People say a lot of bad things about Ralph Nader, but let’s not forget his ego is the reason that George W. Bush became president. Al Gore certainly can’t forget it.
Sure crazy Uncle Ralph Nader sometimes sits down and explains how the Jews are hogging the whole anti-Semitic thing, but that’s probably just because he resents his lifelong nemesis Bernie Sanders hogging all the Socialist glory.
But for a guy who doesn’t understand how anti-Semitism works, Ralph is a natural.
‘Look, I don’t think the Irish should monopolize the word famine and I don’t think African-Americans should have a monopoly over the word slavery and I don’t think Jews should have a monopoly over the word anti-Semitism, right out of the blue. You never know where it comes from,” he added.
Ralph Nader shouldn’t monopolize the word ‘Shmuck’ either, but there you are.
One of these three things is not like the other. For example, it’s fair to say that Ralph Nader shouldn’t take offense at bumper stickers that say “Dweeb” or “That annoying guy who kept lying about cars going too fast I forgot was still alive”, but it’s reasonable for him to take offense at “Ralph Nader go to Hell” bumper stickers because those are addressed exclusively to him.
So is anti-Semite, a word from a Nader some time ago specifically to refer to hating Jews.
Known as the father of modern antisemitism, Wilhelm Marr, introduced the word “antisemite” into the political lexicon and established the first popular political movement based entirely on anti-Jewish beliefs, the League of Antisemites.
Also, like Ralph Nader, Marr really didn’t like Jews. He was just more honest about it. If a bit confused. And like Ralph Nader, Wilhelm Marr was a left-winger. Anyway back to Nader, who is fighting the good Marrian fight…
Former Green Party and independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader told the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) to start using the word “anti-Semitism,” arguing that Jews “do not own” the phrase.
“You never avoid using the word anti-Semitism when Arabs and Arab-Americans are discriminated against, are arrested without charges, are exposed to all kinds of swears and bars against employment and all kinds of discrimination that goes on, and that is anti-Semitism. The Semitic race is Arabs and Jews and the Jews do not own the phrase anti-Semitism,” he said at a citizen empowerment session at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee’s national convention.
I understand wanting to take over Israel. It’s a nice little piece of land. At least it became one, once a whole lot of Jews put in the effort to clear it up, but do you guys really have to try and hijack anti-Semitism too? What is Ralph Nader even going to do with anti-Semitism once he has it?
Accuse the FBI of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism for droning Anwar al-Awlaki? Or just provide a license for Muslim anti-Semitism? Isn’t that what this is really about?
Nader said AIPAC knows how to work the media and ADC should demand equal time.
“They know how to accuse people of anti-Semitism if any issue on Israel is criticized, even though the worst anti-Semitism in the world today is against Arabs and Arab-Americans.”
So it’s just about hijacking a term that refers to bigotry against Jews by the people committing that bigotry.
But how can a regional majority whose religion has created a coalition of a billion followers around the world claim to be a persecuted minority? Even in the US, the FBI stats say that there are far more hate crimes against Jews than Muslims, but that’s just because it records actual hate crimes, not statistics Ralph Nader likes to invent.
“It’s [AIPAC] a lobby that’s using it’s constitutional right. Where’s the other side? The other side has a lot of truth on its side. It has a lot of human rights on its side. ADC, with its excessively modest budget because it’s not adequately supported by Arab Americans and non-Arab Americans who believe in justice and civil liberties regardless of ethnic background, look what they have done in terms of litigation and trying to educate the public,” he said.
The other side is CAIR, MSA, NAIT and a dozen other Muslim Brotherhood groups. It’s the Saudi lobby and their assorted front groups.
But where’s the human rights again? In Syria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Gaza? I’m not seeing much here besides a brilliant plan to claim anti-Semitism should refer to Muslims. It’s like dealing with a guy who steals your shoes and then insists that they’re really his shoes.
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