Louie never claimed that AIPAC "wasn't real", or "powerful". It is both of those things. But to think that AIPAC could "terminate" Obama's presidency if he grew some balls and sanctioned Israel is ridiculous. The "power of the joos" card is being played again without much basis in reality.
The WikiLeaks revelation that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia repeatedly urged Washington to "cut off the head of the snake" and launch a surgical air strike on Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities sounds more sensational than it actually is. The elderly monarch risked nothing by his urgings, which put all the onus, and the possible backlash, on the United States
Juan, it really seems like you're downplaying evidence that doesn't nicely fit into your worldview. The 'sensational' part of that statement is the fact that most Arab nations see Iran as a regional threat, much as Israel does.
"The Israelis and their US supporters lobbied to destroy Iraq because of similar fears. Now they are pulling out the stops to get up a US war on Iran."
This may seem like an obscure point to make but I think it needs to be addressed because it's quite misleading. The legitimacy of the threat Iraq and Iran pose Israel are not anywhere close to being in the same stratosphere. Iran is much farther along in the timetable to achieving nuclear warheads than Iraq ever was, and thus the Israeli encouragement behind the Iraq invasion was almost muted compared to their current wishes of (not an invasion) but a surgical air strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.
The extremists will destroy Israel from within far before the Muslims can do it from the outside.
My sentiments exactly. Well said Adam.
Otis,
Louie never claimed that AIPAC "wasn't real", or "powerful". It is both of those things. But to think that AIPAC could "terminate" Obama's presidency if he grew some balls and sanctioned Israel is ridiculous. The "power of the joos" card is being played again without much basis in reality.
"Minor point: The fire isn’t “massive” by American standards. The latest numbers I see are 40 sq. km., or about 2/3 the size of Manhattan."
Maybe not geographically, but in terms of human life, cost, and aid, this is probably the biggest natural disaster in Israel's history.
The WikiLeaks revelation that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia repeatedly urged Washington to "cut off the head of the snake" and launch a surgical air strike on Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities sounds more sensational than it actually is. The elderly monarch risked nothing by his urgings, which put all the onus, and the possible backlash, on the United States
Juan, it really seems like you're downplaying evidence that doesn't nicely fit into your worldview. The 'sensational' part of that statement is the fact that most Arab nations see Iran as a regional threat, much as Israel does.
"The Israelis and their US supporters lobbied to destroy Iraq because of similar fears. Now they are pulling out the stops to get up a US war on Iran."
This may seem like an obscure point to make but I think it needs to be addressed because it's quite misleading. The legitimacy of the threat Iraq and Iran pose Israel are not anywhere close to being in the same stratosphere. Iran is much farther along in the timetable to achieving nuclear warheads than Iraq ever was, and thus the Israeli encouragement behind the Iraq invasion was almost muted compared to their current wishes of (not an invasion) but a surgical air strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.
- James