Frank Luntz: Americans don't want to hear about the Holocaust anymore

[Oilwellian]

Some selected quotes from the Luntz memo:

<snip>

"The emergence of Mahmoud Abbas as the new Palestinian Prime Minister comes exactly at the wrong time. His ascent to power seems legitimate. He is a fresh face, and a clean-shaven one at that. He speaks well and dresses in Western garb. He may even genuinely want peace. Just as President Bush had begun to make headway in drawing attention on the need for a reformed Palestinian leadership, the Palestinians throw us this curveball. Is it a concern that he is a Holocaust denier? Absolutely. Will that fact convince Americans that he cannot represent the Palestinian people in an honest bid for peace? Hardly. Americans don't want to hear about the Holocaust anymore, and they particularly don't want to hear it from the Jewish community. Nevertheless, you need more substance on Abbas before you can tell the American people you question his devotion to peace.

"It is essential that you use positive language when asked about Abbas. However, that does not mean you must compliment Abbas himself. While knocking him down now does little to help your long-term goals, building him up is also counterproductive. Therefore you must remain positive about the peace process and indifferent about Abbas until he defines his role.

"The settlements are our Achilles heel, and the best response (which is still quite weak) is the need for security that this buffer creates. `Security' sells. Security has become the key fundamental principle for all Americans. Security is the context by which you should explain Israeli need for loan guarantees and military aid, as well as why Israel can't just give up land.
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=295700&contrassID=2&subContrassID=5&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[Flying_Pig]

2. Boy, do these guys know how to tailor a message or what?

Expect to see AIPAC/JDL/JINSA, and PNAC, to all adopt Luntz's recommendations. I have no use for "deniers", but I also have no use for these supporters of the fascist Likud.

What's a person who would love to see a truly democratic Israel to do? There is no hope as long as they embrace Sharon and Likud, and no hope for us here, as long as both Dems and Republicans continue to embrace PNAC through their allies in AIPAC/JDL/JINSA. As long as we continue to embrace them, we're all going down in a death spiral.

[Redneck Socialist]

3. The part that caught my eye was...

"`Security' sells. Security has become the key fundamental principle for all Americans. "

The neo cons are using "security" as tool to implement their entire agenda.

[noiretextatique]

4. americans don't want to hear about slavery either

particularly from african-americans. his comments are repulsive...i wish i could feign surprise :puke: what was that thread last night? "why is republican hypocrisy socially accpetable?" :puke:

[Classical_Liberal]

5. The article wasn't about the holocaust either

It was about how Aipac can best represent the interests of Israelis settlements in the US, and frankly when it comes to justifying the settlements, no I don't want the holocaust used as a justification. That is an insult imho.

[Dirk39]

7. Agree 100%...

If people use it for their own purposes, if people are not o.k. with the way, it is used and have good arguments, what's the problem? Talk!
I even don't understand, why germans have a problem with this, o.k.: sometimes I understand it too well.

"Americans don't want to hear about the Holocaust anymore, and they particularly don't want to hear it from the Jewish community." ???
This is really disgusting and one more times, the only way to understand this, the only way it makes sense is to suppose that what's happening in Israel is comparable to what the Nazis did. What other reason should someone have, to make such a statement?
For me, it's beyond any discussion, and it includes "Sippenhaft" one more time.
Whatever people might think of Israels' politics, the majority of people from the left and the right simply are not able or willing to understand , how the Israelis feel today.
Greetings from Germany,
Dirk

[Eloriel]

8. Hi, Dirk! Good to see you again. Question for ya

What is "Sippenhaft?"

Eloriel

[Dirk39]

10. I just have a dictionary, I don't trust too much...

but it says "penal liability of the family". Sippenhaft is a nazi-word. "Sippe" is an old word for family (in real german it's "Familie"). It's a pejorative word for family, often used to descriminate "gypsies". "Haft" is the german word for imprisonment. "Sippenhaft" means to include all members of a real or fictional group of people, when one of them is offended, for good or not so good reasons.
I hope you get the picture!
Hello Eloriel,
Dirk

[David Zephyr]

9. Amen. Amen. Amen. And Amen.

n/t

[JackSwift]

6. Hateful lies

People need to hear everyone's truth, and people need to listen. The Holocaust is not history's lesson about what evil Nazi's can do to Jews they have dehumanized. The Holocaust is history's punishment of the entire world for refusing to look into the hearts of good people who can be frightened into silence by jeers of "treason". It's time to fight about this kind of treatment of people here and abroad.