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Bad News for Israel: Obama Gets Cozy with the United Nations
The president aligns himself with the UN Human Rights Commission, which devotes much time and energy to demonizing the Jewish state.
In deference to its extremist, leftist intellectual constituency, the Obama administration is reversing American policy and signing on to the United Nations Human Rights Commission, an organization that spends most of its time and energy demonizing the Jewish state, legitimating dictatorships, and attempting to define criticism of Islam as a violation of human rights. This, of course, is not the first time in modern history that the intellectual left has aligned itself with the forces of authoritarianism in order to embrace anti-Semitism. In pre-war Europe, anti-Semitism was as fashionable among the intelligentsia as it was among the masses that followed totalitarian movements. And nowhere was this relationship so aptly symbolized as it was in the writing of Louis-Ferdinand Celine.
Celine’s Bagatelles pour un Massacre (Trifles for a Massacre, 1937) was considered one of the most anti-Semitic tirades ever written. A chaotic rant against Jews punctuated with boundless invective, Celine’s Bagatelles caricatured Jews in ways that even Goebbels would have envied. Celine, who believed that Hitler was not sufficiently anti-Semitic and whose paranoia saw Jews in every dominant social institution including the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, was ultimately to be outdone in his lunacy.
It was the European intelligentsia that Celine’s street vulgarity electrified, and it was the European intelligentsia that ultimately superseded even Celine. Celine had stripped away the Jewish question from the false social politeness of bourgeois society to the bare hatred that was intrinsic to European culture. Nothing was more important to the intelligentsia than to feast on the hypocrisy of bourgeois politeness and to embrace the raw, immoral, and vulgar character of Europe’s underclass and the totalitarian movements that mobilized it.
A quintessential absence of self-interest underscored the actions of the intelligentsia even as totalitarianism threatened the free production of art, music, literature, and science — the components of civilization that intellectuals should have both cherished and defended against the onslaught of totalitarian control.
The ideological alliance between the intelligentsia and the underclass in their mutual embrace of anti-Semitism is being repeated today throughout the West. In a world where Western campuses are entangled in draconian speech codes and any ethnic defamation, real or imaginary, will bring down the wrath of the politically correct bureaucracy to a point just short of drawing and quartering the accused on the quadrangle at high noon, anti-Semitism is immunized from concern. Whether demonizing Jews in the classroom, intimidating Jewish students, or characterizing Israel with imagery that Der Sturmer inspired, on numerous campuses there is no libel, slight, or racist characterization from which Jews can be protected.
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Abraham H. Miller is an emeritus professor of political science and a former head of the Intelligence Studies Section of the International Studies Association.
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26 Comments
1. Paul -Indiana:Obama believes in the UN? Obama believes in ‘global warming’? Well, that’s two strikes.
Apr 9, 2009 - 5:20 am 2. chris in Toronto:This terrifies me.
Apr 9, 2009 - 5:24 am 3. RE:Obamaworld foolishness apparently has no bounds.
Apr 9, 2009 - 6:09 am 4. Tonya:If our country will turn on a democracy and side with terrorists than we all have something to be terrified about.
We know what the bible says, and we know that the written word of the bible will happen, it will be the way it is written.
I have read the book of Revelations twice, and it is so hard to understand, but I am certain we are moving right along with bible prophecy and our country is involved in it.
Our country will not be in good standing with God if we turn on his people and I know this. Israel is God’s timepiece.
I knew he would turn on Israel, I knew it when I first heard his full name, I knew no good would come from it.
Please forgive us all God, and help us.
Apr 9, 2009 - 6:44 am 5. Juvenal:How many high school history students, in their simple naivete, have raised their hands and asked the teacher, “Why didn’t the Germans revolt when they realized how evil their culture, their government, their media, their intellectuals had become?”
Will students years from now ask the same questions about us? Will the answer be that the good people went about their daily lives pretending that what was going on wasn’t evil, even as it became more and more prevalent, and even seduced and co-opted their children?
Apr 9, 2009 - 7:50 am 6. David W. Lincoln:Then it is time for those countries, who receive a passing grade, to form their own council.
Apr 9, 2009 - 8:08 am 7. Thomas:Don’t say ill words about the Magic X. He represents the will of 78% of that group of people that must not be named lest you will be called by names and banned.
The genes of self-destruction are built into every organic body, including our society as well: only the blind or messianic zealots cannot see that we are galloping inexorably towards the end of our way of life we have gotten accustomed to.
We were naive when we thought that our “exceptionalism” and the large body of water will protect us from the fate of the Europeans: the Greco-Roman or Judeo-Christian civilization now entered its final stage.
Apr 9, 2009 - 8:37 am 8. Professor Guvinoff:Almost eerie resemblance to the end-days of Rome when Romulus Augustulus genuflected to the Barbarian King, Odoacer and Rome ceased to exist.
We are always burdened by what we don’t dare bring up. Many europeans (and others) have been enslaved during the islamic conquests since the birth of Islam some 14 centuries ago.
Terror is nothing new. In fact terror is the norm in roughly three quarters of humanity today. If there really was an “international community”, it would be the community of humiliation. The West represents the Judeo-Christian miracle of the conquest of freedom from the grips of terror. From a western perspective, the experience of enslavement by the muslims is a humiliation rejected by our collective memory, as if it did not happen. How often do you meet someone who can remember how terrified of the water he or she was before learning how to swim?
But the enslavement under muslim rule did happen, many times and in many places, and it has left its apparently undelible mark: Antisemitism!
Have you ever wondered whether antisemitism could be the long term imprint of the islamic theology on the werstern mind? It’s as if, unable to face the facts, the unbearable memory of servitude can only be transmogrified into the universal opprobrium of the ultimate bete noire of islam: the jews!
Have you ever wondered how the Persian empire became a muslim nation? Do you suppose it was converted by the rethorical excellence of the arguments?
Perhaps the most striking example from a western perspective is the submission of Spain and Portugal under Islam (which by the way, means “submission”) for some 700 years before the catholic reconquista. How do you say “Spain” in arabic? “Andalusia”!
It looks as if one can manage to physically push back the jihadists, but somehow cannot eradicate their ideological poison. The detoxification from antisemitism and the support of Israel are the prerequisites to the redemption of the west.
Could this be the miracle Phyllis Chesler is in inviting us to pray for in her recent column?
Apr 9, 2009 - 8:55 am 9. SAF:Mr. Miller: Nice piece but wrong title.
Should have been:
MORE Bad News for Israel: Obama Gets Cozy with the United Nations
Anybody wonder why they did the Gaza War before inauguration day?
Apr 9, 2009 - 10:11 am 10. Thomas:@#8 Professor G.
78% of those for whom you are tolling the bell unequivocally rejected your narrative and compassion about them, some even might have used vulgar expressions against your type of persons of good intention…
God let them to wander in the desert until the guilty generation died out: only the innocent were permitted to reach safe harbor. Same as today: this generation is guilt ridden, some even supporting or had supported in the past heinous crimes against all mankind and never had the decency to express a modicum of remorse.
The trepidation that gathering on the horizon is their own making in large extent and every step that the Messiah makes will be a stark reminder to that.
Apr 9, 2009 - 10:40 am 11. Tonya:And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem: Zechariah 12:9
Apr 9, 2009 - 11:11 am 12. Oscar the Grump:Like a snake shedding his skin, we are about to see the serpent’s real colors. Though pleasing to the eye the serpent is still very deadly.
Apr 9, 2009 - 11:59 am 13. JCL:And why should I, as non-Jew care, when 75 – 80% of the American Jewish community voted for their “messiah” who is turning on them with a vengance?
Carter since his ouster has sought “to settle a score with the Jews.” If Obama is the 2nd Carter, is there a political extension here?
JCL
Apr 9, 2009 - 12:00 pm 14. Mike Blackadder:“And why should I, as non-Jew care, when 75 – 80% of the American Jewish community voted for their “messiah” who is turning on them with a vengance?”
Mostly because this is one step toward criminalizing criticism of Islam (or any other protected group such as ethnic minorities, homosexuals and transsexuals) just as it is done in Canada and Europe.
How long will America under Obama continue to be different (or radical as they say) by holding up free speech at all cost, especially when others are convinced of these pragmatic limitations on speech? Pragmatic in that they claim to defend minorities from criticism and counter systematic discrimination.
Obama and others who fancy themselves to be citizens of the world have already accepted the legitimacy of ‘practical limitations on free speech’ for the sake of the politically correct objective. It seems to me that this is Obama putting ammunition in his back pocket.
Apr 9, 2009 - 2:29 pm 15. Delia:One thing we have to all remember is that 0bama is more than willing to throw anyone [and eventually EVERYONE] under the bus, including the USA.
Welcome to the insanity, America hating, loony tune, Marxist/Socialist regime bus.
Honk if you love st00pid.
Apr 9, 2009 - 4:08 pm 16. Rich:God is and always will be in control, this is all His will.
Scary unless you believe…
Apr 9, 2009 - 8:18 pm 17. The Infidel Alliance:Let’s review Mr. Obama’s Islamic Freudian slips:
- “my Islamic religion” (interview with George Stephanopolous)
- “Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states?” (as every kindergartener knows, the U.S. has only 50 states. The Organization of Islamic Conference has 57 states, however.)
- genuflecting to the Saudi King of Islam (intentionally, possible. Instinctively, probable. Either one disturbing)
Now as the U.S. seeks to join the UNHRC, we will see if he winds up eventually supporting the Islamic resolution against the “Defamation of Religions”.
If we EVER support that, it will stand as Obama’s “Chaimberlain” moment when the free world capitulated to Islamic tyranny.
~ The Infidel Alliance
Apr 9, 2009 - 8:33 pm 18. Linda Mae:Many of my husband’s family voted for Obama because they thought he had pledged to support Israel. We couldn’t convince them not to. They were liberals first, Democrats second. End of discussion! Now, they are getting nervous. So are we. The New York Times accused Israel of war crimes on page 1 and exonerated them on page 4. They also refused to use a story about voting irregularities with ACORN and Obama.
I’ve followed Obama’s actions carefully. It did scare me that he had belonged to the socialist New Party while running for office in Chicage. I read about Saul Alinsky. I read about Black Theology.
I read about the 60 or so Democratic members who are also members of the Progressive Democratic Party – socialists who believe in wealth distribution for example. Some of them just came back from visiting Castro. Others serve on the Finance Committee and told us that Fannie and Freddie were fine and stop being racists. How can a socialist support capitalism? The American Constitution? Now I want to see the video of Obama swearing to support the Constitution.
I read about Obama and George Soros – an antiSemitic Jew who turned against his own religion and helped the Nazis. I watched Obama bow to the Saudi King and watched Gibbs try to deny it. David Axelrod’s parents were communists I’ve been told. All of the staff Obama has in his Cabinet so far are either tax cheats, former members of the American Socialist Party or current members of some socialist group. We are all in danger but Israel more.
We hate to talk politics now with family – we just want to tell them that we told them so. The UN group is anti-Israel and pro-Arab. It will be against the law to use the word Islam in any negative way. So someone who has beheaded his wife as an honor killing cannot be described as an Muslim who was doing what he is allowed to do in his religion.
Every American needs to watch the documentary Fitna – you can google it and watch it. It’s only about 16 minutes but clearly illustrates the danger we are all in.
Apr 9, 2009 - 8:35 pm 19. Tonya:This is what I believe, because I have read it and it is what I have been taught.
http://www.alphanewsdaily.com/
The entire web-site is what I have been taught, and there are others like it, but this is one with the world news on it.
I think we are in end times, because Israel is God’s timepiece.
I think the Rapture is next, this is my belief.
No man will know exactly when, but the prophecies of the bible are clear to me and will help.
I am praying for Israel, because all nations will turn on her.
This is not to offend any person, but to show you what I truly believe with my whole heart.
I believe my bible. I am not afraid because I believe.
I feel so sorry for the people in Israel, I just know they are in danger, and just reading their news there breaks my heart.
Apr 9, 2009 - 10:25 pm 20. Sebastian Shaw:The United Nations is about a effective as a marathon runner who has repeatedly broken his bones & never got them fixed. The United Nations is a corrupt debating society for Third World Countries to bash America & Israel. They are useless. Therefore, of course, Obama loves the United Nations!
Apr 10, 2009 - 1:00 pm 21. Tonya:Have you read this article in the Jerusalem Post?
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1238562949505&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Apr 10, 2009 - 4:47 pm 22. glenn:The real problem here is that those pesky Israelis have thrown away the centuries old script, stood up on their own two legs and refused to shuffle off to the ovens. Again. I mean, the nerve, who do the Jews think they are.
sarc/off
Apr 11, 2009 - 9:10 am 23. Blue Collar Todd:The bad news for Israel was when Obama got elected President. What else could soaking up 20 years of anti-Semitic rhetoric lead to?
Apr 11, 2009 - 9:23 pm 24. Carolyn:Abe, once again, you’ve exposed the ‘emperor of change’s’ nakedness. Unfortunately, once again the people do not wish to see it.
My thanks to you for your courage in speaking out. I know it’s rough right now – in my opinion, this nation has now entered the zone of 1933 Germany. And 2 years after 1933, the Nuremberg Race Laws came into effect. But before those laws were written, they were first spoken. Which is what the naked Emperor has just done.
Yes, we are unfortunately living in ‘interesting’ times.
Apr 13, 2009 - 6:20 pm 25. Barnett:As bad as it may be for Israel it is very bad for the US and the American People.Do the American People want to carry the historic burden of having eradicated Israel and 6.2 Million more Jews? Maybe, they should talk to the Germans.
Apr 14, 2009 - 1:24 am 26. KB:Tonya: Your link to the Jerusalem Post doesn’t work …
Apr 14, 2009 - 5:49 am