Donald Hank
Europe: Nous sommes tous des Islamophobes
By Donald Hank
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/paris-magazine-attack/we-are-still-here-crowds-world-leaders-march-paris-n283826
There is a mass demo in Paris this morning, which I watched for about an hour on cable channel TV 5.
Highlights:
Guess who didn't show?
That's right. Barrack Hussein Obama. You will recall that in his address following the attack, after the obligatory "we condemn..." he went into the usual nauseating defense of Islam. Always, always. Enough already!
Why didn't he go?
I have a very strong suspicion that Europe is sick and tired of him and US bullying and economic crises and they simply did not invite him. They know the US was behind the 2007-8 crisis that spread to Europe via US toxic derivatives that refuse to go away.
They need trade with Russia (especially Gazprom gas) and the US is imposing sanctions that, along with Russia's revenge sanctions, are clawing at the economy. One of the main problems is the loss of the South Stream pipeline which has been rerouted at the last minute through Turkey.
The US 'Justice' Department imposed a draconian fine on BNP Paribas for a misdemeanor that is not a misdemeanor in France, namely, transactions with Iran. It cost the bank a record fine of almost 9 billion dollars. Adding insult to injury, Obama's boorish Assistant Secretary of State said "f* the EU."
How they are getting back:
Still fearful of the US bullies in State, they are reluctantly pursuing the sanctions against Russia, but behind Washington's back, they are quietly establishing RMB clearing centers all over Europe (http://www.americandailyherald.com/pundits/donald-hank/item/warning-from-top-chinese-monetary-policy-maker) as part of what can only be called a dedollarization campaign. The RMB may become the no. 3 currency in world trade within just 3 years, jumping from 9th place. The dollar will feel the bite although the Chinese are coyly claiming that this trend is not a threat to the dollar. LOL
What is the big change?
So far, most European governments have been careful never to offend Muslims, even when they misbehaved, which was routine.
But...well, you remember how people started saying "I am Charlie Hebdo" right after the massacre of that magazine's staffers?
Well, the thing is, Charlie Hebdo was not just practicing freedom of the press in any conventional manner. They were running obscene cartoons of Mohammed naked and in provocative poses, the most offensive things they could think of.
In other words, when someone says "I am Charlie," or writes those words on a placard, of which there are hundreds, maybe thousands, right now on the streets of Paris, they are not only advocating freedom of the press but also – perhaps unwittingly – identifying openly with the rankest form of Islamophobia.
The heads of state, incl Merkel, Renzi, Cameron, Rachoy and many others from Africa and elsewhere, including some Arab leaders, were marching shoulder to shoulder, as it were, with these placard bearers declaring open Islamophobia, something that had been strictly taboo heretofore. (Even today, the head of the European Parliament appeared on French TV absurdly comparing the German non partisan group PEGIDA – a group opposed to unlimited Muslim immigration – with the KKK. He seemed so out of step with the world leaders who joined the pro-Charlie march).
It wasn't like the aftermath of 9-11, where heads of state declared war on terror while reminding everyone, absurdly, that this terror had nothing to do with Islam. Oh, no! Not like that!
Whether consciously or not, these poweful heads of state are declaring solidarity with Islamophobes.
And yes, it was high time to admit that the real enemy is in large degree fundamentalist Islam.
That message is on display big time now. The leaders have 'come out.,' whether consciously or not.
Not only that, most people know that for years, Jews have been leaving Europe in droves, driven out by hostile Muslim attacks on them and their businesses – including this latest one in Paris against a kosher grocery store. That was no novelty for France, where a Muslim fanatic assaulted a Jewish school in Montauban killing 4, including 3 children.
Jews are present at the march, including Netanyahu (another reason Obama didn't show his face?).
Europe has been careful until now not to make a big deal out of these attacks on Jews. One can only guess at the reasons. Fear was probably first and foremost.
But Jews are marching and are being interviewed and the message of the constant harassment they are suffering is now public and having a major impact.
It is a genuine sea change.
Perhaps Israel will be safer for a while.
How polarized are we now?
A few months ago, I had sent out a few messages to my informal internet group (zoilandon [at sign] msn.com) from the site of Vintage Saker, a former Russian military analyst who is one of the most knowledgeable reporters on news from Ukraine and Russia. However, I hesitated to do this on a regular basis, despite the major news value of his reports, because Saker had the disagreeable habit of blaming all ills on the "Anglo-Zionists," and that sounded a wee bit racist to me, even danerously Nazi-like. His use of that word in turn detracted from people's perception of the Russians, whose government is all-inclusive and never says a disparaging word about Jews (Putin has judiciously named Jews to promintent government positions). A few months ago, I emailed Saker and his online list to ask what he meant by Ango-Zionist and suggested he substitute this word with one less specific. He ignored the question.
But after this Paris attack, he came out and wrote an anti-Jewish diatribe titled "I am not Charlie," in which he blamed this magazine for its own destruction, suggesting that Westerners should adapt to Sharia law, which imposes the death penalty on blasphemers of the prophet.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article40651.htm
Shortly thereafter, Saker admitted that key volunteer staffers of the site had walked out in protest to what they construed as an anti-Jewish diatribe and that the site is now in danger.
I took this opportunity to press him some more and he was finally persuaded to offer an "explanation" of the word Anglo-Saxon, which he posted here, presumably at my insistence:
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2015/01/open-letter-to-saker-community-and-all.html
As you can see, it is more of a self-indictment than an explanation.
After this, I asked the forum if this means Saker thinks Israel has no right to exist. He did not deign to respond but one of his acolytes wrote me a scathing response claiming I was "maligning" the poor Saker. In this response, he lost his cool and referred to Israel thusly:
...illegal apartheid genocidal state of Israel...
I felt like the victim of a verbal terror attack. I am relieved to find that I am no longer welcome on that board.
© Donald Hank
January 12, 2015
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/paris-magazine-attack/we-are-still-here-crowds-world-leaders-march-paris-n283826
There is a mass demo in Paris this morning, which I watched for about an hour on cable channel TV 5.
Highlights:
Guess who didn't show?
That's right. Barrack Hussein Obama. You will recall that in his address following the attack, after the obligatory "we condemn..." he went into the usual nauseating defense of Islam. Always, always. Enough already!
Why didn't he go?
I have a very strong suspicion that Europe is sick and tired of him and US bullying and economic crises and they simply did not invite him. They know the US was behind the 2007-8 crisis that spread to Europe via US toxic derivatives that refuse to go away.
They need trade with Russia (especially Gazprom gas) and the US is imposing sanctions that, along with Russia's revenge sanctions, are clawing at the economy. One of the main problems is the loss of the South Stream pipeline which has been rerouted at the last minute through Turkey.
The US 'Justice' Department imposed a draconian fine on BNP Paribas for a misdemeanor that is not a misdemeanor in France, namely, transactions with Iran. It cost the bank a record fine of almost 9 billion dollars. Adding insult to injury, Obama's boorish Assistant Secretary of State said "f* the EU."
How they are getting back:
Still fearful of the US bullies in State, they are reluctantly pursuing the sanctions against Russia, but behind Washington's back, they are quietly establishing RMB clearing centers all over Europe (http://www.americandailyherald.com/pundits/donald-hank/item/warning-from-top-chinese-monetary-policy-maker) as part of what can only be called a dedollarization campaign. The RMB may become the no. 3 currency in world trade within just 3 years, jumping from 9th place. The dollar will feel the bite although the Chinese are coyly claiming that this trend is not a threat to the dollar. LOL
What is the big change?
So far, most European governments have been careful never to offend Muslims, even when they misbehaved, which was routine.
But...well, you remember how people started saying "I am Charlie Hebdo" right after the massacre of that magazine's staffers?
Well, the thing is, Charlie Hebdo was not just practicing freedom of the press in any conventional manner. They were running obscene cartoons of Mohammed naked and in provocative poses, the most offensive things they could think of.
In other words, when someone says "I am Charlie," or writes those words on a placard, of which there are hundreds, maybe thousands, right now on the streets of Paris, they are not only advocating freedom of the press but also – perhaps unwittingly – identifying openly with the rankest form of Islamophobia.
The heads of state, incl Merkel, Renzi, Cameron, Rachoy and many others from Africa and elsewhere, including some Arab leaders, were marching shoulder to shoulder, as it were, with these placard bearers declaring open Islamophobia, something that had been strictly taboo heretofore. (Even today, the head of the European Parliament appeared on French TV absurdly comparing the German non partisan group PEGIDA – a group opposed to unlimited Muslim immigration – with the KKK. He seemed so out of step with the world leaders who joined the pro-Charlie march).
It wasn't like the aftermath of 9-11, where heads of state declared war on terror while reminding everyone, absurdly, that this terror had nothing to do with Islam. Oh, no! Not like that!
Whether consciously or not, these poweful heads of state are declaring solidarity with Islamophobes.
And yes, it was high time to admit that the real enemy is in large degree fundamentalist Islam.
That message is on display big time now. The leaders have 'come out.,' whether consciously or not.
Not only that, most people know that for years, Jews have been leaving Europe in droves, driven out by hostile Muslim attacks on them and their businesses – including this latest one in Paris against a kosher grocery store. That was no novelty for France, where a Muslim fanatic assaulted a Jewish school in Montauban killing 4, including 3 children.
Jews are present at the march, including Netanyahu (another reason Obama didn't show his face?).
Europe has been careful until now not to make a big deal out of these attacks on Jews. One can only guess at the reasons. Fear was probably first and foremost.
But Jews are marching and are being interviewed and the message of the constant harassment they are suffering is now public and having a major impact.
It is a genuine sea change.
Perhaps Israel will be safer for a while.
How polarized are we now?
A few months ago, I had sent out a few messages to my informal internet group (zoilandon [at sign] msn.com) from the site of Vintage Saker, a former Russian military analyst who is one of the most knowledgeable reporters on news from Ukraine and Russia. However, I hesitated to do this on a regular basis, despite the major news value of his reports, because Saker had the disagreeable habit of blaming all ills on the "Anglo-Zionists," and that sounded a wee bit racist to me, even danerously Nazi-like. His use of that word in turn detracted from people's perception of the Russians, whose government is all-inclusive and never says a disparaging word about Jews (Putin has judiciously named Jews to promintent government positions). A few months ago, I emailed Saker and his online list to ask what he meant by Ango-Zionist and suggested he substitute this word with one less specific. He ignored the question.
But after this Paris attack, he came out and wrote an anti-Jewish diatribe titled "I am not Charlie," in which he blamed this magazine for its own destruction, suggesting that Westerners should adapt to Sharia law, which imposes the death penalty on blasphemers of the prophet.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article40651.htm
Shortly thereafter, Saker admitted that key volunteer staffers of the site had walked out in protest to what they construed as an anti-Jewish diatribe and that the site is now in danger.
I took this opportunity to press him some more and he was finally persuaded to offer an "explanation" of the word Anglo-Saxon, which he posted here, presumably at my insistence:
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2015/01/open-letter-to-saker-community-and-all.html
As you can see, it is more of a self-indictment than an explanation.
After this, I asked the forum if this means Saker thinks Israel has no right to exist. He did not deign to respond but one of his acolytes wrote me a scathing response claiming I was "maligning" the poor Saker. In this response, he lost his cool and referred to Israel thusly:
...illegal apartheid genocidal state of Israel...
I felt like the victim of a verbal terror attack. I am relieved to find that I am no longer welcome on that board.
© Donald Hank
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(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)
