Bee's Note: The United States is being ripped apart daily by what many refer to as "Scandals" - I prefer to call these scandals crimes, as they are all burning the US Constitution in one huge bonfire, while "We the people" are merely spectators.
Watching the Congressional investigations into first, Benghazi and then, the newer investigation into the IRS targeting since 2010 (or longer) all groups and individuals opposing the Obama-led agenda, I can't help but wonder if last November's elections would have had a different outcome, if the opposition had not been intimidated by members of the Internal Revenue Services. Imagine if we had known about the IRS before November 6th!
Things could not get worse, or could they?
Last week, a 29 year old "contractor" reveals to a UK newspaper that NSA has been spying on ALL Americans and nothing you print, write, or say in telephone conversations, or E-mails, or social medias, such as Facebook are "sacred" - Big Brother is watching you (me)!
An attorney I once worked for advised me to "Never print or type what you wouldn't want printed on the front page of a newspaper". Good advice!
For many, still in shock over the knowledge that our "leaders" have been treating the American citizens much like the days of the early 1930's, little is being paid attention to relating to the Middle East, unless the small bleep about 1,000 US troops sent to the borders of Jordan-Syria. Is Obama preparing to involve America in the middle of Syria's civil war, as our troops are pulling out of Afghanistan? An interesting comment by Daniel Greenfield on Syria:
Looking for a Few Good Men in Syria
McCain is warning of a regional conflict, but it’s already a regional conflict. Helping the Sunni militias beat the Shiites won’t change that. It will just advance the conflict to the next stage in Iraq and Lebanon. Overthrowing Gaddafi did not stabilize Libya, it destabilized Mali and Algeria, and overthrowing Assad will not stabilize Syria. There are no “right people” to arm because there are no good guys in an inter-religious holy war. And there is certainly no one we can trust.
Are the Saudis really our allies? Can the Islamist governments in Turkey or Egypt be trusted despite their ideological hostility to the United States?
Are the Saudis really our allies? Can the Islamist governments in Turkey or Egypt be trusted despite their ideological hostility to the United States?
There is as little sense in choosing Sunni Islamists over Shiite Islamists as the other way around. The only reason we have taken the Sunni side is because so many of our allies are Sunni. And yet the term “ally” is a misnomer.
And, what's behind those weekly phone calls from Kerry to Netanyahu on the "Palestinian" statehood? "Netanyahu told parliament on June 6 he receives telephone calls “several times a week” from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry." Talk about pressure! Meanwhile, Abbas has demanded all types of preconditions BEFORE he will consider any "peace" talks with Israel, so it might be a good idea if the next call Kerry makes would be to Abbas.
Kerry is wearing out his "welcome" by his numerous trips to the ME, using the same old and worn tactics as the first four years of the Obama administration (bullying Israel) and that leads me to sharing with you an article by Richard H. Shulman, "Deconstructing Obama's Jerusalem Speech", printed on Think-Israel. This is important, as it breaks down Obama's biased attitude towards Israel and those of Kerry's, concerning the phony, underhanded and deceptive destruction of Israel, while favoring all things "Palestinian", if Israel should cave into making more concessions for "peace".
So, if we can step away from this administration's daily scandals long enough to "Think-Israel", here's Shulman's commentary:
THINK-ISRAEL
DECONSTRUCTING OBAMA'S JERUSALEM SPEECH
by Richard H. Shulman
Pres. Obama's Jerusalem speech swept people off their feet. Close and sober examination of it, however, confirms his anti-Zionism and his demagoguery.
Stacked Auditorium Audience: I read the speech. My newspapers' description mischaracterized it. They asserted that he spoke directly to the Israeli people. Not exactly. He selected predictably appeasement-minded university students and barred all students from Ariel University, the most nationalistic one. The biased students' frequent applause surely influenced audiences watching them on TV. That partial boycott should have forewarned Jews about Obama's methods and credibility.
Self-Contradictory Demagoguery: The speech had two contradictory components: (1) Emotional but not substantive pro-Jewish statements; and (2) Substantive pro-Muslim statements. The practical demands count, the symbolic sympathy deceives.
Some people were influenced by the apparent warmth between the two politicians, Obama and Netanyahu. But they had their own reasons for showing warmth. Don't go by it.
After all the feigned reassurances from Nazis, FDR about refugees, and Arabs, including at Hebron in 1929, my fellow Jewish people should have developed a protective skepticism about gentile reassurances. But they get taken in each time. Did they not notice that he just ran the most slanderous and misleading U.S. Presidential campaign in many decades? Have they not found him talking on both sides of most issues, taking credit for polices he opposed, making promises to organizations for support but then turning against them, and taking unconstitutional stances? Jews endanger themselves when they become too loyal to a single ideology, news source, or political party.
Imagine Obama's advisers, feeding him sound bytes that touch the Jews' emotional chords! Those sound bytes lulled suspicion, so the audience was not alert to his anti-Zionist agenda. His deliberate deception makes this speech far worse than the ones in which he explicitly pandered to Radical Islam.
Israeli Jews had been more realistic about Obama than U.S. Jews. Did the Israeli ones forget his prior make-believe tantrums against Israel, his unreasonable demands on Israel, and his lack of demands upon the Muslims? Do they think that after being viscerally anti-Zionist, suddenly he developed great affection for Israel while nominating anti-Zionists to Cabinet posts?
Harms Middle Class: Let's get specific. To take his measure, we will consider all he said, not just those about jihad. For example, he expressed support for the middle class. That is a stock phrase; don't put stock in it. Obama and his Federal Reserve allies are harming the middle class by: (1) Keeping business too much in suspense to hire many people; (2) Punishing energy industries he doesn't like, so they don't hire; (3) keeping interest too low for middle classes to earn money on savings but raising their taxes; (4) Costing businesses more for regulations of little use; and (5) Obamacare giving small business an incentive not to hire beyond 30 employees nor beyond 30 hours each, to avoid medical insurance plans that Obamacare with make cost about 40% more.
Harms Democracy: Obama praised democracy, although he violates court orders, usurps Congressional powers, and his Senate Majority Leader maneuvers legally or illegally to keep some bills from a vote and force others into a vote without amendment or debate. Why believe what Obama says about Israel?
U.S. Not in Era of Peace: "Emerge from two wars?" He is letting Iraq fall into Iran's orbit, Afghanistan soon to get taken over, Egypt and Libya to become Islamist, and Libyan arms into Sinai and to make new wars that involve the U.S..
Signed Agreements Don't Make Peace: Security, Obama says, must be bolstered by agreement. Unfortunately, Abbas and Hamas break agreements. Islam does not permit a permanent peace with non-believers. The agreement Obama wants would deprive Israel of secure borders, regardless of UlS. rhetoric about secure borders. Furthermore, Obama weakens U.S. defense, lets Iran go far to develop nuclear weapons, and subsidizes Islamist Egypt and the P.A.. Abbas shares half the U.S. subsidy with Hamas.
Phony "Qualitative Edge": Then there's that mischievous phrase, "qualitative edge," that Obama and predecessors promise Israel. It is mischievous because he resisted letting Israel modify some U.S. weapons, quality cannot always overcome quantity, he lets Israel's enemies gain modern military technology, and he trains PLO troops.
The Israel lobby is too weak to keep the U.S. from transferring gigantic quantities of modern arms to the Arabs. IMRA has pointed out that each deal comes with an assurance that this deal does not affect the balance of power. But no study is done to base that assurance on. The language is boilerplate, but the arms are real.
Yes, the U.S. helped finance Iron Dome, though Israel could afford it. Iron Dome is being questioned now for effectiveness and for breeding complacency. One should distinguish inconsequential deeds, such that subsidy, joint military maneuvers as security cooperation, or Obama's allowing the raid on passé bin-Laden, from consequential efforts such as to deprive Israel of secure borders and to give the PLO the sovereignty it needs to bring in heavy weapons.
Islam Cannot Recognize Non-Muslim Countries In Mideast: Obama said Israel has a right to expect Hamas to renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist. Sounds nice but is a useless statement — Islamists cannot sincerely do that. Obama would say Israel has a right to expect Abbas to eradicate terrorist organizations and recognize the Jewish state's right to exist, but Abbas doesn't, yet Obama gives Abbas more money.
No Basis for Expecting a Better Syrian Government: He also expects a new Syrian government to be responsible to its people. Do you? It is likely to be Islamist. If he doesn't know that, he is foolish; if he does know that, he is deceitful. Either way, his statements about Israel cannot be taken seriously as if he knows what he is doing or means what he says.
Obama Phony on Sanctions: He touted sanctions against Iran, but he resisted them. He undermines sanctions by exempting much of them. Israelis: believe Obama at your peril!
How Can Obama Claim World United Against Iran?: Against Iran, he claims to be "working with a world that's united." China and Russia are not united with us on that.
Prior Peace Pacts Violated, Why Make New Ones?: Israelis supposedly learned that although they want peace, the P.A. violates peace agreements and makes impossible demands for new ones. Pres. Obama wants Israel to sign new agreements with the violators. Where is the sense in that? How is that good for Israel? Is it good for peace to strengthen the jihadist P.A.?
Uses Disproved Demographic Argument: He enlisted the debunked demographic argument. Local Arab birth rates have fallen to Israel's rate and the momentum is in Israel's favor. Imagine the momentum if Israel and the U.S. did not subsidize the P.A., and hundreds of thousands of Arabs left it!
Insultingly Tells Israel to Want Peace: Describing areas outside as chaotic, Obama says Israel should turn to peace. His conclusion is a non-sequitur. Besides, Israel does not need Obama to urge it to want peace. Wanting peace is not the same as making peace with Radical Muslims who feel a duty to seize Israel and even to kill its Jews. State Dept. policy would facilitate Muslim aggression.
There should be peace among peoples, he says. Yes, but he also admits that the P.A. Arabs hate Jews. So Israel would risk its security and cede its patrimony to Muslims who hate Jews, violate peace pacts, and want to destroy Israel.
Pretends P.A. Not Islamist: Obama falsely distinguishes between P.A. Arab sectors as "extremist" and "non-extremist." He does not identify the non-extremists. The overwhelming majority of P.A. residents want to seize Israel, including by terrorism. Abbas confirms openly that his goal is the same as Hamas'. He lets his terrorist Fatah keep a militia.
Pretends P.A. Rejects Violence: Another false claim is that the P.A. Arabs rejected violence. To the contrary, P.A. society advocates it. Abbas threatens to return to the armed struggle, if Israel does not agree to demands that would get Israel conquered.
"Settler violence unpunished?" Very little of it exists, and the government would punish it if it had prosecutable evidence. The big problem is unpunished Muslim Arab violence. A second problem is prosecution of Jews for defending themselves from Arab attackers or crop vandals.
Topsy-Turvey On Who Oppresses Whom: The P.A. Arabs have a right to justice, we are told. What an insult, to imply that Israel is unjust to Muslims who try to kill Israelis and steal land! Israelis have a right to justice.
No P.A. Right to Self-Determination: The P.A. Arabs have a right to self-determination? No they don't. They are not a separate nationality — they never had a separate country, they don't have a separate religion, language, or culture, and their aspiration is to seize Israel. Giving them a state empowers them to bring in heavy arms and foreign armies to attack Israel.
Farmers Versus Security Fence?: Obama also says it is not right to prevent Arabs from farming their lands. He did not explain this. Perhaps he meant the few who have to go to crossing points in getting to fields on the other side of the security fence. Why a security fence? Because the Arabs constantly attempt terrorism. No terrorism, no fence. Let Obama direct indignation to the P.A., not to Israel!
Who Dispossesses Whom And Why: Likewise, Obama refers to Arabs being displaced from homes. Very few are, and for terrorism or illegal building. He omits mention of Arabs who physically or by false lawsuits block Jews from entering Jewish-owned property. Let Obama condemn the Arabs for building tens of thousands of illegal houses. Obama is heavy on blaming Jews and condoning Arabs. Does that bias thrill Jews?
Joke of the Day, Abbas a Peace Partner: Abbas is a true partner, Obama claims. Obama cites P.A. security measures and institution building. Institution building has nothing to do with partnering. The security measures are phony. P.A. cities are turning into gang fiefdoms. Israelis still have to snatch terrorists, because Abbas does not. Worse, with U.S. encouragement, Abbas gets Israel to release masses of terrorists. Some released prisoners resume terrorism. Actually, it is Israel that protects Abbas from his rival, Hamas.
Surely Israelis know that Abbas honors terrorists, lets them have militias, and indoctrinates in antisemitism. Some partner! And since Obama lies about that fundamental problem, what kind of a partner is Obama?
Blames "Settlements": Obama calls settlement activity counter-productive. Why? It solidifies those areas and can help keep terrorists from infiltrating into Israel. So Jewish communities are part of the solution, not the problem. Have people forgotten that Arab aggression started against Israel when it didn't have the Territories, so the Territories are not the problem?
Israel is safe, Obama contends, because of U.S. support. But Israel also is unsafe because of U.S. support for the Arabs. The U.S. tries to help the Arabs weaken Israel by takig the Territories — secure borders, water, and the cradle of Jewish civilization — from Israeli control. And for whom? For genocidal fanatics who policies their people favor.
It seemed like a nice sentence, that both sides should make concessions, until it became clear that Obama's examples were only of Jewish concessions to Arab aggressors. Anti-Zionist and pro-Arab is Obama. A false friend.
Touted Own Dubious Sincerity: Obama had a theme phrase: "and I believe that." Shakespeare would have commented, Me thinks you do protest overmuch.
People may defend Obama's speech as moderate, on the grounds that Muslim leaders criticized it as pro-Israel. P.A. leaders usually complain, even when getting concessions. That's their way. Their criticism of Obama is a bargaining tactic, for they always want more. They can't admit that Israel deserved Obama's praise, nor can they admit that his praise was insincere, merely a lure for getting Israeli concessions for the Arabs.
Watch President Obama's March 21, 2013 speech for yourself:
Richard Shulman's comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. He writes, "Some of the ideas in this article were adapted from a ZOA press release." This article was submitted March 25, 2013.