March 20, 2009

"Ann Althouse sure has a lot of anti-semitic commenters."

Ezra Klein tweets — without a link to any particular comment.

Well, Ezra, I do not delete comments based on viewpoint. I believe in the marketplace of ideas, and to the extent that there are some anti-Semitic comments here, there are many more comments that strike back. Is it not better to have scurrilous ideas out in the sunlight where they can die?

ADDED: In fact, Ezra Klein owes me a correction. He has published a lie about my blog. Alternatively, let him list the commenters he's writing about — I can search their old comments and see if there is anything that deserves to be called anti-Semitic — and we will see if his list constitutes "a lot." I think he cannot do it, so he really ought to put up a correction immediately.

AND: Glenn Reynolds asks: "Was the tweet pre-vetted on JournoList?" Well, I'd like to know whether they are defaming me on JournoList.

AND: Ezra partially apologizes.

AND: Jac asks Ezra: "Do you think Peter Beinart & Jonah Goldberg are anti-Semitic?"

282 comments:

1 – 200 of 282   Newer›   Newest»
BJK said...

Well, maybe if he wasn't such a [insert dispicable language here], we could have a civil discussion on the subject!

Peter V. Bella said...

Maybe he should write his congressman and insert a good sized check with the letter. Then legislation coud be passed to limit free speech. What the hell, they passed a punitive and regressive tax yesterday.

Michael Haz said...

Per Ezra Klein's bio on Wiki:

"Klein was raised Jewish and now identifies as agnostic."

Isn't that a form of antisemitism itself?

Rich B said...

Your mistake Ann, for making a post about his little sewing circle. Bad form! Bad woman!

Pastafarian said...

Cedarford is the only one that comes immediately to mind; maybe I've seen one or two other comments that seemed openly antisemitic -- not just arguably antisemitic, like any comment that equate's Israel's actions in Gaza to Hitler's actions in Poland.

Is that the sort of comment that he has in mind?

Or did I miss a post with a bunch of antisemitic comments?

Gary Rosen said...

Take away C-fudd and it's probably much less than most left-wing blogs. In fact, most of the antisemites here are leftists.

Issob Morocco said...

Ann, perhaps we should do a spoof blog of Ezra's blog and enlist some your finer posters to be shadows of the high and mighty brains who feel the need to lock themselves into a secret society of discussion, that when it emerges moves forward in lockstep.

I can see Simon, Squire Bella, and many others playing the roles very well. Talk about the buzz that would create in the blogoshpere!!

MadisonMan said...

If you never make an anti-Semitic comment, does that mean you consider Israel palpably infallible?

Simon said...

If Klein can name as many as two, he'll be ahead of expectations. As others have said, only one springs to mind.

Simon said...

Issob Morocco said...
"Ann, perhaps we should do a spoof blog of Ezra's blog"

That would seem redundant: Klein has been doing a fairly competent spoof of a lefty blog without our help, it seems to me.

I'm Full of Soup said...

I despise the phrase "a lot". It is used a lot (heh) by people who don't know statistics or even basic arithmetic.

They can't support an argument with real data. So they lean on the anecdotal which is a shock coming from a strict empiricist like Ezra Klein! Heh.

Peter V. Bella said...

He does not only owe you a correction, he owes you an apology.

traditionalguy said...

The Jewish queston is certainly still a hot button issue again today. It beats me why so many people want to take cheap shots at them. What is the Word out of the NYT on Netanyahou's leadership hurting everybody's feelings? You just cannot please persons with the anti-Jewish mindset, and it gets pretty ugly when you oppose them.

The Dude said...

Well we can wait for a correction or an apology, but that will be like waiting for Dan Rather to admit he tried to throw the '04 election.

Or for Cedarford to be honest about his hatred.

TWM said...

Can one delete a tweet like a blog post? That's the usual tactic when this stuff happens.

Scott said...

Ezra Klein darkly suggests that Ann is sympathetic to antisemites? I wonder if Ezra Klein discussed the Tweet in his Journolist echo chamber before launching his whisper campaign. We'll see if his cohorts pick up on the meme.

Let that be a lesson to you -- never flip the bird at the Juicebox Mafia, or you'll be next!

(I wonder if a libel suit has ever been based on a Tweet? I bet we'll be seeing something like this soon.)

Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

Poor Ezra must have tunnel vision. He can only read Cedarford's comments. I wish his condition improves, and Shabbath Shalom to him...although he calls himself agnostic...

Peter V. Bella said...

I wondered why the American Prospect has Liberal Intelligence in such small, fine, text. Now I know.

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rialby said...

I don't know what commenters he is referring to on Ms. Althouse's blog. I would suggest that the vast majority of anti-semitism I've seen on mainstream blogs comes from the left not the right.

Simon said...

Althouse said...
"In fact, Ezra Klein owes me a correction. He has published a lie about my blog. ... [H]e really ought to put up a correction immediately."

After four years seeing the way the leftosphere operates generally and with regard to you personally, how much hope for decency and intellectual integrity on their part can you have?

Simon said...

I bet this wins Ezra a bunch of points on JournoList. Bashing Ann Althouse is good for six points. Seven if it's a bald-faced lie. Eight if you can dress up a criticism of something that isn't actually Althouse as if it was a criticism of her.

Anton said...

Anti-semitic? I've been reading this blog and its comments for years, and I cannot think of 1 comment that comes to mind as being anti-semitic.

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hoosier Daddy said...

In fact, Ezra Klein owes me a correction.

Don't hold your breath.

Triangle Man said...

If there are "a lot" of anti-semitic commenters, it certainly hasn't been reflected in their comments. If he has redefined "a lot" to mean "one or more", then he may be correct. Still, I'd be curious to know what he based this comment on.

Issob Morocco said...

Simon, not redundant, when it is a spoof that lambasts the select circles.

Scott said...

If (hypothetically) Ezra Klein's Tweet libel ever went into litigation, could his posts to Journolist be subpoenaed as evidence of intent? (IANAL obviously)

BJM said...

I have to agree with others, the few anti-Semitic comments I've seen were anti-Israel/Zionism screeds posted by lefty trolls.

You're exactly right Althouse, sunlight is the best disinfectant, however when one is openly called a bigot one must push back or the label sticks. It's a dirty trick that the Liberal cognoscenti use regularly against critics.

John Stodder said...

Ezra Klein's self-image as intellectual leader of the progressive blogosphere has always been a laughable conceit. Unfortunately, the alleged "controversy" over Journolist has probably given his vanity a fatal dose of validation, so now he thinks tout le monde is waiting for his sweeping judgments -- as if he was Anna Wintour deciding what shade of blue will be in fashion this year. In some of the commentary defending Klein, some idiot actually compared him to William F. Buckley (in terms of influence and erudition, not politics obviously.) But before Klein starts shopping for a mansion in Greenwich, he might want to graduate from kindergarten and learn that name-calling and ad hominem attacks are signs of a feeble intellect, not a refined sensibility.

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bobar the Bobarian said...

I have a hard time taking Ezra Klein seriously after he said this: "Reading books, particularly nonfiction books, takes a really long time. It's hard, and it's boring, and I say this all as an effete liberal intellectual who likes reading long, boring books but can't, like everyone else I know, seem to finish them. I'm pleased to get through one or two a month"
Stuart Buck had posted this comment, but it seems to have disappeared from Ezra's place of business. This is some sort of leading intellectual? He's reading less than 20 books a year. I think Posner writes more books than that per year.

rcocean said...

Wait, didn't Atlantic's Jeff Goldberg call Ezra Klein an "Anti-semite"? So, he has no credibility.

In any case, let him name, names. Stop with the smears.

The only resident "anti-semite" is C-ford, but he also attacks "fundies" and Muslims. He's an equal opportunity bigot.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

You just cannot please persons with the anti-Jewish mindset, and it gets pretty ugly when you oppose them.

Very true. Unfortunately, it gets even uglier when you don't.

Simon said...

Bobar the Bobarian said...
"I have a hard time taking Ezra Klein seriously after he said this: "[snip]." ¶ Stuart Buck had posted this comment, but it seems to have disappeared from Ezra's place of business."

It's still there.

froggyprager said...

I doubt his Tweet comes from reading Althouse for years, it comes from comments on her post yesterday about JournoList. While not screaming anti-semitic, I did find two that make a point to identify that the liberal writers are Jewish, Big Mike and jdeeripper. That plus the negative tone of the comments on the whole JournoList post probably seemed pretty hostile to Mr. Klein.

Greg Toombs said...

Isn't this a case of blue-on-blue?

I prefer Ann's shade.

Anonymous said...

I have no idea what the man is talking about. When I comment, I usually read all of the other comments. Nothing sticks out in my mind, and I have anti-semetic radar built in. I have to say again, I do not know what Mr. Klein is talking about. Perhaps he has you confused with Kos, where I once read a diary waxing poetic on what the world would be like if Israel didn't exist (it was all good).

Bobar the Bobarian said...

Woops. I wasn't trying to imply that he had disappeared although I guess I did seem to. I just wasn't able to find it. Thanks.

TJ said...

I suspect he's talking about this post specifically.

Here's some examples:

Big Mike: "I always wondered how the left wing loonie fringe managed to coordiante its talking points so quickly. I used to joke with my liberal acquaintances that their rabbis must run a phone tree.

Turns out that wasn't a joke. Only it's Ezra Klein and not the head rabbi of some congregation in New York. But I was close."

jdeeripper said:

"A vast liberal media conspiracy?

Looks like more of a White Jewish male liberal conspiracy to me.

Names from the article:

Ezra Klein

Jeffrey Toobin

Eric Alterman

Paul Krugman

Matthew Yglesias

Mickey Kaus

Matt Stoller

John Judis

Joe Klein

Gotta love the Jewish ethnocentrism and liberal "progressive" self deception among so called liberals.

Not big fans of "diversity" when applied to themselves.

There were two women in the article, Eve Fairbanks and Lisa Lerer. Two male goyim Mike Allen, Ben Smith and one other Jewish male who is not a conservative Michael Goldfarb."

and he said:

"Jews AMONG "them"? Jewish males are "them". Its an overwhelmingly Jewish male liberal cult in a nation that is no more than 1% Jewish and male.

It is absurdly unrepresentative of the racial, ethnic, religious and gender diversity in America. But as I said the Jewish liberals rarely apply the call for diversity to themselves.

It's a racist, Judeocentric, sexist/male chauvinist group of narcissistic liberal policy nerds."

hdhouse, Revenant, and Seven Machos pushed back, to their credit. Do two individuals in a thread constitute "a lot"? No. Does it warrant a correction? Althouse might ask herself what it is about her blog or the red meat posts she tosses out with little to no commentary attracts the Cedarford/jdeeripper types.

It's a tweet, fergodsake. And one that will let Althouse generate a lot of hits, her usual goal for the day. If anything, she (and the usual cast of defenders) should be thanking Ezra for the opportunity to get on her high horse.

Curtiss said...

Who is this Ezra Klein?

Did he play for Jethro Tull?

MayBee said...

anti-Israel/Zionism screed

If he calls that anit-semetic, I wonder if Ezra has ever read his own comments section when he posts one of his J-Street press releases?

Tank said...

Hey, someone just slimed Tull.

Wince said...

In fact, Ezra Klein owes me a correction. He has published a lie about my blog. ... [H]e really ought to put up a correction immediately.

Tirebiter: I am out Klein. I don't like you. I don't want to pardon what you're selling. And I'm walking off your set!

Klein: You'll never work in this town again, Tirebiter!

Tirebiter: Watch me!

Firesign Theater, Don't Crush that Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers

(Fellow JournoLister Mickey Kaus will get this.)

Scott said...

Hey Trevor Jackson, while reading your defense of the indefensible, I wondered: are you on the Journolist email list; and if so, does your post constitute an official response? :)

Jason (the commenter) said...

Maybe he was drunk-tweeting? His blog seems even-keeled to the point of blandness.

Also, I can't see getting too excited about a tweet, even one directed at myself.

Mike said...

If Klein wants to se some real anti-Semitism, he should stop over at the Washington Post or NY Times the next time comments are open on an article about Joe Lieberman. Some of the comments would be enough to make Norman Finklestein blush.

TJ said...

Yeah, Scott! We're all on the list. You're surrounded.

Hoosier Daddy said...

It's a tweet, fergodsake. And one that will let Althouse generate a lot of hits, her usual goal for the day. If anything, she (and the usual cast of defenders) should be thanking Ezra for the opportunity to get on her high horse.

So in other words, you can spew total bullshit about someone and as long as they get good blog traffic over it, its all good?

Scott said...

Trevor Jackson, setting aside your snark for the moment, I think it would be helpful to the discussion to know if you are on the list, if only to inform readers that your comments should be taken with a grain of salt. The Journolist does seem to be emerging as an incestuous clustercopulation of policy hacks and "journalists" (in the broadest sense of the term). If you're part of that, then it discounts your integrity a bit.

TJ said...

That's a question for Althouse, Hoosier. No such thing as bad press?

Besides, how is it defamatory for Klein to criticize Althouse's commenters?

Simon said...

Trevor Jackson said...
"I suspect he's talking about this post specifically."

You're right, Trevor: Klein's comment is perfectly fair and true, so long as one grants him license to use words arbitrarily, unbound by their ordinary meaning. Silly Althouse, assuming that by "anti-semitic," Klein meant "people hostile toward jews" rather than "people I think are douches"!

Anonymous said...

"Klein was raised Jewish and now identifies as agnostic."

Isn't that a form of antisemitism itself?


Yes. Just as imitation is the highest form of flattery, apostasy is the highest form of criticism.

Simon said...

Trevor Jackson said...
"Besides, how is it defamatory for Klein to criticize Althouse's commenters?"

I have another word for you to look up in the dictionary: "insinuation." Combine it with "guilt by association" and you'll get the idea.

Charlie Martin said...

Can one delete a tweet like a blog post? That's the usual tactic when this stuff happens.

You can, yes.

former law student said...

For balance, A^2 needs to cultivate a lot of anti-Hamitic commenters.

If you never make an anti-Semitic comment, does that mean you consider Israel palpably infallible?

Only under the doctrine of Palpbal infallibility.

But, basically, any criticism of Israel except the most benign (Gee, the traffic in Tel Aviv is unbearable!) will mark one in some Israelophile's mind as an anti-Semite.

TJ said...

Oh, Simon. You're so loyal, it's touching. You're seriously going to defend jdeeripper's comments as not hostile toward Jews? Maybe I should look up "anti-Semitic."

Have fun riding your hobby horse today. I'm going to enjoy the sunshine.

Daryl said...

Obviously it was NOT pre-screened on JournoList.

If it had been, there would be eight different bloggers accusing you of having anti-Semitic commenters.

You aren't the target of a JournoLynching . . . yet.

Ezra Klein sure has a lot of former lovers with herpes, huh?

Ophir said...

Klein sure has a lot of anti-Althousian commenters.

Factory Yoyo said...

A Chinese man and his Jewish friend were walking along one day when the Jewish man whirled and slugged the Chinese man and knocked him down.

"What was that for?" the Chinese man asked.

"That was for Pearl Harbor!" the Jewish man said.

"Pearl Harbor? That was the Japanese. I'm Chinese."

"Chinese, Japanese, you are all the same!"

"Oh!"

They continued walking and after a while the Chinese man whirled and knocked the Jewish man to the ground.

"What was that for?" the Jewish man asked.

"That was for the Titanic!"

"The Titanic? That was an iceberg."

"Iceberg, Goldberg, you are all the same."

This is my favorite joke about the stupid tribalism that all cultures share. I guess in some way this could interpreted as an anti-semitc, anti-asian, and pro-Pearl Harbor joke. But I sure about one thing: it will be by Ezra Klein!

Hoosier Daddy said...

That's a question for Althouse, Hoosier. No such thing as bad press?

No it's a question for you since you laid it out there as a defense for Klein's bullshit.

Ophir said...

It's not the Jews that we hate here at Althouse. It's the breasts.

save_the_rustbelt said...

My beef with Klein (and liberals in general) is that he holds himself up as an expert in whatever and liberals think he some great authority.

This is particularly irritating in health care.

My cat sleeps on a box of my consulting files, and therefore has about the same health care knowledge as young Mr. Klein.

And it wouldn't matter if Klein was Methodist, he would still be overrated.

Frodo Potter said...

The only anti-Semite I can immediately think of is Cedarford, though there may be others. I would say the overwhelming majority of commenters support Israel, which is more than can be said for a lot of Ezra’s friends.

But, on another note, I honestly thought Professor Althouse was at least part Jewish. Whether she is or isn’t, why should she listen to a “Shanda fur de Goyim” like Ezra Klein?

Trooper York has graced us with a lot of Hebrew and Yiddish, so I won’t add much more than to say that Ezra Klein is a paskudnyak.

Joe M. said...

Is it not better to have scurrilous ideas out in the sunlight where they can die?

I thought the point of the JournoList was to keep the scurrilous ideas under a rock?

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
AllenS said...

Are those real Jooo words?

J. Cricket said...

I do not delete comments based on viewpoint

Yes you do.

You are a brazen liar, Althouse.

Quick: read this, before it is deleted!

Simon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Simon said...

Idiocy, ignorance, and incivility aren't "viewpoint[s]," AJD.

Zachary Sire said...

Well, Cedarford and Maxine come to mind. But that's only two.

If his post had said "Ann Althouse sure has a lot of anti-gay, racist commenters," that would have been more accurate!

TitusMyLipchins said...

He owes you an apology and a correction. "A lot"-give me a break. One person out of hundreds that comment here. And that one person constantly gets it from the other commenters for his comments.

Klein is annoying. I say him on television once. He thinks he knows everything about everything.

Would it be better if he said, "they talk about pinching loaves quite a lot over at Althouse"? Probably not.

Fen said...

Lets see.

I likened Ezra and his fellow propagandists to the scum who prostituted themselves to Der Sterner and Pravda.

I noted that Ezra is the type to stare down at his shoelaces while the undesireables are hauled away on trains.

Didn't know he was Jewish. I guess if he was black, he would have found something "racist" to complain about instead.

Hey Ezra, crawl back to your Townhall support group to be fed another set of talking points. The ones you're sucking on now are past their expiration date.

MayBee said...

If his post had said "Ann Althouse sure has a lot of anti-gay, racist commenters," that would have been more accurate!

It also would have been more accurate to say Althouse sure has a lot of gay commenters.

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Shanna said...

I think you have one anti-semitic commenters and a lot of people who like to make fun of him. Maybe Ezra doesn't quite get it.

Unknown said...

of course Ezra Klein knows everything. he's still a kid.

Ann Althouse said...

I'm not Jewish or part-Jewish, but my ex-husband was Jewish. I'd say that proves my non-anti-Semitism damned well.

BJM said...

Mickey Kaus slapped Klein down pretty good yesterday (with updates today).

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fen said...

I have to agree with others, the few anti-Semitic comments I've seen were anti-Israel/Zionism screeds posted by lefty trolls.

Likely lefty trolls working for Journolist.

Hey Ezra, any more Secret Societies you want to fess up to? Do you still get a tingle up your leg when posing in the mirror with your Obama armband and goose stomping boots?

Hack.

Tank said...

Ann

You forget about the self-hating Jew phenomenon. So if you marry a Jew can you be a self-hating married-to-a-Jew hater thingy?

Ouch, I hurt myself.

Smilin' Jack said...

I can search their old comments and see if there is anything that deserves to be called anti-Semitic — and we will see if his list constitutes "a lot." I think he cannot do it...

Oh come on, with your gift for seeing racism and sexism everywhere, you should be able to take Ezra's word that he has x-ray eyes for anti-semitism.

He won't find any on me, though--I think Christ was asking for it, and I don't even mind if the Jew commenters here take a day off now and then to celebrate those weird Jew holidays where they drink the blood of Christian babies.

Kirk Parker said...

"Cedarford is the only one that comes immediately to mind;"

Yeah, and did Klein bother to mention how we all beat up on that hapless fool when he spouts his usual? I thought not.

Trooper, I went to babelfish to translate your remarks, and guess what? No Yiddish-to-English available there. ;-( Geez, the whole world is antisemitic these days...

Kirk Parker said...

Trooper wins best comment! Oy...

TitusMyLipchins said...

I was raised catholic but am not a practicing catholic now. I am not anti- catholic though. I don't think it is fair to say if someone was born into a religion and are not practicing that religion while an adult their are anti-that religion.

Althouse has had jewish hog. Lucky lady.

Fen said...

Ezra's not serious. The accusation of anti-semitism is his way of "pounding the table" until he gets his little cabal organized for an astro-turfed attack on Ann.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Althouse has had jewish hog. Lucky lady

Titus you insensitive anti-semetic bastard. Hog is not kosher.

David said...

I admit it. I'm anti-semotic. I just read for fun.

Smilin' Jack said...

my ex-husband was Jewish. I'd say that proves my non-anti-Semitism damned well.

Uh, might be a bit more convincing without that "ex" part....

Anonymous said...

Hey, Klein. I demand an apology. Most of what you saw is people here -- including me, to the high heavens -- calling out two anti-Semites. Count 'em: two.

As for me, I don't like ugly people, nor do I like nerds who sat friendless in the junior high school cafeteria. That's why you'll never win my support. The fact that your ideas a shit is important, too.

I'm Full of Soup said...

I am with Seven. I am anti-shitty ideas too.

Alex said...

I guess unless you kowtow to the hard right Zionist Likud right, your antisemites in some fevered minds. Stop oppressing the Falestinians!

pscarver said...

Hi Ezra!

Anonymous said...

Ezra Klein really makes me mad. And not just because his facial features are so silly, as if carefully chosen by God to mock him.

It's because we have one ant-Semitic loon who comes here and raves about his dislike for Jews so often that it is an inside joke. He gets ridiculed. And so Klein concludes that there are a bunch of anti-Semites.

It's libel, really. Oh well. At least I'm good looking.

traditionalguy said...

The Professor is rested, well fed, and ready for to wrestle. This poor Klein cheap-shot may have called out our Blog for a match at the wrong time. I predict a pin in the first period, unless he is unlucky enough to be battered for all three periods.

Simon said...

TitusMyLipchins said...
"I was raised catholic but am not a practicing catholic now."

You don't say.

Zachary Sire said...

Ezra Klein really makes me mad. And not just because his facial features are so silly, as if carefully chosen by God to mock him.

That's taking it a bit far. Ezra is fucking hot.

Anonymous said...

I hope Althouse takes this poor sap to town. Maul him, Althouse!

Poor bastard.

Simon said...

Seven Machos said...
"Ezra Klein really makes me mad."

Ezra has to spend all day with Ezra Klein. That would make anyone cranky.

TitusMyLipchins said...

After Althouse kicked Andrew Sullivans ass I would pay to see her kick this kid's ass.

That would be hot.

Hoosier Daddy said...

That's taking it a bit far. Ezra is fucking hot.

Remember Zach, not all of us are gay and find other guys hot.

Then again to each their own. He looks a lot like Ducky from Pretty in Pink if you ask me.

TitusMyLipchins said...

I thank the commenters on here for not being anti-loaf.

Michael Haz said...

I've been thinking about Ezra Klein's comment for the last half hour or so, and have come the belief that Ezra Klein owes me an apology.

"...a lot of anti-semitic commenters" labels most or all of us who comment here, this includes me, as anti-semitic.

Utter nonesense, Klein. If you know of anti-semitic comments, then point out the commenters, by name. But do not, DO NOT, paint all commenters on this blog with that pejorative.

Klein, I demand an apology and a retraction.

And I point out, by the way, that on the rare occassions when anti-semitic comments appeared on this blog that the reaction from other was swift: we called it by its name and invited the commenter to leave.

To say that "Ann Althouse sure has a lot of anti-semitic commenters" is like saying that "JournoList sure has a lot of assholes."

It doesn't, just Ezra Klein. And I'm calling you out by name, asshole.

Anonymous said...

First of all, Zach, you think everybody is hot.

Second of all, no. Ezra Klein is not hot. I will go so far as to say that he is hotter than Noam Scheiber, in the sense that Jonathan Silverman's lost lost retarded brother is hotter than someone whose perfectly normal nose was beaten down with planks by a ferocious band of gypsies.

TitusMyLipchins said...

I wouldn't call him hot.

He is ok but not HOT.

Also, I would prefer not to hear gays on here talking about their gay attractions. That is just gross. And I am not homophobic, just keep it in the bedroom, private, where no one else sees it or hears about it. thanks.

Anonymous said...

Who stole the real Titus?

rcocean said...

I wonder what Ezra's response will be. No doubt it will be full of weasel words.

Anonymous said...

Cederford and jdeeripper are not anti-Semitic trolls. They are merely Jew-phobic.

Anonymous said...

Ezra will call me an anti-Semite for calling him ugly and nerdy.

Zachary Sire said...

I just looked at some pixxx of him and yeah, he's not majorly hot, but he's hot enough and fuckable.

Also, when I did the Google image search a picture of Chris Althouse showed up along with this post!

http://althouse.blogspot.com/2007/04/in-truth-i-am-so-very-close-to-place.html

Wince said...

Joan Face: Good evening, I'm Joan Face. Welcome again to "What If?" Each week on the show, we ask a hypothetical question about a specific historical event. Tonight's question, like all our questions, comes from a Mr. Kevin O'Donnell, age 10, a paperboy from Alton, Illinois. Kevin asks, "What If Althouse fallen to Earth with superpowers?"

With us to help answer this question is Ezra Klein, blogger, historian and owner of one of the largest comic book collections in the United States. Mr. Klein, what if Althouse had superpowers?

(A dramatization.)

UberAlthouse: I am...UberAlthouse! I have superhuman powers, and I fight for untruth, injustice, and the Nazi way! And I have X-ray vision!

Lois Laneoff: X-ray vision? Can you see through my clothes?

UberAlthouse: Ya! And through his, too. [ points at Jimmy Olstein ] He's a Jew!

Jimmy Olstein: No! No, it's not true! My parents were just very advanced in hygeine, that's all..!

Hitler: Silence! Guard, take this Jew away!

UberAlhouse: No need! I'll drop him off at the camp on my vay to the Eastern front!

[UberAlthouse grabs Jimmy Olstein and flies out the window]

Anonymous said...

You want to know something really, really sad: looking back on that post, I feel like I was the one who brought all this on, because I jestfully pointed out to Cedarford that he had not said something anti-Jewish.

What I should have done is gone to Journo-list and explained how I think ugly geeks just aren't cool, no matter how coordinated their message.

Anonymous said...

Zach -- I was just explaining to someone my theory the other day that gay men must have more fun than anybody else. The theory is that I, as a straight man, know that I would pretty much have sex with most women. They're the ones with the standards. Now, I always say, just imagine how much fun it would be if all your potential partners felt the same way. Endless fun.

JAL said...

Maybe Cedarford is Maxine? (Maxine being an abbreviated Cedarford.)

Ahh Professor ... Klein & Co are just jealous. You have the coolest eclectic blog on the web.

Blue states, red states, we're here. New Yorkers and NY escapees are here. Artsy fartsy folk and engineers are here. We have lawyers and people who "hate" lawyers.... (We have at least one artsy fartsy lawyer!) Jews, Christians, agnostics, atheists and anti-Semites are here. Pro-life and pro-choice are here. I bet we even have some anti-2nd Amendment people here along with the gunslingers. We have Titus (well, there are some days Klein could have Titus....) along with Palladian and some others (see, I even forget). And a heap of heteros who talk about breasts shamelessly.

You talk art, food, snow, politics, entertainment, clothes, (shoes!), booze, movies, more politics, law, education, photgraphy, cars, cats, cows, horses and more ....

There isn't any place like this place and this is it.

He's a jerk.

Kev said...

Hey Ezra, crawl back to your Townhall support group to be fed another set of talking points. The ones you're sucking on now are past their expiration date.

Not to be too picky, but I'm guessing you mean Townhouse, not Townhall, the latter of which isn't exactly populated by kindred souls of Klein.

Zachary Sire said...

Seven, that is too true and I forget it sometimes. Thanks for reminding me how fun things can (and should) be. Of course, there are plenty of pretentious fags we have to deal with, and living in LA means there are more of us to choose from so there can be some selectivity...but for the most part, it's really easy to get dick.

The Dude said...

I just realized that Ezra was projecting something - either something he wants to be true or something that is true deep in his own soul.

Snark omitted to avoid further muddying of the waters...

Fen said...

"Not to be too picky, but I'm guessing you mean Townhouse, not Townhall..."

Yes. Thanks for the correction.

Jeff Goldstein has also picked this up:

"Ezra Klein is tweeting his way to Vichy commander."

http://proteinwisdom.com/

Brian Doyle said...

You have at least one very anti-Semitic commenter, Cedarford, and he's quite prolific.

And if you are such a strong believer in a marketplace of ideas, you shouldn't be worried about what people are saying about your comment section, because it's no reflection on you.

Although you do censor comments that are critical of you personally, I know from experience. Just not the anti-Semitic ones.

hdhouse said...

Woooo. Read the thread about 6-7 down about the Journalists blog and watch the Jew baiting that goes on. It is sickening and loathsum.

Anonymous said...

Doyle -- Althouse only censors totally fucking crazy people. To her credit, ultimately, and to my frustration.

traditionalguy said...

The first thing I learned about a Reputation was that when one person says something good about you or something bad about you, that is a non event; however, when person one comments, followed by person two's agreement, and that is overheard by person three, then a reputation of good or of bad has been formed. Ergo, always respond with the truth in defense of a friend being talked about. The Journolist is an Industrial Strength reputation builder/destroyer hit team built upon this simple dynamic. The answer is to fire back with intelligent expressions of the truth as quick as you can. The Klein shot was a warning to Ann not to expose their tactics on threat of his group playing the Anti-semite card against her.

EnigmatiCore said...

Trevor, not to defend jdeeripper too much since I have not paid attention to too many of his comments, but... part of what he wrote was "Looks like more of a White Jewish male liberal conspiracy to me."

How is his comment anti-Semitic and not racist (against whites) and not sexist (against males)?

Is there an over-representation of White Jewish male liberals on JournoList?

yashu said...

What's worse-- & as I pointed out in the JournoList thread where "jdeeripper" made those remarks-- is that I'm 80% sure he's a Moby. (I've developed highly-tuned Moby-radar.)

And if not a Moby, fulfilled precisely the role of one. After his remark, like after one of Cedarford's occasional anti-semitic screeds, *every single one* of Althouse's commenters (without exception) that bothers to respond to or comment on them, criticizes & repudiates them in disgust. But then a lefty (in this case hdhouse) comes round, quotes it & says "these are quotes from what appears to be a hero to some who have posted recently. You can decry the "left wing" all you want but you who do sound like Gobbels."

Very convenient! Again, without exception, every single person "on the right" on this blog (excepting Cedarford, whatever idiosyncratic corner on the political map he occupies), objects to anti-semititic comments whenever they crop up. (And they *only* crop up in one case-- from C4-- and in this *one remark* by jdeeripper, conveniently made on the (sure-to-be-read by Klein et al) JournoList thread).

The role of the Moby: i.e. fulfills, performs, precisely the role of the absent strawman. As soon as hdhouse quoted those remarks in full & used them to paint the commenters here as Nazis, I felt my suspicion of Mobydom confirmed. It's easy: all you need to do now is quote those remarks, on any other blog, as representative of "Althouse commenters" (or right-wingers), and your job is done.

And of course, the irony is thick. Because as I commented on the JournoList thread, right after jdeeripper's remarks (& before hdhouse's):

"Ah, the mysteries of the internet. Is this specimen a Moby, or just plain schmuck? Who knows.

(If it's the former, I'm afraid you got the current talking-points mixed up. The perfidious Zionist conspiracy is allied *with* the evil neocons, conspiring *against* the good, liberal, reality-based community represented by the Obama administration. Witness the awful character assassination of that good, brave man, Chas Freeman-- guilty only of speaking truth to Jewish Power.)"

NB I'm being SARCASTIC here. That goes without saying, of course, but it's the kind of thing that might be taken by someone disingenuous, without intellectual integrity, like hdhouse, as yet more proof of the anti-semitic, goebbelian attitudes of Althouse commenters (or "right-wingers") like me.

But the point is: it's precisely on occasions when the "left" is most guilty, or appears most guilty, of anti-semitism, that the outdated strawman of right-wing anti-semitism is useful to dredge up, manufacture in the form of a Moby. And indeed, I think it's incontestable that for the past decade (& at least, to be very specific, 9/11), anti-semitism is in no way characteristic of the right, after all the *neocon* right, but infects rather the neocon-hating, US-&-Israel blaming, international *left*. Witness: the defense of Chas Freeman. By many of the people, I'm sure, who are on the JournoList.

Kirk Parker said...

Titus,

No one here is anti-loaf, but quite a few of us are strongly anti-hearing-about-it.

Anonymous said...

There's a trashcan by your own comments in the post a comment part.

Is that you, Ezra Klein?

Anonymous said...

Make sure you are logged in.

Peter Hoh said...

I've been hanging around here for a few years. Maybe a few anti-semites have dropped in to spout something noxious from time to time, but there's only one regular commenter whom I would describe as anti-semetic.

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kirk Parker said...

yashu,

Moby? Wazzat?

Anonymous said...

I'm going to lay it all out here right now: Cedarford, you are a complete tool. Look what you did. Your comments have made Althouse and us defend ourselves.

Idiot. Ideas stupider than even Ezra Klein's.

And, by the way, here -- when you take away his Thesaurus -- is Ezra Klein's argument of health care: I grew up wealthy and had all my health care paid for. I don't understand why we can't do this for everybody. Besides, I need to get my face re-proportioned.

Okay. I made the last sentence up. But otherwise I am not fucking with you in the slightest.

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Maybe if lawyers wore wigs again, you'd like them better, too.

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Big Mike said...

Klein is a meshugena putz.

Professor, there's no use protesting (12:30) that you're not anti-semitic. As far as the left wing is concerned, once the charge is made then it must be real. It's not worth attempting to defend yourself because in the topsy-turvy world where the Ezras of the world live, your defense is only further proof of your guilt. You could tell Ezra that you converted and had a Bat Mitzvah, and he'd still insinuate that you host anti-semitic screeds. So don't bother demanding an apology because you won't get one.

And, Trevor, you're a schmuck.

Trooper, that's three words but you've got the right idea. Beats necktie parties because you get to do it again and again to the same person.

Kirk, try http://www.yiddishdictionaryonline.com/

hdhouse said...

Trooper York said...
"Two words:
Tar and feathers."


ahhh Trooper...that is three (3) words.

and Trooper, I'm not a commie and you are an idiot and tomorrow I still won't be a commie and you'll still be an idiot.

Isn't life unfair?

Anonymous said...

hd -- Someone in this thread or another one called you a strong debater. Not sure what that was about. You could not debate your way out of a wet paper bag, as your hideously poor attempt to use a perfectly good Churchill line shows.

Trooper runs circles around you, and he's not even trying.

yashu said...

Just wanted to add, since in my previous comment I referred to Cedarford's "antisemitic screeds"...

Even Cedarford at his worst (which I personally find despicable), writes things which, in substance, are not that different from the views of Chas Freeman, or Mearsheimer & Walt, or their liberal MSM defenders, on the topic of the "Jewish Lobby" & its influence on US policy. (Cf. someone as apparently anodyne as Joe Klein, on the "thugs who've taken out Chas Freeman.")

So to those maligining the Althouse blog for the antisemitism they "see" here... even granting the *worst* case here, Cedarford (whose views on this topic I despise): attend to the mote in thine eye, bitches.

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
I'm Full of Soup said...

Two words = three words.

I bet that that is the worst thing you could say to Trooper by hinting he could be Slow Joe Biden.

Big Mike said...

And while we are at it can we bring back busty tavern wenches

It's just the way they laced up their corsets -- made their waists look smaller and functioned like a push-up bra.

Anonymous said...

How they make their boobs look big is of no import to me. Two words: bring back busty tavern wenches.

EnigmatiCore said...

And this was bad, how, Big Mike?

TitusMyLipchins said...

How can anyone be nasty to Troop.

He is a God. Funniest person on this site. One of the most creative blog writers I have read. And a nice guy.

OK, Troop I am done kissing your ass.

HD lighten up. It's Friday and it is going to be a beautiful weekend.

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
TitusMyLipchins said...

I wouldn't mind seeing some Busty Tavern Wenches.

UH-OH someone just smashed into another car outside my place. That happens daily.

Kirk Parker said...

Trooper,

"... bring back ... tri-cornered hats."

Don't you own an apparel store? Nobody's stopping you, go ahead and diversify! :-)

Big Mike,

Thanks, but that's a dictionary; I was hoping for actual translations.

Joe said...

Where is that troglodyte Cedarford?

Kirk Parker said...

Titus,

"UH-OH someone just smashed into another car outside my place. That happens daily."

People should just keep their eyes on the road and off all the Tavern Wenches passing by on their way to work, ok???

Anonymous said...

The world needs far less Ezra Klein and much, much more of this

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Trooper York said...

Now Seven that's the Friday night spirit man. Cool.

Scott said...

I just read Klein's comment on the Tweet. Ann is extremely charitable in calling it a partial apology. Looks more like narcissistic self-justification to me.

traditionalguy said...

@seven machos... I do not agree with Hdhouse on anything yet known, but I do respect him as a tough adversary with a gift for aggressively exposing the weakness in his opponent's argument. He is a blessing in disguise to the blog because he sharpens up everyones skills. I suspect he was/is a trial lawyer.

Zachary Sire said...

Ezra's apology was perfectly fine and on point. At the end of the day, Althouse loves this kind of fucking attention.

As usual, Maxine is to blame for the whole thing.

Trooper, you know what's worse than a journalist? Someone who goes on complaining about how horrible journalists are. If you don't like 'em, stay blissfully unaware and avoid all news and opinion.

J. Cricket said...

That's not an apology, Althouse.

It is the explanation you asked for. And he gave examples.

Bonus: the high-brow crowd you call your community has chimed in with its classy, well-reasoned points to boot!

Chennaul said...

What's ironic is Cedarford is a guy named-

Michael Kennedy.

Link

He has been banned from many sites.

He use to attach that name to his profile at Vox before people started petitioning for him to be banned.

And, again Cedarford has not found refuge -he's been banned from almost every site.

He has found refuge here.

But-I do find it a little tiring that your commenters alone have to keep dealing with him.

I'm sure it has worn many commenters out.

Almost every thread that C-4 appears on it turns into that.

if we've dealt with him many times before-when we tire and ignore him finally -it's on the commenter?

Chennaul said...

Oh and I know the thread Ezra Klein is talking about-ironically sans C-4.

Anonymous said...

"Ezra partially apologizes."

Have you folks read the comments under Ezra's apology post? Wow, talk about Angry Leftist-Creepy! It's a real sewer of infantile whining.

Chennaul said...

As for Troop-

the guy is sensitive about his-

team.

You can't touch that-he's kinda deficient in that er, arena.

Anonymous said...

So Ezra Klein goes in search of loons who post negative things about him, harps on it, and blames Althouse for the handful of loons she somehow manages to attract.

And Althouse is the bad guy. Alrighty then.

Oh, and AJD, I fuzzily recall you. You are a loon, too.

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I did read the comments. Lunacy. Althouse accused no one of libel. I did. And I was libeled, as a "commenter" on Althouse.

The third one is clearly AJD.

The fourth comment -- Jewish liberals aren't the problem, they're the solution -- is poetically hilarious on so many levels that I cannot begin to recount them. I wonder if it's satire.

Revenant said...

And, again Cedarford has not found refuge -he's been banned from almost every site. He has found refuge here.

You can't actually ban people on Blogger. That's why trolls love it.

Chennaul said...

Actually Revenant took care of jderipper on the thread that Klein is talking about.

And others.

It's Cedarford-if we ignore him-it's on the commenters.

I think that overtime that wears some commenters out.

and if it's personal for them they don't want to have to subject themselves to that almost daily to participate in a discussion on a thread.

Almost anythread by the way-where C4 makes an appearance.

It's why I am backing out of here.

I'm sick of reading it and feeling obligated to respond and push back.

Maxine Weiss said...

"a particularly deranged commenter began digging into my family history and linking to pictures of my parents to discern whether we were truly Jewish, or whether my father was, say, a Mexican immigrant who'd converted."----Ezra Klein

Well, you know, Ezra is rather swarthy-looking. And the number of Jews living in City of Irvine is not all that many. Still very suspicious of his ancestry. Wouldn't be the first family to play Jewish to coverup some other, more exotic, less-flattering background.

Love,
Maxine

Chennaul said...

Actually I think you could delete Cedarford's comments and he would go away.

I think just about all manner of persuasion-again from the commenters-has been tried.

GaspodeWoof said...

I've been reading Althouse since before the 2004 election and have never commented, but I'm finally motivated enough. I don't think Ezra Klein understands this blog. When I first read Cedarford's comments, the other commenters happened to be ignoring him at the time, and this seeming acceptance of his bigotry revolted me. I stopped reading the comments here for awhile, and e-mailed A.A. to tell her why. She explained that she doesn't edit ideas here, which I accepted. But I also told her that it wasn't worth it to me to read the comments any more because the occasional disgust outweighed the occasional wit.

As A.A. continued to put choice comments into the main blog, I could not resist reading the comments again. There are real gems here. And I realized from seeing some of you make fun of C4's bigotry that it was not accepted. Sometimes you guys are too South-Parky for my old-fashioned Boomer sensibilities, but you are not a bunch of bigots. And those who say there's worse antisemitism in other blogs comments sections are right.

yashu said...

Sorry for the belated reply, Kirk Parker: a "Moby" is a strain of troll who misrepresents him/herself as, say, a "conservative", pretends to be/ speak as one, when in fact he/she is a liberal (or vice-versa; in general, anyone using the mask of his/her ideological opponent as his commenter "character").

RR Ryan said...

I just hate it when the semi-cute, semi-well educated ones turn out to be dolts. Like my college boyfriend. Oh well, live and learn.

traditionalguy said...

In the first minute of the first period the match goes to La Althouse by a pin. The commenters on Ezra's blog are "spooked" by the "freaky" commenters here. That is a backhanded compliment in their lib-speak. Ezra did a fair job of admitting he was wrong, but he has to add that he felt threatened by so much free speech going on here.

Anonymous said...

I wonder how long Althouse's commenters would last at the old American Prospect. Not long, I suspect. As I say, that's because Althouse respects free speech.

I also wonder how long The American Prospect will last. If you silly tools last half as long as National Review, it'll be amazing. And a testament to the wasteful folly of the limousine liberals who keep you in business.

AlphaLiberal said...

For Ann Althouse to accuse someone else of painting with too broad a brush is a laugh. Ann regularly traffics in stereotypes.

Ann, it wasn't directed at you unless many of these commenters are your own sock puppets! Aha!

Ezra posts some clearly anti-semitic comments from your blog. Stop being so touchy.

TitusMyLipchins said...

You are welcome Troop. I meant it. You are the best.

AlphaLiberal said...

Really, a Klein commenter makes a good point:

"you'd think a law professor would be a little more circumspect in making allegations of libel."

Ann, as a law professor, what do you base your accusation of defamation on? Or is it just a wild charge tossed out in the heat of a "pity party"?

Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

So, Maxine, when are you and C4 shacking up? You could have your two person Nazi rally everyday in the yard, longinly kiss each other under his hitlerite flag collection. You would probably have to polish his Iron Crosses, and bleach his white hoods. The poor fellow doesn't seem very able to do it himself...

Anonymous said...

Alpha, you are such a complete dumb ass. Please show us where Althouse uses the term libel. Please look up defame.

Maxine Weiss said...

What is inherently anti-Semetic about speculating that the Klein family may have changed their name, and fabricated their background in order to be more palatable in WASP society?

Seems to me lots of Jews do that, and not just Jews either.

Klein is a very generic name. The kind of name you'd adopt to keep up appearances at UCI and with Irvine neighbors ???

heheheheh

Love,
Maxine

Anonymous said...

Maxine -- It's dumb.

AlphaLiberal said...

OK. Having scanned that thread on the sooper scary Jornolist, I just want to say that some of you cons who I normally argue with did a fine job of slamming the antisemite.

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Maxine Weiss said...

In the 1970s, at UCI....even mid-80s it was much more respectable to be Jewish, than Mexican....or even perceived as the least bit Mexican, on that Campus.

There are gradations of skin color, and Professor Klein may have tipped the balance a bit too far in a wrong direction.

I'm just guessing.

...Even though I'm usually 99.9 % correct about these matters.

Love,
Maxine

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Revenant said...

Ann, as a law professor, what do you base your accusation of defamation on?

Her exact claim was that Klein lied about her blog. The specific lie in question was "Ann Althouse sure has a lot of anti-semitic commenters". She did not say he defamed her, she did not say he libeled her. She said he lied, which he did.

There are two regular commenters who are Jew-haters. Two. That's not "a lot" in either absolute numbers or in percentage terms.

some of you cons who I normally argue with did a fine job of slamming the antisemite.

You're welcome. And the reason more people don't do it more often is that it has no effect on them. You can only call Cedarford on his Jew-hating so many times before it gets old.

AlphaLiberal said...

7 Machos, I just got through saying something nice about you and now you make me regret it, you dumb shit.

I only used the word "libel" in quotes because someone else used it. (Are you familiar with the use of quotation marks?)

I used the word "defamation' because Ann Althouse makes allegations of "defaming."

And, it's a private list (of opinion writers). Whoop-dee-fracking doo.

Anonymous said...

Maxine -- I would venture to say that you are 62 percent correct with regard to eyeliner and mascara and 100 percent wrong about everything else.

The whole point here is that it doesn't matter that Klein is Jewish, or Mexican, or Bangladeshi, or anything else. The point is that he is fundamentally wrong about most aspects of policy. Like you, except somehow better.

I imagine the both of you are about equally ugly.

Cedarford said...

rcocean - The only resident "anti-semite" is C-ford, but he also attacks "fundies" and Muslims. He's an equal opportunity bigot.

Though I quibble likely with your definition of "anti-semite" vs. mine, and criticism that opposing any significant part of an ethnic or religious group that organizes based on affinity to that ethnicity or religion - is bigotry - The larger point is I criticize far more peoples than powerful Jews acting against the best interests of US society and foreign policy.

And no one says a peep. Because they are also freely bashing other groups besides the untouchable "Jewish victims" in Israel, on Wall Street, and in control or in major influence of many activist and legal lobbies and Fronts.

1. I also dislike the Saudi Lobby and it's bribed whores in DC immensely.

2. I believe the Cuban Exile community's extortion of lawmakers for preferential immigration policy, blind support of a failed trade embargo, and past demands to turn a blind eye to acts of Cuban EXile terrorism is deletorious to US vital interests.

3. I consider ethnic organized gangs like the Mexican Mafia, Crips, MS-13 (limited to El Salvadorans or those brought in by blood tie), the Chinese Tongs, the Russian Jewish mafia - as dangers to the country. And denying their central organizing by religion or ethnicity and ID'ing them as such -may be laudably PC and "anti-profiling" to many.

But it is being willfully stupid.
___________
Folks that take me to task for criticizing heavy Jewish involvement in the Communist Democide, of Israel's oppressive policies and Jewish-Americans hijacking our foreign policy, and certain economic and cultural matters in America.....completely ignore blunt criticisms of other ethnic or religious groups...most likely because they are making the same attacks themselves on other bad actors from the Left OR the Right.

The distinction appears to be that it is OK to criticize Chinese, fundies, WASPs, Cubans, Persians, Arabs, Russians, French relentlessly because they have NEVER SUFFERED.

Only Jews are special and alone of all peoples have suffered and experienced other people's dislike - and thus must be shielded from all criticism..
Despite their constantly being involved in using their power and clout in political activism and by lawsuits and media campaigns to seek to transform US domestic and foreign policies to those that better suit the tastes of organizing and leading various Jewish-led or heavily Jewish Activist Fronts of the Left and Right out of all proportion to their numbers in the population.

(Which was also as true in many countries in Europe and Russia in the late 19th and early 20th Century as it was in the US from around 1885 to present, as Jews rapidly rose to disproportionate political and economic power and sought major changes. Mostly bypassing democratic institutions in favor of lawsuits, financial machinations, or revolutionary terror. )

The truth is only Americans have been intimidated into believing that some sort of immunity amulet for any criticism against Jewish activists running various front groups, setting ACLU policy, Jewish-led campaigns against other American groups, their "foes abroad" or Israel.

In the rest of the world, including Israel, criticism is robust and open and never - except by Jewish smear artists in the US or their willing Christian Zionist dupes - called "anti-Semetic" unless it is clearly, Hamas or Neo-Nazi level, over the top raw hatred of Jews. Read Ha'aretz. I do.

Americans have been propagandized into believing that any ethnically or religiously focused criticism is "bigotry" - against certain "special groups only".

Meaning it is OK to lay into Saudis, French, Russians, Chinese, Pakistanis, medieval Pashtuns, corrupt&backwards Mexicans, Scientologists, Fundies, and so on.

But Americans are conditioned, unlike any other nation, to believe "Jews have Special Rights" against criticism no one, except perhaps US blacks did from 1970 to `2000 and still going on somewhat under remnant PC - did. And Americans are morally obligated to be cowed - just as they were when someone (even fellow blacks)pointed out blacks were failing badly in inner cities - and was met by furious hypersensitive charges of "racism" and demands for firing or even imprisonment for saying such.

No, the erosion of the Jewish "immunity from all criticism amulet" has swept the world since 1973. As Jewish claims of "specialness" and "history's only victim group" met growing skepticism and Israeli colonization and arrogance ("America barks and fetches when we snap our fingers as they are paid to do" has just gotten too much for other countries to stomach - and now the "re-evaluation" that swept Europe, Canada, Asia, Turkey is now starting in America due to Israel's precipitous fall into being a pariah nation)

Going forward:

1. America is on a collision course with the new further Right Wing Likudnik Coalition and seeks to reverse our own great international damage that came in part from being seen in most nations as the pawn or tool of the Israel Lobby and the Neocons.

2. America will eventually come to grips with how we lost half our 401K and home value. And despite Jewish screams and ever-ready "anti-Semite!!" smears, the disproportionate role of Jews on Wall Street, in financial law, Congress played in this.

3. Any historical understanding of the Iraq War will include studies of which groups led a campaign to "cook intelligence info" and turn 9/11 into a campaign to do a series of "cakewalk wars" to keep WMD out of the hands of Israel's enemies and preserve their WMD monopoly.

4. Americans are in a growing belief that their vote and their democracy has been usurped by a small band of lawyers, Ruling Elites, and special interest groups. And what they say or believe about more wars, 100s of billions given to Goldman-Sachs, illegal immigration, lost jobs to China, rampant corruption in DC and in State governments is ignored.
Now, Jews are not front and center in the rifle crosshairs of any backlash - but they play a heavy disproportionate role in "anti-democratic" institutions. From Code Pink to Moveon.org excecutive to DC "powerbroker law firms" to the ACLU to American Enterprise Institute the Soros Group to the Crown Foundation to Lewis of Progressive Ins to Jewish media execs to Wall Street baking and finance firms. And the American public, to reclaim their democracy, may elect to use a shotgun approach vs. a single bad guy, single bullet strategy.

Meaning a disproportionate number of Jews might get hit by "reclaim our democracy, our nations foreign policy" - shotgun pellets.
And that will not be "anti-Semitic", but for the good of the nation. Just as much as Gentiles Franklin Raines, Grover Norquist, Chris Dodd and so on also getting caught in the "shotgun effect".

Jeremy said...

Ezra posts some clearly anti-semitic comments from your blog.

And now Ezra is the one with "a lot" of antisemitic comments on his blog.

AlphaLiberal said...

Trooper York shovels some BS:

Oh you corrected yourself Alpha Liberal

Uh, no. I didn't correct myself. I just gave some con's here the credit for standing up to some bilious talk.

And, a law professor tossing around accusations of defamation is not trivial.

Anonymous said...

Cedarford returns! With a novella!

I didn't read it. Here's my idea, though, dude: go over to Ezra Klein's little world and post there. Forever.

Two birds, baby. One stone.

Maxine Weiss said...

Orange County is filled with Mexicans who can't quite pass for White, yet have absolutely no problem assuming a Jewish identity.

My eagle-eyes never miss a trick !

Love,
Maxine

Anonymous said...

Defame does not equal the tort of defamation. Please go to school, Alpha. Learn something.

garage mahal said...

I actually like reading Cedarford.

jeff said...

"Trooper, you know what's worse than a journalist? Someone who goes on complaining about how horrible journalists are. If you don't like 'em, stay blissfully unaware and avoid all news and opinion."

What if they are not supplying the news and only one side as opinion. Then what?

And I was very impressed by HDhouse takedown of Trooper. He most certainly must be a trial lawyer.

I mean "I'm not a commie and you are an idiot and tomorrow I still won't be a commie and you'll still be an idiot."

Wow. Masterful take down. Clearly this refutes every argument Trooper has ever made and supports Hdhouse's side. Very impressive. Well played sir.

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Scott said...

Ann didn't use the word libel. She called Klein a liar. Klein inferred libel, because publishing lies about someone is libelous.

So Klein committed another libel by accusing Ann of accusing him of libel.

Or something.

Ann was actually doing Klein a big favor by flagging his Tweet as a potentially actionable libel, which it was. Klein, sui generis, picked up the cue and gracelessly backed off ever so slightly.

Darn. I was hoping that she was fixing to paste him with a big-ass lawsuit. Oh well.

Simon said...

AlphaLiberal said...
"Ann, it wasn't directed at you unless many of these commenters are your own sock puppets! Aha! "

The insinuation is obvious, as Daryl illustrated above: Klein's tweet is analogous to someone writing "Ezra Klein sure has a lot of former lovers with herpes, huh?" It is patently obvious that such a comment would be an allegation about Klein hiding behind the proxy of a comment purportedly about his infected former lovers, and it's no less obvious that Klein's intent was to comment on Althouse through the proxy of a comment purportedly about her commenters.

Interesting that the left, which likes to think of their opponents as unsophisticated, would suffer from an outbreak of literalism, as if siddenly able to read between the lines.

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