Something Wicked this way comes.
Our political system raises men of poor character to high office;
following the power and money trail, they place Jewish interests ahead
of American interests.
by David Mullenax (pictured)
THE DUTY to put one's country and its people first should be inscribed
on the hearts and minds of every elected official. Instead, our
politicians are pledging allegiance to a foreign nation at the expense
of our own citizens.
Billions of dollars in foreign aid to Israel is but one part of the
multifaceted Jewish support system in Washington. More disconcerting
is their public expression of devotion to Israel and domestic Jewish
causes, rather than the true patriotic love for one's own country as
revealed in a healthy nationalism.
Barely a week goes by without the introduction or passage of
legislation relating to Israel. "Dear colleague" letters are
circulated continuously among congressmen urging that more support and
foreign aid go to this small country in the Middle East. Public
requests for the president to give ever-increasing support to Israel's
position in the international community are commonplace.
This is nothing new, however, in the American political arena. Every
president since Truman has given support to Israel in varying degrees,
and most representatives in Congress are on the payroll of various
pro-Israel pressure groups - Democrats and Republicans. Each
understands that criticism of or opposition to Israel is political
suicide.
At the same time -- almost unanimously -- the international community
(including some of our strongest historical allies) condemns Israeli
governmental policy in the Middle East. It is truly becoming Israel
and America against the world, a battle that we are unlikely to win.
In October 2003, at an international conference attended by 57
countries, including Russia, the prime minister of Malaysia openly and
unapologetically declared, "Jews are so powerful they rule the world
by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them."
This speech created quite a stir in the halls of U.S. Congress, and
leaders there quickly drafted two resolutions:
1. H. Res 409 - repudiating the statement, which passed 411-0
2. S. Res 247 - urging the president to "condemn the anti-Semitic
sentiments expressed by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the outgoing Prime
Minister of Malaysia."
Unfortunately, our representatives missed an important and extremely
relevant point. As they drafted resolutions condemning free speech
(wherever it is found), they failed to notice the standing ovation Dr.
Mohamad received, including from Vladimir Putin.
Indeed, much of the world approved and endorsed his statement, while
American politicians feverishly engaged in activity to appease
lobbying groups, rather than understanding why the world sees things
so much differently and - on this matter, anyway - much more clearly.
America should not necessarily cave in to international pressure or
adopt the beliefs of the international community for the sake of
belonging, which would contradict the spirit of nationalism, but we
should try to understand the position of the international community,
if only in an attempt to check the rightness of our own government's
decisions. It is possible, and I believe accurate, in this case, that
the world sees America's relationship to Israel for what it really is:
a marriage to a terrorist state with hegemonic aspirations in the
Middle East and abroad.
Israeli foreign policy is proving devastating if not fatal for
America, in terms of American lives and treasure. But more distressing
is the subtle and gradual erosion of liberties in our homeland spawned
by the rise of what I will call Jewish supremacy - as witnessed by the
actions of America's bought politicians and their Zionist speech
writers.
Fortunately, American citizens still have the right to purchase
materials and literature that many in Washington find unacceptable,
offensive or "hate speech," information that often promotes truth and
leads to enlightenment. How long this will continue remains to be
seen.
Censorship in this country takes on a different dimension of its own
as opposed to the direct elimination of specific forms of speech. If a
citizen is courageous enough to speak out, he still has the right to
do so, but at his own risk. Many will endure pressure from different
sources and in different ways, which silences many. This is the
pressure fear.
In America, the threat of losing a job or a career proves effective at
quieting those who speak out. The threat of boycotts against
businesses and media outlets or a flood of angry callers to a
dissident politician is usually sufficient. American politicians
understand how the media can derail their aspirations in government,
thus the public often finds them glorifying Israel and serving her
interests.
For example, when the two presidential candidates are juxtaposed, one
finds the wording of their speeches nearly identical, with only a
small emphasis on various issues that may differentiate them from
their opponent.
In a recent speech given at the annual conference of the American
Israel Public Affairs committee, President Bush nuzzled up to this
powerful lobbying group and read his scripted statement while
declaring, "The United States is strongly committed, and I am strongly
committed, to the security of Israel as a vibrant Jewish state ... we
have a duty to expose and confront anti-Semitism, wherever it is
found. ... You understand that anti-Semitism is not a problem of the
past."
Considering the numerous ovations the president received during his
speech, it is obvious that those in attendance were more than grateful
for his servitude. However, in this same speech, the president
acknowledges the grip that AIPAC has on Washington and Israeli foreign
policy and shockingly thanks them for it.
"For more than 50 years, the United States and Israel have been
steadfast allies. AIPAC is one of the reasons why. By defending the
freedom and prosperity and security of Israel, you're also serving the
cause of America. ... I know there are buses outside waiting to take
you to Capitol Hill. ... There's over 500 meetings scheduled with
members of the Senate and the House. That is good news. I'm sure
you're going to pass this message on to them: A free, prosperous and
secure Israel is in this nation's national interest. In Washington and
beyond, AIPAC is calling attention to the great security challenges of
our time. ... You've spoken out on the threat posed by Iran's pursuit
of nuclear weapons."
Yes, you read that right; he said Iran not Iraq.
Is there any wonder who's next on Washington's hit list?
And just to make sure that the pressure groups and the coffers they
maintain understand that both Republicans and Democrats serve them
without restraint or hesitation, Sen. John Kerry proclaims
unashamedly, when speaking to the Anti-Defamation League, "What ADL
stands for is what I would like to fight for. ... The people of Israel
should also know that for the entire 20 years that I have been in the
United States Senate, I'm proud that my commitment to a secure Jewish
state has been unwavering; not even by one vote or one letter or one
resolution has it wavered. The security of Israel is paramount."
Yet as the feet of campaign financiers are drooled upon, some
journalists and opinion writers are taking a different course of
action, outraged by the Jewish neo-conservative braintrust that pushed
for the Iraq war.
It is these people in the media that U.S. officials, with their
allegiance to groups like AIPAC, will move to censor. But traditional
strategies at censoring are beginning to lose their effectiveness.
There is a new stirring in Washington that looks very similar to a
dark storm approaching over the horizon.
The first winds were felt on April 28, 2004, in a bill submitted to
Congress by Rep. Tom Lantos (D) California - the #4 ranking
beneficiary of pro-Israel PAC money for 2004 according to the
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.
The bill, known officially as HR 4230 - the 2004 Global Anti-Semitism
Awareness Act - states as its intended purpose: "To authorize the
establishment within the Department of State of an Office to Monitor
and Combat Anti-Semitism, to require inclusion in annual Department of
State reports of information concerning acts of anti-Semitism around
the world, and for other purposes."
With 31 individual cosponsors, the bill will create a monitoring
division within the Department of State, not just for alleged
anti-Semitic acts that occur in the U.S., but across the world.
The bill continues, "It is the sense of Congress that - (1) the United
States should continue to vigorously support efforts to combat
anti-Semitism worldwide through bilateral relationships and
interaction with international organizations; (2) the United States
delegation to the OSCE conference in Berlin should advocate for the
appointment of a High Commissioner on anti-Semitism; (3) the president
should direct the United States ambassador to the United Nations to
introduce in the most appropriate forum in the United Nations a
measure condemning anti-Semitism; (4) the Secretary of State should
establish a permanent office in the Department of State to monitor and
combat anti-Semitism; and (5) the Department of State should
thoroughly document acts of anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic incitement
that occur around the world."
Of utmost importance is the word in the last sentence: incitement. As
our cousins across the Atlantic in Europe know all too well,
"incitement" often leads to incarceration and prison sentences. As
most European countries and Canada have laws against incitement, it is
long overdue, apparently, for America to join the other nations and
their coalition against freedom of speech and expression.
Journalists, reporters, book publishers, scholars, academics, etc. who
may offer a critical argument against Israeli foreign policy are sure
to be counted as those in violation of the new laws against
"incitement."
For certain, HR 4230 lacks any real teeth when dealing with penalties
and punishment. But as millions if not billions of dollars are spent
policing the world for anti-Semitism, one would be hard pressed to not
think that the penalty phase will eventually follow.
I am not sure if this is the first official attempt of the U.S.
government to monitor actions of people around the world that they
consider anti-Semitic, but as I conclude this series, I am left with
an unsettling feeling that I can’t seem to shake.
Something wicked this way comes.
David Mullenax resides in Fishersville. His column, "Dave's Diatribe -
Unfair and Unbalanced," appears every Friday in The Augusta Free
Press.
Augusta Free Press article
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