House condemns Mahathir speech

[Herschel]

The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution condemning anti-Semitic comments by Malaysia’s outgoing prime minister. The lead sponsor of the bill, Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), said the vote “demonstrates the commitment of the United States to people of the Jewish faith, and the dedication of the United States Congress to further Middle East peace.” Mahathir, who retired Friday, told the Organization of Islamic States earlier this month that “Jews rule the world by proxy” and that the Muslim world must unite to defeat them.

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http://www.jta.org/brknews.asp?id=81941

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Marvelous news. The disdain for anti-semitism and support for Israel transend party lines.

[Darranar]

1. Good for the US House!

:toast:

Is is so sad that blind support of Likud transcends party lines.

[GabysPoppy]

8. I am having trouble with your statement

How is this condemnation of a person making anti-semitic remarks, blind support for Likud?


"Is is so sad that blind support of Likud transcends party lines."

I am putting your own words in quotations so that I am not accused of making them up.

Seeing that the vote was 411-0, your preferred candidate Mr. Kucincich either voted for it or was absent. Let's assume he wasn't there for a moment, How do you think he might have voted?

Please help me understand your jump in logic.

[Darranar]

9. Sorry for that being unclear...

My post was not meant to be tongue-in-cheek or sarcastic at all. The first part, congratulating the House, was completely sincere and was a response to the article. The second part, relating to support of Likud, was in response to Herschel's message at the end of the article.

I apologize for any lack of clarity.

[GabysPoppy]

12. Thank you for the clarification

BTW, how do you think Dennis might have voted?

[Darranar]

14. I think he either voted "yes"...

or or did not vote at all because the bill did not mention what else the PM said.

It would be a dissapointment if he did not vote in support of this bill, but it would not devestate me because I can understand his reasoning, though I disagree.

[Darranar]

16. Kucinich voted for it...

http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=593

[GabysPoppy]

17. He did vote yes

http://congress.nw.dc.us/c-span/issues/votes/?votenum=593&chamber=H&congress=1081&state=oh

[asjr]

2. House

When are they going to condemn General Boykin?

[Darranar]

3. I certainly hope they will...

though I doubt it.

[Aidoneus]

5. your doubt is well founded

That he retains support, among other things, makes the bark of these hypocrites ring quite hollow.

[Aidoneus]

4. why would these hypocrites "condemn" what they heartily support?

Boykin got his job by Congressional appointment:--they knew what they were signing on for when they brought his name up, he's even been vigorously defended by the congresscreeps.

[The Magistrate]

6. Still, Sir

It is good to know they have time on their hands, and have postponed for at least the time this took any more serious mischief....

"No man's liberty or property is safe while the Legislature is in session."

[Aidoneus]

10. good point..

.

[bemildred]

15. Indeed.

Always alert, ready for immediate action once the call goes out ...

[sushi]

27. Good question

A lot of people seem to have a problem with even-handedness.

[ex_jew]

7. Jews may not rule the world but

the U.S. House of Representatives would not appear to be a bastion of
resistance. I'm so sure this vote will serve to further Middle East peace - not.

[dfong63]

11. hypocrites

house condemns Mahathir for mere words, yet is silent about Israel's continual theft of Palestinian land. the house is silent about Israel's misuse of American aid. the house is silent about Israel's use of missiles, bulldozers, tanks, and helicopter gunships to slaughter innocent civilians. they are silent about Israel's evil acts, yet they condemn Mahathir's words. hypocrites.

[Resistance]

13. it is worse than just silence, dfong

It is the full, unconditional support of Israel's theft of land, gunships slaughtering innocents, and home demolitions. The U.S. is paying for Israel to do these things. That isn't silence to me (but obviously, I do see your point).

By the way, I don't have a problem at all with this particular House resolution. I do have a problem with the hypocrisy of course.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ForestsBeatBushes]

18. I'm thrilled the U.S. House of Representatives

unanimously passed the resolution; they must be pleased with themselves.

It was pointed out to me, however, that the real problem isn't the speech; it's the enthusiastic standing ovation received for it from the membership of the Organization of Islamic States.

When will they/we ever learn?

NEVER AGAIN!

[Resistance]

19. I am glad you typed 'they/we'

and not just 'they'. It is clear that we haven't learned a thing, given that we continue to support Israel's ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.

[rini]

22. Before I start screaming at you

please define "ethnic cleansing." Can you do it without using the words Israel, Zionists, Jews, or Palestinians? Give me a dictionary definition so I'll know exactly what you mean.

[Violet_Crumble]

23. Let's all pause and bow our heads while we consult dictionary.com...

Not that there's much difference between it's one-line definition and what you'll find if you delve deeper into definitions of ethnic cleansing.

Basic dictionary definition:

The systematic elimination of an ethnic group or groups from a region or society, as by deportation, forced emigration, or genocide.

A longer and more thorough discussion of ethnic cleansing can be found here:

http://www.ejil.org/journal/Vol5/No3/art3-02.html

Violet...

[rini]

25. good

that is what a dictionary is for, to clearly state how society interprets words and their usage. Now you may equate this definition with x.y.or z, but that puts the onus on you to prove it. So Prove it please.

[Violet_Crumble]

26. Damn. I've been so stupid!

Here I've been dishing out $$$ and huge amounts of time to go to uni to learn about things like ethnic cleansing, genocide, collateral damage, and the Cold War, when all the time I could have just visited dictionary.com and learnt all there is to know on the definition of those sort of terms. Uh, did you even bother looking at the link I provided for you?

I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to be proving, rini. Care to fill me in?

Violet...

[ForestsBeatBushes]

30. I like your subject line - it's good.

[sushi]

29. So am I

ForestBB is evenhanded.

[Violet_Crumble]

20. The real problem isn't the speech?

I suppose whoever pointed that out to you didn't explain how the standing ovation (and yet again, standing ovations amongst leaders of countries aren't spontaneous, nor any serious indication of that leaders beliefs) wasn't for the speech itself, but was for those anti-semitic comments within it? After all, the speech itself isn't the problem, it's those comments that marred it, right?

Violet...

[ForestsBeatBushes]

31. The real problem

is not easily-dismissed nutso speeches by people such as Matahir; it is indeed the blind approval and probable subsequent actions taken by those who provided such standing ovations.

[Violet_Crumble]

32. Try reading what I said before you reply...

I addressed the 'point' and yet you return blindly repeating it again. You could try doing something a bit more convincing like trying to point out how you know that people were SPONTANEOUSLY applauding the anti-semitic comments rather than the whole speech. Maybe you could even point out what was so nutso about the rest of the speech and what probably subsequent actions have ever happened in the past when Mahathir has time and time again made obnoxious and racist comments? Then again, you could just type the same thing as you did before and pretend that no-one's noticing ;)

Violet...

[Jack Rabbit]

21. This is a straw man

Mahathir's remarks were absurd. It was so easy to condemn them that even I did it.

This was a mom-and-apple-pie feel good vote. Of course, everybody voted in favor. It didn't take any courage or considered thought to support this.

Sorry, but I'm not impressed. There isn't anything wrong with the resolution. That is the problem. It's too right and too easy to support. It was just fluff. If Congress works on something difficult and meaningful, like bringing a real peace to the ME, then there might be something to cheer about. Of course, nothing so meanigful will pass in a day on a unanimous vote.

[ForestsBeatBushes]

24. Agreed.

Referring you to Message 18.



NEVER AGAIN.