Helen Thomas passes.

[Elok]

The pro-israel lobby doesn't have an outsize influence on America, America is just very pro-israel. The idea that the "israel lobby" controls our politics is a vile viewpoint that is a direct descendant of the Judeo-Masonic conspiracy theory.

Compromise: the pro-Israel lobby has an outsize influence in America because America is excessively pro-Israel. They have our leaders by the balls because, for some reason, scads of us have conflated our country's interests with those of a small, not-terribly-important state thousands of miles away.

(I don't know enough about Helen Thomas to say whether she was anti-semitic or not; RIP, either way)

[notyoueither]

Did you just equate voicing any critisism of Israel with banning Christmas? What the **** is that even supposed to mean?

"We are owned by the propagandists against the Arabs. There's no question about that. Congress, the White House and Hollywood, Wall Street, are owned by the Zionists" is not a criticism of Israel

[Hauldren Collider]

Compromise: the pro-Israel lobby has an outsize influence in America because America is excessively pro-Israel. They have our leaders by the balls because, for some reason, scads of us have conflated our country's interests with those of a small, not-terribly-important state thousands of miles away.

(I don't know enough about Helen Thomas to say whether she was anti-semitic or not; RIP, either way)

I don't think there's anything excessive about it, but regardless, we can at least agree there's not vast Jewish conspiracy going on, something Helen Thomas would have disputed.

[Al B. Sure!]

Israeli isn't even part of NATO but we put their interests ahead of our actual NATO allies, such as Turkey, and you don't call that 'excessive'?

[Hauldren Collider]

No, **** Turkey. The Turks hate us. Turkey denies the Armenian Genocide. Turkey being in NATO is a relic of us putting ICBMs there during the Cold War. We have no reason to favor Turkey over Israel.

[SlowwHand]

It most certainly does. Those republicans can go **** themselves, we should just let all the mexicans in.

Yes, we should. I'm running low on silhouette targets.

[Hauldren Collider]

Yes, we should. I'm running low on silhouette targets.

Holy fucking shit, this post is disturbing.

[regexcellent]

Yes, we should. I'm running low on silhouette targets.

Since I get my silhouette targets for like, a quarter each, and that's when I'm not buying in bulk, that must be at or around the upper bound for your value on human life.

Fuck off.

Israeli isn't even part of NATO but we put their interests ahead of our actual NATO allies, such as Turkey, and you don't call that 'excessive'?

Turkey is more reliably pro-Iranian than pro-American now, so screw them.

[SlowwHand]

Someone got up in a cranky mood.

[regexcellent]

Someone fantasizes about shooting Mexicans.

[Elok]

I don't think there's anything excessive about it, but regardless, we can at least agree there's not vast Jewish conspiracy going on, something Helen Thomas would have disputed.

Oh, there's a lot of vast Jewish conspiracies in this country, but they all involve getting really, really ****ty movies made. Depressing, but not a threat to national security or anything like that.

[dannubis]

So Kuci Jr is now trying to be the new Mobius ?

Quickly Elok, make a new thread !

[Elok]

Oh, and our attachment to Israel is most certainly excessive. Consider Britain: they've been our allies for ages, since long before Israel even existed. We trade with them, work closely with them, they even send their young men off to die on our stupid wars. If we want to criticize them or even make fun of them, we're allowed. Happens all the time, and nobody takes it personally.

Israel, on the other hand: well, AFAICT our relationship mostly consists of our giving them money and taking their side on disputes. Every once in a while we offer them more money if they'll stop committing war crimes for six months or so, to which their response is usually "hmmm...nah." In short, we get basically nothing out of the relationship, except for hatred from Arabs and Muslims, which we're pretty well stocked up on ATM. And yet, our politicians can't speak a word against them. Criticism of that state is essentially taboo. The closest we can come to it is to act vaguely sympathetic towards the Palestinians. That's messed up.

[Ben Kenobi]

In short, we get basically nothing out of the relationship, except for hatred from Arabs and Muslims

I really don't think that hatred is going to go away if you stop being bff with Israel.

[-Jrabbit]

Yes, but the Israel thing does kind of institutionalize it.