Guess what? Uncle Sam has an Uncle! He’s my Uncle Dave, and he is one of the smartest, kindest, most talented, most dedicated, most learned men I know. A good soul.
But like a lot of Uncles, he’s very committed to his world view, and often sends me what I deem hysterical, ultra-conservative rants about Israel. He is very pro-Israel.
So there’s a brouhaha going on about the status of Jerusalem, whether it’s “in” Israel. So Uncle Dave sent me this article.
Now, I basically agree with Uncle Dave on Jerusalem. It’s part of Israel. How could it not be? At the same time, the UN mandate is still the prevailing legal authority in this matter. There is a reason Jerusalem has special status, and the trick is to both keep the Jews as the caretakers in some way, but of a city that is equally the province of all mankind, and certainly of the Big Three religions.
What’s really important here, as I’ve mentioned before, when responding to an article like the one referenced above, is the answer to the question: does this help us achieve our goal? And, again, the answer is no. The unhelpful, inflammatory, and, more important, incredibly repetitive, idiosyncratic and uninspired words used to describe the situation can only alienate and further extend the gap. Even if you don’t like the office holder, the office of President of the USA alone deserves better than these words to describe it: mischief, furtive, pranks, deceptions. We’re talking about our own White House, and even if we disagree, there are ways to express yourself. If your goal is to blow off steam and feel good, this type of prose might be helpful. If your goal is to have a positive impact, then there’s no reason to be so disrespectful. Real, grown up, professional diplomacy doesn’t rest on ridiculing the other party. It’s obnoxious, and counterproductive. I can tell you I could figure out this is a right wing screed just from the nasty tone, even if the subject were left out.
This article asks: “Do his munchkins really think they can get away with such sleazy sleights of hand?” You can disagree with what Obama is doing, but there is no reason to demean like this. These are not munchkins, they are men; men of great power and intelligence and authority. I would even say moral authority. Especially now that we have a brown President, we have to be ultra careful not to say things that imply he is not a full man. Jews especially should be sensitive to this issue, given the history of their own persecution, and also given the history of support for people of color. Why throw that out the window? It’s insulting to the majority of Jews that have worked hard to show respect. This and many other examples reveals the moral bankruptcy of the author, not the subject, of the essay. While pointing the finger at our current administration, three fingers are pointing back at the accuser.
Oh, and they’re not Islamists. They’re Muslims.
