Tuesdays with Paulie 8/1/06

Blame the Jews

If America's pastime is Baseball then the world's pastime is Blame the Jews. When Palestinian suicide bombers blow up a bus full of school kids or a Pizza Parlor, the world slaps their wrist and claims this is the desperate action of an oppressed people. Hezbollah aimlessly launches rockets and missiles into Israel, intending to kill civilians. Israel attempts to destroy Hezbollah, who are using woman and children as shields, 56 Lebanese civilians get killed and Israel is now the aggressor. The United States liberates Iraq from Sadam Hussein, has trouble stabilizing the country, suddenly some politicians are claiming we went to war for Israel.

A college professor I had at Indiana University, Dr. Irving Katz, once said, "As long as there are Jews, the world has someone to blame." Those words have always stuck with me. Israel always has to fight her battle on two fronts. Militarily, against those who want to see her annihilated and in the arena of world opinion against the majority of UN countries that wish she would just go away. Anti-Semitism will always prevent her from winning the second war, so it's time to concentrate on the military front and forget the rest.

Passion of the Schmuck

When "Passion of the Christ" was released and controversy developed over anti-Semitic overtones in the film. I refused to pass judgment on the film and Mel Gibson until I saw the movie. Religious conservatives loved the film and dismissed the anti-Semitic claims. Secular leftists cried anti-Semitism from the top of their lungs. Since both groups had political agenda's I took both views with a grain of salt. My dilemma grew when Jewish conservatives who I hold in the highest regard also dismissed the idea of the film containing anti-Jewish overtones. At the same time a very good friend of mine, studying to be a Rabbi, whose opinion on Jewish matters I take to heart, made a very compelling argument supporting the idea the film was anti-Semitic.

To this day I never saw the film and decided that it was not appropriate to pass judgment on Gibson, but admittedly, due to my trusted friends opinion, I leaned toward the belief that Gibson and the movie had hate in it's heart.

Does the recent DUI arrest and anti-Semitic tirade of Gibson proves that the film is anti-Semitic? Of course not. However, it undoubtedly proves that Gibson is a bigot, which means his mind was corrupted by hate when he made the movie. I'll leave the rest to your common sense.

I may be wrong, but I believe Gibson believes in the Pre-Vatican II form of Catholicism, which is also shared by people such as Pat Buchanan and Robert Novak. Not exactly a Jew-friendly crowd.

Blagojevich's budget of smoke and mirrors

I strongly urge all Illinois residents to read the latest column by Sun-Times columnist Dennis Byrne. If you want to know how the governor is not balancing the budget and paying the bills, even though he is telling you he is. This one is a don't miss.

Paulie

Let's continue praying for the State of Israel, the Israeli Defense Forces, US troops all over the world and the innocent victims of Islamic extremism.