46 thoughts on “Whorin’ and Schnorrin’ Jesse Jackson Jr.-Style – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. “Besides, what does a Black politician from Chicago know about Palestine or Palestinians”
    Probably nothing but I suppose Jesse Jackson Senior’s remark on ‘Hymietown’ back in 1984 has had its effect on the son too.

    If “Black politician from Chicago” was a hint to that other Black politician from Chicago, he probably knows a thing or two since he used to be friend with Rashid Khalidi, i.e. before he threw him under the bus.

    1. What the heck does that statement mean? What does being a African American politician from Chicago have anything to do with his knowledge of the situation? Unless, like Silverstein, you think he’s being manipulated by rich Jews if he’s not strong enough to ignore their influence.

      1. What statement are you talking about ? I think I made two different statements.
        If you’re talking about the second on Obama, being a Black politician from Chicago has absolutely nothing to do with his lack of backbone on the Israeli/Arab conflict. He’s just following the tradition.
        It was a logical or let’s say stylistical jump from one Black politician from Chicago to another, as could be done jumping, let’s say from one Clinton to another, from one Chicano from LA to another and so on. Wouldn’t dare jumping from ‘one Jew to another’ though: the moral police would be around.
        Maybe you should read Walt & Mearsheimer’s 400-page book on “The Israeli Lobby and US foreign policy”. They explain that so much better than me.

        1. “Besides, what does a Black politician from Chicago know about Palestine or Palestinians”
          Probably nothing but I suppose Jesse Jackson Senior’s remark on ‘Hymietown’ back in 1984 has had its effect on the son too.

          That’s the statement I was talking about, mainly the first quoted part and the ‘probably nothing’. I might be overly sensitive regarding minority politics, but I found that vaguely… off putting.

          I have no idea what you mean by ‘stylistic jumping’; I just thought the first statement was crass. I don’t think it’s wrong to relate political points based on certain affiliations (such as political parties), but I don’t like doing it as it relates to ethnicity, such as from one African American to another, or ‘one Jew to another’.

          I’m in the middle of reading classical literature like Leviathan now; I don’t have much interest in their views on politics.

          1. Well, the quote from Richard and the “probably nothing” were in fact based on the statements by Jesse Jackson Junior in his Op-Ed such as “if the Palestinians abandoned violence, launched a non-violent active resistance movement etcetc”. It doesn’t seem to me that he knows much about Palestine or the Palestinians other than what he been briefed.
            I don’t see what “minority politics” has to do with this at all (but then I don’t live in the States), and if you’re ‘over-sensitive’ that too bad. I wonder if you would have reacted the same way if we were talking about some Italian, or painter, or footballplayer, and I’d said ‘talking about another Italian …’. Or maybe you’re just nitpicking because you have nothing to say about the Israeli-American special relationship that doesn’t seem to touch your “over-sensitivity”.
            It’s like the two guys last week who were more upset by the statement that Pozzo was the main role in “Waiting for Godot” than the fact that the actor had been arrested. Seems as we don’t have the same priorities.
            And what on earth has your reading of Leviathan to do with this discussion ? Maybe that you’re reading “the writing on the wall” ?

  2. “Does a convicted terrorist who has used violence in the past, and has not ruled out its use in the future, really have the moral authority and credibility to advocate a nonviolent march and be believable?” (JJJr)

    One wonders what’s his enlightened opinion on a guy called Nelson Mandela.
    One wonders if he’s ever heard of the marching soul of one John Brown.
    Or, considering the unbridled stranglehold of AIPAC on American politics, one shouldn’t be wondering…

    1. There are only two Republican African-Americans serving in the 112th House, I believe. Besides Allen West there is Tim Scott R-1 SC, who looks like the 4th from the right in the Israel Hayom group photo.

  3. Richard:
    “Which is all well and good if you’re fighting for civil rights in Alabama in 1967, since the only weapons used against you were German shepherds and fire hoses (with the rare assassination thrown in for purposes of intimidation). Martin Luther King and Jesse Jackson’s dad never had to face F-16 jets and Apache attack helicopters in their day. If they had, I’d guess they’d have had to adopt a different set of tactics to gain their freedom.”
    Your justification of Arab terror is refreshing. Most anti Zionist progressives rarely admit those feelings.
    Was Palestinian Arab terror in the 1920’s against the Orthodox Jews also because they had to face F-16’s? Were the Hasidim involved in attacking the Arab population?

    1. (Richard seems eloquent enough to fend for his thoughts if and when he so chooses, but I’ll give you my own take on the subject anyway).

      I find any violence — murderous violence in particular — against defenceless people morally reprehensible and legally culpable. Had I been present in any such situation, I would have done my best to stand up for and defend the victims by all means available.

      Having said that,

      Think of the common rules of acceptable “decent” fighting. “Don’t hit below the belt” is one such rule which is just fair and makes plenty of sense. An obvious exception to this rule, though, would be a lady warding off a sexual assault who’d be widely admired for having kicked the bastard in the goolies.

      The native Arab population of Palestine have been continuously raped, collectively, for nearly a century now, by the colonial powers of the time and by their political offspring.

      Though a decent person should reject, condemn and try to prevent any future violence, an honest person should be very careful castigating those who fought an aggression far stronger than themselves by what means they had.

    2. I DO NOT justify Arab terror, nor do I accept such calumnies levelled against me. I consider this a GRAVE comment rule violation as is the smearish lie calling me “anti-ZIonist.” You will be moderated & any further violation will cause you to lose yr privileges entirely.

  4. Good grief. This is beyond the pale:

    “U.S. Representative Kevin McCarthy, Congressional Republican majority whip, was among the delegation singing “Happy Birthday” Wednesday to President Shimon Peres to mark his 88th year this week.

    The group sang a special brief tribute version of the song used in Congress by House Speaker John Scheiner in Washington D.C. to fete members of Congress on their birthdays, bringing a huge smile to the president’s face.”
    http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/146931

  5. Silverstein says:
    ” His rich pro-Israel Jewish friends in Chicago who are filling his campaign coffers.”

    This is the kind of talk one hears from anti-semites who claim that “the Jews” are the ones really pulling the strings behind the scenes of government. For a Jew to say such things is to fuel the fires of anti-semitism.

    Yankel says: “Jesse’s adventures in Hymieland.”
    The use of the term “Hymie” here is another example of anti-semitic rhetoric.

    1. Either you don’t know what Yankel is referring to by “Jesse’s adventures in Hymieland” or you’re searching desperately for some “anti-semitism” to distract from the obvious truth: that the ‘special relationship’ has turned into something close to SM.

    2. Puh-leeze. “Rich pro-Israel Jewish friends” as opposed to “rich pro-Israel Black friends?” Or “rich pro-Israel Catholic friends?” How many of this type do you think there are. Of course the only “rich pro-Israel friends” he would have would be Jewish, hence there is no slur involved. Of course I could’ve left the term “Jewish” out entirely, but I thought it important to point out that “rich” “pro-Israel” & “Jewish” unfortunately often go hand in hand. If you take any of those words out of the phrase & use only 2 it might be construed as anti Semitic, but when you use them together it can’t (except by a hasbarist like you).

      Poor Simone, doesn’t know her American political history. The reference to “Hymietown” of course derived not fr. Yankel, but fr. Jess Jackson Jr’s own mouth, almost torpedoing his presidential campaign in 1988. ANd of course Yanel is absolutely correct in noting that the Hymietown remark was directed against those same “rich Jewish pro Israel friends” who were furiously smearing him & accusing him of being anti Israel or anti Jewish or whatever. His choice of language was of course offensive, whereas mine was not because it was more carefully framed.

    3. Antisemitism is fuelled, nurtured and fanned not by those horrified by the unbridled ferocity of a foreign-interest lobby-group.

      Inevitably, sntisemitim will be the unfortunate long-term product of such unnatural, decades-long, tail-waves-dog policy making.

      Those American Jews putting their weight behind this lobby are diligently sawing the branch upon which they’re sitting.
      This being the strongest, safest, friendliest branch upon which Jews have ever been sitting.

      1. I suppose antisemitism before Israel was fueled by… what, exactly? Antisemitism flourished in the world long before Israel, and if it were to cease today, it would still flourish and find a way to blame Jews for everything.

        1. German born Israeli artist Naftali Bezem (a right-winger, at least at that time) said once that the old antisemitism had no substantive reason and therefore couldn’t be dealt with. The Israeli-provoked antisemitism, on the other hand is well grounded and therefore comprehensible, he said.

          The “old” antisemites, the very worst of them, are now Israel’s best mates, sometimes its only mates.

          The old antisemitism hasn’t died. If the AIPAC aggressive stranglehold on American politics continues (it can hardly strengthen any further), a grassroot antisemitic wave in the US (the Jews’ best safehaven ever) is an inevitability.

          Supporting AIPAC is not only immoral but also grossly irresponsible.

          1. Indiscriminate, stupid hatred is never justified or provoked; the day when you begin rationalizing that sort of thing is when your morale compass dies. It would be wrong to do it against Jews as similar hatred would be wrong against Muslims/Arabs/immigrants/Hispanics/ect ect. And last time I checked, most of the ‘old’ antisemites seem to be fairly happy to hang out with the ‘new’ antisemites (if one uses the term). Hell, they even swap propaganda once in awhile.

          2. Last time I checked, most of the ‘old’ or ‘new’ antisemites seem to be fairly happy to hang out with right-wing Zionists.

            An American Rabbi recently rallying along with the English Defense League, claiming that he didn’t care whether they were anti-semites as they had a common enemy (guess who ?) and a delegation of European ultra right-wingers incluging Geert Wilders, Swedish neo-nazis and Autrian nostalgics for the Reich being received in Israel and the settlements.

            Maybe time for a study of what we could call the Anders Behring Breivik-syndrome

  6. Don’t vote Zionist/Zionist sympathizer in 2012!

    @Simone, BTW, it’s a pain to state the obvious, but your smear doesn’t fly. “Pro-Israel Jewish friends in Chicago” is not even close to “the Jews” as used in perjorative lingo. There are Jewish people who are not “pro-Israel”. Some of them are rich others not. Some of them for sure do not live in Chicago.

    So, chicken little, the sky is not falling.

  7. RE: “It’s [J. Jackson’s (Jr) op-ed] so fulsome in its praise of the Jewish state that one even questions whether it could’ve been drafted for him by an Aipac staffer.” ~ R.S.

    MY COMMENT: I certainly do not question whether the letter could have been drafted for him by an Aipac staffer. I am fairly confident that it was. That is the only way Jesse Jackson Jr. could have been certain that he was fully satisfying AIPAC.
    This follows a pattern I have seen many times over the last couple of decades where politicians go on a junket to Israel and an article or op-ed appears in a local newspaper upon their return wherein the politician exclusively spews AIPAC/Likud talking points. I even remember this happening about 25 years ago in the case of our county’s fire department chief (who was quite an evangelical dimwit).
    It would not surprise me if Jackson’s op-ed was emailed to the Jerusalem Post as a PDF with a file name something like “AIPAC Letter Jackson August 2011.pdf”.
    SEE: Hoyer and Cantor forget to take ‘AIPAC’ off file name of letter to Obama…http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2009/05/15/40612/hoyer-cantor-aipac-letter/
    AND SEE: Israel trip an eye-opening experience for Jefferson chiefhttp://onlineathens.com/stories/071811/jac_858627408.shtml

  8. My point was directed at the juxtaposition of the words “rich” and “Jews” – as Silverstein knows perfectly well. So don’t pretend not to understand me.

    I am also well aware that Yankel was quoting Jesse Jackson père. However, to recycle the term IN THE PRESENT CONTEXT, when Jackson Jr. is being castigated for hobnobbing with “rich pro-Israel Jews” is merely to reinforce the idea in the minds of readers that rich Jews are “buying” US politicians (and if they were, would that be any worse than the “purchase” of American universities by even richer Arab “donors”?)

    1. What nonsense. Do you think poor Jews are donating wads of cash to Jackson’s campaign? Of course it’s the fatcat white Jews who’re doing so. This isn’t anti Semitism, this is an accurate description of how pro Israel power is wielded in the Jewish community. How else would you describe Sheldon Adelson and the 1,000 other wealthy Jews like him who shower the political scene w. pro Israel cash? Are they kindly humble gentlemen meaning to do a world of good?

  9. Silverstein says: “Of course I could’ve left the term “Jewish” out entirely, but I thought it important to point out that “rich” “pro-Israel” & “Jewish” unfortunately often go hand in hand”

    Precisely. Thank you for proving my point. You wanted to reinforce the idea that rich Jews are influencing America’s foreign policy and that, were it not for these rich Jews, American foreign policy would be pro-Arab. Anti-semites have been accusing the Jews for years (even before the advent of political Zionism) of pulling the strings behind government and now you are fueling their claims. They can now say: “Even the Jew Silverstein admits it.”

    1. You wanted to reinforce the idea that rich Jews are influencing America’s foreign policy

      There are other “rich Jews” (like George Soros) who are advancing a more progressive vision of U.S. Mideast policy. The fatal flaw of yr rejoinder is that you left out the term “pro Israel.” So NO, I was not using the old canard that Jews are rich and control the government and whatever. I was advancing the statement of fact that “rich pro Israel Jews” are attempting to dominate U.S. Mideast policy. “Pro Israel.” Did you get that? And you damn well better not forget it. And if I hear another claim against me using the term anti Semitism you’ll be moderated for violating comment rules. Don’t try me.

      The rest of yr comment about American foreign policy being “pro Arab” is also noxious nonsense. I don’t wish American foreign policy to be pro Arab. I wish it to be pragmatic and balanced neither pro Arab nor pro Israel. A balanced foreign policy would actually BE pro Israel and pro Arab because it would advance the interests of peace, which are the interests of both parties. Instead of the current policy which advanced war, bloodshed & killing, the interests of neither party. But that happens to be the policy you think is hunky dory, telling us an awful lot about you.

      Finally, you’ve been warned. Any future comment rule violation could lead to a restriction of yr comment privileges.

      1. Richard dear, I did not say YOU were anti-semitic. I said that your juxtaposition of the words “rich”, “pro-Israel” and “Jews” feeds the claims of anti-semites that Jews control American foreign policy. There’s a difference. So which particular comment rule have I violated now?
        That said – if the cap fits, wear it.

  10. You’re right about some of (but by no means all) of those in the ‘alliances of convenience’, Deir Yassin. I have one thing to say to about them: Good for them to be willing to prop up whatever bigotry they’ve aligned themselves with by offering a Jewish fig leaf. They’ll be remembered proudly when their ‘allies’ turn on them, as some of them have found out.

  11. Deir Yassin,
    You can have your opinion, and I can have mine on the remark. I found it a bit crass, but then, I might just be overly sensitive. As for political discourse, I honestly don’t care what’s discussed; it’s a free country, and I’m not a fan of speech restrictions. I have problems with bigotry and prejudice disguised as ‘criticism’, which I thankfully don’t see sa often. (And no, I’m not accusing Silverstein or M&W or anyone else is bigoted in anyway.)

    However, I do would mind when people are pigeon-holed into positions based off of their ethnicity/beliefs/creed/ect ect. I’ve been ‘catalogued’ before based off such things, and I’ve known quite a few people who have had it significantly worse. In fact, isn’t that what some anti-Zionists have accused Zionists of, ‘wrapping all Jews into the nationalist flag’, as Philip Weiss phrased it a few days ago? Regardless, it’s not something I like.

    I won’t make assumptions about priorities, as it’s vaguely impossible to judge someone anonymously over the internet. And as for my reading habits, I’m not reading anything ‘on the walls’; I’m reading Leviathan, which is quite interesting.

  12. As of tonight 19 have been killed in Gaza and 42 are wounded. Sonia Karkar of Australians for Palestine asks:

    ISRAELI WARPLANES CONTINUE DEADLY AIR STRIKES
    Where is the reporting of this human slaughter in our media?

    A compilation of photos taken since Israel began bombarding Gaza on 18 August. To see a large version, please go to our website and lick on the photo http://australiansforpalestine.com

    Editor’s note: Israel is continuing to pound Gaza – MEMO reports 19 killed and 42 injured. More distressing photos on MEMO website http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/middle-east/2745-israel-assault-escalates-in-gaza

    Is anyone going to do something about Israel’s flagrant disregard of human life? Children are being slaughtered and parents have nowhere to run to escape. Israel has the entire population of Gaza under siege and there is no safe haven for the Palestinians.

    Collective punishment directly contravenes Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and is identified a war crime. How big must the numbers be before journalists will have the courage to write and editors to publish what Israel is doing again with impunity in violation of international law?

    Sonja Karkar

      1. You are too funny for words. I actually created that typo when copying and pasting and correcting the formatting.

        This will turn your smile into tears. Incidentally there is totally nil reporting of these latest Israeli attacks on Gaza in the British corporate media but they are salivating about the continuing NATO attacks on Libya.

        ~~~~
        An e-mail from Gaza last night in to a friend in East Anglia who Ameera calls Mum. Bless Ameera and all the other mummies and children there.

        Hi mum,

        Airstrikes in almost everywhere in Gaza Strip; the north, south, middle and Gaza city.

        it is terrifying Mum. Every night, I don’t want to fall asleep and then wake up terrified over a loud explosion! I prefer to wait until it happens so I can sleep well afterwards! My children always wake up feeling very bad and crying when hearing the explosion. Great panic! I am very terrified. There are children killed or injured in every israeli strike on Gaza. it’s a war not escalation.

        Doctors in Gaza say that Israel uses *internationally banned weapon in Gaza which causes great damage in bodies.

        Pray to Gaza

        May Allah save us all

        Your loving Daughter,

        Ameera
        ~~~~

        *She is referring either to depleted uranium weaponry, to cluster bombs or to white phosphorus all of which Israel has used on the people of Gaza in the past.

  13. Mr. Silverstein,
    Reading your essay left me shaking with outrage and mortified. Irrespective of your mindless tripe, your diatribe borders on abject racism as illustrated in your attempt to stereotype an African American by dropping the terminal g. Furthermore, you attempt to draw a moral equivalence between Marwan Bourhati and Martin Luther King, Jr. “notice that Marwan Barghouti is in a prison cell much like the one Martin Luther King sat in in”. Are you kidding me? Barghouti is in jail, serving 5 lifetime sentences for MURDER! How in any manner is this similar to MLK. You have a platform to do good. yet instead you use incendiary and misleading propaganda to do bad. Who are you helping by lending your reputation to those who seek harm to world-wide Jewry? Co opting Tikun Olam, a tenet that is arguably the very keystone of Judaism, and using it to sow bigotry and hatred is indeed paradoxical and tragic.

    1. First, I can’t tell if you’re the same as the Bar Kochba who has commented off & on here for yrs. If you are, then my decision below about yr participation stands. If you are a diff. Bar Kochba & a new commenter, I would ask you to take a diff. nickname so as not to be confused with him. And you will be warned (but not banned as I wrote below) for major comment rule violations. You will, before being removed from the ban list be asked to read the comment rules carefully & adhere to them. If you violate them again you will be banned permanently. You may contact me through the Contact link on the main pg if you wish.

      Oh Lord, Bar Kokhba’s shakin’ with rage again. Better call an ambulance to make sure he doesn’t die of heart palpitations. Sorry bub, but yr outrage is purely an act, since you derived the nonsense claim that dropping the “g” supposedly being racist fr. Adam Holland’s nonsense blog. You do realize that Holland is British & wouldn’t recognize American dialect if it bit him in the arse, don’t you?

      So let’s first go back to the post & give you a little tutorial in reading the text. I mentioned that the phrase “whorin & schnorrin'” came from the “COUNTRY” saying (which may be fr. a country song, I don’t know): “If I’m lyin’ I’m cryin’. So sorry to you & Adam but this is the way people in the South talk, African Americans and whites as well (& Americans everywhere drop their “g”s, not just there). So let’s dismiss this hysterical nonsense once & for all.

      You know if I had a comment rule that banned people for being morons you’d be banned. But I don’t, so we’ll just have to suffer w. yr nonsense I guess.

      you attempt to draw a moral equivalence between Marwan Bourhati and Martin Luther King, Jr. “notice that Marwan Barghouti is in a prison cell much like the one Martin Luther King sat in in”. Are you kidding me?

      Actually, Shamai Leibowitz, Barghouti’s attorney likened him to Moshe Rabbenu, which I thought was perhaps a stretch. But Marwan Barghouti is as much a hero to his people as MLK was to his. As for his sentences, everyone but you here realizes how highly selective Israeli justice is. Ahmad Sadaat was in a PA prison when the IDF destroyed it & kidnapped him & put him in an Israeli prison. Under what charge do you kidnap someone in a foreign jail & then spirit him to yr country & then put him in yr jail? What kind of justice system is that? Sure Sadaat is charges w. the assassination of Rehavam Zeevi. But he was already in prison for the crime. Have you heard of double jeopardy. Ameer Makhoul is in jail for 9 yrs for having a cup of coffee with Hassan Jaja in Amman. Dirar Abusisi was kidnapped in Ukraine & is subject to a possible life sentence because he had the nerve to try to escape Hamas’ clutches. Some justice. So don’t talk to me about Barghouti. We don’t trust Israel justice on national security cases as far as we can throw it. Or did you forget where you were publishing yr comment? Perhaps you thought you were in Arutz Sheva?

      Who are you helping by lending your reputation to those who seek harm to world-wide Jewry?

      You’ve been commenting here for yrs & for yrs you’ve angered me. But I felt yr comments stayed within the Pale. No longer. You know that this statement is a major comment rule violation. And because you’ve been warned multiple times before you are now banned. I allow NO ONE to claim that I’m in any way involved or helping anyone seeking to harm Jews. If anything it is your kind that is hurting Jews. But you don’t hear me making such a charge (until now) because it’s below the belt. And I won’t stand for it.

      As for “tragic,” perhaps it’s tragic I didn’t ban you sooner.

  14. “… drafted for him by an AIPAC staffer” ~ for some reason, when I saw this, it read as ‘AIPAC settler’ ~ is this a new subliminal synonym?

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