Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Obama's Selective Rage

Of all the horrors in the world, of all the atrocities being committed, of all the wars and terrorist actions… only one nation merits the “rage” of President Barack Obama.

Bret Stephens explains:

Barack Obama "has become 'enraged' at the Israeli government, both for its actions and for its treatment of his chief diplomat, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. " So reports the Jerusalem Post, based on the testimony of Martin Indyk, until recently a special Middle East envoy for the president. The war in Gaza, Mr. Indyk adds, has had "a very negative impact" on Jerusalem's relations with Washington.

Think about this. Enraged. Not "alarmed" or "concerned" or "irritated" or even "angered." Anger is a feeling. Rage is a frenzy. Anger passes. Rage feeds on itself. Anger is specific. Rage is obsessional, neurotic.

And Mr. Obama—No Drama Obama, the president who prides himself on his cool, a man whose emotional detachment is said to explain his intellectual strength—is enraged. With Israel. Which has just been hit by several thousand unguided rockets and 30-odd terror tunnels, a 50-day war, the forced closure of its one major airport, accusations of "genocide" by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, anti-Semitic protests throughout Europe, general condemnation across the world. This is the country that is the object of the president's rage.
  
Think about this some more. In the summer in which Mr. Obama became "enraged" with Israel, Islamic State terrorists seized Mosul and massacred Shiite soldiers in open pits, Russian separatists shot down a civilian jetliner, Hamas executed 18 "collaborators" in broad daylight, Bashar Assad's forces in Syria came close to encircling Aleppo with the aim of starving the city into submission, a brave American journalist had his throat slit on YouTube by a British jihadist, Russian troops openly invaded Ukraine, and Chinese jets harassed U.S. surveillance planes over international waters.

Mr. Obama or his administration responded to these events with varying degrees of concern, censure and indignation. But rage?

He continues:

Now think about what, specifically, has enraged the president about Israel's behavior. "Its actions and its treatment of his chief diplomat."

Actions? Hamas began firing rockets at Israel in June, thereby breaking the cease-fire it had agreed to at the end of the last war, in November 2012. The latest war began in earnest on July 7 when Hamas fired some 80 rockets at Israel. "No country can accept rocket fire aimed at civilians," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the next day, "and we support Israel's right to defend itself against these vicious attacks."

On July 15 Israel accepted the terms of a cease-fire crafted by Egypt. Hamas violated it by firing 50 rockets at Israel. On July 17 Israel accepted a five-hour humanitarian cease-fire. Hamas violated it again. On July 20 Israel allowed a two-hour medical window in the neighborhood of Shujaiyeh. Hamas violated it. On July 26 Hamas announced a daylong cease-fire. It then broke its own cease-fire. On July 28 Israel agreed to a cease-fire for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. The rocket attacks continued. On Aug. 1 Israel accepted a 72-hour cease-fire proposed by the U.S. Hamasviolated it within 90 minutes. On Aug. 5 Israel agreed to Egypt's terms for another three-day cease-fire. Hamas violated it several hours before it was set to expire, after Israel announced it would agree to an extension.

If Hamas had honored any of these cease-fires it could have saved Palestinian lives. It didn't. Mr. Obama is enraged—but not with Hamas.

How did Israel become so special? What does it mean for the president of the United States to single out one country… and, by extension, one people for an especially mindless passion? What makes Jeremiah Wright’s protégé believe that Israel is the root cause of the worst of the world’s problems?

Unfortunately, this is not a difficult question. Stephens is too kind and too gracious to say it, but Obama’s selective rage bespeaks nothing but pure, unadulterated bigotry.

Why was there ever any doubt?

6 comments:

drtceline@gmail.com said...

Do we have a pre-Oedipal boy man In the White House? What can we expect? Analyze this please!

Sam L. said...

He hates the U.S., too.

Ignatius Acton Chesterton OCD said...

Obama's rage doesn't seem so selective when you consider that he sat listening to Rev. Jeremiah Wright preaching for a goodly amount of time.

The Wright matter was the mainstream media's biggest single failing in the Obama saga, and the consequences have been quite dreadful. When people ask me for evidence of media bias, I offer the coverage of the Rev. Wright matter as Exhibit A. Try it yourself sometime... it's quite a discussion-stopper.

Do you think Rev. Wright likes Israel? Hmmm?

All these ceasefire violations and the media still holds vigil for the poor underdog Hamas. Obama is enraged at the treatment of his top diplomat at the hands of the Israelis. Pesky Jews. If only they were Muslims who ruled over a rat pit like Gaza, then they'd deserve some sympathy and could have their own fireworks parties. But Israel is not a rat pit, is it? Why do you suppose that is?

Obama's rage is not only selective, it's ridiculous.

Stuart Schneiderman said...

Twenty years with Wright... his spiritual mentor...

Dennis said...

“When a man begins to feel that he is the only one who can lead in this republic, he is guilty of treason to the spirit of our institutions.”
― Calvin Coolidge, The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge

Even worse when that same man believes he is the "One" who has all the answers and will keep the oceans from rising. He is destined to fail because true intelligence recognizes that one does not have all the answers and will adapt to the changing conditions that exists. His is a treason of global proportions.

Anonymous said...

http://youtu.be/-wCxpQ3HaZc

Obama is also silent about this problem..

Rap culture.