AN ATTEMPT TO NUANCE AND SPIN-DOCTOR THE DESCRIPTION 'FRIGGIN' CLUELESS'

My recent post entitled "ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF BAY AREA JEWS BEING SO FRIGGIN' CLUELESS YOU WONDER WHERE THEIR HEADS ARE", which appeared both on this blog and as a crosspost at Jameel's (http://muqata.blogspot.com/) prompted a contra-comment from Dan (http://lifeinthedanlane.blogspot.com/).


Dan wrote:
Please do not imply that all of the Jews, or even a majority, support the wacko anti-Zionist Jews.

The vast majority of Jews in the Bay Area are Zionist, even those afraid to say so in public in front of their far leftist friends.

It is true that we have more than our fair share of anti-Zionists and other wackjobs, but it is no more fair to call us Bay Area Jews "friggin' clueless" than it is to label all blacks as criminals, all Arabs as terrorists, or all Haredim as gay stabbing child raping intolerants due to the actions of a small minority.


Blogger Friar Yid (not Shlita) http://friaryid.blogspot.com/ also responded.

Friar Yid commented:
You're basically right on this, Dan, though I'd modify it and say that there is probably a sizable Zionist number of BA Jews, who unfortunately aren't as visible as their counterparts, with a silent majority that probably thinks Israel is good or at least "fine" but doesn't feel the need to go out and fight with protesters about it.

You can criticize the latter group for their apathy, B.O.T.H., but it's unfair to conflate that with actually supporting the nuts.



Okay. I accept their points.

I could split hairs and say that I didn't say all, but just indicated that there were Jews in the Bay Area who are f-verb clueless. But that doesn't diminish the effect, which was an implication that ALL are thus.

That was not the intent - I do indeed realize that it is not all. Unlike the SF Chronicle, who couldn't see five thousand pro-Israel Jews in Justin Herman Plaza on April 14th, 2002 (they were there for several hours, but the SF Chronicle made utterly no mention of that demonstration), I can and do see pro-Israel Jews here in the Bay Area.
Though sometimes not nearly enough of them.


I also see far too many anti-Israel Jews.
That is a subjective judgment, however. From my point of view all we need is ONE anti-Israel Jew to satisfactorily prove that indeed there is a diversity of opinion on the subject. But because there are several hundred if not a few thousand of them in San Francisco et environs, and at least several hundred of them who scream and shout and won't shut up, and get interviewed at the drop of a hat by every radio-station talk-jock or tin-can reporter who wants to highlight his or her own anti-Israel agenda while hiding behind a Jew-of-convenience, there are far too many of them.


Here in the Bay Area, the Jews who support Israel sometimes seem invisible, but the Jews who have decided to piss on everything are extremely visible. This is not a question only of perception, but of the tendency of the Bay Area to hold up the loud anti-Israel Jew as the example. Being anti-Israel wins you praise and love, while being pro-Israel gets you a fight in a bar.


Anyone (Jew or Gentile) who supports Israel will be called names, or have their sanity, humanity, and loyalty questioned by his or her associates, whereas a strident anti-Israel Jew is treated like a paragon of all the civilized virtues.

A Jew who supports Israel may be considered a divisive element in their synagogue or at work. A Jew who criticizes Israel ad nauseum is considered a team-player capable of understanding other points of view.

A supporter of Israel will often be considered, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, to be an ultra right-wing racist nutjob - by Jew and Gentile alike. But the anti-Israel Jew obediently and enthusiastically shouts down that pro-Israel nutcase while the majority happily sit back and smile approvingly.



The 'cluelessness' is in the pretense that there are two equal sides and that the truth lies somewhere between their opposing points of view - relativism at its worst.
The 'friggin' cluelessness' lies in assuming that despite all evidence to the contrary in the Bay Area the right side still has the support of the majority and if we just ignore the public demonstrations of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiment, those people have no influence. That is compromise with the devil at best, 'head-firmly-up-one's-donkey' at worst.


We have already lost Holland and Britain - many more people in those countries believe that Israel is a threat to world peace than support Israel's right to defend herself. Far too many there oppose Israel in everything while supporting any and all Palestinian actions.

France and Germany are as much a blessing as a curse in that regard. Europe, as a whole, is barely on our side. Western European public opinion is overwhelmingly and often uncritically pro-Pal.

Here in the US, the Bay Area most resembles Europe. It is perhaps an exaggeration to also compare the Bay Area to pre-war Europe at this stage. But not by much.