Name: |
lotowner
-
|
|
Subject: |
The Truth Comes Out
|
Date:
|
4/26/2010 8:01:42 PM
|
Does this joke by Obama's National Security Advisor reflect the Administration's views on Israel?
URL: http://www.breitbart.tv/obamas-national-security-advisor-tells-joke-depicting-jews-as-greedy-merchants
|
Name: |
Talullahhound
-
|
|
Subject: |
The Truth Comes Out
|
Date:
|
4/27/2010 7:48:28 AM
|
Now how do you twist your thinking to think that it has anything to do with his views on Israel??? Me thinks you are stretching the taffy a bit too thin.
|
Name: |
lamont
-
|
|
Subject: |
The Truth Comes Out
|
Date:
|
4/27/2010 8:50:00 AM
|
wonder what the reaction would have been if Bush, Cheney, etc. had told that joke? Oh, never mind, I forgot, they realize Israel is our greatest ally. Just make sure you don't poke fun at the Muslims and everything is cool..... right Obama?
|
Name: |
lotowner
-
|
|
Subject: |
The Truth Comes Out
|
Date:
|
4/27/2010 9:14:17 AM
|
How many Islamic jokes have been told by this administration? An "all time high" uproar would have been carried by the NYTs, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and CBS. Obama has never hesitated to be critical of the police for arresting the black Harvard Professor and the recent vote by Arizona on Illegal Immigrants.
An "Entrepreneur" meeting is held today with countries predominantly Muslim as part of his commitment for "improved relations" because this country, per his words, has been arrogant at times.
How about an "Entrepreneur" schedule with Christians, Jews, and Hindus to promote the image of this country. As I recall, these groups do not have an agenda to destroy the USA.
|
Name: |
MartiniMan
-
|
|
Subject: |
Don't need this joke for evidence
|
Date:
|
4/27/2010 10:31:32 AM
|
I actually don't think you have to use this tasteless joke as evidence of the Obama administration's animosity toward Israel. There is plenty of other evidence of that disposition without this one. Even Chuckie Schumer has had to take Obama and Biden to task for being more concerned about Israel building an apartment building in Jerusalem than they are about Iran building a nuke.
There's lots more if you want a litany....
|
Name: |
Talullahhound
-
|
|
Subject: |
Don't need this joke for evidence
|
Date:
|
4/27/2010 2:27:53 PM
|
I agree that the joke was tasteless. But, then I don't care much for ethnic humor. He's hardly the first public official to make a tasteless joke in public.
I think if you took a private poll within a bi-partisan national defense community, some of you would be very surprised at the results. Israel has done as many things to harm US national security as they ever had to help it. Most of it never gets discussed publicly for political reasons. In the Middle East, both Jewish and Muslim, what it looks like on the outside is rarely reflective of what is going on inside. The problem with Israel is that they have a huge Jewish lobby in this country, who take a very active interest in the affairs of Israel and they vote with their dollars.
It would be inappropriate for me to write some things in a public forum, but sometime over a glass of wine...
|
Name: |
MartiniMan
-
|
|
Subject: |
Don't need this joke for evidence
|
Date:
|
4/27/2010 3:45:10 PM
|
You may be right that Israel has done things that have harmed our interests and I would not doubt it. But the difference between them and most of the countries in the middle east is that at least they have done as much good as harm. Most of them have done much less good than harm, including our supposed friends the Saudi's. And they are a consistent ally of the U.S. and one of the few democracies in the region. So it still seems to me the height of foolish to go out of the way to alienate one of our better allies in the region while we embrace ours and their enemies.
And remember, more than likely we and many of the Arab countries in the Middle East will be publicly condemning Israel when they destroy Iran's nuclear facilities while secretly thanking God (or Allah) that they did so the Persians will not control the entire region by threatening nuclear attack.
|
Name: |
MartiniMan
-
|
|
Subject: |
BTW
|
Date:
|
4/27/2010 3:49:54 PM
|
Some things are better said over a glass of nice wine. Someday perhaps.....
|
Well, I think that I might disagree with you about the Saudis. They are actually very supportive of the US behind the scenes, but they cannot be publicly supportive most of the time. It's very complicated. Now, I wouldn't go so far as saying that we share intelligence with them to the degree we do with other allies, but they are not as negative as you might think. Don't forget that Prince Bandar is a personal friend of the GWB. He's been very helpful to the US. (BTW, he has a gorgeous huge estate in McLean, VA)
|
Name: |
MrHodja
-
|
|
Subject: |
BTW
|
Date:
|
4/27/2010 8:18:14 PM
|
Bandar bin Sultan...Squadron Officer School 1974...only brought one wife with him, Faisal's daughter.....had a very large house built in Arrowhead in Montgomery with a smaller house in the back for his servants...at the end-of-school party at the lodge at the base lakes he gave BGen Earl Peck a going away gift of a quart of motor oil. The guys in his section were arguing about how to apportion the cost of the section coffee mess and he couldn't understand their refusal to just let him pay for it all.
My worries about Saudi Arabia are that we are helping keep the royal family in power...that they will be our friends as long as it is in their family's interest - but I hear the masses are jealous of their loose compliance with Islamic fundamentals and their days/years may be numbered. Any insight (you can share) on that Hound?
From a chilly, rainy Portland Oregon,
Nasreddin Hodja
|
You hit the nail on the head, and that's what makes it complicated. The Royal Family does not want Saudi to become an Islamic state, a la Iran. And they have to be very careful since they are the keeper of the two Great Mosques. So publicly, they don't support the west because they don't want to be seen as a pawn of the West and lose their influence in the Arab world. At the same time, they want to be assured of our military help should any of their neighbors get frisky. We have totally modernized their military, and they train at US schools. They have ocassionally tried to help us out on oil prices by increasing their production. It's probably one of the most complicated relationships we have.
Hodja -- do you ever unpack your suitcase? You are living like a gypsy. :-)
|
Bandar has been buying up his neighborhood. He buys up his neighbors houses and tears them down to add to his estate. And he keeps guards on his property, should anyone get nosy and stop in front of his gate. I've seen ariel pictures of it and it's pretty spectaular. I believe he also used to have an estate in Atlanta. Maybe he still does. I remember someone telling me once that he had solid gold faucets... hey, they don't call it "gaudy Saudi" for nothing.
|
Name: |
MrHodja
-
|
|
Subject: |
BTW
|
Date:
|
4/27/2010 11:01:15 PM
|
DC and Charleston last week, Charleston the week before..I think I may actually get to stay home for 10 days straight...good thing, because we may have to put down our 12 year old Irish Setter...when on active duty if I had to be gone I got a pass...now that I am just a scum sucking contractor things are different...
Take care,
About to grab the red-eye back to God's Country, Nasreddin Hodja
|
Name: |
rude evin
-
|
|
Subject: |
And
|
Date:
|
4/28/2010 9:12:03 AM
|
That's interesting Hound.......back in the '70s there were several Saudi compounds in Columbus Ga.......not sure if they are still there. I suppose the reason was for training at Ft Benning.
|
Name: |
MartiniMan
-
|
|
Subject: |
BTW
|
Date:
|
4/28/2010 9:22:59 AM
|
I don't disagree about the Saudi government. I recognize it is very complicated but I look at the actions of the Saudi government and the Saudi people as a whole. While there is no doubt that there have been many actions taken by Saudi government to support us there have also been actions taken by the Saudi people, including some in government not acting in their official capacity, that have harmed our interests. One glaring example being that the 9/11 terrorists came from Saudi Arabia, the other being the financial support Saudi's provide to radicalized madrassas and radical Imams.
|
Probably so no "loose" American women could corrupt them.
I remember years ago when we used to have program conferences with the Saudis. When they were here, they wanted to adjourn the meeting to the bar after lunch. And I always had a few of the younger men who wanted to talk to me. They found it fascinating that my husband "let" me travel and they always wanted to ask me a lot of questions about American women. I think part of it was that they just had so much curiosity about women in general.
|
You are right. There are a lot of Saudi citizens that think of the West as a "corrupting" force because all they know of us is what they hear on Al Gizeara TV and read in their newspapers. Some of the things they believe about us are actually quite amusing, if it weren't so disappointing.
|
|