Ilhan Omar Was a Target for Sincere Criticism... Also, Opportunistic Hypocrites

[ck4829]

Last edited Tue Feb 12, 2019, 08:34 AM - Edit history (1)

By Charles Pierce at Esquire:

By the end of business Monday, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota, had apologized for sending out Tweets that were thought to be anti-Semitic both by sincerely offended people, and by opportunistic hypocrites who realize the power of performative outrage. Omar's tweets earlier had been condemned by the entire Democratic leadership team in the House. By the end of business Monday, an out-and-out racist was still president*, and an out-and-out racist was still representing the Fourth Congressional District in Iowa, and more than a few people were doing the same thing that Omar did with AIPAC, except in relation to George Soros.

Which reminds me, in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing to meet again with his good friend, Viktor Orban, the authoritarian PM of Hungary. Orban is a true delight, as this analysis in The Atlantic explained.

From using anti-Semitic tropes to demonize George Soros to praising Miklós Horthy—the regent who presided over the murder of Jews during World War II—to seeking to honor the notorious World War II–era anti-Semite Bálint Hóman, Orbán, the self-styled defender of Christian Europe, has shown himself willing to tap into this hatred to score political points. The Figyelő cover, an attack on a prominent figure in the Hungarian Jewish community, appears to be a bold escalation by the leader whose Fidesz Party won a landslide victory earlier this year. Far from paying a political price for exploiting anti-Semitism, Orbán is thriving...

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a26293448/ilhan-omar-jews-money-aipac-tweet/

Me: From the Trump Administration on down making George Soros into our government's Emmanuel Goldstein to Viktor Orban and his virulent anti-semitism... those must be the good forms of anti-semitism, right?

Right?

[lapucelle]

1. Benjamin Netanyahu and Viktor Orban are good friends?

Are your first three paragraphs taken directly from Esquire magazine? It's unclear because only one paragraph appears in your post as an excerpt.

Is this paragraph also from the Esquire? Some might say it sounds like "whataboutism".

From the Trump Administration on down making George Soros into our government's Emmanuel Goldstein to Viktor Orban and his virulent anti-semitism... those must be the good forms of anti-semitism, right?

Right?

[ck4829]

2. Apparently.

https://www.apnews.com/938bb193c0894691bf42a6457d1fae4c

Jesus...

[lapucelle]

3. Netanyahu's characterization of Orban as a "true friend of Israel" is (at best)

bewildering, but it doesn't mean that the two men are "good friends".

[ck4829]

4. Take it up with the Esquire writer. Me? I'm tired of the double standards.

And I'll support anyone else who is tiring of it as well.

I'm saying no to "good anti-semitism".

Charles Pierce:
https://twitter.com/CharlesPPierce

[lapucelle]

5. Which parts should I take up with Charles Pierce? The sourcing is confusing.

I, too, am tired of double standards and am glad both that Ilhan Omar apologized and Netanyahu was criticized.

Pierce is generally a skilled enough writer to avoid crossing the line between pointing out inconsistencies and engaging in whataboutism. Characterizing Orban as Netanyahu's "good friend" is unfortunate overreach on his part.

I'm glad we can agree that antisemitism is wrong and has no place in the House of Representatives. Hopefully in the future people will be more wary of taking Greenwald's twitter bait.

[still_one]

6. Wow, I think I agree with you and the OP