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[–]mzyps 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Perhaps it's the case that ethno-supremacy and ethnic cleansing has a transitive property. If you or your country supports the uber men in their struggle to steal from and murder the colored people, then you too may bask in the glory of the conquest and oppression.

[–]stickdog 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I agree.

I don't understand what is behind Kennedy's fervent and continual cheerleading of the worst Zionist human rights abuses, especially considering this relative reasonableness on almost all other issues.

Does anyone have any theories on this?

A large plurality of US citizens are sick and tired of endless war. Why does every viable political voice constantly abandon us?

[–]Maniak🥃😾 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Does anyone have any theories on this?

Outside of simple corruption, the other simplest explanation I can think of is that this is what he's been told to believe unconditionally since he was a child, as part of his religious conditioning. Making it yet another case of religion causing otherwise rational people to believe completely irrational things, even when they go against their own interests and make them support and do potentially horrific acts.

In the case of RFK, "Israel" seems to be the trigger that shuts off his rational mind and makes him go into full zealot mode.

People who were bred to have that kind of trigger should never be allowed anywhere near any position of power. And a zionist trigger is way more dangerous than your run-of-the-mill "Fairies are real" trigger.

[–]penelopepnortneyBecome ungovernable 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

This is the most problematic aspect of his candidacy and frankly, it's a deal breaker for me.

His paean to Israel “as the only Middle East democracy” is glib lip service when Israel, like the US, has spent decades violating international law and human rights protections that were established to prevent a recurrence of the extermination of Jews, Poles and multiple others carried out by Nazi Germany. Fascism is fascism and trying to paint one variation as materially different from another variation and then defending it is exactly why it keeps rearing its ugly head.

His unacceptable stance on this is compounded by the rapidity with which he caved to the pro-Zionist lobbying groups and mouthpieces. Americans have had a bellyful of these entities dictating our foreign policy and suppressing our first amendment right to freedom of expression, which includes the right to promote a BDS movement to address apartheid in Israel the same way it dealt with apartheid in South Africa.

All of it smacks of hypocrisy and double standards, and it promotes the so-called "rules-based order" that privileges some countries with impunity while condemning other countries for acting in the exact same way.

You don't create a better world by leaving the rotten foundations intact and pretending they're sound. They're not only rotten, they're toxic to humanity and need to be eradicated.

[–]stickdog 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

While I still greatly prefer RFK, Jr. to Biden or Trump, I agree that his bizarre, gung ho pro-Zionist war mongering is both puzzling and highly disturbing.

It's as if he has zero clue about what Palestinians have been put through. But it even goes beyond this. It as if he treats the issue as a lawyer who was expressly hired to lobby for Israel.

How hard would it be to simply follow the middle ground of US Jewish leaders support Israel but are still critical of Israel's worst abuses? How hard would it be to at least pay lip service to supporting peaceful solutions and negotiations? I just don't get why every single even semi-viable candidate has to be such a war monger.

[–]penelopepnortneyBecome ungovernable 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

How hard would it be to simply follow the middle ground of US Jewish leaders support Israel but are still critical of Israel's worst abuses? How hard would it be to at least pay lip service to supporting peaceful solutions and negotiations?

This is my argument as well. It was my argument when Bernie eulogized John McCain as a human rights champion when he was anything but instead of just issuing respectful condolences to McCain's family. I don't know why politicians are so compelled to unnecessarily shoot themselves in the foot.

[–]BlackhaloPurity Pony: Pусский бот[S] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Bobby said of his uncle’s American University speech, “It’s one of the most important speeches in American history.” What made it so, Bobby believed, was that his uncle “talked to the American people and asked them to put themselves in the shoes of the Russians. Everybody else was doing the opposite at that time. They were demonizing and vilifying the Russians. And he said, no, we have to put ourselves in their shoes, in the shoes of our adversaries. If we want to have peace, we need to do that. It has to be a regular discipline.”

The issue of Israel and Bobby’s allegiance to the same raised its head shortly after the son of RFK announced he was throwing his hat into the presidential ring. When Roger Waters, a founding member of Pink Floyd, came under fire in Germany for his live performance of “The Wall” in early May (Roger wore clothing that invoked Nazi Germany, a consistent feature of his act when performing this particular song from the eponymous album, which is highly critical of fascism and, by extension, an artistic expression against Nazi Germany), Bobby stepped up in his defense. “Roger,” Bobby tweeted, “You are the global hero Orwell had in mind when he said, ‘In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.’ The high priests of the totalitarian orthodoxies are trying to silence you with censorship, gaslighting and defamation. Please keep speaking truth to power!”

Bobby then doubled down on his new-found stance as “staunch friend of Israel,” meeting for more than two hours with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach to discuss, according to a posting on X put out by Boteach, “Israel, the rise of antisemitism, and Kennedy’s recent tweet where he supported Roger Waters.” Boteach, a staunch defender of Israel and Zionism, went on to state, “It was courageous of Bobby to come and meet me and reassert his lifelong support of Israel and the Jewish people, continuing in the legacy of his great father who was murdered by Palestinian gunman Sirhan Sirhan because of his own support of Israel in 1968.”

On August 1, during an interview with political comedian Jimmy Dore, Kennedy defended Israel’s military conduct against the Palestinians, criticizing the Grayzone’s Max Blumenthal in the process. “I love Max Blumenthal,” Bobby told Jimmy, “But I do not think he’s objective on Israel. His reporting on Israel—it needs to be questioned.” When Dore challenged Bobby to do an interview with Max, Bobby agreed, only to have his staff reverse course, saying such an interview would not happen.

I pointed this out in a response to Bobby’s post. “I like RFKJr,” I wrote. “I think he’s the best choice for POTUS. He’s positioned himself as the peace candidate. And this is the tweet I fear may have sunk his chances. Israel’s policies regarding Palestine are indefensible. Bobby should be promoting an equitable peace settlement. Not war.”

“Not a good look,” I posted on X. “At a time when America should be excited about Kennedy’s independent run, his indefensible support of Israel is sinking his campaign. He is not only failing to gain any traction, but also bleeding support from a critical base of potential supporters—those Americans who bought into his rhetoric of peace.”

It amuses me a bit that DeSantis has the same problem.