I got the percentage on the internet and other
places.  I know the percentage is in the 60’s.  I,
myself, live in a conservative state and I just
assume with how the Christians believe, most are pro
Israel.  Because of some of the things Obama has done
I know a lot of people are against him.  I have not
agreed on everything.  But considering who he is
running against he is far better.  If you think the
republicans with their policies are going to change
things for the better, I think you are mistaken.  It
takes at least 5 years or longer to get out of the
mess we are in.  I heard that from Bill Clinton.

Jeez;  Israel withdrew from Gaza and received rockets and missles.  Withdrew from Lebanon and received the same.
  Land for peace?  Isreael has to be very careful as they’ve tried that.  The 22 arab lands surrounding Israel do Not want peace.  They need to keep their streets hateful against Israel to divert their energies from their despotic gov’ts.  Despite the arab spring , whose result are not in yet.

Elsie,

since around 75% of the nation is Christian and pro Israel

Where did you pull this ‘fact’?

Only our congress, the media and hollywood is pro-Israel, it is a paid contingent of hasbarats who make it appear that Israel is supported.

It is true that Obama would probably lose the
election since around 75% of the nation is Christian
and pro Israel.  I am not.  Israel to me has only
been a problem.  I really do not want a republican to
win this election since they are controlled by the
tea party and religious right.  Probably any
Christian would vote against Obama if he doesn’t
veto.

“Most Americans would likely agree that the main shock
delivered to Americans and the American government
by the 9/11 attacks was that of vulnerability. “

The thing of course that makes Americans most vulnerable is
that they can be so easily programmed by a press that is owned
by a tiny ethnic minority that thinks that it stands to benefit from war.
Americans are sold distortions and lies that are almost laughable they are so
lame. Desert tribes hosting a former US CIA agent from Saudi Arabia makes
them suddenly liable to invasion and occupation for a decade, huge civilian
aircraft that simply vaporize on impact, and multiple skyscrapers that fall in
ways that such massive steel buildings have never begun to do before. For the
first time black boxes fail to survive multiple times in a single day, the list of
improbables goes on and on. You have to be really patriotic, really afraid, or
very stupid not to know there was a conspiracy. This conspiracy is a theory in
the sense that gravity and relativity are theories. The most appalling thing has
been to watch how many people who claim to be free thinkers on the left go
with the herd and the New York Times on this.

Nobody could take half and hour examining the facts of the story regarding the
hit on the Pentagon and looking at the photographs and not know that the
whole tale of 11 September, as the rest of the world outside of the USA calls
this date, is a total fabrication. Once you grasp that almost unbelievably
arrogant fraud and ask yourself who benefits and who had the means, the rest
is obvious. Who owned the building, had the security contract for the World
Trade Center, and who was ready with a grand plan of unrelated invasions,
mayhem, and trillions of dollars in industrial contracts? If you are going to push
this questioning of the 11 September account under the table, then why bother
to talk political events at all, since it is the beginning everything in this the final
act?

It does not really matter when or how it comes, this crash of these two nations
that set themselves above mankind, these two partners in creating the nuclear
monster in the first place and then giving it a home in the Middle East, in what
has long been regarded as The Holy Land, not far to the south of the ancient
Sodom and Gomorrah.  You cannot possibly study history and not expect this
new Israel to be coming to a very bad end, again. Go read Josephus. The
Romans did everything possible to come to terms with Jewish nationalism,
which they respected for its antiquity.  Vespasian and Titus tried very hard for
years to spare Jerusalem, and in the end the fire that destroyed the Second
Temple was set by Jewish Zealots and more Jews were killed internally by the
Zealots than by Roman soldiers. If modern Israel is said by Zionists to be a
rebirth of the Israel of old, it is worth bearing in mind that the Jews lost their
homeland several times before, and if their great religious writers are to be
believed it was not because of the evil and might of their adversaries, it was
their own disobedience, contentiousness, arrogance, and incessant factionalism
that brought them down. From the very beginning the election of Israel was
very much like teacher telling a student that he intends to make an example out
of him; the example could be positive, but do not count on it. It has long been a
fundamental part of the faith throughout the West that a great deal about the
workings and desires of the Almighty could be learned by watching the history
of Israel, and there are compelling arguments for believing that this is still so.

“That said, the Democrats are the greater evil, because it’s they who
ensure that evil always wins.” David J. Cyr

How so ?
During the events of 9-11, George H.W. Bush Sr, a staunch republican, representing the Carlyle Group, was conducting arms sales, in the White House, with the Saudi bin Laden family. On 12 Sep 2001, air traffic was closed down in the U.S.A. However, the Saudi bin Laden family was flown out of the USA, with USAF fighter excort.

Susan Lindauer, CIA whistle-blower, reported that the PAA 747 was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland, by the C.I.A., assasinating two special, secret agents who had gathered the goods on the cocaine production in the Beka Valley. The info fingered one U.S. politician who began it and has had several agents murdered, who were prepared to blow the whistle. Insiders know who started the illegal import of cocaine into the USA when we were in Viet Nam, and Army choppers transported it to USAF cargo aircraft locations.

The evil activities of both major parties is so grave as to preempt the decision of which is the most evil.  Members of both parties have been bribed and intimidated by the super-rich of the military-industrial complex, to the extent that few members of either are recognizable as either Democrat or Republican. Are 98% treasonists, or is the percentage higher?

David J. Cyr, September 18 at 5:53 am

As I have, on some occasions, been rather critical of your posts, Mr. Cyr, I take the opportunity to vigorously applaud this one.

The recent loss of the NY district 9 election to a Republican may convince Obama that he will lose the Presidency if he fails to veto the Palestinian attempt at statehood.

It is a shame that the strong supporters of Israel in District 9 will prevent Obama from saving the United States and Israel from themselves.

Of course, the Democrats running a non-resident to represent District 9 certainly did not endear them to the voters independent of any feelings the voters may have had about Israel.

QUOTE, of an avatar being a painting in several shades of (D)evious blue:

“I, for one, keep exhorting the radical-left and others to come to their senses… I am astounded by the inability of some to comprehend what our political realities are and where the greatest danger to a progressive agenda lies.”
_________________

The “progressive” agenda is no danger of failure. They got the Democrat Congressional majority they insisted would be better than the Republicans. They got the Democrat POTUS presiding over that Democrat majority that they “O happy day” claimed would change everything. The miserable result was predictably what the Left said it would be: Democrats don’t do the good they could when they can… because they have no intention to.

The “progressives” have again succeeded — as they always have — in serving the function they were created for way back when the corporate-state was forming from the ashes of the Civil War. The corporate-party’s “progressives” have dutifully protected the corporate-state from anything and everything that rises from the Left. It’s their job to ensure that either none or the least possible change for good ever occurs… and they’ve never failed.

It’s the job of “progressives” to persuade antiwar people to vote for more war; to persuade Single-Payer advocates to vote against it; to persuade environmentalists to vote for mountaintop removal to become “sustainable economic development” when Democrats permit it.

No person who votes for any corporate party candidate, regardless of ballot line (Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Working Families, etc,) is in any part of the Left. They all corporate-obediently serve the Right… and none better recently than the PDA have. The corporate party voters choose between fascists, in support of whichever fascists they prefer to manage the criminal enterprise of the corporate-state— either the hot-blooded Republicans or the cold-blooded Democrats.

Good people don’t choose between fascists. They oppose them all. That said, the Democrats are the greater evil, because it’s they who ensure that evil always wins.

http://www.chenangogreens.org

@ JDmysticDJ
“ The Hippocratic Oath comes to mind, ´First do no harm.´ “ That a Truthdig blogger invokes the “Hippocratic Oath,” is rare, when 60% of American MD physicians have replaced “the Oath” with the Rothschild calling card. “Insurance first, credit-card second, and if unavoidable, cash, as the last resort. Basically, continuous profit.”  The order to print more greenbacks than are being destroyed? Especially the $ 100 dollar bills.  Who gives it ?

In spite of the millions of books, by authors acclaimed by their cronies to be wisdom-laden, and the billions of repetitions of sage sayings, dictators appear cyclically, historically.  Thus, one concludes that wisdom-filled books, and sage sooth-sayings has had a questionable effect, if any, on dictator-types and the cyclical history of mankind´s nation-building.  However, also historically documented, is that the super-rich have always steered the Hitler-types. Which types have contrived and carried out holocaust-type events throughout history, for their own motives. Which motives they neither publicized aforehand nor afterhand. Currently titled, False-Flag Events.

Thus, making redundant excuses for the Kenyan-born Brit who currently uses the name, Barack Hussein Obama, will not alter the motives of the super-rich. Which super-rich hand-selected his higher education tract, installed him in Chicago politics as an entre´ to the Illinois senate position, which was an entre´ to the POTUS slot. Another deliberate violation of the U.S.CONSTITUTION, via bribery, intimidation and records falsification. One concludes that the USCONSTITUTION does not represent Zionists, regardless of U.S.Citizenship.

Take the greatest “Conspiracy Theory” of all time, by the GHWBushSr entourage.  That, a gang of Muslim hoodlums hijacked and crashed three airliners on eleven September 2001. Which airliners were located six months later, in-service with their original airlines. Even though all the alleged, Muslim hoodlums were alleged to have died in 9-11airliner crashes, 80% of them were located alive, three years later.

Meanwhile, the bloggers on Truthdig that shill for super-rich Zionists, become increasingly apparent. Previously, scape-goating, name-calling, trite jargon, fairy tales, changing the subject, and quoting sage authors were techniques.  Recently, scape-goating and name-calling are out; intellectualism is in. Their expertise: presenting lies with remarkable self-confidence. MK Ultra “patients”?

We know we can count on Obama to do the cowardly thing.

When has he ever done otherwise?

RE: Wishingforsanity, September 14 at 5:11 pm

“I do really want to vote for Kucinich, which would be voting my heart and conscience.
Thoughts?”

I have one primary thought regarding voting for Kucinich. I really want to vote for Kucinich, but I would not do so if casting my vote for Kucinich would have the same affect as voting for a Republican. The Hippocratic Oath” comes to mind, “First do no harm.”

Dreaming that Kucinich or Sanders or some other progressive would be elected President with sufficient majority support in the U.S. Congress is a beautiful dream, but at the present time a beautiful dream is all that it can be. A third Progressive Party would divide the Left/Center coalition assuring victory for the Right.

As an aside, I’ll point out that the radical-left has condemned the likes of Kucinich, Sanders, Chomsky, Michael Moore, Amy Goodman, and others because they chose to vote for, or support, the inadequate Health Care Reform as being the best that was achievable under the current political realities, or because the objects of their disdain above have not ascribed to the beliefs of 9/11 truthers. Furthermore:

“Yesterday [9/13, 20011], Republican Bob Turner defeated Democrat David Weprin in the race to replace former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY). A number of right-wing commentators have claimed that the election was a result of Jewish voters punishing President Obama for being insufficiently supportive of Israel in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Washington Post’s Jen Rubin even went as far as to say that Obama has a “’Jewish Problem.’” 

Keeping the Right from political power might require the votes of the radical-left, and Jewish voters. I, for one, keep exhorting the radical-left and others to come to their senses, but hatred of Obama and the Democrats is palpable, and I see little hope that extremists and ideologues will come to their senses. Long before the 2010 mid-term elections I was offering criticisms of Obama and the Democrats, while at the same time pointing out the consequences of not voting for Obama and the Democrats. The political reality that emerged as a result of former supporters not voting for Obama and the Democrats in the 2010 Mid-Term Elections is upon us. Throughout, I attempted to point out the very real danger to our country represented by Tea Partiers, and the need to elect Democrats in order to stop the right-ward shift in our politics, but to no avail. I don’t claim any superior political acuity, but I am astounded by the inability of some to comprehend what our political realities are and where the greatest danger to a progressive agenda lies.

If you’re asking for my thoughts on political strategy I’ll refer you to pdamerica.org, “Progressive Democrats of America,” offers a political strategy which I believe offers the best hope for effecting a change in our political reality.

“The Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) is a progressive political organization and grassroots political action committee operating inside the United States Democratic Party.”

“PDA was founded during the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Massachusetts by Tim Carpenter, Steve Cobble, Kevin Spidel, Mimi Kennedy, Laura Bonham, Bruce Taub, and about two dozen other former staffers and supporters of the Dennis Kucinich for President Campaign who helped organize delegates and activists concerned with the centrist and right leaning trends in the Democratic Party. Currently PDA consists of ‘a large group of progressive grassroots activists from across the country who want to support progressive grassroots activities both locally and nationally.’”

“PDA’s mission is to strengthen the voice of progressive ideas within the Democratic Party by using ‘inside/outside’ and ‘grassroots fusion’ models of working both in the Democratic Party as well as working with other progressive organizations both inside and outside the Party.”

(More below)

RE: Wishingforsanity, September 14 at 5:11 pm #2

The PDA advocates anti-war policies, Universal Health Care, Fair Trade as opposed to Free Trade, tried and true economic policies to recover from the recession, etc… Progressive policies all.

It is certain that the Progressive Democrats of America [PDA] organization will be attacked without saying from the Right, but I suppose that the PDA will also be attacked by the radical-left because of PDA policies deemed not sufficiently dogmatic. Over and above the PDA’s credentials as a Progressive Organization, it is the political strategy espoused by the PDA that I subscribe to.

It is apparent to me, if to no one else, that our country has made very little progress in terms of a progressive agenda over the last thirty years or more, quite the contrary. Reactionary right-wing policies have dominated, and the current political acrimony is the result of Obama and the Democrats attempting to gingerly apply the brakes to this rightward shift in our politics and policies, economic, and to a lesser extent militarily.

The struggle for human progress in terms of humanitarian and social concerns has been a long and arduous one, and contrary to what the cynics might say, progress has been made. Progress followed by regress has been the historical reality, and regress has resulted in horrific realities coming into existence, but the struggle must continue in order to achieve objectives, and the objectives of the struggle can only be advanced by rational thinking and actions, and can only be set back by emotionally charged counter productive thinking and actions.

Pfaff points out the possible consequences of a U.S. veto of recognition of a Palestinian State, while Israel promises further depredations against the Palestinian people, and the U.S. threatens to withdraw aid to Palestinians if the Palestinian Authority presses ahead with its request for U.N. recognition. The sad, tragic, reality is that the U.S. and Israel hold all the trump cards in this game, and that the Palestinian gambit holds very little promise of being a solution to the conflict, or of advancing the cause of Palestinian autonomy. The only hope is for a new game, with new players.

Needless to say, there is profound confliction involved in solving the conflict; a conflict that I, and others, believe has resulted in even greater global conflict and tragedy… Tragedy the consequences of which are manifest, but there does not appear to be a quick fix solution to either the “Palestinian Problem” i.e. the U.S./Israeli Problem, or the problem of our political reality. Change is necessary to solve both problems, but positive change can only come into existence by positive progress and not by negative regress. Counter productive emotionalism which can only serve regress is no solution and such can only serve to prolong the miseries. Change is necessary in respect to these problems but not change to the worse, unless nihilism is seen as the solution.

“His promulgation of the greatest “Conspiracy Theory” yet, - - “

How many millions were spent by the GHWBushSr entourage, producing the written fairy tale, hundreds of pages long, that tried to convince the world that the Bush “Conspiracy Theory” about a gang of muslim hoodlums was genuine?  And how many millions did the GHWBushSr entourage waste, trying unsuccessfully to train muslim hoodlums to fly a Cessna 172 ?  And, more recently, once outside the veil of evil influence of the “official commission,” some of the more honest members have suggested that the official, written “Conspiracy Theory”  fairy tale should be stuck up the - - - - paper shredder - - - of the GHWBushSr entourage.  A very decent job of which has been accomplished by the various investigative reports of professional organizations.

Someone will compile a history of the GHWBushSr fairy tales. Beginning with 1936, and Georg H. Scherff, Jr., of Doerlitzsch-Nasdorf, Germany.

“Barack Obama’s place in history would be assured.”  Pfaff article

His place in history is already assured.
Once one or two, of the few honorable C.I.A. insiders, reveal his history inside the C.I.A., it will be indelibly assured.

His promulgation of the greatest “Conspiracy Theory” yet, that three airliners were hijacked on 11 Sep 2001, by an organized band of muslim hoodlums, and flown anywhere, will certainly earn historical mention for him.  And, in the immediate future.

Great article, Bill.  Really says it all.  One question:  Should Obama “heal” the Middle East before of after lowering the sea level?

@ Gerard

I agree with you, but i also agree with Plaff to the extent that the U.S. HAS been enabling the situation, with its unconditional support of Israel.

If the U.S. does not change its position, things aren’t likely to get any better and the better angel’s voices will most likely continue to be ignored, suppressed, and vetoed.

MeHere,

Please check the comment section of my website. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Sodium

You can forget about Obama having any courage
to go up against the political establishment in DC.

Also,
I think you down play the Cuban missile crisis too much.
I think Castro, Khrushchev and Kennedy were in a high
stakes poker match—and Kennedy had a lot of pressure
from the Pentagon and CIA to go for a pre-emptive strike.

Those were the days my friend
we thought they’d never end . . .

US Ambassador: Support for Israel Drives all US Policies

By Alison Weir

“September 13, 2011 — While many Americans may believe that US policies are designed to address American needs, America’s new Ambassador to Israel explains that this is far from the case.

In a recent speech before the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI), Ambassador Daniel Shapiro clarified what drives US policies:

“The test of every policy the Administration develops in the Middle East is whether it is consistent with the goal of ensuring Israel’s future as a secure, Jewish, democratic state. That is a commitment that runs as a common thread through our entire government.”

Shapiro went on to say: “This test explains our extraordinary security cooperation, our stand against the delegitimization of Israel, our efforts on Iran, our response to the Arab Spring, and our efforts on Israeli-Palestinian peace.”

It also explains a factor in the downward slide in American prosperity and standing in the world.

US funding of Israel and its weapons industry

Shapiro elaborated: ‘Israel will receive over $3 billion in U.S. funding for training and equipment in the coming fiscal year. This assistance allows Israel to purchase the sophisticated defense equipment it needs to protect itself, by itself, including the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Our assistance has also helped boost Israel’s domestic defense industry.”

Shapiro said that one of his first visits as Ambassador to Israel was to see an Iron Dome battery deployed near Ashkelon, where he “had very moving visits with the victims of rocket attacks in Ashdod.” Palestinian rocket attacks have killed approximately 20 Israelis. There is no report that Shapiro has visited the victims of Israeli shelling attacks on Gaza, where over 1,400 have been killed.”

~~~~~~~~

Click on links below for the rest:

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article29133.htm

http://www.ifamericansknew.org/us_ints/po-israel.html

gerard 3:10pm - Reminds me of the Neocon philosophy,
adopted from Robespierre, who justified the Reign of
Terror, “Out of pity and love of humanity, you must be
inhuman.”

Put into practice, Palestinians have been living
separated or quarantined as the backdrops of their
daily experience for over 60 years. To expect a peoples
to live under these circumstances without retaliating
not to mention complaining is to have a very
unrealistic understanding of human nature.

“American influence will decline further, Israeli security will be undermined and Iran will be empowered, increasing the chances of another war in the region.”

America has many times taken positions opposite of america many many times. How come while you’re at it why don’t you caution against America speaking out the human rights violations in Saudi Arabia.
No, Saudi Arabia isn’t changing its position becaue of the Israel issue. It still has Iran to contend with and Edrogen with his delusions or restoring something like the Ottoman empire.

“It will use all of the means at its disposal to support Israeli withdrawal of illegal settlements from territory designated as part of the Palestinian state in the 1948 U.N. partition of Mandate Palestine.”

What are you talking about?? The Arabs rejected the 1947 partition plan Israel accepted it. There was a war.The Arabs powers vowed to annihilate Isreal They lost. The 1948 line was an armistice line not a border. Jordan broke the armistice when it joined in the attack on Israel in 1967. Before that time Jordan was illegally occupying that territory but no one complained. At any time the so called Palestinians could have agitated for a state but they didn’t. In fact they eschewed the “West Bank” and in their 1968 charter stated that their purpose was to seize Israel and evict the Jews. that charter has never been changed.

Has Abbas recognized Israel as a Jewish State? No
A recent poll taken of the so called Palestinians
revealed that most of them view any peace with Israel as only the first step in destroying it.
Where is there movement for peace from the Palestinian side. And even if their were there is
still Hamas which wants no peace.

Obama’s hostility to Israel is obvious.
Anerica’s influence is declinging in the Mideast,
some of it is inevitable but some is due to Obama’s one sided pressure on Israel.
Why should the so called Palestinians negogiate
when Obama puts no pressure on them and only on Israel.
Luckily it looks like Obama will be a one term president, good riddance. Even solidly democratic
districts are seeing through Obama’s charade.

Mr. Pfaff ,you got to be kidding right .Saudi Arabia has never been the solution to this problem ,it has been the problem all along .Wake up old rate !

Video/audio/text naration of technical details on how Ali Vakili Rad was convicted in French court of execution of Shapour Bakhtiar and Sorouch Katibeh in process.

http://www.prosefights.org/deaton/deaton.htm#911

Liberal arts ‘educated’ lawyers are not in control of these matters and should not be involved becaused the lawyer caused these unfortunate matters to escalate toward ... .

Thursday September 15, 2011 07:53

Don Noack phone message ack.
http://www.prosefights.org/deaton/audio/noack/noackack.mp3

QUOTE, William Pfaff:

“the U.S. is the only nation to possess the strength and opportunity to act preemptively to solve this crisis. Israel now is incapable of rescuing itself because of its quasi-permanent internal political deadlock.”
_________________

The only thing “quasi” about the permanency of Israel’s fascism is how permanently Israel might enjoy the immunity that its American sponsor’s fascism provides it.

America is permanently politically deadlocked in a hard Right destination because America’s politics are dominated by a firm partnership between really retrograde Republicans and deeply depraved Democrats — both corporate party factions supporting the same strategic goals, while arguing over how best to achieve them, with each faction striving to benefit more than the other from their complicity in all the corporate-state’s war crimes and crimes against humanity.

A super majority of Americans politically restrict themselves to choosing only between the corporate party’s mentally impaired Republicans and morally impaired Democrats.

America could have become a great nation, if it had ever had a great people.

http://www.chenangogreens.org

It’s interesting how the Right has embraced Zionism, not a particularly Christian view. On the other extreme their anti-Muslim sentiment is consistent with American imperialist agression in the Middle East which allies conveniently with Israeli Zionisits. More importantly, it explains the anti-American fervor that led to 9/11. That is the extent of their traditionally anti-Semetic Chritianity.

By Wishingforsanity, September 14 at 8:42 am

Thank you Jewish sister for your powerful post! What makes your comment so special and uplifting is the fact that you’re a Jew speaking truth to the corrupt and misguided power of both Israel and the USA.

I am a son of Palestine who found myself in a state of permanent exile since Israel occupied my hometown of Ramallah; a situation that shattered my dreams and personal family life, making me a perennial and pessimistic loner. I want to be honest with you and report that, because of all the injustices perpetrated against my homeland and fellow Palestinians, there were times when I entertained hating all my Jewish cousins and wished they would all perish in a natural disaster.

But then I keep coming across decent, enlightened and super humanist Jews like yourself, and then I feel pain and ashamed of myself for entertaining the idea of a blanket hatred of all Jews.

Thank you for giving me some hope that my cause and that of my fellow Palestinians has not yet been totally lost! Keep up the good work you beautiful sister, and may you be rewarded for your kindness, decency and courage in speaking truth to evil political-military powers!

No modern example of comradary and alliance in evil and against peace, justice and basic decency like that between fascist Israel and capitalist USA.

But sooner or later the evil ones have to reap the fruits of their evil harvest. The sad part that I will not live to see the time of reckoning! But in my grave, my spirit will celebrate that day of reckoning when the angels of good tidings will coney to my still-alive soul that I did my part in my jihad by pen against these two forces of evil, injustice and corruption on earth!

Quoting from the article:  “However, what al-Faisal does not say is that the U.S. is the only nation to possess the strength and opportunity to act preemptively to solve this crisis.”

The old war cry!  “The only nation that can etc. etc.”...  means “loose its vast disastrous military elephant on another situation that cannot be solved by trampling on yet another jungle of animosities, invoking violence and dictatorship and death?” Where
have we heard all that before? 

Why doesn’t Pfaff call up the minority (but increasing) voice of the nonviolent movements on both sides—Israeli and Palestinian—as possible resources for a new and different (and healthier)
force for resolution on the basis of mutual interests?  It can’t be because he doesn’t know about them, which leaves the alternative that he has no confidence in the fact that they and they alone are the voice of the future for Israel as much as for Palestine.  Force and violence has had 60+ years of opportunity—and failed—and practically everybody knows it.  Ergo, time to change the tune.

Not gonna happen. Obama would lose too much support. But we can hope.

Any nation that can twist the language so far that the meaning of “torture” turns into “extraordinary rendition” ought to be able to come up with some euphemism that can turn “brutal Israeli occupation” into something more palatable—like, say: “Just Renditions,Inc.” or “extraordinary rendition of Palestinians for their Own Good”—or (in honor of the economic squeeze) “Doing a Job on Justice.”  Just remember: America is extraordinarily exceptional and can do no harm because, whatever the results of what it does, it didn’t mean any harm. In fact, it was only trying to help.  So there.

No reason for Obama to do anything dazzling in regard to the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict.  He doesn’t have to worry that this problem might interfere with his re-
election ambition. The US public has never been concerned about our policies.
There was never any concern in the distant past—no concern before or after 9/11, or before the economic crisis, and no concern now. It is mostly a non-issue here.  Obama can relax and babble about other stuff.

I am not in favor of “saving” either the US or Israel.

They are both rogue states founded on genocide and landtheft. 

As a native american, I’d like to see the US fall while there is still a little bit left for MY people to take back and steward responsibly—like we did for thousands of years.

As a supporter of Palestinians (taught undergraduate students as well as graduate students in Jordan for awhile, so I have PERSONAL experience that I doubt if many other folks posting here have had) who would be called the native amwericans of the twentyfirst century if WE were still not under siege by the US government, I believe Israel should go into the night before it destroys any more lives.

USA and Israel OFF the planet, NOW!

Fear of losing is almost more powerful than fear of dying.  By fighting wars against seeming weaker foes, the fear of losing is supposedly diminished.  e.g. taking on Iraq instead of Saudis or Iranians.

Reagan found it easier to pound Granada than the Sandonistas or the Syrians or directly with Cubans.

Conservatives are generally afraid of just about EVERYthing and want to go to war at the drop of a hat.  Naturally, the ones who most want that are old codgers and draft dodgers and draft deferrers. 
That’s why they label every challenge as a “war” instead of some lesser solution method. 

History should have proved long ago that tough negotiations and meaningful (not weak-kneed) compromise is almost always a better option. 

What did a war in VietNam gain us when, in the long run, the Chinese end up getting all the trade there?

I’ll be castigated for offering the following but I must.

There is a difference between advocating pre-emptive attack against Iran as is advocated by some on the Right and blanket support for Israeli policies which is right-wing policy, and vetoing U.N. recognition of a Palestinian State. Obama has been severely criticized from the Right because of his policies regarding Israel and the Middle East. Obama has been accused of being weak, anti-Israel, a closet Islamist, etc. etc. The position of the Obama administration is that U.N. recognition of a Palestinian State would accomplish nothing, be an obstacle to a two state solution, and further aggravate the conflict; this argument might have some merit.

The U.S. has vetoed dozens of U.N. Resolutions designed to restrict the actions of the Israeli government and to protect Palestinians and others from Israeli government/military abuses. I personally believe that the Obama administration and nearly the entire U.S. Congress are tragically wrong headed in supporting the veto.

The crux, Wishingforsanity and her grandmother exhibit knowledge and wisdom and echo the views of all who honor justice and oppose militarism. I completely concur with Wishingforsanity when she writes:

“Shame on Obama, shame on his Peace Prize, shame on any who support the veto”.

I have ascribed to the views of Wishingforsanity and her grandmother for decades, but Wishingforsanity is lacking in wisdom, in my opinion, when she writes:

“THE issue that will cause me to abstain from voting for him again.”

Not voting for Obama will be of no service to Palestinians, the people of the U.S., the people of the Middle East, and the people of world, quite the contrary. If people choose not to vote for Obama and the democrats even greater injustices and depredations will occur, and this is the sad fact of our political reality.

RE: ”...Arabs have been angry before with the invulnerable United States, and nothing has come of it
—except for the 9/11 attacks and a war “on terror” that has gone on for a decade…”

thanks at least, Bill,  for offsetting “on terror” - anyone with the sense with which they were born, whose
looked seriously at the 9/11 Greatest Show on Earth, knows it’s the war “OF terror” - global and virtually
endless

now that Obomber’s lemming legions have deserted their die-hard, anti-war colleagues,
leaving them hung out to dry, amidst virtually total media disregard for the outrage regularly voiced
against the Global War OF Terror’s near-genocidal atrocity against those in the 3rd world, so
inconveniently standing between the hegemonic global finance oligarchy and essential raw materials

in the case of the Palestinians, that resource is simply their land - to get it all, Zionists are determined to
destroy them, their heritage and their culture - genocide, there is no other word for it

telling Obomber to ‘grow a spine’ is useless - he’s a puppet - his lemming legions need to grow a spine
and support a primary challenge - whenever that might appear - though unlikely, the fix is most likely in
- but, if not, why not Kucinich, Sanders, DeFazzio?

the absolute irony is that Republican/Libertarian Ron Paul is the most anti-war candidate out there -
here he is speaking in the Senate on the Gaza Resolution - perhaps the only one with the guts to speak
honestly on the issue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPwNk0CJSiY

Should not Mr.Pfaff’s title really have read “How the United States needs to
save itself from Israel’s extremists”?

The relationship between the two borders on being untenable in the the
world of the 21st. Century.

Saving either from themselves can not be possible. The U.S. believes it is “exceptional” and Israel believes it is the “chosen”. Without a political lobotomy to rid each of their affliction they will continue to be major sources of mayhem and destruction in the world.

Obama’s decision to veto a Palestinian bid for statehood should for all intents and
purposes force the powers that be to demand that he give back, in his shamed position
on the stance, his Peace Prize.  As TruthDig’s phenomenal satirical cartoonist, Mr. Fish
shows us in his many brilliant takes on the issue, the fact remains, that Israel (and the
complicit US) run the largest Concentration Camp on the planet. It is a disgrace from
every angle, POV, upside-down, backwards and everything in between. 

I am the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, My Mother abhors what is being done to the
Palestinians for the horror and all too familiar nightmare that it is. We often just sit after
a long conversation about the insanity of the US position and hatred of Palestinian
Statehood, or even just basic human rights for the people of Palestine and are left
speechless; no words or logic seem to explain away this catastrophic nightmare.

To even intimate that a free Palestinian state is an existential threat to the “armed to the
teeth” Israel (by America mostly) is hysterical, illogical, nightmarish stance that simply
can no longer be tolerated.  It is an insult to peace loving people’s everywhere.

I have many, many issues with Obama.  Nobody seems to notice he’s done as many
good things as outrageously bad things since his electiomay maybe because the good
done by a postive act on his part is canceled out by such detrimental acts as this
perverse policy.  But this issue, which is by NO MEANS a National Secutiry issue is,
along with his contemptuously slow, faulty and sometimes illegal environmental policies,
THE issue that will cause me to abstain from voting for him again. Obama can no longer
be forgiven for keeping “The Palestinians down.” I get how powerful the Israeli lobby is,
But isn’t a two-state solution and an American President saying “NO MORE” to the
enslavement of an entire peoples more powerful? 

It’s a shameless cowing to Isreal’s hysterical notion that somehow, somewhere,
somebody still wants the Jews wiped off the face of the Planet. With the exception of
Iran, who frankly is more likely to decimated by Israel, then the other way around is
sheer lunacy. I must wonder aloud ” Have the Jews learned nothing about peace, the
brotherhood of man, justice, liberty and HUMANITY from the Holocaust?” To continually
hear a resounding “NO” to that is a blight on peace for everyone, everywhere that we as
Americans and Obama as the nation’s leader should shudder at, not support.

It is a disgrace.

As an American Jew with 9 surviving relatives from the hundreds that were killed in the
Holocaust I can no longer support any Persident who would further this insanity. Shame
on Obama, shame on his Peace Prize, shame on any who support the veto.

WE ARE ALL ONE HUMANITY. ALL OF US. There is NO wall that can thwart that very
basic idea.

yes, i have noticed that an overwhelming number of americans, say, 99-99.999% who
protest in any way u.s wars, evaluate u.s aggressions [against vietnam, korea, cuba, iraq,
afgh’n, just to list most prominent cases of u.s agressions] as mistakes.
[btw, rabid americans, say 30 - 80 mns consider all u.s aggressions as a moral and legal
imperative]

in fact, there never existed a casus belli for a single u.s aggression and that includes its
invasion of europe april ‘17.

it shld be noted that most people who protest u.s wars against iraq and afgh’n, do so on
basis of expediency and rationalization and not on an apodictic truth; i.e.,
necessary/desirable truth that no land has the right to attack any other land/region under
any known circumstance.
[apodictic truth had been invented by aristotle and the word itself had been erased from
usage in all media]

thus, they worry about the two wars turning into failures, cost too much money, the wars
are mistakes, etc.

i am not denying that iraqi govt had not committed crimes against kurds and shias;
however, this cannot be a casus belli. all u.s [or world court] had to do is to issue warrant
for arrest for saddam&co; and if they wld not show up in court, promise to hunt for the
them like dogs or put a huge ransom on their heads.

obviously, that wld have obviated an attack on iraq and that just wld not do for u.s ruling
class—it, as always before, it wanted [in]direct control of the land.

but shldn’t we know by now that every war ever waged, had been waged solely to obtain
land; however, always juutified on solely rationaliztion; i.e., giving reasons for one’s
actions and which never end; being limited only by lack of imagination to invent them.
more cld be said. tnx

I am not convinced that the Saudis or any other nation will slap Obama’s ears when he dishonorably crushes Palestinian hopes for UN membership. After all, there were no serious international repercussions when George W. Bush tore up the UN Charter and the Nuremberg Principles on his way to Iraq. Imperial USA will, as always, lose some of its stature as a defender of liberty and human rights; but yet another veto to advance the cause of political Zionism won’t be a game changer for Uncle Sam.

“President Obama could spectacularly reverse policy and save the day.”

Before or after he announces a real investigation of 9/11?

http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2008/08/18/movers-and-shakers/

SO Mr Pfaff answer is for the US and Israel to bend over , grab their ankles and take it up the butt in response to Saudi threats. Mr Pfaff it is with pleasure I tell you that Jews and Most Americans like me Do swing that way.

President Obama could spectacularly reverse policy and save the day.

Sure he could, and the sun could rise in the west. It is unfathomable to me how we continue to alienate an entire region of the world with continuing stupidities as well as the slaughter we have engaged in for over a decade there.

Ten years ago there was not a single “terrorist” in Iraq, today there are many, and many of them are indigenous Iraqis driven to extremism by Bush/Cheney/Obama. Ten years ago the Afghan people labored under the Taliban. Today they favor the Taliban more than Americans.

Ten years ago we had full employment and a flourishing economy….....and a most of our freedoms were still intact.

They need a divorce.