Update (2/13/2013): Here's a take from "SNL Nixes Skit Mocking GOP's Israel Stances During Hagel Hearing" at Crooks and Liars
It is not hard to imagine the pearl clutching and cries of outrage (Outrage, I tell you!) had this skit gone out on the airwaves, depicting the blatant pandering and ridiculousness of the dialogue in Washington surrounding the hearing on the nomination of Chuck Hagel to the position of Secretary of Defense. I'm sure that Lindsey Graham and his BFF Grampy McCain would be issuing a proclamation of censure and a threat to deport Lorne Michaels back to Canada. How dare SNL mock the "When did you stop beating your wife?" line of questioning that the Republicans proffered to prove how much more they love the state of Israel? I'm still wondering if anyone in the Beltway media will ever wonder why blind obeisance to Israel is considered a requirement for holding an American political office.
And, not to be outpandered, the Democrats claim that donkey for themselves (h/t Buzzfeed):
Jewish Democrats Blast Marco Rubio For Not Mentioning Israel
Image by J. Scott Applewhite / AP
WASHINGTON — The National Jewish Democratic Council issued a statement criticizing Sen. Marco Rubio for leaving Israel out of their responses to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address....
[Update (10/15/2014): Fixed video embed.]
Since it is true that virtually all American politicians bend over backward in support of Israel, it is appropriate to ask why. But when the question is simply stated as a rhetorical question most people infer that the presumed answer is that Israel (or the "Israel lobby") controls the rulers of America, or as someone famously put it, Congress is "Israeli occupied territory." This is also known as the "tail [Israel] wags dog [U.S.]" theory.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that tails don't wag dogs, not in the animal kingdom nor in the social political realm.
Noam Chomsky argues that U.S. rulers have their own reasons for supporting Israel (I agree) and the reason is to use Israel as a sort of "aircraft carrier" in the Middle East (I disagree; U.S. invasions of Iraq did not use Israel this way.).
The actual explanation is one that I describe in my article, "The Israel Lobby's Power Comes from the American Ruling Class" at http://www.newdemocracyworld.org/old/War/Lobby.htm .