It is this single-minded pursuit of the irrelevant by the self-important that constitutes the greatest catastrophe of our time.
Of course, this week, the phrase “It’s not going to happen” clarified.
Jethro Gibbs’ laconic “Yah think.” (Foreign policy, domestic policy, life) works, too.
But the obvious may need saying – before it’s swamped by the irrelevant.
To a certain kind of person…who may be reasonably intelligent but lacking in creativity and moral courage…”relevant” means “stuff that was important to the people who mattered to me during my formative years.”
Anti-Israel beliefs have been important in the “progressive community” for at least 3 decades, and it is in this circle that most of Obama’s associates have been found. Hence, blaming Israel can never be irrelevant in his mind.
Or, as George Orwell put, it: “. . . we have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.”
(Source.
There is an interesting live blog of the Obama speech at AIPAC. Note this part:
“The status quo is unsustainable. That is why I stated publicly the principles that the United States believes can be the foundation” for peace talks.
DEAD SILENCE. Let me repeat: DEAD, SUSTAINED SILENCE answered this statement by Obama regarding Thursday’s speech about the 1967 lines.
Saying he knew this would generate controversy, and he decided not to take the easy way out. He seems a bit peeved that people are silent. He seems angry. “Real friends talk openly and honestly with one another.” Light applause.
The only remaining question is whether the Jews will see liberalism or Judaism as their religion. If he is re-elected, there will be a Middle East war. A very bad one.
Leonid Brezhnev was General Secretary of the Communist Party and supreme leader of the Soviet Union from 1964 until his death in 1982. He produced my favorite quote at the Soviet Union Communist Party Congress in 1972: “The fundamental problem we face is that we can only distribute and consume what is actually produced.”
Imagine the grandeur of the event. Communist Party leaders from throughout the Soviet Union were seated before Brezhnev in a large convention hall. This was similar to a US national political convention, but somber and powerful. The Party controlled all aspects of Soviet economic life. They listened in deep respect to every word of their totalitarian ruler.
Brezhnev made the above statement. It was the equivalent of saying with heavy meaning, “Gentlemen, the fundamental problem we face is that 2 + 2 = 4”.
It illustrates the amazing fact that entire countries go crazy, unable to see the reality that is plain in front of their eyes.
Thanks to Jim Miller above, Orwell: “We have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.”
Stimulus Produces Stagnation
“Anti-Israel beliefs have been important in the “progressive community” for at least 3 decades, and it is in this circle that most of Obama’s associates have been found.”
Yes David, 4 decades ago, in my undergrad days, romanticized support for a radical, armed, Palestinian stand was in vogue with some students. Obama’s comments about Israel immediately brought back memories of those people and those days to me.
What is completely amazing to me is after last week, I suspect a large amount of Jewish people in the US will vote for the zero next time around, and have continued to vote D for a long period of time. I think Michael Kennedy said it right wrt liberalism vs. Judaism.
and the funny thing is, the Jewish community in the US that will go on supporting obama, think they are safe here. too sad.
Walter Russell Mead makes a strong case that this reading of Obama’s statement is wrong.
Dan, you remember the Schecters? They supposedly kept voting for FDR after he had them put in prison for trying to keep their business kosher.
Lexington,
Walter Russell Mead alternates between enlightening and exasperatingly dense. His latest piece in Foreign Affairs is an example of the latter, as was the piece you linked. I only had time to scan it, so perhaps I missed his discussion of the single most important element in the “crisis” created by Obama’s speeches: for the Israeli’s, this is a matter of existential security. They are surrounded by people so consumed by hatred that they take to the streets to celebrate the murder of infant, toddlers and children.
For the Dr. Mead, Israel and Palestine seems to be an issue to be resolved through a mediation process where each side is willing to accept the other as holding a legitimate point of view and each is willing to give a bit. From the piece you linked, he believes all is process, and the hostilities will end if only the Israeli’s would give more. He cannot seem to grasp that the two negotiating positions can be boiled down to:
Palestinian/Arab/Moslem: “Death to all Jews.”
Israel: “Survive.”
Golda Meir in the 1950s or 1960s observed that there would be no peace until the Palestinians loved the life of Palestinian children more than they loved the death of Israeli children. Until the world takes the stance that the injustices suffered by the Palestinians are largely of their own making, and thus it is up to them to start the remedy, there will be no improvement. Until Dr. Mead and Obama recognize that, they won’t be contributing much of value to resolving the problem, and may very well make things much, much worse.
I think it possible that the only solution to this dilemma is for Israel to destroy the Palestinians and their allies, the Iranians. India may face a similar dilemma with Pakistan. India, of course, is not in the Israel situation but they may be faced, as we may be, with a failed state on their border.