Tuesdays with Paulie 1/30/07

Maybe John Kerry Does Hate America
He sure doesn't respect Americans

What makes the United States the greatest nation in the world is our freedom to speak out and criticize the government whenever one deems necessary. However, freedom does require responsibility and if you are a high profile American politician, you damn well better save your harsh opinions for the home front. Don't blast your President and countrymen on foreign soil.

That is exactly what sen. John Kerry (D-MA) did this past Friday. While attending the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland, Kerry called the United States a "Pariah" under the Bush administration. The 2004 Democratic candidate for President also had unkind words for his fellow Americans when he criticized what he called the "unfortunate habit" of Americans to see the world "exclusively through an American lens."

So how are we suppose to view the world Mr. Kerry? Would you prefer us to be more like France or Russia? Talk tough about fighting terrorism, but choose the road of appeasement and find ways to profit by getting around UN sanctions? You claim the U.S. never moved fast enough in combating Aids in Africa, but in reality we are the only country doing anything meaningful about it. Would you prefer America to be more like Europe, which means talk about saving lives, but never actually make the effort?

I for one am grateful we see the world through our "American lens". Because it's the only view that cares about the human race.


Are Progressive Jews Waking Up?

While the so called "Progressives" where holding anti-war and anti-Israel protest rallies in our nations capital, with similar demonstrations in other cities. A different Progressive event was taking place at a San Francisco high school. The Anti Defamation league in conjunction with over 50 other groups, hosted Finding Our Voice, a daylong conference aimed at empowering Jewish progressives to respond to anti-Semitism on the left.

Three years ago, Jonathan Bernstein received an e-mail from a distraught political activist in the San Francisco Bay Area concerned about rising anti-Semitism among fellow political progressives.

“The growing acceptance of anti-Semitic rhetoric is so commonplace it is not even recognized as anti-Semitism,” wrote the activist, who went on to list a number of anti-Semitic incidents in her community that had left her rattled.

Despite her opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq, the woman had not attended a recent anti-war rally due to her reluctance to support the group organizing the protest.
“We’ve gotten calls for help like that almost weekly here for the last three years,” said Bernstein, director of the Anti-Defamation League office in San Francisco.

The above excerpt (except first paragraph) was from a story published by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Paulies Point readers know I have been warning about left wing anti-Semitism and it's growing influence within the Democratic Party. I have published numerous articles about the subject, but to my dismay, most of my liberal Jewish friends do not believe there is a problem. Obviously many Jewish Progressives are tired of having to demonstrate against Israel and standing with Hezbollah supporters if they want to voice their concerns about the war in Iraq.

It's time for Jews to realize that the word "Progressive" is synonymous for "anti-Israel." I have said time after time, that the subject of supporting Israel should never be a liberal or conservative issue. It must always be an American issue that still maintains overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle. With events such as Finding Our Voice taking place among Jewish liberals, it means that Jews are finally acknowledging they have a problem in their midst.

I wonder if the overwhelming anti-Semitic rhetoric coming from the anti-war movement is similar to an alcoholic hitting rock bottom. You have to finally bottom out before you can admit there is a problem. After that you can do something about it.

Paulie