OK, so NYT's commenter base includes even bigger anti-Semites than we may have imagined. As this is not normally the case, I can only assume the story got a link from some anti-Semitic website, because the thread is out of control, as are the "recommends" the most offensive remarks are accumulating. So, without further ado:
J'accuse...
Jerry: "To American Jews; Make up your mind. Are you Americans or Israelites?"
Mark L.: "Nice to know that some people are so affluent that they can afford to obsess about a tiny country halfway around the world. While many Americans are struggling day to day to put a roof over their heads or get something to eat for their children, we're about to make it much worse by defaulting on our nation's debt."
Paul: "Simply put....America for Americans or MOVE........The Jewish / Israeli attitudes and loyalties are destroying us with all there spies and propaganda !"
And so many more, but as I'm not Zola, but rather a grad student in need of sleep, you can read the rest yourself or take my word for it. Mark L. especially, WTF? This district's not friggin' West End Avenue. But... right, I'd forgotten, to be Jewish is to be loaded.
The paper itself is partly to blame for giving the mistaken impression a) that Israel itself gives a crap who wins this microscopic outer-borough election, b) that the Jewish voters in that district put Israel first (and a close read of the article indicates: no, they do not), and c) that even if they did, this would have some perceptible influence on America's Israel policy. This is a straightforward case of politicians pandering. To report on a near-non-issue in this manner, then open up the comments, is just incredibly irresponsible.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
On a lighter note
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3 comments:
Absolutely. But regardless of number of recommends, you have to ask how representative these views are. Unfortunately, the issue of US aid to Israel when times are so hard IS a real ,viable issue. I remember when Netanyahu went to the US on his first visit as PM back in '96 and menetioned that Israel wanted to cut US aid. I don't believe anything changed.
If I'm wrong could someone please correct me (just as I was wrong about some Orthodox women in Israel not wearing the Burqa).
The suckling at the teat of the US is a symbol of dependence not independence. And more and more people are questioning it.
This is all creepy, but it is also nutpicking. I've yet to see a news site whose comment section isn't infested by crazies (blogs often aren't much better, but news sites are consistently bottom of the barrel).
David,
True, but this struck me as above and beyond the usual. And even if these things bring out the crazies, the crazies do tell you a) which direction today's craziness points, and b) that there are probably many others with more sedate versions of those views.
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