-clubs (see the movie Gentleman's Agreement) are no longer our enemy. They may be the only group with some power that are our friends. This is no bullshit. Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Mayflower whatevers don't want any part of this craziness. The "low-church" is all about it. Support for Israel? Watch in the video what "support for Israel" means. Better still ask any Israeli how they feel about the political issues of the day. The answers will surprise.

There is another ethnic lesson to be drawn from this. Just as the reflexive position against the "preppy" no longer holds water, neither does the reflexively PC position. This is why it's so important to listen to the words. The African-American is no longer by identity our friend. Our civil rights bona fides are all in place. The only piece missing from the puzzle presented by the CUFI conference is Barack Obama. Google him along with "Rick Warren", author of the Purpose Driven Life and see what you come up with. Read his words and listen for the connotations when he says "faith" or "Israel" for that matter. What he means is there in all its radiant glory for all to see and hear in the video. Does this mean race prejudice is OK? Fuck, no. It means "listen" and "be careful". Everybody's got an agenda. Figure out what that agenda is and make sure it's good for you, not Israel. Israelis already have.

Obama/Rick Warren link: http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/9121.html

and this positive spin on Obama religion speech from a liberal! http://usliberals.about.com/od/faithinpubliclife/a/ObamaReligion.htm

[Late note: once again we find ourselves completely befuddled by Obama's words. A recent speech seemed particularly Obamian. He began it by saying Bush was not to blame for America's troubles; it was -- of course -- time to move "beyond partisanship" and then ended by saying he was the only candidate that was not Bush-Lite. Masterful. A friend informs Kelso that Obama was absolutely magnificent on the subject of the "credit-crunch," that it was clear Obama had taken neither macroeconomics nor introductory finance throughout his famous academic career. More and more, his words have come to feel like not even so much as Right-wing Trojan Horse or Fundamentalist Christian supporter of the most radical extremism in Israel, but rather as a Jackson Pollock painting -- with less organization and clarity. It always sounds like English. There's a subject, predicate and object. Taken collectively at the independent clause level on up, the words have no decipherable meaning. Like "the subway car enjoyed it's cheeseburger. The cheeseburger's promise to fulfill the American Dream was derailed by these unfortunate actions of the umbrella."

Said friend of Kelso's also was dumbstruck by why Warren Buffett would be supporting Obama. Probably best to take that one up on Forego's Nuts, which we will gladly do, time permitting.]

But back on Planet Earth, some wise words by Max Blumenthal in the Jewish Daily Forward.

Was this video a way of weighing in on an issue that you feel is of import to you specifically as a Jew, the Christians United for Israel video?

It’s a very personal issue. The Christian right and Israel are both issues that are really personal to me. No. 1 because I think the Christian right wants to relegate American Jews to second-class status by removing the Establishment Clause, eroding the First Amendment and smashing the wall of separation. They’ve openly intimidated and attacked Jews who’ve tried to combat their efforts. For instance, Mikey Weinstein, who heads the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, told me he gets dozens of death threats every week for what he’s trying to do — to protect, for instance, his son, a Jewish cadet in the Air Force Academy, from Evangelical proselytization. And the fact that they’ve allied themselves with Israel is just extremely dangerous, because I care about what happens with Israel, and I care deeply about the Palestinians. And I think our history as Jews now, because of Zionism, is inextricably linked with that of the Palestinians. I really want to see a settlement. So this organization and this movement of Christian Zionism personally troubles me a lot, and I think it should trouble not only Jews, but anyone who wants to see some sort of a peaceful resolution to what’s happening across the Middle East.

Bombing Iran is about the worst thing that can happen. Think it all through.

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