Freeman On Resignation: "S--- Happens"

Marc Aminder:

On Monday I recorded an episode of blogging heads with Brian Beutler on the subject of Charles Freeman. I took the position that, since Freeman had managed to become Chairman of the National Intelligence Council, AIPAC's ability to crush its critics must be exaggerated.

Read the whole story: Marc Aminder

Comments

[HumeSkeptic]

Political action to influence appointments is not only legal and legitimate, it is democratic. That is our system.

Why are people upset at others calling their Representatives in the Congress to take action, and those Reps influencing an appointment?

Is this just a tantrum because the "other side" won?

I agree that there is is lack of honest dialogue in our country on this very important issue, and that people are unfairly labelled anti-semitic for legitimate criticism of Israel's policies, just to silence them. However, what I read here in many of the posts is nothing more than a tantrum, because the other side won, fair and square.
.

[skialethia]

Fair and square? Now you know that's not true. I'm disappointed in you Hume; you're starting to fall for the "group think". Very disappointed.

[jazzman]

I'm waiting for the headline that reads, "American people fed up with Israel meddling in US politics. Public anger reaches the boiling point."

[freedomitchy]

After all the left spent eight years railing about Bush being a pawn of his Saudi buddies...­.......

[Rog49Thomas]

Just another fact which proves Mearsheimer and Walt were wrong.

There is no Israeli lobby in our country and if even if there are just a few simple folks with a small amount of sympathy for Israel, they have little influence if any on US policy.

[arvay]

You are being ironic, I trust :-)

[Rog49Thomas]

Доверяй, но проверяй

[Rog49Thomas]

oops huffpo isn't taking cyrllic today

doveryai, no proveryai

(trust but verify)

[skialethia]

Part 1.

Israel is at a crossroads; either it embraces GOOD and in doing so allows the Palestinians legal and human rights; to have a sovereign state of their own, dismantles the settlements, tears down the wall, pays reparation, shares Jerusalem, because there is no way that one of the holiest places in Islam will be surrendered entirely to Israel, and then lives and lets them live OR Israel embraces EVIL with their fanatical lusting for Palestinian land and paranoia-driven quest to control the ME with the help of the almighty U.S. military complex (albeit the financial risk), and in so doing creates a chaotic situation fueled by resentment, anger and even rage, and activates the worst catastrophe in the history of mankind. This is how I see it...Aipac ziocons think the Neocon Evangelicals are with them, but they're really with themselves­...they have the same radical perspective though; they think Iran intends to destroy Israel; but the truth is that the ziocons and the neocons are on a self-fulfilling mission towards that very goal.

As ludicrous as this sounds; Pastor Hagee is NOT Aipac’s friend. Aipac is using him to exert influence over the American public to submit to the Zionist agenda; and HE is using them for his fanatical self-fulfillment of prophecy.

.../2

[skialethia]

Part 2.

As far as Israelis are concerned they have a choice, either to share the land, or to live in one state giving Palestinians all the same rights and privileges they enjoy. If they choose the wrong path; the entire world will suffer! We will ALL pay an unimaginable price. I know it sounds far-fetched, but Israel cannot hold an entire nation prisoner, manipulate the military complex of this country, and naively think that there will not be a very high price to pay in a region as volatile as the ME?

Freeman was part of the right choice, and already Israelis have started down the WRONG path. Will this country continue to enable this destructive alliance?
I just ask myself why did God or karma or the Universe put our fate in the hands of these raving lunatics?

[rosiebond007]

This is a crying shame.

Now we will get some patsy for the Israeli Lobby - just what we don't want at this time.

Please put him in a position that doesn't need confirmation because we desperately need his sage input.

[politricking]

Freeman is not only right, but realistic, Israel's policies are leading it into an abyss and the United States will wind up walking into it as well:

from nyt:
In 2006, he warned that, “left to its own devices, the Israeli establishment will make decisions that harm Israelis, threaten all associated with them and enrage those who are not.”

He did not soften his tone even on Wednesday, saying in an interview that “Israel is driving itself toward a cliff, and it is irresponsible not to question Israeli policy and to decide what is best for the American people.”

As head of the Middle East Policy Council, he was a frequent critic of policy toward Israel. In a speech in 2005 he said that “as long as the United States continues unconditionally to provide the subsidies and political protection that make the Israeli occupation and the high-handed and self-defeating policies it engenders possible, there is little, if any, reason to hope that anything resembling the former peace process can be resurrecte­d.”

There is a reason AIPAC is considered to be the most powerful lobby in the United States.
AIPAC did a good smear job on Freeman.

[christopherw]

What country do I live in? Is this USA or Israel? How come Israel interest is First, US none in US Senat and Congress? What is going on?

[nomoredead]

They sure buried the other Freeman article and thread.

[JonSmiley]

They sure did.

What a disgrace. Even at the HuffPo free discourse about Israel and it's hand in our government isn't allowed.

What a shame.

[JudyCPro]

And once again Israel is being blamed for this individual's life choices. Let's be consistent here. So many of you accuse Israel of human rights violations, an apartheid state, and so on. Yet, where are the same voices against the Saudis and China? The Saudis just sentenced a 75 year old woman to 40 lashes and deportation - why? Because she mixed with some young men I know, it is a religious matter, you say. Then there is China and their "stellar" human rights record,

Yet this man, Charles Freeman embraces both countries while at the same time critcizing Israel.

Do I see a double standard? Yes, I see one from him and all of you who refuse to be consistent in your condemnation.

[Donatella]

The U.S. doesn't provide over $3 billion in aid to Saudi Arabia or China. The U.S. doesn't vote not on every bill that Israel doesn't like in the U.N.

The Israeli Lobby is anti-American and AIPAC should register as a foreign agent.

[skialethia]

None of you gave a dmn about China's or Saudi Arabia's human rights record UNTIL Israel started getting world-wide crticism for its record.

How many times is this lame excuse going to be regurgitated?

[arvay]

Red herring alert!

The tactic of pointing at some other peoples' crimes is as valid and effective as the speeder who tells the cop "the other guy passed me when I was speeding."

I really doubt that most critics of Israel endorse the Saudi theocracy, or Chinese human rights violations, or Sudanese massacres etc. But we don't finance them and support them in the UN and other arenas, either.

Many of us focus on israel because it's our tax money, and our political system being manipulated, to harm America's interests globally. Freeman no doubt has a similar perspective.

The Americans are starting to be more and more aware of how their politics and foreign policy are manipulated by a fifth column that serves the interest of an alien nation.

[Hazbara]

Did any one look at the Dollar bill lately ?
On the right hand corner, there are 13 stars that form into the "Star of David".
Why is that ?
Georges Washington ordered that design to thank the man who saved the Continental Army trough his financial support.
His name was Hayim Solomon and he died penniless.

When a Saudi or a Palestiian will be responsible for any act of kindness towards America, then we can talk.
Until then no stooge of the Kingdom of Saud will be head of Intel in this country

[skialethia]

Oh for crying out loud!!! He's not the only American immigrant who performed a good deed! I'm sure some never got that kind of recognition?

This does not justify taking over the government and bullying everyone! This does not justify human rights violations and crimes against humanity! Come on, already, stop trying to manipulate people into believing that what Israel is doing is right!!!

[Humza Ansari]

You should probably be thankful that the Saudis don't limit the oil they send us, or just shut the valves off completely.
Oil is like water for Americans, just supplying it to us should be seen as kindness.

[skialethia]

To my previous statement, I'll add: Was he a Zionist??? There are many, many Jews who disagree with you, who will fight these bullying tactics which frankly are un-American, and who find the policies of Israel re pre hen sible! So stop using every trick in the book to justify them!

[skialethia]

To my previous statement, I'll add: Was he a Z.ionist??­? There are many, many Jews who disagree with you, who will fight these bullying tactics which frankly are un-American, and who find the policies of Israel re pre hen sible! So stop using every trick in the book to justify them!
And I wonder if he would not agree with Finkelstein, Falk, Freeman and others on this issue?

Stop digging up the deceased and using them to justify yourself!

[HumeSkeptic]

Was Hayim Solomon an Israeli citizen?

[CaptainStormfield]

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2009/031109.html
The Neocons Strike Back
By Robert Parry

[enriquecaliente]

Anybody remember Jonathan Pollard a former U.S. Navy analyst who stole our nuclear secrets and sent them to Israel.

http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/spyring.html

http://100777.com/usa/israeli_spyring

[jimrs6]

The enemy of our enemy is our friend. Go Israel.

[kassandrasduplex]

The Zio-cons will take out one of their own, as when Alan Dershowitz succeeded in having Phd. holding professor Norman Finkelstein denied tenure for the crime of exposing the hypocrisy and lies from the Zionists.
At this moment Israel is bulldozing more Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem and has announced plans to double the number of Jewish settlers in the West Bank. All this provokes not only the Palestinians but Iran too. And therein lies the danger to American interests as Chas Freeman was discussing.
My heroes: Norman Finkelstein and Noam Chomsky. If you haven't availed yourselves of their gifts now is a good time.

[truthynesslover]

Love Chomsky!Been reading him for decades!

[EHarold]

Absolutely I will be very sad when Chomsky and Zinn go thankfully there are up and comers like Naomi Klein to help fill the void.