U.S. General David Petraeus said on Wednesday that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was fomenting anti-American sentiment due to the perception of U.S. favoritism towards Israel.
Speaking to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Petraeus explained that "enduring hostilities between Israel and some of its neighbors present distinct challenges to our ability to advance our interests in the area of responsibility."
"Arab anger over the Palestinian question limits the strength and depth of U.S.
His comments follow a week of tense relations between Israel and the U.S. following Israel's announcement of plans to build 1,600 housing units in East Jerusalem, which was made public while U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was visiting the country.
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Is he implying that the US/ Israeli ties are bad for the US? I think this is what it means! The guy is smelling the coffee!
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<span>"It was an insult, but that's not the most important thing," Axelrod added, saying that the move was disruptive to upcoming proximity talks with the Palestinians and that the approval during Biden's visit "seemed calculated to undermine that, and that was - that was distressing to everyone who is promoting the idea of peace and security in the region."</span>
ReplyDeletePrecisely. The notion that it was America's pride that finally drove the U.S. to respond is in itself insulting. It is the idea that Israel would deliberately try to undermine the U.S.'s position that is at the heart of this matter. The U.S. has used its power to defend Israel, at great cost to the American taxpayer. We should not have to worry about the country we are supporting trying to undercut us.
VZA, Israel often undercuts America. Been doing it for decades.
ReplyDeleteRemember how Israel was allied with the Soviets in 1948?
Remember how Israel backed Serbia in the 1990s, sending them weapons months before the 1999 NATO/Serbia war and the 1995 NATO/Serbia war?
VZA, why do we Americans let Israel kick us around so much?
Actually, we will probably have to wait until the post-Zionist era, when most of the secret history is revealed and a proper cost/benefit analysis is done, to know if the U.S./Israel alliance was in fact beneficial for American elites.(face it, that's what they mean when they talk about "Americal Interests". ) But for once, I wish our government would take a principled stand, free of geopolitical gamesmanship, and just say the moral burden is costlier than any political or economic benefit that may be gained by supporting human suffering. After all, millions of people are being imprisoned illegally and all we hear politicians complain about is that we're not getting enough bang for our buck.
ReplyDeleteThe millions of prisoners was a reference to Gaza, and to a lesser extent the West Bank.
ReplyDeleteJoe, are you an American?
ReplyDeleteDo you know what "American elites" even mean?
Do you know what "American Interests" mean?
Maybe you do; so I am asking.
I don't think "American elites" have different interests from the American people as a whole. America wants a prosperous, successful, stable and secure world with a rapidly growing global economy.
This way Americans can make money and be safe.
This really is most of "American interests." There is another part; keep the government out of the way; since prosperity and success come from the private sector and civil society (private charities, NGOs, Churches, Temples etc.)
<span>Do you know what "American elites" even mean?</span>
ReplyDelete-------------
anan
I don't think joe is as smart as you are..Please be kind to people of lesser intelligence, they're people too.
Idiot!
anan:
ReplyDeleteI don't care what anyone on here says, you're number one in my book. So in that spirit, I would advise you, in particular, from going into any bar in Ameica and saying, "Are you really an American?" You may find yourself in a perdicament that your lists of statistics may not get you out of. You're suppossed to be able to speak your mind if you're an American, maybe not on CNN, but at least on blogs like this. And I have found that across the political spectrum, most Americans believe that the country is not run by them or for them. Who are the elites? For a start, look at the Forbes 400. I don't really feel like putting up a bunch of links. Then there is the much vaunted middle class who run on a treadmill their whole lives, and are willing to blow up the rest of their world if there is a chance they may not be comfortable and entertained 24 hours a day. And I'm not going to even start on the poor.
That was me.
ReplyDeleteIf you look at the fortune 400, most of them come from upper middle class backgrounds, did well in high school; got into a good college. They tend to be the brightest and most motivated among us; and good at understanding and working with people.
ReplyDeleteThey tend to be the entrepreneurs that the world as a whole admire so darn much.
Joe, you should see the masses of Chinese and Indians who admire Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. Whenever they visit; they are treated like heroes.
I didn't understand why they, and successful Americans in general, are so popular among the masses around the world; but they really are.
It is interesting, the fortune 400 as you put it; are less popular in America than they are by the masses outside . . . go figure.
Another lesson for you Joe; granted I haven't spent a huge amount of time with these fellows but what time I have spent surprised me in many ways. These guys or at least the ones I have met tend to be:
-brilliant, I mean amazingly smart . . . you can't BS them
-curious; they ask the most penetrating and challenging questions . . . I have been stumped
-extremely hard working . . . it really is true
-able to put together multiple complex things into a single tapestry . . . which is much harder than it looks
-extremely good with people
-humble . . . this impressed me most . . . they were constantly questioning their assumptions and trying to understand where they were wrong
Joe, it really is hard being around them. Being their technical assistant or EA etc.
They tend to work all the time . . . and generally don't care much about politics. These guys aren't exactly spending time "running things." they leave that to the politicians and focus on changing the world by inventing new things that transform our lives.
Perhaps you should observe Steve Jobs, Sanjay Jha, Sergei, Sean Maloney, or some other folks from the actual fortune 400. You would be stunned.
Joe, maybe you think I am being harsh on you. But I really worry about our country. Its as if we are losing our secret sauce, and increasingly satisfied being has beens.
ReplyDeleteWhere is our fire? Why aren't more American high school students studying harder? Why aren't our universities researching more? Why aren't our companies inventing more?
Are we okay with allowing so much global innovation and excellence to incresingly happen in the rest of the world (primarily Asia)?
You took me so literally about the Fortune 400. I'm not going to debate your opinion if they are a great bunch of guys. They are still the elite, and the country is being run for them.
ReplyDeleteIf I could rephrase; most of the actual fortune 400 are far more focused on product development and technological innovation than "controlling the country." They really try to stay away from politics.
ReplyDeleteWhat I think you might be talking about isn't so much the "fortune 400" but powerful special interests.
Let me give you an example; America has a powerful automobile complex. Powerful companies, suppliers, unions, dealers; together they wield enormous power in Washtington to favor the US auto industry at the expense of other parts of the US economy.
Another example would be the sugar industry. Another the corn industry. Big Steel. HMOs. Big Pharma. AMA. Lawyers (now they are powerful.)
Some of these associations or special interests are really powerful. Yes, the entire world should be afraid of them and resist them.
Increasingly these international special interests influence politics across national boundaries.
I have had some exposure to the lobbying world. It is a little . . . well it ain't kosher. Americans are right to not like them.
Joe, do you really believe that the world is run by Microsoft? If so, how did Google come along?
ReplyDeleteDo you believe that Intel rules the world? How did Nvidia come along?
Do you believe that Exxon rules the world? How did so many competitors come along causing Exxon to lose so much market share?
Do you believe Boeing rules the world? Why is Boeing losing so much market share?
Do you believe Toyota rules the world? Why is Toyota losing market share?
Seriously, in what way "<span>the country is being run for them</span>"? To rephrase your question, in what way is the world being run for them? Short answer; it isn't. That is why the vast majority of successful companies are so paranoid and scared. This is a good thing.
The exceptions to this are in a few government regulated industries such as health care. There, we should be scared.