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THE DIOGENES REPORT
The Wit, Wisdom & Wituperation of Emanuel L. Strunin
“a few steps ahead of the curve”
January 2004, VOL. IV, # 3
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KAPOS FOR THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION
In the German death camps, the Nazi administrators often used Jews, known as kapos, to maintain order and help carry out directives. It made it easier for the Germans when Jews were in direct contact with the prisoners, particularly if the Jews were known in their communities. The prisoners were more inclined to feel that fellow Jews, kapos who also were prisoners, would not ask them to do things that were inimical to them. A clever German administrative ploy.
I see a similar ploy being carried out in Israel these days. In this case the kapos are members of the Israeli Government. The head kapo, of course, is the prime minister. The role of the Germans is now being carried out by the Bush Administration. Sharon and the other Israeli officials are basically prisoners of the Americans.
Inadvertent but harmful policies
Not that the American Government is interested in harming Jews, but the Land of Israel—East Bank and West Bank—can be viewed as a large concentration camp. Both the Israelis and the Arabs are under the ultimate control of America. Inadvertent though they may be, America’s policies lead to deaths and maimings in the Holy Land. These misguided policies are designed to give Israel only limited defense of its citizens and not to give Arab terrorism complete license.
The Bush Administration says freeze Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria. The Sharon government freezes construction, although these officials have spent a lifetime supporting such construction. The Bush Administration says dismantle communities in the heart of the Holy Land, and the kapos are ready to dismantle. The Bush Administration says create an independent “Palestinian State,” and the kapos are ready to raise an Arab flag over Jerusalem.
But there came a time in some of the death camps when the prisoners said enough is enough. And despite the Germans and the kapos and Ukrainian guards and Latvian guards and Lithuanian guards, the prisoners revolted. Let us hope that members of the IDF who are assigned to destroy Jewish communities are reminded of the higher law and say enough is enough. It might remind the leaders of Israel that there is a higher law than the orders of an American administration.
THE NATIONAL BATTERED WIFE SYNDROME
America’s policies toward the Arabs and other Muslims reflects behavior that is often seen in the battered wife syndrome. After all national behavior is very much like a big screen projection of individual, family and community behavior.
We have all heard reasons why the battered wife doesn’t leave her husband. He’s nice when he’s sober. He doesn’t hit me with all his might. He supports me and the kids. He promised to change. I’ll have a problem taking care of myself. What will the neighbors think? While each of these reasons seems to have validity, taken together they can lead to disaster.
For over 30 years, America—the powerful Katrinka of planet Earth—has been battered by its Arab/Islamic lover. Embassy bombings, barracks bombings, diplomat kidnappings and murders, journalist kidnappings and murders, military personnel kidnappings and murders, ship bombings, aircraft hijackings, murders of American citizens around the globe and other atrocities have been the response to our unrequited love. Never have we entered a shelter for battered women—until 9/11, that is.
How the “Arabists” got started
As recounted previously in this report, the love affair between the U.S. and the Arabs began early in the 19th Century when American Protestant missionaries went to the Middle East to convert the Muslims to Christianity. They were unsuccessful but they liked the people and remained there. Taking a long range approach to conversion, they opened schools--like the American universities in Beirut, Cairo and Constantinople—clinics and hospitals. With their background in Arab culture and language, the children of the missionaries went home to America to attend the Ivy League schools that their fathers attended. These sons and their sons went on to become the “Arabists” in the State Department—the Arab-loving diplomats who wielded tremendous influence on American foreign policy.
Before the “Arabists” became a factor in foreign policy, the U.S. fought a series of sea and land battles with Islamic pirates from North Africa known as the Barbary Wars (1801-1805) and the Algerine War (1815). The Barbary pirates from the lands now called Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya forced American and European ships to pay tribute in order to sail the Mediterranean safely. The Americans alone decided to end this practice and after a long series of battles succeeded. Fortunately, the “Arabists” hadn’t made their mark yet or the policy of paying tribute in the Mediterranean might still be in force to this day. Although we continue to pay tribute to the “brothers” of the Barbary pirates in different ways.
Oil and war open new perspectives on the Middle East
Until the 1930s, the Islamic lands were beyond the horizon of American foreign and domestic policies even though the “Arabists” thought fondly of the Arab lands where their friends and relatives were still teaching and providing medical services. Then came the discovery of oil and the rise of Nazi Germany.
Many leaders in the Arab world were ready to join Germany but the British, with some help from the Palestinian Jews, were able to thwart the Arabs. The British were able to maintain their hegemony in the Middle East into the 1950s, except for Saudia Arabia where American oil companies with the help of the American Government pushed out the British. The time had come for the tight embrace, which we see today, of American Government and oil with Saudi Arabia. This menage a trois soon became a gang bang when American construction companies and defense contractors joined the love fest.
While both sides enjoyed economic benefits there was never any love lost between the American “infidels” and the Saudi “towel heads.” But as America continued to import evermore Saudi oil and as the Saudis became a growing market for our military hardware (that they couldn’t use), the Saudis became an influential factor in America’s foreign policy. In this they had the full support of the State Department and its cabal of “Arabists.”
Saudi influences on American policies
It was the qualms about upsetting the Saudis that put our marines in indefensible positions in Beirut. Further, we did not effectively retaliate for the deaths of 241 marines and the destruction of our embassy because we did not want to offend the Arab people—code words for the Saudis. The Saudis also influence America’s policies vis a vis Israel. Our pressure on the Israelis not to fully smash Palestinian terrorism has resulted in the export of their brand of suicide bombings around the world—much to the detriment of the American people and interests.
The American public now knows that most Islamic terror is funded out of Saudi Arabia, our supposed friend. Undoubtedly, the U.S. Government has known this for years without infoming the American people--out of fear or shame--that the neighbors—or the world—would find out. And still we haven’t learned. Every time the Saudis say they will end the funding of terrorism or eliminate the hatred spewed by their government supported clerics, we believe them. By now we should recognize that lying is a basic part of Arab culture.
I detect the Saudi influence in another critical area for the U.S. which on the surface seems to have no relation to the Saudis. It’s the ill-fated plan to establish “democracy” in Iraq. A concept that is very dear to America at home and abroad is “one man, one vote.” Isn’t it strange that we are unwilling to apply that rule in Iraq where the Shi’ites are the majority. Could it be that the Saudis object to a Shi’ite run state in Iraq. The Saudis are Sunni Muslims and espouse the most virulent strain of the Sunni beliefs. In Saudi Arabia, the Shi’ites are treated worse than infidels.
Perhaps the Saudis have whispered their objections into the ears of the State Department “Arabists” and their oil friends in the White House. We should also recall that it was Saudi influence against the overthrow of Saddam during the first Gulf War that enabled
him to remain in power and conduct murderous operations against the Shi’ites. The Saudis may even have had a role in America’s tilt to Pakistan rather than India in the post-World War II world. We may have to wait 50 years before the State Department records on this issue are opened to the public.
Time for a change
It’s time for America to stop taking Saudi abuse. We have suffered in silence as the “battered wife” for far too long. Just like the abusive husband, the Saudis are incapable of changing their ways. So lets go to a shelter. The analogy of a shelter in this case is the Saudi oil fields. In repayment for their abuse to America and the rest of the world, the U.S. should take over the control and operation of their oil fields and facilities. We can bring in non-Muslim Asians and Africans to work the fields. After using some of the oil revenues to support the Saudi people—excluding the thousands of members of the royal family—and the oil workers, the rest of the money should go into the U.S. Treasury. Funds, of course, would be put aside for oil field and facilities maintenance and further exploration.
My guess that this policy would substantially lower the level of terrorist operations around the globe.
ACROSS MY RADAR SCREEN
Remember: “We will fight them on the beaches?”
Those were the words of Winston Churchill in response to a possible invasion by the overwhelming might of Nazi Germany. Those days are long gone, as Britain continues to cave in to the Muslim invasion of its tight little island.
The London-based Arabic-language paper Al-Quds Al-Arabi says that last week's success by Arab and Islamic groups in having a prominent anti-Arab media personality suspended from his BBC position "clearly indicates the rise of a national Islamic lobby in Great Britain." The following item from Arutz –7, the Israeli religious Zionist news service demonstrates that the British establishment refuse to stand up to today’s Nazis just as many of their parents and grandparents were unwilling to stand up to yesteryear’s Nazis.
The story began when an article by TV presenter Robert Kilroy-Silk, well-known throughout the United Kingdom, appeared in the Sunday Express last Sunday. Titled, "We Owe Arabs Nothing," the article stated, "Apart from oil - which was discovered, is produced and is paid for by the west - what do they contribute? Can you think of anything? Anything really useful? Anything really valuable? Something we really need, could not do without? No, nor can I. What do they think we feel about them? That we adore them for the way they murdered more than 3,000 civilians on September 11 and then danced in the hot, dusty streets to celebrate the murders? That we admire them for being suicide bombers, limb amputators, women repressors?"
Pan-Arab media outlets, the Muslim Council of Britain, and other Muslim groups reacted with outrage to Kilroy-Silk's article, and BBC hurried to take Kilroy-Silk's morning TV talk show off the air pending an investigation of his comments.
FOILING WOULD-BE TERRORISTS
On a flight from New York to Miami the stewardess is walking up the aisle when she notices a man with a skullcap cradling a package in his lap. She asks him what’s in the package and he calmly answers a bomb. The stewardess quickly alerts the air marshal who grabs the package from the passenger and stores is a secure place while alerting the pilot to make an immediate landing.
After interrogating the passenger, the FBI realizes that he is not part of any terror organization. They ask him to explain why he carried a bomb on the plane. He looks at the FBI guys in disbelief and answers, “for safety, of course, do you know the odds against two bombs being brought on the same airplane?’
HEADLINES AND COMMENTS
Headlines from the world’s press. Comments by Diogenes.
Shays Adds Voice To Resignation Call
So far, President Bush—I mean Governor Rowland—has ignored the call.
U.S. To Release 500 Iraqi Prisoners In Conciliatory Gesture
To Arabs that’s not conciliatory, it’s a sign of weakness. Our military and State Department officials should enroll in Arab Psychology and Culture 101.
Hillary Clinton Says She Regrets Gandhi Joke At Fund Raiser
She should have known that he didn’t run a gas station in St. Louis, it was a motel.
Lawyers Begin Tricky Process Of Selecting Martha Stewart Jurors
There is no trick to it, they should just stick to the recipe.
Bush Would Give Illegal Workers Broad New Rights
1 A living wage is not one of them.
2. Did the lobbyists for the coyotes play a part in this?
3. Did the President get a $10,000 gift certificate from Wal-Mart for this?
4. He is not trying to show the illegals what a nice guy he is, he’s trying to show the former illegals who are now voters what a nice guy he is..
450 Calves Were Put To Death (Radio news headline)
And their lawyers never got a chance to get a Supreme Court justice to issue a stay.
PepsiCo Plans To Reintroduce Soft Drinks In Iraq This Year
Can the empties be use for Molotov cocktails?
‘I Was Wrong’: Rowland Asks For Chance To Regain State’s Trust
If he doesn’t resign, he’ll be even wronger
Environmentalists Laud Plan To Make Hudson ‘Swimmable”.
1. The fish have been asking for this for years.
2. GE executives won’t recognize their favorite septic tank.
Bush To Announce New Space Missions
1. Remember way back when the Democrats were the big spenders in Washington?
2. Anything to get our minds off what’s happening on Earth.
U.S. Lowers Terror Threat Level
Wrong! At this point, only the terrorists can lower the threat level.
4 Killed, Many Injured In Iraqi Mosque Attack
1. It was just a theological lesson that the Shi'ites should follow the true path to Islam.
2. When Diogenes advises that Iraq should be split into three countries, his words should be heeded.
QUOTES I LIKE
Diogenes considers them clever, not that he necessarily agrees with them.
There are nine hundred and ninety nine patrons of virtue to one virtuous man.
- Henry David Thoreau
A: The beef industry and the government have been covering up the danger of mad cow disease for years.
B: The president doesn’t seem too worried.
A: Sure, if he catches a brain-eating disease who’s gonna notice?
- The Boondocks (cartoon strip)
There’s a lot of hoopla in Denmark about the Crown Prince marrying a ”commoner”. History informs us that no one was more commoner than the royals—everywhere.
- Diogenes
Hollywood: They know only one word of more than one syllable there, and that is “fillum”.
- Louis Sherwin
Never vote for an “outsider” to be a presidential candidate no matter how promising he looks or how white his horse because you’re likely to get a Jimmy Carter or a Bill Clinton or a George W. Bush. An “insider” with a respectable record and some backbone is always a better bet.
- Diogenes
America is a land where a citizen will cross the ocean to fight for democracy—and won’t even cross the street to vote in a national election.
- Bill Vaughan
Canada is a country so square that even the female impersonators are women.
- Richard Benner
Fraud may consist as well in the suppression of what is true as in the representation of what is false.
- Justice Heath
A lawyer’s dream of heaven—every man reclaimed his property at the resurrection and each tried to recover it from all his forefathers.
- Samuel Butler
When it suited the Republicans, they convinced the American people to believe that the nation’s biggest problem was the deficit. Now that they are responsible for the largest deficit in our country’s history, they no longer consider it a problem.
- Diogenes
It’s not the people in prison who worry me. It’s the people who aren’t.
- Arthur Gore
If you want to be a successful politician don’t mean what you say and don’t say what you mean.
- Diogenes
When you prevent me from doing what I want to do, that is persecution; but when I prevent you from doing what you want to do, that is law, order and morals,
- George Bernard Shaw
I know that people are talking about the fence. You know who built the fence? Terror built the fence.
- Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon: strong vocal cords, weak spinal cord.
- Diogenes
AN INTERESTING WEEKEND
Emanuel L. Strunin and his family cordially invite you to the
ELVIRA STRUNIN MEMORIAL LECTURE
featuring
Gary Rosenblatt
Editor and Publisher, The Jewish Week
DATE: Shabbos weekend, February 6-7, 2004
PLACE: Young Israel of Stamford
ADMISSION: Free
Friday night at 7:30PM (following a community dinner)
“The Anti-Israel Bias in the Media: Real Threat or Jewish Paranoia?”
Shabbos morning immediately after services
“The Unique Challenges of Being an Orthodox Investigative Reporter”
Shalosh Seudot (between mincha and ma’ariv)
Open question and answer session
Friday night dinner: $18 per person, $6 per child under 12, $45 maximum per family. To make a reservation, call Rhonda Greif at 329-1213 or Sherri Kfare at 348-7497 or e-mail at
Rhonda.Greif@mci.com. Make all checks payable to Young Israel of Stamford, and mail to YI of Stamford, 69 Oaklawn Avenue, Stamford, CT 06905. All reservations and checks must be received by February 1, 2004 in order to guarantee a dinner reservation.
Gary Rosenblatt has been editor and publisher of The Jewish Week of New York since the summer of 1993. With its five regional editions and circulation of more than 90,000, The Jewish Week is the largest Jewish newspaper in the United States, and during his tenure it has attracted increasing recognition from the general press.
Comments welcome. e-mail to: elscomm@earthlink.net
All issues of The Diogenes Report are on the website --
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