The man-in-the-moon is a self-hating Jew?
Why, that's Satan! They're onto something, I tell ya!
Posted on 05/28/2002 5:34:10 PM PDT by Chi-townChief
Anti-Semitism? No
I am accustomed to seeing unfounded attacks on Noam Chomsky in print, so Bret Stephens broke no new ground with his commentary (May 19). Chomsky has invited such attacks by steadfastly insisting on freedom of speech and a single standard of human rights in all situations. He's an apt target for those who believe in neither.
As for Stephens' tirade about ''anti-Americanism'' and its supposed role as ''a cover for anti-Semitism,'' his assertions are absurd from any number of vantage points. Those of us who opposed the Vietnam War, for instance, could be accused of anti-Americanism, but the accusation was a mere smoke bomb aimed at fogging up the realities of that war. Today many American Jews, myself among them, oppose U.S. support for Israel's brutal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. We--including Chomsky--are no more ''anti-Semitic'' than the man in the moon.
Norman Solomon,
executive director,
Institute for Public Accuracy,
San Francisco
Seeing both sides
I am writing as a Jew to express my disagreement with our unconditional support of Israel. The Palestinian suicide bombings are clearly deplorable. The loss of innocent lives, Jewish or Palestinian, should sadden us all. However, if their way of expressing their anger is wrong, this does not mean that their anger is not justified. I cannot understand how so many Jewish people and so many of our politicians can either totally ignore or be totally ignorant of the plight of the Palestinians.
Israel has confiscated over half of the West Bank. Palestinian houses, olive trees and agricultural land have been bulldozed to build Jewish settlements, roads and security areas for Israel. ''Security reasons'' do not excuse Israel's destruction of Palestinian property. Can putting 400 settlers by Hebron in guarded enclaves surrounded by 120,000 Palestinians, or putting 6,000 Jewish settlers in the midst of 1 million Palestinians in Gaza somehow make Israel more secure? Is Israel more secure by controlling all the water rights and giving the 6,000 Jewish settlers 30 percent of the water while many of the Palestinian residents in Gaza have their water two to three times a week? Even as this present conflict is raging, the settlement expansion continues.
We should try to learn as much as we can about this situation. Only when we are all informed about the concerns and perspectives of all people can we work together for a real peace.
Robert A. Stone,
Highland Park
History lesson
There is a reason that our children have poor knowledge of history. Our leaders are ashamed of it, and any of us who know our history are ashamed of it also. It is a history of hate, murder, war, racism and exploitation. It falls into five phases, mostly color coded.
First is the Red Menace, when our ancestors murdered millions of Native Americans and stole their land in what must be labeled a genocide.
Next is the Browning of America, which included killing tens of thousands of Mexicans and appropriation of half of their land. Included in this phase was the lynching of more than 6,000 African Americans.
Third is the Yellow Peril. We killed millions of Filipinos, hundreds of thousands of Koreans, millions of Vietnamese and hundreds of thousands of Cambodians and Laotians. We also killed millions of Japanese during this phase, including hundreds of thousands in the most savage act ever perpetrated by mankind, the incineration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear weapons.
The Red Scare overlapped the Yellow Peril and included hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans, Muslims, Africans and Slavs.
We have entered the fifth phase, which President Bush to his credit has called what our nation always has stood for: perpetual war, racism and hate. The war against terrorism has no color code, but racism is an integral part.
We are ashamed of our past, if we know it, but we make no effort to change our ways. We just scratch our heads and ask why everyone hates us. The bliss of ignorance.
No one deserved 9/11, but no one deserved it more than the United States did.
Harold Taggart, Skokie
Taxing questions
Regarding your May 19 editorial ''Smoking out facts'': While I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment that higher prices through higher taxes can be a hindrance to smoking, you'll have to pardon my skepticism. Until the government decides to use the same successful policy with other ''expensive'' products, rather than just the traditional Christian evils of smoking and drinking, suspicions will always remain as to the real motives behind the higher taxes.
A few examples: Shouldn't SUV drivers pay a higher tax for these gas guzzlers because most of our national defense, far and away the biggest government expenditure, goes to Mideast turmoil? And what about the loss of American life fighting for the right to drive these inefficient cars? Isn't that a high price for our society? Shouldn't there be a high tax on fast food, candy and junk food, because the economic drain of obesity has recently been proved? Wouldn't it make sense for the government to give out condoms to help eliminate unwanted pregnancies, which have a huge short- and long-term taxpayer expense?
Until there is some consistency to the policy, its success and sincerity will always be an issue.
Dan Miskowicz, Lincoln Park
Chicagoland people should feel great shame in having this man present in their midst.
The man-in-the-moon is a self-hating Jew?
There is no such thing as an unfounded attack on Chomsky, unless someone from Mars was to accuse him of being an American.
The man-in-the-moon is a self-hating Jew?
Why, that's Satan! They're onto something, I tell ya!
;)
Harold Taggart, Skokie
I don't suppose anyone will be confusing this guy with Merle Haggard.
Is the author talking about the same Noam Chomsky that wrote the introduction to a book that denied the holocost existed?
What is this idiot babbling about? The "Hate America" curriculum is all that students in this country get anymore.
"I'M STUPID"
I believe Defense Spending takes about 12%, Socialist Security for greedy baby-busters about 60%, and Medicare and Medicaid(-cate) more than 20%. If he wants to save money and the environment he should not pro-create; in fact, why is he still here to pollute minds with this dreck anyway? lol
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