ZGram - 2/17/2002 - "Sobran: On with the War!"

[irimland@zundelsite.org]

Joe Sobran expresses what many have felt -I certainly did for about a
month:  That blackmail might be the reason.

 I won't say more than that - as a matter of fact, in view of the copyright
restriction as expressed below, I will not even give this ZGram my
customary header.

 But as always, you can count on a Sobran column to be well thought out and
concisely written, and I am shipping it herewith to interested individuals:

 [START]

 On with the War!

 January 31, 2002

  by Joe Sobran

       Judging from President Bush's state of the Union message, what began
as the War on Terrorism will be now be broadened to become a War to Crush
Israel's Enemies. He named three states as an "axis of evil": Iraq, Iran,
and North Korea. These are sometimes called "rogue nations" for their
defiance of American global hegemony and their hostility to Israel.

      Israel's "amen corner" in the American press -- spearheaded by
Charles Krauthammer, William Safire, William Kristol, and the editorial
page of the WALL STREET JOURNAL -- has been calling for war on Israel's
enemies (not just Afghanistan, which is remote from Israel) since September
11. For a while Bush seemed to be resisting calls for a dangerous wider
war, which friendly European governments opposed; but now he is in
alignment with Israel against Europe.

      Why the change? We may never know. But politicians are often subject
to powerful backstage pressures that are hidden from the public. We can
never discount the possibility of blackmail.

      The same is true of journalists. In this respect, the conservative
press is even worse than the liberal press. I learned long ago, the hard
way, that criticism of Israel is taboo in conservative journalism. Such
criticism is equated with "anti-Semitism": if you say the alliance with
Israel has been disastrous for this country -- as the 9/11 attacks should
have proved even to the dullest observer -- you will be treated as if you'd
called for nuking Jerusalem.

      Today such publications as NATIONAL REVIEW, THE WEEKLY STANDARD, and
the WASHINGTON TIMES treat Israel as Communism's liberal fellow-travelers
used to treat the Soviet Union. Israel is a model democracy and a "reliable
ally" of the United States. Israel can do no wrong. Israel is never at
fault. Israel is the victim not only of its neighbors, but of its own Arab
subjects. Even mild criticism of Israel springs from evil motives.

       This has become the conservative party line. How do you reconcile it
with American patriotism? Ah, that's another tenet of the party line:
what's good for Israel is good for the United States. The two countries'
interests are virtually identical. Therefore the U.S. Government should
never pressure the Israeli government, because whatever Ariel Sharon does
for Israel will automatically serve American interests. (It's grimly
amusing that the Zionist pundits refer to the American people as "we.")

      Not that these journalists are stupid enough to believe all this; but
they are smart enough to know what will happen to their careers if they
contradict the party line. In private conversation they are often
surprisingly skeptical of pro-Israel propaganda; but in print, their
skepticism is carefully concealed. The more honorable among them simply
steer around the whole subject, in order to avoid trouble while telling the
truth about those topics they do feel free to discuss. Often they have
children they hope to send through college.

      Sometimes the pressure is blatant. A Canadian publisher has just
bought a large newspaper chain and issued an express order that these
papers print only pro- Israel editorials.

       But that's unusual. As a rule Jews don't have to enforce the taboos.
Cowardly and venal gentiles will enforce them against each other. The most
vicious attacks on Patrick Buchanan a few years ago came from his fellow
Catholics.

      It was an interesting object lesson in the truth that startled the
philosopher David Hume: how easily the many may be ruled by the few.
"Democracy" is merely the best disguise yet devised for minority rule.
Convince the majority that they are ruling themselves, and they will submit
to anything.

      So now our rulers are drawing precisely the wrong lesson from
September 11. Instead of ending American meddling abroad, they are
redoubling it. Never mind how many enemies this will needlessly make in the
long run. The "reliable ally" must be served, and "rogue nations" must be
brought to heel.

      A few weeks ago France's ambassador to Great Britain caused an uproar
by saying at a dinner party what most diplomats privately believe about
Israel: that it's monstrous that this little country should be able to draw
the whole world into war. Somehow -- that is, inevitably -- his private
remark, heard by his Zionist hostess, immediately found its way into print,
and Jewish groups called for a boycott of all French goods.

      On with the war!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Read this column on-line at "http://www.sobran.com/columns/020131.shtml".

 Copyright (c) 2002 by the Griffin Internet Syndicate, www.griffnews.com.
This column may not be published in print or Internet publications without
express permission of Griffin Internet Syndicate. You may forward it to
interested individuals if you use this entire page, including the following
disclaimer:

 "SOBRAN'S and Joe Sobran's columns are available by subscription. For
details and samples, see http://www.sobran.com/e-mail.shtml, write
fran@griffnews.com, or call 800-513-5053."  {END]  =====