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)

[regexcellent]

How about anti-semitic, considering she believed in Protocols crap?

[Al B. Sure!]

Talk about a fallacy of equivocation! She called herself a semite cause she's lebanese. Being anti-semitic refers to being anti-jewish. You can argue about the etymology of this and whether it's a good definition for the term til the cows come home but that's what people mean when they say it. Saying "I'm semitic i.e. lebanese therefore I can't be antisemitic" means that Hassan Nasrallah can't be antisemitic either because he's lebanese too.

I could start saying anti-jew instead of you're really so dumb that you need the clarification.

How about anti-Israel?

[regexcellent]

Asked by the Detroit Free Press how she'd respond to people who say she's anti-Semitic, Thomas responded: 'I'd say I'm a Semite. What are you talking about?

Talk about a fallacy of equivocation! She called herself a semite cause she's lebanese. Being anti-semitic refers to being anti-jewish. You can argue about the etymology of this and whether it's a good definition for the term til the cows come home but that's what people mean when they say it. Saying "I'm semitic i.e. lebanese therefore I can't be antisemitic" means that Hassan Nasrallah can't be antisemitic either because he's lebanese too.

I could start saying anti-jew instead of you're really so dumb that you need the clarification.

[kentonio]

From her obit:

Helen Thomas herself answered the accusations of anti-semitism better than anyone..

Asked by the Detroit Free Press how she'd respond to people who say she's anti-Semitic, Thomas responded: 'I'd say I'm a Semite. What are you talking about?

People have every right to hold views that are contrary to the US mainstream without them being insulted with this sort of language. For a citizen of a country that prides itself on free speech, you seem to have a real problem with people actually having any freedom of speech or expression.

Yes, bad ****ing journalist. She was also incapable of keeping her own insane bigotry out of her journalism.

Couple of things, firstly please go away and learn what the word 'bigotry' means. Secondly, Helen Thomas was a member of the White House press corp since Kennedy, and it wasn't until 2010 than she decided to voice her opinions freely.

Behold, kentonio the conservative!

Despite me being an Israel supporter, that is not actually any sort of logical definition of being a conservative. As a conservative however I most certainly do support things like peoples right to freedom of speech and expression, and I feel absolutely no desire to try and vilify a strong and principled woman for holding differing views to my own.

It's sad that younger people like you and HC you seem incapable of rising above the level of screeching and throwing insults at your ideological opponents. People are not defined by a single belief, and this idea that you should throw people under the bus the second they step outside the party line is really destructive.

[regexcellent]

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

[Al B. Sure!]

From her obit:


Yes, bad ****ing journalist. She was also incapable of keeping her own insane bigotry out of her journalism.

Behold, kentonio the conservative!

So the hell what? There's Republicans saying Mexican immigrants need to go home to Mexico and it doesn't cause you to bat an eyelash!

[Uncle Sparky]

hc - Helen Thomas wasn't always as vocal with her views, and they evolved over her lifetime. I've noticed as people get older, they tend to become more obsessed and vocal with their prejudices. How old are you again? 98...99... ?

[regexcellent]

From her obit:

In 2010, a YouTube video surfaced showing her saying that Israel should "get the hell out of Palestine," and that the Jewish people should go home to "Poland, Germany ... and America and everywhere else."

Yes, bad ****ing journalist. She was also incapable of keeping her own insane bigotry out of her journalism.

Behold, kentonio the conservative!

[kentonio]

If you consider bad journalists to be political opponents I guess..?

Bad journalist?! Hahahahaha, oh you are just too precious.

[Al B. Sure!]

I think that they probably go a little far in hampering their own counterterror operations for the Palestinians' comfort, but again, it's not my business and if they want to play it on the soft side that's fine.

What planet do you live on?

[regexcellent]

You celebrate the death of your political opponents. You are a wonderful human being.

If you consider bad journalists to be political opponents I guess..?

[Al B. Sure!]

And yes, she absolutely did deserve what happened to her, the anti-semitic fuckface.

Oh yeah, I better bump the dead pool thread. She's on my list.

You celebrate the death of your political opponents. You are a wonderful human being.

[regexcellent]

What does that have to do with Helen Thomas being anti-semitic? I don't agree with everything Israel does; its government control over the economy is way more than it should be, but that's domestic stuff and it's not my business. I think that they probably go a little far in hampering their own counterterror operations for the Palestinians' comfort, but again, it's not my business and if they want to play it on the soft side that's fine. But Helen Thomas subscribes to anti-zionist conspiracy theories about Jewish domination of world governments, media, and financial markets. That's not being critical of Israel, that's just anti-semitic bigotry.

[kentonio]

I'm saying they would be about as popular policies.

The only reason the Israel lobby has any influence at all is because Americans sympathize with Israel. It's not jew gold buying off congressmen. I'm not Jewish. I'm Catholic. I support Israel. So does pretty much everyone else I know.

I support Israel, but that doesn't mean that I support everything they do and every action they take, that would be absolute madness. That's nothing more than blind subservience. Do you support everything America does and every action it takes blindly and without question?!