To any half-attentive observer, Obama's calls for halting Israeli settlements bear the usual hallmarks of American double-talk on the issue, couched as they are in concurrent calls for Palestinians to abandon resistance and capitulate to the inevitable destruction of their aspiration to some measure of self-determination, but to Charles Krauthammer, they are unaccountably burdensome to Israel, as their transparent bias isn't transparently obvious enough.
12 comments:
"concurrent calls for Palestinians to abandon resistance and capitulate to the inevitable destruction of their aspiration to some measure of self-determination"
Uh, sorry, wha? Who says that? I mean, says it, not, tells the voices in your head to tell you that.
"To any half-attentive observer, Obama's calls for halting Israeli settlements bear the usual hallmarks of American double-talk on the issue"
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/05/28/netanyahu_what_the_hell_do_they_want_with_me
Can you explain to me which half I'm not paying attention to?
I love this blog. I think it's some of the best writing I've seen on the internet. And I like the intensely-critical POV. But if you're going to automatically call bullshit on EVERYTHING, how does that make you different from the eternally bright-eyed?
"Can you explain to me which half I'm not paying attention to?"
The half where every American president for the last three decades has called on Israel to stop building settlements, but has done nothing to make them actually stop building settlements, much less tear down the ones they've built over the last forty years, as would be required by any two-state solution worthy of the name. Obama's line on this issue is the same line taken by George Bush, and Bill Clinton, and Bush Senior, and Ronald Reagan.
this is what Obama said in Cairo regarding settlements:
"The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop."
note the (extraneous) "continued" and the use of "stop" (rather than 'be dismantled.') and even this may only be lip service.
[as i click 'preview' i see that Christopher M beat me to it. curse these slow-typing fingers!]
Greenwald calls this phenomenon all the time. Obama says nice things about Gitmo, civil liberties, dumb wars, economic relief, and an even-handed foreign policy, but he never actually does anything significant that would advance those righteous objectives. It's about as empty as empty can get. Call me when he does something.
Redscott, if you wanted to be called when he does something, why go with the Redscott handle? Two names only make a mess of things.
You all realize that the Bush Roadmap for peace also called for a halt to settlements, right? Or something, I think. Our fair host can be as reflexively critical to rhetoric as he wants in reaction to the mainstream reaction to rhetorical flights of fancy. If this story were an Obama halts arms shipments to Israel until they dismantle illegal settlements deal, then yeah, you'd have a point.
Nute, your fire meghan mcardle blog sucks. No offense. There are probably many things that are a bigger waste of time than reading her blog, reading a blog about how it is a waste of time to read her blog is surely one of them.
scythia, haven't you heard? ioz is a nazi....a nihilist....and a pederast.
Nutella: I think he was referring to this:
"Palestinians must abandon violence. Resistance through violence and killing is wrong and does not succeed."
" To play a role in fulfilling Palestinian aspirations, and to unify the Palestinian people, Hamas must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements, and recognize Israel's right to exist."
He did say that Israel should accept Palestine's right to exist, but he certainly didn't call for Israel to renounce violence.
well Obama says ''Moo'' and people fall to their knees, cross themselves and pull out the rosary beads.
It's unbelievably boring.
Nute always jumps out to defend the poor victimized Israelis, but he never shows back up to try to fend off the brutal ass-kicking that gets visited upon him. He's boring and a chickenshit. Don't even bother addressing him.
Like the rest of you, I agree that Obama should've also told Israel to renounce violence,yet why are we angry at Israel when they go after Civillians, but cheer or brush off when Hamas goes after Israeli civillians? Hell, IOZ basically said Israel has no right to defend itself period even if they didn't use phosphorus or target civilians(Which of course they did)
Interesting story you got here. It would be great to read more concerning that theme. Thnx for giving this data.
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