Saw this in the Brexit thread, figured people here would be as interested in it as anyone there
@ZDNet
Russia to disconnect from the internet as part of a planned test (link: https://zd.net/2Sm6nSp) zd.net/2Sm6nSp by
@campuscodi
also, frankly, I don't won't these people influencing democratic politics. so good riddance.
the whole Glenn Beck, Samantha Bee arc was embarrassing. hate that Ana Navarro and Bill Kristol are on "our" side. the whole thing is so depressing.
I'm not great at understanding the nuances of anti-semitism, but its kind of wild how much a tweet I read as a criticism of the influence of money in politics has exploded into DEFCON 1 level issue.
You ain't gonna do the whole "my views have evolved", you gonna straight up jump to "I'm from Jamaica, we love the ganja!" like it's nothing?
I mean, you know there were video cameras in 2014 and there's a record of you talking about this issue, right?
Hahahahahaha
hahahahaha
hahaha
Again, she was against it in 2014, 2 years after Washington and Colorado legalized it, neither she nor California were ahead of anything at this point.Her views haven't evolved in the way you're implying. Marijuana activist have been on her for that video for years, as seen here through comments made by journalist and marijuana activist David Downs:
But, as he notes:
https://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2014/08/06/kamala-harris-laughs-at-pot-legalization/
California moved ahead of the entire country on the pot issue largely because of the executive and legislative team that was in place during those times, not in spite of it. These people were never against anything.
I'm not great at understanding the nuances of anti-semitism, but its kind of wild how much a tweet I read as a criticism of the influence of money in politics has exploded into DEFCON 1 level issue.
For the last time - the controversy isn't about criticizing Israel. It was her phrasing her argument using millennium old antisemitic dog whistles in a joking manner.So left or right, if you criticize Israeli foreign policy you are antisemetic.
I don't know why you would think I'm a Bernie fan, but for the record, I am not, not at the slightest.I trust you are going to be just as harsh on going after Bernie for evolving on crime policy and gun rights.
They'd vote to suspend those rules if needed. There's no way they'd let an arbitrary rule cause a shutdown.Shutdown has like 2 days to get a deal as iirc, the house is bound by a new rule that requires a bill be on the floor for like 2 days or something before a vote. So we're in for it.
Agreed. This is hypocritical as fuck.Where the fuck have they been this entire administrations 2 years? Fuck them for this.
For the last time - the controversy isn't about criticizing Israel. It was her phrasing her argument using millennium old antisemitic dog whistles in a joking manner.
Can you find me one person who gave her shit for that but was okay with other criticisms of AIPAC?For the last time - the controversy isn't about criticizing Israel. It was her phrasing her argument using millennium old antisemitic dog whistles in a joking manner.
So left or right, if you criticize Israeli foreign policy you are antisemetic.
It is if it's a religious PAC.Is it a dog whistle if you call out spending by a specific political action committee. That doesnt seem like a dog whistle to me.
I do think going after Tlaib is bullshit. She has done nothing wrong and is doing a great job imo. Pro-Israel people are dogwhistling her because she is for BDS. And it's bullshit.It's pretty clear that Omar and Tlaib, who I keep seeing grouped in even though she's done nothing similar, are under an intense microscope because they're Muslims.
I do not think this blows up like this otherwise.
Agreed. This is hypocritical as fuck.
I didn't like her statements, and I think it was a really bad look, but I don't think a formal reprimand is in order for this when most Republicans say worse shit all the damn time and nothing is done. I do think Nancy should talk to her privately about it, but it doesn't even need to be made public imo.
If her constituents are unsatisfied, they will show it in the polls.
The pro-Maduro comments, though, deserved more than the zero attention they were given outside of polinut circles. Those alone were completely disqualifying for me and were Tootsie pro-Assad level of bullshit.
You're absolutely right, but it still bears repeating that we should call out dogwhistles for what they are, even if they come from our side, even if they're not intentional.It's pretty clear that Omar and Tlaib, who I keep seeing grouped in even though she's done nothing similar, are under an intense microscope because they're Muslims.
I do not think this blows up like this otherwise.
For the last time - the controversy isn't about criticizing Israel. It was her phrasing her argument using millennium old antisemitic dog whistles in a joking manner.
I'm Jewish too and I don't see it.If a Jewish person tells you that something has antisemitic undertones you should listen. Same as if a black person tells you that what you're saying has racist undertones. I don't give a fuck about AIPAC or Israel or any of that shit. That stereotype has been used against me for all of my life, so I'm gonna call it out, and fuck you and anyone else who thinks I or any other Jewish person who's hurt by this as an ulterior motive. Stop enabling discrimination. Fucking stop.
Can they? I'm not so sure that's proven in practice.It's unfair and anyone who thinks critically can tell apart legitimate criticism of Israel/AIPAC from antisemitism.
Why is calling out AIPAC lobbying Congress with $ antisemitic ?
If you try hard enough you can twist criticizing AIPAC into being antisemitic because you're perpetuating the trope that Jewish people have money and influence over the government. It's unfair and anyone who thinks critically can tell apart legitimate criticism of Israel/AIPAC from antisemitism.
I'm Jewish too and I don't see it.
The only thing I only see is what I've always seen - that for quite a few people, every and any criticism of AIPAC is antisemitism.
So now what?
If Hasan Minhaj did the Netflix special about Israel like he did about Saudi Arabia he would be called an antisemite at this rate
She didn't mention AIPAC until after receiving criticizing for throwing out the "All about the benjamins" comment -- which, alone and without context, is too close to the anti-semitic trope which is why you see pushback from all sides.Why is calling out AIPAC lobbying Congress with $ antisemitic ?
Matt Yglesias expanded his tweet thread from yesterday into an article: https://www.vox.com/2019/2/11/18220...t=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitterAIPAC actually doesn't spend that much money on lobbying, they mostly use volunteers. Granted, other Jewish orgs get marching orders from them, but the amount spent on Israel lobbying is minuscule compared to the greater lobbying machine. It's mostly volunteers.
The $3.5 million AIPAC spent lobbying in 2018 is trivial compared to what business groups spend (the National Association of Realtors took the cake with $543 million in spending and mostly lost the argument over the home mortgage tax deduction anyway), but very large relative to the world of foreign policy. The No. 2 foreign policy donor, UNICEF USA, spent just $744,000, and its activities are orthogonal to AIPAC's interests anyway. The largest group lobbying on the other side of AIPAC, J Street, not only spent less than 10 percent of AIPAC's lobbying budget, it actually got outspent by a second, smaller hawkish Israel policy group, the Israeli-American Coalition for Action.
Last but by no means least, AIPAC spends on less formal means of influence-peddling.
Their annual trips to Israel for members of Congress are perennially the most popular form of foreign congressional travel, in no small part because the accommodations are rather lavish. As Rachael Bade and Amanda Becker have reported, AIPAC spends around $10,000 per guest on business-class airfare and luxury accommodations. Members are allowed to bring spouses and other family guests on the trips, and members frequently go multiple times. Comparable junkets for journalists are also available.
To view this as the primary driver of a foreign policy relationship that has roots in Cold War strategy and substantial links to evangelical eschatology is mistaken. But there's also something a little willfully naive about the counter-assertion that money is irrelevant. Haim Saban, a major Democratic Party donor, for example, has in the past described himself as "a one-issue guy, and my issue is Israel." That gives many rank-and-file Democrats who don't particularly care about foreign policy (a good description of most members of Congress) good reason to adopt a pro-Israel line and enjoy the benefits rather than rocking the boat.
Republicans want a wedge; Omar gave them a sledgehammer
The larger context for this controversy, however, is not the strength of the pro-Israel lobby but its weakness. The concurrent administrations of Obama in the United States and Netanyahu in Israel led to a serious deterioration of the relationship between Democrats and pro-Israel organizations.
On a policy level, that was largely about Iran, where Israel stridently opposed Obama's nuclear deal but congressional Democrats mostly chose partisanship and ideology over AIPAC's preferences.
On a political level, that was about Netanyahu's eagerness to break with precedent and allow Israel to be used as a partisan wedge issue — all but openly campaigning on behalf of Mitt Romney and John Boehner against Obama and congressional Democrats — even while aware that this risked a backlash from Democrats in Congress.
In the Trump era, the United States has tilted further than ever in a pro-Israel direction (moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem even without a diplomatic agreement with the Palestinians about the status of the city), while Democrats have grown stronger in their criticisms of anti-Iranian activities by Saudi Arabia and the UAE that Israel supports.
Bernie Sanders has played a leading role in much of this, continuing a trajectory of shattering taboos that he launched during his 2016 campaign.
But Sanders, who is Jewish, and whose policy team includes seasoned professionals with years of experience on the issue, manages to make his points in a thoughtful, politically effective way. Omar's social media bomb-throwing, by contrast, is a gift to congressional Republicans who are eager to promote Democratic infighting. And there is now infighting aplenty, with other Democrats rushing to distance themselves from Omar while more left-wing writers and activists emphasize their agreement with the basic point that pro-Israel money matters.
Really good article. I think criticizing AIPAC based on the less formal ways they influence our politicians would be more accurate and less easily misconstrued.She didn't mention AIPAC until after receiving criticizing for throwing out the "All about the benjamins" comment -- which, alone and without context, is too close to the anti-semitic trope which is why you see pushback from all sides.
Matt Yglesias expanded his tweet thread from yesterday into an article: https://www.vox.com/2019/2/11/18220...t=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
Yeah, people are waiting for them to give away the game. Fair or not, their words will be heavily scrutinized and going forward they should choose their words very carefully. Honestly, with regards to Israel, Tlaib should have known better to begin with.It's pretty clear that Omar and Tlaib, who I keep seeing grouped in even though she's done nothing similar, are under an intense microscope because they're Muslims.
I do not think this blows up like this otherwise.
yup that's exactly what I'm saying you caught meI strongly believe this drive against Rep. Omar especially now with ADL is purely driven by undertones of xenophobia and Muslim phobia. Basically what they are saying is . We will defend you if you are discriminated in America as long as you keep your mouth shut. If you speak against Israeli foreign policy or use words like money when talking of lobbyists working on behalf of right wing Israeli government then we will call you an anti semite
This "defcon 1" response by ADL as someone here called it would not happen if Rep. Omar was Rep. Cathy
No but for real, what actual harm do you think her words are gonna do?(I didn't know you were Jewish, that's cool)
I can't speak for those people, but for me, it's frustrating when I have a legitimate criticism of someone's word choice, and I'm basically told to just suck it up. I think she's mostly right on the money, but I wish she would choose her words better, and I wish people would stop talking over me and telling me what is and isn't antisemitic. That's all.
If Hasan Minhaj did the Netflix special about Israel like he did about Saudi Arabia he would be called an antisemite at this rate
Why are you treating AIPAC with such kids gloves?Really good article. I think criticizing AIPAC based on the less formal ways they influence our politicians would be more accurate and less easily misconstrued.
You can criticize the influence of lobbying on political positions without saying they're only in it for the shekels when referring to Jewish interest groups.Of course, no one is allowed to criticize Israel's policies especially if you a Muslim. It's infuriating because the message has been consistent from the new crop of Democrats pushing against ALL money from politics no matter where it's coming from but because of the Jewish racist trope perpetuated by antisemites we can't criticize their money and influence in our government like others? That's bullshit and they know it.
No but for real, what actual harm do you think her words are gonna do?
Like, yeah, there are violent anti-semites in the US, but I seriously doubt they're taking marching orders from Ilhan Omar.
On the flip side, it's quite easy to see the harm that branding any criticism of AIPAC as antisemitism does, right? I mean, this has a chilling effect, can you think of any other organization where saying something which is generally true will get you that much shit, and that type of shit?
p.s.
Dude, for real, don't stan for AIPAC, it's a horrible organization that has been pretty much a arm of the Likud for quite a while now.
Why are you treating AIPAC with such kids gloves?
They are fucking garbage, for real, those motherfuckers lobbied against the Oslo peace process.
Do you like try to make sure people are super fair to fox news too?
You can criticize the influence of lobbying on political positions without saying they're only in it for the shekels when referring to Jewish interest groups.
AIPAC Is not a Jewish interest group. It's a right wing foreign policy lobbying acting for Netanyahu's interestsYou can criticize the influence of lobbying on political positions without saying they're only in it for the shekels when referring to Jewish interest groups.
Where the fuck have they been this entire administrations 2 years? Fuck them for this.
Her actual stated position was:
https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2...ala-harris-re-elected-state-attorney-general/
I think she would have tripped some bad faith alarms regardless of what she said, partly because it's Israel, partly because she's Muslim -- and I don't think she should be scared of tripping those particular alarms. But she tripped too many alarms, some in good faith, by being sloppy in this instance.She probably could have made the same point without tripping alarms. Or maybe she couldn't have. Not sure. The left consistently underestimates the degree of devotion to Israel the mainstream media and political establishment have. And also like the actual voting populace.
An update in the replies: https://twitter.com/BorisEP/status/1095003572180340737
ZRR @zacharyrraines
the liberal media is outraged that I argue with parody accounts but I am right to do so pic.twitter.com/PiR6gHzFHe
Has the ADL put out a big press release like this for any of the shit Trump has said over the past 2 years?