I've been blogging fiercely since February, so I know a troll when I see one: you know, someone who provokes and outrages to get attention. I just got a press release from a radio troll. Take note of this:

Nationally syndicated radio columnist Andy Martin will host a special worldwide radio/Internet news conference edition of "Andy Martin's America" Tuesday, September 24th at 1:00 P.M. to urge President Bush to invade Israel instead of Iraq. "Israel is the more dangerous outlaw state," says Martin.

Why yes, Israel, the only democracy, the only free press, the only thriving economy, the only country living in the 21st century in the Middle East is likely at any moment to drop a nuke or two - on a whim - on Jordan or Egypt or Lebanon, just because. Israel has shown remarkable restraint with its weapons of mass destruction. Saddam Hussein has used every weapon he has ever begged, borrowed or stolen on his neighbors and on his own people.

"Israel has weapons of mass destruction that destabilize the region; why not take them out? We cannot allow Israel to have nuclear weapons and deny them to the Arabs. Israel has committed atrocities against civilians just like Saddam's regime.

"Saddam is a war criminal. Israelis elected a war criminal to lead them, Ariel Sharon. Iraq violates UN Resolutions; so does Israel. What gives? Torture and terror is torture and terror whether committed by Arabs or Israelis. Israel has been called 'an army with a state' and desperately needs 'regime change.'

"Israeli leaders espouse neo-Nazi doctrines. In the New York Times for September 21, p. A8, Israeli leaders speak of 'squashing' human beings and proving their own 'omnipotence.' 'Squashing untermenschen' and proving racial superiority and 'omnipotence' were the racist hallmarks of the Third Reich. Israeli 'omnipotence' is a racist doctrine."

Martin, a sentient human being living in the United States, can't possible believe this litany of bizarre pseudo-equivalences.

First: stability in the Middle East is something we want to destroy, not perpetuate. The status quo of Saddam, Arafat, the theocracies of Iran and Saudi Arabia are neither to our advantage, nor to their own people's advantage. Indeed, from the opposite perspective, Israel's nuclear capability hasn't destabilized anything, since this grim status quo has developed with Israel in possession of nukes. Israel can be trusted to be responsible with its weapons: Saddam most certainly cannot.

Next, Martin has taken the NY Times statements - what a shocker - completely out of context. Martin's quote is this:

Israeli leaders speak of 'squashing' human beings and proving their own 'omnipotence.'

What the article actually says is this:

Another constraint is political. Mr. Sharon's coalition would not survive without the Labor Party, whose leaders include Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, and both have declared themselves opposed to a policy of that relies on force alone.
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