Part I - We Con the World
Life Imitating Art
Life has a funny way of imitating art. Caroline Glick, a prominent Israeli news commentator who produces "Tribal Update" as part of her "Latma TV" satires on YouTube, featured a "Captain Stabbing," the "Love Boat" captain of one of the "Free Gaza" flotilla ships from Turkey, as part of Tribal Update #53. In the scene, Captain Stabbing is being interviewed by the Tribal Update news anchors, and one of them calls attention to a long knife or machete in his hand. He drops the machete on a table and describes it as a cat, a different kind of cat from Turkey. Then he calls for one of the crew members to take the "cat" away.
This morning (6 June 2010), an Arab was caught with a knife having a 25 cm blade at a checkpoint east of Ramallah. But life is usually less artful than art. The 25 centimeter knife was confiscated by the IDF, and the Arab who possessed it was taken in for questioning. Captain Stabbing, on the other hand was allowed to launch into a song, "We Con The World," with his crew on the ship. Tribal Update #53 has gotten 46,000 hits so far on YouTube (as of 12:00 on 7 June). But Ms. Glick edited the song as a stand-alone feature, and it has gone viral on YouTube, getting 1,310,000 hits (as of the same time of day on 7 June). A second stand-alone of the same song, also edited by Ms. Glick, has gotten some 110,000 hits. When the mass media lies through its teeth, other means of getting the truth out must be found.
The Lying Mass Media
And the mass media has been lying through its teeth, doing all it can to delegitimize this country and its efforts at self defense, puny as they are. This story, distributed by the Associated Press, is written in a way designed to inflame anti-Israel sentiment. When the AP puts out something, thousands of other media vehicles, members of the Associated Press, put it out as "news" as well. Then there is this story, a BBC whine about the murder of Hamas "operative," the terrorist, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. While the BBC manages to forget the British calling Israel "that shitty little country," they do manage to note that they were called "dogs" by an Israel member of the Knesset. When the left hates, they are petty and spiteful - and they never shut up.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Baronius
Ruvy, I can root for Israel, but when you say things like you did about the BBC it's impossible to root for *you*.
2 - Dr Dreadful
Ruvy, do you even understand the function of quotation marks in a news story? Or do you just enjoy shooting messengers?
As is your frequent habit nowadays, you've taken a piece which seeks to report, among other things, public opinion within Israel and elsewhere regarding the al-Mabhouh assassination; and, purely because some of the views reported are negative towards Israel, you manage to extrapolate from this that not only the reporter but his employers and indeed his entire country are Jew-haters.
It makes as much sense as if I were to come up to you and let you know that some guy down the street says he saw you knock the wing mirror off his car and isn't happy about it; and you were to conclude from this that I hate all Jewish drivers.
3 - Ruvy
These are comments to the article by Michael Ledeen, an article I suggest you read, instead of getting your panties all twisted up over the BBC.
Erdogan has delusions of grandeur, he thinks he’s the toughest guy on the block, the mentality of a bully. As for the Iranians, they just LOVE proxies to do their dirty work until they get the bomb, then, watch out, these people are seriously crazy, these fanatics live in a delusional world, they dream of the new Islamic Conquest, like in the time of Mohammed. I’m from a Muslim country originally, seemingly Western, educated, rational people, when you get on the subject of Islam become irrational raving madmen, they have wet-dreams of conquest, of subjugating the infidels, of the triumph of Islam, domination " it’s exactly like the stereotypes of Nazi party members, SS types. Their eyes glaze over & they start reciting crap from the Qur’an & get more & more agitated as they do so.
You Westerners have NO idea what you are dealing with.
additionally, I suggest you pay careful attention to this comment as well...
I’ve read reports that link the White House to the Gaza flotilla, specifically, naming Mr Brennan. The Free Gaza movement is supported by Code Pink & Bill Ayres & his wife, both close friends of Obama. Obama wants the Gaza blockade lifted, calling it ”unsustainable” & wants to legitimize Hamas.
I don’t usually give a lot of credit to conspiracy theories " it is a sad example of the lack of trust I have in the U.S. these days that I find this credible. Our gov’t. is obliged to be diplomatic, our media is generally restrained. But ordinary people here in Israel curse Obama, he is becoming as hated as Ahmadinejad or Nasrallah.
Pay attention to the second part of the article here, if you haven't got the sense to enjoy the parodies in the first part. If a war breaks out here, it will change your world, and probably not for the better.
4 - zingzing
"Obama wants the Gaza blockade lifted, calling it ”unsustainable” & wants to legitimize Hamas."
seems somewhat reasonable. the gaza blockade WILL lead to war. it is "unsustainable."
and how do you get rid of terrorists? make them far too busy with running a gov't to be bothered with blowing shit up. one man's terrorism is another man's revolution. once the revolution is over, the "terrorist"/"revolutionist" becomes... the government.
it's not ideal, of course, but then again, nothing is in that part of the world.
5 - Dr Dreadful
Ruvy, as fond as you are of censuring American commenters for not knowing what they are talking about because they're not sitting where you're sitting, you seem awfully confident about the prevailing mood in Britain, based on a few anecdotes from cherry-picked sources, even though you've never set foot in the place.
I grant you that there are always going to be a few misguided so-and-sos who get their knickers in a twist: in most cases you can trace their ideological roots back to the left wing of the 1980s Labour Party (which was appropriately dubbed 'Militant') - whose influences can in turn be traced back to Soviet Russia, and we all know how much they loved Jews.
But I spent the first 34 years of my life in the Old Dart, as Stan calls it, and I assure you that the vast majority of Britons are not raving anti-Semitic mooncalves. Most are, in fact, broadly supportive of Israel, albeit not of all of her behaviour.
6 - Dan(Miller)
It seems as though perhaps the word is getting out. Perhaps some good will come of it.
Dan(Miller)
7 - roger nowosielski
Who is Paul, Dan? Just another blogger, I suppose, no last name, consequently just another opinion.
The world is full of duplicity, and you don't have to look to the UN to find it. Our own government is full of it.
Do you suppose there is no other solution to the Gaza situation than the blockade? Do you approve of the existing arrangements? And what does it matter what the sheeple thinks. The US has long been out of touch with the international community, and there's only one reason for it: we don't want to relinquish our hegemony.
Let's call a spade a spade. We support wars and conflicts which suit our national interest, shy from those that do not.
No one is Mr. Clean.
8 - roger nowosielski
There is another incongruity to consider. You argue that MSM pushed the activists' side of the story. I beg to differ - most of the coverage issued from international press.
But let's assume for a moment you're right. And if so, then how would you explain the coverage of the Helen Thomas affair? Admittedly, she had gone over the top. Still, it wasn't hate speech but an expression of frustration.
Again, I'm not justifying Helen, especially since she's a member of the media. But why crucify her for it? Rush, Hannity and Beck make outrageous statements on a daily basis. Rush may be excused because he's got his own spiel. But the other two? They're part of Fox News network - unless you're going to disqualify it as a news medium.
Anyway, your argument concerning MSM doesn't compute.
9 - roger nowosielski
To change the subject, Dreadful, I'm just re-watching Lost Horizon, and I've got to say, you've had some hunks for the movie actors - Robert Colman, Ronald Colman, Errol Flynn.
Nothing to be ashamed of. And I'm not even talking Burton or Olivier.
10 - Dan(Miller)
Roger, re # 7: Here is a link to the "about us" page at Power Line. You can see the photos and brief bios of the people; you can even ascertain where they live and what they do for a living. Unlike some, their identities are readily ascertainable.
I generally prefer writers who identify themselves over those who hide behind "anonymous" or similar uninformative words.
Dan(Miller)
11 - Glenn Contrarian
Ruvy -
What we see in Turkey today is a movement to reverse the secularization of the country accomplished from the third to sixth decades of the 20th Century.
As you well know, Ruvy, there are millions in Turkey who do NOT want such a reverse...but what Israel did with the aid flotilla (not to mention the Gaza blockade for the past few years) has strengthened the hand of the Muslim extremists in Turkey immeasurably. In other words, thanks to Israel, they're probably going to officially reject secularism and become the newest Islamic republic.
Just as Bush's invasion of Iraq resulted in a resounding strategic victory for IRAN, Israel's stubbornness will result in a strategic victory for the Sunnis in general, and the Wahhabis in particular.
I think what you and the Israeli government has forgotten is that earnest efforts of goodwill speak loudly in any language...and that one wrong thing done wipes out the good will earned by a hundred good things done. The world would not have condemned the killing of Islamic militants in wetsuits...but will always condemn the killing of NON-militants on unarmed ships (and don't you dare call them 'armed', for if you do, you don't know the meaning of the word). As a result, the understanding you wish the rest of the world would have for Israel's actions and predicament will not happen.
There is one and only one way out of the trap Israel is in - to do something completely different (also known as 'apologizing' for what they did that was certainly wrong, and to hold themselves to a higher standard than they do the barbarians waiting outside their gates.
Thanks to your hardliners, what you appear to want - a war that Israel cannot hope to win - might just be inevitable. I do so hope I'm wrong.
12 - roger nowosielski
Indeed, Glenn, it's deplorable - the voice reaction prompted by Israeli policy.
13 - Ruvy
Glenn, I see you've managed - deliberately? - to miss the point here. Lets repeat it for you so it is clear as day.
Several experts have gone over the events of the last week or so and discovered that the Turkish involvement has little to do with "Palestinian" Arabs, for whom Turks have little use, and for all of the bluster and threats they have little to do with Israel either. They have to do with securing the position of the AK party in Turkey, as the government of Erdogan is in political trouble domestically. In essence, what the Erdogan régime has done is very clever. They have wrapped themselves in the Turkish flag, using Kemalist style nationalism to force the military to go along with a foolish campaign of foreign adventurism designed to take the average Turk's mind off of corruption and abuse of civil rights. According to Ephraim Inbar, of the Sadat Begin Center for Strategic Studies at Bar Ilan University, "Erdogan has decided to exacerbate his relations with Israel in order to gain public support."
Caroline Glick chimes in, pointing out that,
"Since the radical Islamic AKP party took over Turkey in 2003, its leader, Prime Minister Recip Erdogan, has presided over the thorough brainwashing of the Turkish people. According to repeated polling data, the majority of Turks believe that Israel and America are demonic, murderous nations that kill innocent people for entertainment. Erdogan has cultivated anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism for two reasons. First, doing so enables him to divert his people's attention away from his government's economic failures. Stirred into frenzies of hatred, the Turks willingly rally behind their leader, who is saving them from the Jewish and Yankee beasts.
Then there is Erdogan's goal of reasserting Turkish regional dominance and reclaiming the lost power of the Ottomans as the leader of the Islamic world. His decision in 2006 to be the first world leader to host Hamas terror masters on an official visit after their victory in the Palestinian elections was a clear bid to win popularity for Turkey among the Arab masses."
And let's see - we are supposed to apologize for defending ourselves [edited]?
Sinking the boat [edited] is what I would have done, but [edited] Ehud Barak sent in marines with paint ball guns! Glenn, we are the civilized ones and the Turks and the Wahhabi are the savages. They get to apologize to us for their savagery, NOT the other way round.
[edited] If Erdogan is stupid enough to go to war and stupid enough to be gulled by a bunch of Persians, then the Turks deserve the hell we will give them.
14 - Ruvy
En fin, Glenn, the Turks have never paid for targeting the Armenians for genocide. Nor do they admit it. Perhaps, if there is a slaughter of Turkish innocents, the Armenian blood that cries for vengeance will be stilled, and we can at last say, "justice will have been executed upon murderers".
15 - Ruvy
In case it is not clear to anyone by now, this video report from Arutz Sheva should make it clear. These Turkish "flotillas" are not about aid. They are about an effort to break Israeli sovereignty and impose Turkish and Iranian hegemony over Israel. And that is NOT going to happen. We'll go to war first, and we will destroy our enemies. And if the Muslims are get angry - that's just too damned bad.
16 - zingzing
what that video says is that hamas sucks. big news. the israeli people who are trying to get this stuff to those people are good people. the people who aren't picking it up stink. but that's just how it goes over there. politicians are fucking this shit up on both ends. the people on either side aren't wrong. it's the politics that are wrong.
as i've always maintained, ruvy, you might note, your governments are the culprits here, not the people. nobody needed to die bringing this stuff over. and there's no reason that stuff should not be brought in.
it's just mind-boggling how difficult this shit is.
17 - zingzing
and by "the people," i mean the ordinary folk who aren't idiots about all this shit. your take on this is ridiculous. the flotillas aren't trying to break israeli sovereignty. they're trying to help people. this blockade must end. or else you will go to a war that you won't win.
18 - Ruvy
and don't you dare call them 'armed', for if you do, you don't know the meaning of the word
The Turkish ship was an armed ship. Belowdecks, hundreds of slingshots were found. In this part of the world, a slingshot is a weapon for slinging rocks. Rocks kill. In fact, if you think about it, a bullet is just a rock thrown out of a specialized rock-thrower at high speed. Slingshots here are used to attempt to kill Israelis - from a distance.
As I pointed out, there was no aid on this ship that was meant seriously to be sent to Gaza. The Gazan de-facto government, Hamas, has refused the aid (see the previous comments). Obviously it is not needed. More to the point, the real intention of the Turks on the ship - to kill Jews - was obvious from one of the members of the ship telling the Israelis to "shut up and go back to Auschwitz", a link edited out of a previous comment. Look it up on You Tube. This combined with their violent behavior proves my point.
The crew of the Irish ship, the "Linda" (Rachel Corrie), equally adamant in its desire to go to Gaza, invited the Israeli captain to have a cup of tea to discuss further actions. They were boarded with no violence at all. You can look that up on You Tube as well. It is there.
Finally, you are talking to a police volunteer and someone taxed (literally) with responsibility for guarding the village he lives in. I know what armed is and isn't. I have to.
19 - Ruvy
This is not exactly an update. This news is two days old, but is worth looking at anyway. According to Debkafiles, The Turkish AK of regime Recep Erdogan has replaced its intelligence chiefs with Wahhabists loyal to him personally. At the end of May, before the first flotilla was taken over, Turkish soldiers had been sent to Turkish Cyprus to back up the ships at sea. Apparently, according to the Mossad (Debkafiles is the Mossad's "leaky back door"), these soldiers were not used because Erdogan was threatened by Obama (surprise, surprise!).
I looks like the Turks want war. In fact, it appears, this war may already be in progress. The Arab "frogmen" who tried to covertly attack Israel are part of a larger fight, with Israeli operatives stirring up trouble in Turkish Kurdistan. This is a developing story, and one worth eying closely.
20 - Dan(Miller)
Ruvy,
I have a question, to which there is of course no way of knowing the answer.
Still, here goes: What would have happened had Turkey been admitted to the EU several years ago, back when that was under consideration. Might the secular forces have prevailed, would that have made a significant difference in the apparent position taken by Turkey vis a vis Israel and the Palestinians, and whatever?
Dan(Miller)
21 - Baronius
Perhaps, if there is a slaughter of Turkish innocents, the Armenian blood that cries for vengeance will be stilled, and we can at last say, "justice will have been executed upon murderers".
Ruvy, I can understand where this idea comes from. Your religion is based on the promises exchanged between G-d and your bloodline. But how can the rest of the world think in those terms?
The Turks who murdered the Armenians have been in the grave for 50 years. There's no vengeance to be had on them. The Armenian blood doesn't cry out for vengeance against a bunch of strangers who are probably ignorant of their grandparents' sins. Even granting the unique relationship between the Jewish person and his tribe, I don't see how you can apply it to other bloodlines. That way madness lies.
22 - Baronius
Dan, Mark Steyn has an indirect answer to your question. He sees the Kemalist west of Turkey being overrun by the Islamic east. It's an interesting article.
23 - Ruvy
To answer you, Dan, it probably means war now - and if Turkey were in the EU, it wouldn't - but the chances are that the leading powers of the EU would be putting all kinds of pressures on a secularist regime to ditch Israel. In other words, it would be 6 eggs one way and half a dozen the other.
24 - roger nowosielski
I happen to think Turkey is still being run by a secularist regime - as per Orhan Pamuk, the recent Noble Prize winner in literature.
I don't see their sympathizing with the Palestinians and their opposition to the Gaza blockade as necessarily constituting a reversal.
25 - Ruvy
Baronius, this is not something I'll make a fight over - but before assuming what Armenians think, I suggest you ask some.
In the Old City of Jerusalem, in the Armenian section, you can find maps all over detailing the villages that the Turks decimated in 1915-16. You can bet your bottom dollar that there is a deep desire by Armenians to see some kind of justice done. Armenian blood does cry out for vengeance from the ground of the mountains around Armenia. The Armenians who live have not forgotten.
If war does break out, maybe justice will be served, and the Armenians will get some measure of closure over the evil the Turks have done them. But that is something I can only speculate about.