Questions for The Republican Jewish Coalition
Posted October 21st, 2007 by Michael Nystrom
by Boris Karpa, a libertarian columnist and professional translator living in Ashdod, Israel.
Recently, there was a large hoopla in the libertarian areas of the political Internet about the Republican Jewish Coalition. The Coalition – so did the Internet have it – refused to receive Ron Paul at their “Victory 2008 Republican Jewish Coalition Candidates Forum”. According to a variety of sources, Ron Paul was not allowed to get on the forums because he was 'not seen as a top tier contender' and 'opposed aid to Israel'. Given that the Internet is plagued with the kind of folks that'll blame 'the Israeli lobby' for global warming if you let them loose, I was doubtful.
But given that the editors of http://capitalism.co.il are very interested in the Ron Paul Revolution, I went out and called the RJC myself to verify. RJC's very kind press secretary (whose surname I was, unfortunately, not able to write down) confirmed to me that this was indeed true: Ron Paul was not invited because he was considered a 'long-shot candidate' and because he 'votes against aid to Israel' and 'criticizes the Israeli lobby'.
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Born in Israel, now in america for 14 years
As Jews, we always have strong pride to our country and I know many that will not accept any wrongdoing on Israel's part. I am not one of them. In fact, I feel that I am a libertarian too, and I want Dr. Paul to win.
Jewish Israeli libertarians?
Did I get that right? There are Jewish Israeli libertarians? Wow! I am just as happy as I can be.... I am doing a big Swoooosh across my forehead with my hand.... I never knew there were jewish libertarian Israelis..... All my Jewish friends in Arizona are so pro-Israel that its impossible to talk to them...even about what it is to be pro israel. I love doing business with them, doing the family parties, getting together to discuss absolutely anything including having no belief in God....topics that start out friendly, get spirited, but ALWAYS end with good charm and nice warm hugs.... But its hands off Israel, end of story.
Being a blue-eyed white bald guy..... I thought that had a lot to do with it, but over the years I noticed it was not me, or perceptions of me, it was the subject itself.
So I went to the Kelly and Piekoff institutes and found them to be turning Objectivism into a bizzare racists Pretzel....disgusting whats said under Ayn Rands name.
So you can imagine how I feel right now....I am glad there are jewish libertarian Israelis.... If you can write you should have a WIDE audiance for what you have to say, explain and teach..... the market is "untapped" as they say. If i may suggest, choose a highly popular individual like Sharon and work him over from a libertarian perspective. Both supporters of Sharon would buy your book just to read your attacks, and of course libertarians would buy it too... two markets in one.
Its ok :)
I have absolutley nothng against the Hebrew people, but keep in mind thats not who this group represents. they represent themselves, and their 'American' political needs:
IE. They want handouts and securities for their projects from the would be leaders of this great country:
IE. They are lobbyists.
I think that sums that up nicely.
All that is needed is a common belief in freedom
True. "Zionist" should never be confused with "Jew," as dmw89 correctly says, and even less in the context of a political campaign as important as this one.
But wordings like "the Hebrew people" sound like you're referring to Charlton Heston's crowd in the Ten Commandments. It's much better to use the word "Jews." It's not a sacred or dirty word. I always find it odd that people seem afraid to use it, even when they are sending praise.
Just imagine the slogan "Ron Paul is good for the Hebrew people." Wouldn't that sound contrived and mildly insulting? Of course it would! The simple truth ought to be much better: "Ron Paul is good for Jewish Americans."
And not only for them, if you ask me, but also for all those -- Jewish or otherwise -- who wish for peace and a decent end to the Palestinian conflict. Words do make a difference.
Zionism, etc.
This is a good discussion but probably not for here. I will offer just a bit of (hopefully) insight for now.
Along with the well-known irritation called neo-Nazism, a large part of the problem with the subjects of Zionism, anti-Zionism, etc. is that as soon as anyone questions anything about Zionism, that person is immediately attacked and labeled "anti-semitic" by a vocal minority. This forces all critics of Zionism, no matter how tame their outlook may be, into the same "camp" -- at least in the eyes of some. There's no opportunity to have a measured and rational discussion about the subject. It's so bad that merely expressing a lament as I am doing now is enough to get one "branded".
This is a recipe for disaster.
"If we make peaceful change impossible, we make violent revolution inevitable." The same principle applies here.
I'll save further comment for a more appropriate forum.
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Get active NOW to put Ron in the general election. ronpaul.meetup.com
Agreed
I agree with most of what you say.
I would also point out that no one resorted to the "anti-semite" slur as far as I noticed. I believe the simple fact that one subscribes to libertarian principles precludes that sort of nonsense. The whole joke of calling pro-Palestinian people anti-semitic (sometimes even when they are semitic Palestinians themselves!) is quite nonsensical. It's supposed to brand you as a sort of superstitious follower of 19th century racial views, whereas the correct name for someone who strongly dislikes Jewish exclusivist thinking, or culture, or religion, should be simply anti-Jewish, a perfectly correct way of putting it.
My whole point, by the way, was that people who support sacrificing US lives and wealth for the benefit of Israel should not insist in bringing their agenda to the fore of this campaign. Why not campaign as individuals for the American Constitution, rather than for their favorite foreign country and its racial/confessional exclusivist laws?
Zionist
Please tell what a Zionist is then.
How about...
Someone who believes the allegedly recorded gifts of a minor neolithic god to his favorite people entitles a few modern folks to: 1) expel other folks from their legitimate homes in the 20th century and, 2) keep this going on in the 21st, even at the cost of ruining the US and bringing global world war for the foreseeable future on all of us?
and we wonder why ppl call RP supporters nuts...
That definition of a Zionist makes as much sense as saying that all those who are "Pro-life" support bombing abortion clinics. It's simply nonesense.
That also makes about as much sense as defining a Muslim as someone who does not recognize the state of Israel and hopes for its destruction and the death of all Jews. It's sheer ignorance to say something like that.
You don't need to be Jewish to be a Zionist, nor do you need to believe in any god. You most certainly can be a supporter of a two state solution. You most certainly can be upset by the plight of the Palestinian people. You most certainly can be opposed to U.S. involvement in the Middle East, either militarily, or with foreign aid. You most certainly can be a patriotic American.
I'm sorry that your unable to understand it, but I'm an ardent RP supporter, an ardent libertarian, a patriotic American, and a Zionist. All of those are 100% compatible.
Wonder at will
Dmw89, I don't want to go into a discussion of your personal interpretation of Zionism, the ideology that was, and is, responsible for the physical occupation of Palestine by masses of invading non-Palestinian Jews non-stop since 1948 and well before that, as well as for the ongoing process of expulsion of the Palestinian native population you say you sympathize with.
I only wish Zionists and other Israel-firsters would leave the Ron Paul campaign alone. You can only compromise it. I wish you didn't underestimate the degree of resentment building up against Zionism and the boundless 'Holocaust' cult in America as everywhere else, and you didn't try to force Ron Paul to mingle with the sinister ideologues that ought to be considered the worst enemies of sanity in US politics.
Zionism and Libertarianism
Zionism is Israeli Nationalism: the idea that Jews should have a homeland free of oppression.
The methodological flaws in foreign policy and corruption in the Israeli government are the de-facto equivalent of what we are working for in the Ron Paul campaign in America. The government grows solely to perpetuate it's own growth and increases resentment and isolation through bellicose populism rather than proper reconciliation.
Like the Ron Paul campaign in America, this voice in Israel is also marginalized.
Zionism or libertarianism?
Great. But why should Ron Paul prefer this "Zionism = Israeli nationalism" of yours to peace, US national interests, and ordinary decency -- not even help or armed interference -- towards the expelled Palestinians whose right of return to their own homeland is not recognized by the Zionists who keep invading it non-stop through aliya, while shedding crocodile tears?
Do yourselves a favor, good folks: do not embarrass Ron Paul by endorsing his candidacy in the name of Zionism.
anti-zionists in the comments
I am an American Zionist and a Ron Paul supporter. Stop posting ignorant flame-bait on internet message boards, you only encourage association of RP's campaign with antisemitism and other undesirables.
how about zionists?
If Ron Paul is elected, the nice folks behind Dallas in 63 and the USS Liberty in 67 will try to get him too. All the luck in the world to Ron Paul and the United States of America.
*sigh*
The comments I have seen here about Zionists are quite sad, though not surprising, even coming from Ron Paul supporters.
I suppose all of you missed the fact that the young man who wrote the article, Boris Karpa, is himself an Israeli-Jew and a Zionist.
He was arguing that if you are a Zionist or supporter of Israel that it makes sense to support Ron Paul.
Check out the following article:
http://www.tocquevillian....
Karpa's article rocked
I agreed with one of the posters there that Karpa needs to get those facts out in front of everybody via YouTube. I personally would love to see a major wave of Paul-is-good-for-Israel awareness. For most evangelical Christians it's a matter of conscience to support candidates that are pro-Israel. They've been terrorized into believing you can't be against the War in Iraq without betraying Jesus Christ. I'd imagine parts of the Jewish community have been equally terrorized into believing that only a traitor to their people would vote for someone who's going to cut aid to Israel. I don't know, I'm no expert, but I think the facts in this article would go a long way toward liberating a ton of Jewish and Christian consciences. I loved it.
Israel and Libertarianism
A "Paul-is-good-for-Israel" awareness, as you say, would be bad for Ron Paul, since it would squarely place him in the camp of a racialist/confessional foreign state that is in practical terms the living negation of libertarian and humanitarian principles (no initiation of violence, no invasion, no expulsion of your neighbors to steal their homes from them, equal law for all regardless of race and religion, etc.).
On the other hand, a "Paul-is-good-for-Jews" awareness would be a great idea, provided you accompanied it with an "Israel-is-terrible-for-Jews" awareness.
Ironic
That's the criticism I've always had of Ron Paul - he's not corrupt so he misses a chance to enrich himself by agreeing to buy off other countries with U.S. taxpayers money... ;)
Zionist lobby
It is wrong under any circumstance for a US citizen to be taxed for the benefit of a foreign country! Even if the Zionists think that they are better than everybody else.
Zionists
Zionists are a threat to Jews as the Neo-Cons are a threat to Christians, WE MUST UNITE!
Yeah we knew that...
Unfortunately, Zionists are not fans of free speech and never will be. For Ron Paul, it's simply a lost cause.
Only the truth can win
One doesn't need to look for a long time before coming up with another Israeli attempt to achieve universal censorship.
Here is a recent instance aimed at the United Nations (my italics): "The Holocaust Remembrance resolution, proposed by [the Israeli Foreign Ministry's] Division of International Organizations, aims to preserve the memory of the Holocaust while preventing its denial."
Avoid mixing up Ron Paul with Zionism at all costs. Free-thinking cannot be an ally of censorship.
Lol.
What'a you know... a situation where what is being claimed, would be viewed as conspiratorial, yet given the opportunity to receive the truth. The 'crazies' are right. Haha. What else are they right about? ;o