The right-wing need for victimization and Israel

[cynatnite]

As rabid and unhinged as the American Right generally has become of late, the right-wing blogosphere is, as usual, several degrees more twisted. Here is Powerline's Paul Mirengoff, a lawyer, protesting Obama's treatment this week of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and comparing it to how a small African country would -- and should -- be treated:

One Israeli newspaper summarized the encounter this way:

"There is no humiliation exercise that the Americans did not try on the prime minister and his entourage. Bibi received in the White House the treatment reserved for the president of Equatorial Guinea."

But Obama would never treat the president of Equatorial Guinea that way.

snip:
As usual, nothing is more severe and desperate than the right-wing need to turn oneself into a victim of extreme persecution. Do you think that Equatorial Guinea, if given the option, would choose to be treated by the U.S. Government the same way Israel is: with billions of dollars of American taxpayer money transferred to them each year, automatic diplomatic protection at the U.N. for anything they choose to do, American-backed loan guarantees, weapons transfers on demand, one-fourth of their bulging military budget provided by the U.S., an American law requiring the Obama administration to maintain their military superiority, a White House Chief of Staff who twice served as a civilian volunteer in their army, and a Speaker of the House who proclaims -- in the midst of her own's government conflict with that foreign country -- that the entire U.S. Congress "speaks with one voice" in support of them rather than their own government? I doubt Equatorial Guinea -- or any other country on the planet -- would complain much or consider themselves victims if they received similar treatment from the U.S.; quite the contrary.

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/03/27/israel

[bluestateguy]

1. Israel continues to receive generous amounts of US aid

The tiff over settlements has not in anyway threatened the continued pipeline of generous aid that country receives from American taxpayers.

[aquart]

2. You'd rather the aid were a token insult then?

You're offended that we give aid to the only western democracy in the MidEast? Upset that we support our one ally in the region (unless, of course, you believe we can rely on Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia...)?

Whom would you rather aid? Anyone who isn't a Jew?

[bluestateguy]

3. No actually I'm all for aid to Israel

I was merely making a factually correct point. If you can find where I expressed offense please do show me.

You were the one that had to play the anti-Semite card.

[The Magistrate]

4. It Should, However, Sir

Be U.S. policy to reduce grants in aid by the amounts, calculated liberaly, that Israel spends on settlement construction in the territories over-run in '67.