Palin's "Blood Libel"

[Crazy Levi]

I don't really think she's a Jew hater - I mean, beyond what your average hardcore Christian harbors - but this quote sums up this latest Palin idiocy moment nicely....

"Sarah Palin, a woman of unquestionable charm and personal appeal, is unfortunately deeply ignorant -- certainly not stupid, but shallow and unreflective," said Rutgers University political scientist Ross Baker. "Republican voters have picked up on this and have concluded that she is unfit for the presidency. Her impulsive comments are inconsistent with what is demanded of a president, which requires that they resist the temptation to toss off quips that might have serious consequences."

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I didn't even know the historical context of blood libel, as most probably don't. But then again, I'm not running for President. You'd think by now Palin would have surrounded herself with SOMEONE intelligent to help her tone reign in her idiocy, but you have to figure that she's simply still as unmanageable as McCain's people said she was during that fiasco two years ago.

More on the story....

Palin Charge of 'Blood Libel' Provokes ControversyJan 12, 2011 – 1:05 PM

Andrea Stone
Senior Washington Correspondent
If Sarah Palin's seven-minute video blaming the media was meant to tamp down the rhetoric in the aftermath of the assassination attempt against Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, she may have added fuel to the fire by hitting a jarringly off-note:

Within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence that they purport to condemn. That is reprehensible.

To critics, Palin was reckless in her choice of words because "blood libel" is fraught with historic connotations.

Sarah Palin: "America's Enduring Strength" from Sarah Palin on Vimeo.
"The term has a very specific meaning" connected to the charge that Jews used the blood of Christian boys in preparing matzah for the Passover Seder, said Deborah Lipstadt, a professor of modern Jewish history and Holocaust studies. "Governor Palin could have found a better term, especially given the fact that Representative Giffords is Jewish."

Palin's use of the term is "glaringly inappropriate and displays a profound lack of historical sensitivity," said Jenna Weissman Joselit, a professor of history and Judaic studies at George Washington University.

"I would have advised against using it -- the term is historically unique and refers specifically to false charges of ritual murder," said Noam Neusner, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush and the son of a famed Talmudic scholar. "While Ms. Palin has a legitimate gripe against her liberal critics, who were wrong to associate the Tucson shooter with her politics, she is using a term that simply does not apply. She could have simply used the word 'libel' and she would have been fine."

Palin is not the first conservative to use the term. Commentator Andrew Breitbart used the term in a tweet Tuesday, writing, "And to the gutless GOP establishment who watches in silence the blood libel against @SarahPalinUSA. We will remember. #TeaParty"

The blood libel myth dates back to the 12th century, when Jews were first falsely accused of kidnapping Christian children to re-enact the martyrdom of Jesus Christ. Throughout history it was used to justify violence against Jews, from pogroms to the Holocaust.

Because of the phrase's central role in stoking anti-Semitism over the centuries, Palin's use of it hit home immediately with Jewish commentators:
Conservative Jonah Goldberg gently chided Palin in the National Review for using the term in a context that "isn't ideal."
Jeffrey Goldberg wrote in The Atlantic that he hoped this would be a teaching moment for Christians "because the blood libel still has modern ramifications -- Israel, after all, was founded as a reaction to Christian hatred, of which the blood libel was an obvious and murderous manifestation."
"There are few more freighted phrases in the history of hate than 'blood libel,' wrote Huffington Post's Howard Fineman. "This anti-Semitic attack has resulted in countless pogroms and massacres through the ages. Saint Sarah, it seems, is now comparing herself to one of those martyrs."
Palin has been a strong supporter of Israel, and even her staunchest critics don't suggest that anti-Semitism is behind the faux pas.

But Robert Lehrman, a former speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore, said Palin's choice of words was likely not accidental.

"Only Jews know about" the visceral meaning of the term, he said. "And because the right and some tea party people -- like Tony Katz -- talk about the Jewish-dominated media, the unspoken implication is this: 'Most people won't get this, but you Jewish reporters know what I'm saying.'"

Sponsored LinksOthers said that beyond the poor choice of words, the video message underscored that Palin may be problematic as a presidential contender in 2012.

"Sarah Palin, a woman of unquestionable charm and personal appeal, is unfortunately deeply ignorant -- certainly not stupid, but shallow and unreflective," said Rutgers University political scientist Ross Baker. "Republican voters have picked up on this and have concluded that she is unfit for the presidency. Her impulsive comments are inconsistent with what is demanded of a president, which requires that they resist the temptation to toss off quips that might have serious consequences."

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, co-author of "Presidents Creating the Presidency: Deeds Done in Words" and one of the country's leading experts on political speech, said Palin's use of the term distracted from the merits of her argument: "We judge those aspiring to lead not only by what they say but by how they say it."

[upinsmoke]

I don't really think she's a Jew hater - I mean, beyond what your average hardcore Christian harbors - but this quote sums up this latest Palin idiocy moment nicely....

Your "hardcore average Christian" normally supports the idea of a Jewish homeland. I'm sure you've heard of Zionists by now. Most of them have a deep-abiding Jesus bible woody for the Jews. They might hate those heathen native Americans and a few blacks, though.

[Crazy Levi]

I don't really think she's a Jew hater - I mean, beyond what your average hardcore Christian harbors - but this quote sums up this latest Palin idiocy moment nicely....

Your "hardcore average Christian" normally supports the idea of a Jewish homeland. I'm sure you've heard of Zionists by now. Most of them have a deep-abiding Jesus bible woody for the Jews. They might hate those heathen native Americans and a few blacks, though.

I know all about that shit. It's got NOTHING to do with them liking Jews, nor is it evidence that they aren't anti-semites.

The only reason hardcore Christians support Isreal is because they believe that for shit to go down like the good books says, Jews MUST be in the holy land. So they can worship a false messiah or some other gobbeldy gook and then be wiped off the face of the planet, at which point the Christ-lovers can come in and take over.

Not exactly what I would call Jew-friendly, but it is what it is. I'm sure Zionists are happy to get the support any way they can.

[vlad]

Well the deep abiding love the fundies have for the Jews is more about some end-times prophecy being fulfilled so the Rapture or whatever can happen. If the Jews don't all return to Israel and rebuild the Temple or whatever, then the fundies can't get on with their what the fuck ever. Oh and they really want us to go to war with Iran, too to help bring along their sweaty Armageddon.

Thing is, the same Jews they profess to love, if they don't convert to Christianity during these end-times, they're going to Hell with the rest of us.

It's really creepy actually. And even creepier that it has an impact on our foreign policy.

Hagee, one of the fundie media stars has had Netanyahu and Elie Wiesel speak at his little get togethers and this is the guy that actually said that the Holocaust was the Jews own fault for rebelling against God. Oh..and to force them to all go to Israel so the American fundie crowd can get their hard on for the end-times.

But the guy raises money for hardcore pro-Israel causes and his followers support Isael politcally, so people like Wiesel and Natanyahu suck up to the anti-semitic fuck. And that is equally creepy.

Palin is part of that end-times crowd. I have no doubt that she knows about blood-libel, but in typical Palin fashion (or at least the handlers who write her speeches) she gets it wrong.

Have I ever said how much I despise these people? McCain was happy to accept Hagee and his group's endorsement till the Catholics pointed out how anti-Catholic Hagee is, too. So being fundie whackjobs was okay, but heaven forbid Hagee say bad things about Catholics.

[upinsmoke]

I know all about that shit. It's got NOTHING to do with them liking Jews, nor is it evidence that they aren't anti-semites.

The only reason hardcore Christians support Isreal is because they believe that for shit to go down like the good books says, Jews MUST be in the holy land. So they can worship a false messiah or some other gobbeldy gook and then be wiped off the face of the planet, at which point the Christ-lovers can come in and take over.

Not exactly what I would call Jew-friendly, but it is what it is. I'm sure Zionists are happy to get the support any way they can.

They believe Jews are God's number one favorite people, ffs. So, naturally--the Jews are the American Christian's favorite race, as well. Remember, Jesus was a Jew. You might have a few Neo-nazis peppered among them, but by-and-large, no.

[upinsmoke]

Well the deep abiding love the fundies have for the Jews is more about some end-times prophecy being fulfilled so the Rapture or whatever can happen. If the Jews don't all return to Israel and rebuild the Temple or whatever, then the fundies can't get on with their what the fuck ever. Oh and they really want us to go to war with Iran, too to help bring along their sweaty Armageddon.

Thing is, the same Jews they profess to love, if they don't convert to Christianity during these end-times, they're going to Hell with the rest of us.

Well, yeah, that's the whole thing with their take on ANY non-believer. They "love" everyone, because Jesus "loves" everyone.

I take it neither of you have been to a fundamentalist church? (I'm not suggesting that you go! lol)

Most Christians in those churches never say a bad word about Jews at all, because Jews get a big, cosmic pass with God, being the "chosen people".

They also believe that only 144,000 Jews (12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel) will be pure enough of heart to enter the kingdom of heaven without first physically dying during the end-times.

Doesn't stop the Christians from proselytizing to every Hebrew they meet.

I'm not talking about more old-line conservative protestant churches, like Southern Baptists and such. The more politically powerful group is the evangelist, "Holy Spirit" types who accept anyone, as long as Jesus is the focus. Sorry, not every Christian is a race hater. Far from it.

It's really creepy actually. And even creepier that it has an impact on our foreign policy.

Yes, it most certainly does have a far-reaching impact on foreign AND domestic policy. There are some DEEP pockets in that crowd.

Hagee, one of the fundie media stars has had Netanyahu and Elie Wiesel speak at his little get togethers and this is the guy that actually said that the Holocaust was the Jews own fault for rebelling against God. Oh..and to force them to all go to Israel so the American fundie crowd can get their hard on for the end-times.

But the guy raises money for hardcore pro-Israel causes and his followers support Isael politcally, so people like Wiesel and Natanyahu suck up to the anti-semitic fuck. And that is equally creepy.

Palin is part of that end-times crowd. I have no doubt that she knows about blood-libel, but in typical Palin fashion (or at least the handlers who write her speeches) she gets it wrong.

Have I ever said how much I despise these people? McCain was happy to accept Hagee and his group's endorsement till the Catholics pointed out how anti-Catholic Hagee is, too. So being fundie whackjobs was okay, but heaven forbid Hagee say bad things about Catholics.

Hagee falls right in line with protestant thinking when it comes to hating Catholicism. They think that the Catholic Church is the Antichrist's mouthpiece here on Earth. Welcome to the 1600's with that one--nothing new.

[vlad]

Well the deep abiding love the fundies have for the Jews is more about some end-times prophecy being fulfilled so the Rapture or whatever can happen. If the Jews don't all return to Israel and rebuild the Temple or whatever, then the fundies can't get on with their what the fuck ever. Oh and they really want us to go to war with Iran, too to help bring along their sweaty Armageddon.

Thing is, the same Jews they profess to love, if they don't convert to Christianity during these end-times, they're going to Hell with the rest of us.

Well, yeah, that's the whole thing with their take on ANY non-believer. They "love" everyone, because Jesus "loves" everyone.

I take it neither of you have been to a fundamentalist church? (I'm not suggesting that you go! lol)

Most Christians in those churches never say a bad word about Jews at all, because Jews get a big, cosmic pass with God, being the "chosen people".

They also believe that only 144,000 Jews (12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel) will be pure enough of heart to enter the kingdom of heaven without first physically dying during the end-times.

Doesn't stop the Christians from proselytizing to every Hebrew they meet.

I'm not talking about more old-line conservative protestant churches, like Southern Baptists and such. The more politically powerful group is the evangelist, "Holy Spirit" types who accept anyone, as long as Jesus is the focus. Sorry, not every Christian is a race hater. Far from it.

It's really creepy actually. And even creepier that it has an impact on our foreign policy.

Yes, it most certainly does have a far-reaching impact on foreign AND domestic policy. There are some DEEP pockets in that crowd.

Hagee, one of the fundie media stars has had Netanyahu and Elie Wiesel speak at his little get togethers and this is the guy that actually said that the Holocaust was the Jews own fault for rebelling against God. Oh..and to force them to all go to Israel so the American fundie crowd can get their hard on for the end-times.

But the guy raises money for hardcore pro-Israel causes and his followers support Isael politcally, so people like Wiesel and Natanyahu suck up to the anti-semitic fuck. And that is equally creepy.

Palin is part of that end-times crowd. I have no doubt that she knows about blood-libel, but in typical Palin fashion (or at least the handlers who write her speeches) she gets it wrong.

Have I ever said how much I despise these people? McCain was happy to accept Hagee and his group's endorsement till the Catholics pointed out how anti-Catholic Hagee is, too. So being fundie whackjobs was okay, but heaven forbid Hagee say bad things about Catholics.

Hagee falls right in line with protestant thinking when it comes to hating Catholicism. They think that the Catholic Church is the Antichrist's mouthpiece here on Earth. Welcome to the 1600's with that one--nothing new.

My grandfather was a Southern Baptist preacher....I went to a butlload of fundie services, camps, etc (we spent the summers with him and my Grand)ma. He wasn't as crazy as a lot of them (he thought Catholics were okay and that they did indeed believe in Jesus, which was helpful as my mother's side of the family had a fondness for the Whore of Rome) , but I learned that stuff literally at my grandfather's knee. Including the 144,000.

And I realise that you excluded the SBC, but have you paid attention? They've moved further into fundieville and have regressed on the issue of women. I am around quite a few fundies to this day, and there isn't any difference really at all.

I didn't say that every fundie was a race hater, but I do question their special love of the Jews, it is a shallow "love" with the Jews as beloved tools in pursuit of a bigger goal. Kind of like one of Hefner's girlfriend's. I am sure they "love" him as well and have absolutely no ulterior motive...

[upinsmoke]

My grandfather was a Southern Baptist preacher....I went to a butlload of fundie services, camps, etc (we spent the summers with him and my Grand)ma. He wasn't as crazy as a lot of them (he thought Catholics were okay and that they did indeed believe in Jesus, which was helpful as my mother's side of the family had a fondness for the Whore of Rome) , but I learned that stuff literally at my grandfather's knee. Including the 144,000.

And I realise that you excluded the SBC, but have you paid attention? They've moved further into fundieville and have regressed on the issue of women. I am around quite a few fundies to this day, and there isn't any difference really at all.

Hahah, no. I don't follow that much, if at all, anymore. No surprise at all.

I didn't say that every fundie was a race hater, but I do question their special love of the Jews, it is a shallow "love" with the Jews as beloved tools in pursuit of a bigger goal. Kind of like one of Hefner's girlfriend's. I am sure they "love" him as well and have absolutely no ulterior motive...

Really, no. I don't think there is an ulterior motive with most of those people. They take their holy book at face value most of the time. It tells them that thoughts are nearly the same thing as actions, and as such, most try to get rid of intolerant thought patterns in relation to racial issues*. If you're not a Christian, or perceived as nonconvertible, then they don't want much contact. We'll all be going to hell soon enough, as far as their concern goes. Most of the intolerance is aimed at non-believers, no matter the background.


* This does not always hold true for native Americans, as they end up getting equated to the Philistines being driven from the Holy Land because of false idol worship. American Christians will sometimes try to make excuses for our forefather's subjugation and decimation of the First Peoples by claiming that God handed the North American continent to the new settlers for the same reason.

[vlad]

Wasn't sure where to put this, but it cracked me up. It's interactive, too!

http://www.mcnaughtonart.com/artwork/vi ... ece_id=353

Anyone catch Maher last night? Especially New Rules?

[CrouchingStonerHiddenBong]

You know what's horrifying?

That the first thing I thought when I heard about this fiasco was "OMG TheMetalChick".

Wasn't sure where to put this, but it cracked me up. It's interactive, too!

http://www.mcnaughtonart.com/artwork/vi ... ece_id=353

I like the token black guy - surprised that they made him The College Student, though

[MurrayFiend]

Maher was very entertaining, vlad. Nice to see an intelligent Republican on the panel; they often seem to book the attractive but somewhat airheaded young women to play that role.

[tin00can]

You know what's horrifying?

That the first thing I thought when I heard about this fiasco was "OMG TheMetalChick".

Wasn't sure where to put this, but it cracked me up. It's interactive, too!

http://www.mcnaughtonart.com/artwork/vi ... ece_id=353

I like the token black guy - surprised that they made him The College Student, though

The soldier is also kinda black, because we don't mind if they die for our country.

[MCSmallDink_]

I'm glad that certain groups of people have hijacked colloquial terms and sayings...

[MCSmallDink_]

And for good measure:

http://www.thejewishweek.com/blogs/rout ... ity_police

[SeminiferousButtNoid]

I typed the word "groupthink" into the Google search bar, hit the I'm Feeling Lucky button and it linked me to this thread.

[Skate4RnR]

I was on the fence until I saw the harrowing documentary The Passion of the Christ.

[Constantine]

The soldier is also kinda black, because we don't mind if they die for our country.

So true. They were also very lucky in the Vietnam draft lottery!

[enchantment]

k