Romney claims Israelis culturally superior to Palestinians

[_Boilermaker]

That Palestinian and Arab Muslim culture, more broadly, represent failed cultures and cultural models, and that the open, liberal democratic model of Israel is far, far superior (as are any such similar models) to the barbarism, poverty, tribalism, honor and "blood and soil" culture of the Palestinian territories and the Arab Muslim world in general is inarguable, to any sane or rational observer.

Why this is even controversial at all in the West is clear evidence of just how far the West has decayed intellectually and morally under the weight of its "progressive" elites over the last several generations.

Absolutely -- the difference is belief in democracy and capitalism as opposed to Arab culture which generally rejects these things. It has nothing to do with Israeli occupation. Romney was absolutely correct.

[_EAllusion]

One would think a military occupation manning giant fences, sanctions, awful desert land, and lack of governmental infrastructure would play a role too. You know, a tiny one.

[_EAllusion]

Yeah, don't hold your breath. DCP never corrects people on his own team publicly, no matter how revolting their behavior.

The one main exception to this is ignorant, ugly statements towards Muslims. DCP tends to be all over that no matter who is saying it. I think declaring Islam a non-religion would more than qualify for that in DCP's mind. DCP would respond to this kind of stuff if he were posting here.

[_Chap]

That Palestinian and Arab Muslim culture, more broadly, represent failed cultures and cultural models, and that the open, liberal democratic model of Israel is far, far superior (as are any such similar models) to the barbarism, poverty, tribalism, honor and "blood and soil" culture of the Palestinian territories and the Arab Muslim world in general is inarguable, to any sane or rational observer.

Why this is even controversial at all in the West is clear evidence of just how far the West has decayed intellectually and morally under the weight of its "progressive" elites over the last several generations.

Absolutely -- the difference is belief in democracy and capitalism as opposed to Arab culture which generally rejects these things. It has nothing to do with Israeli occupation. Romney was absolutely correct.

I am seeing the Palestinians accused of a 'blood and soil culture'?

And yet the fundamental claim of Israel (a state which I have no wish to see extinguished) is that a particular piece of 'soil' (Eretz Israel) belongs by right to those with a particular kind of 'blood' (i.e. those of Jewish descent).

Has my browser developed a fault?

And as for 'democracy' (open, liberal or otherwise), if we end up with a one-state model for Israel and its currently occupied territories, it will be very interesting to see whether all those living in that state get the vote (in which case those of Arab descent will eventually outvote those of Jewish descent due to differential fertility), or whether the franchise will be restricted on racial lines, which is not generally held to be a very liberal or open way of doing things.

[_Droopy]

Absolutely -- the difference is belief in democracy and capitalism as opposed to Arab culture which generally rejects these things. It has nothing to do with Israeli occupation. Romney was absolutely correct.

You have historical and cultural cause and effect reversed here. The longstanding Israeli "occupation" (of what, one wonders, as no such thing as a distinctive "Palestinian people" having a historic "homeland" has ever existed) is a symptom, not a cause, of Palestinian Arab death culture, suicide culture, and genocide culture (and is primarily an outgrowth of the Yom Kipper War in 1973, the third genocidal attempt to drive the Jews into the sea since 1948).

[_EAllusion]

I do think you an point to general standard of living as a measure of how effectively a society's economy is organized once you take into account the full context. Per capita income is an imperfect measure of this. To wit, the nations Darth J initially listed tend to derive their wealth from oil. But that mineral wealth is much more fickle than having a diverse economy and not something people without it can model. Qatar is becoming a notable exception there, but that's being ridden on the back of liberal economic policy.

All that aside, measures like per capita income can help sort this out. It isn't a coincidence that industrialized nations with relatively free markets heavily dominate that list. Some cultures do come out superior to others on this front. The global explosion in wealth - and of China and India in particular - is a direct consequence of more and more nations adopting more and more liberal economic policies. Ironically, the US's cold war dreams to convert the world to capitalism is going to be its undoing as the preeminent power in the world once more populous nations can become as economically efficient. If China continues the same path and becomes as efficient as the US on a per capita basis, we'll be to them what Germany is to us.

I think this is the point Romney was trying to get at in an effort to give Isreal a blow-job for his Republican audience, but he bungled it badly as he's got a tin ear for combining these sanitized talking points.

[_Droopy]

Hopefully BC and Droopy have the good sense to stay in the US for the remainder of the 2012 Presidential campaign. Not sure that US credibility in the world can withstand more than one culturally and diplomatically tone deaf Mormon overseas at a time.

At one time, Mongol culture was probably quite rich, and certainly richer than all the nations and peoples around it it had plundered and destroyed to obtain that wealth.

As usual, the typical leftist is frozen out of serious discussion and discourse on the salient and pressing issues of the time by their tone deaf intellectual obtuseness born of ideological commitments that are primarily emotional and psychological in nature.

Thomas Sowell, among others (such as George Gilder) has done monumental and exhaustive work on the nature of the kinds of cultures and mentalities (sub-cultures) that are good at creating wealth, affluence, productive law abiding citizens, open, deliberative democratic institutions, and viable societies, and those that are not.

As usual, a much broader regimen of reading is called for for most in this forum.

[_Chap]

.... the Yom Kipper War in 1973 ...

I missed that war. Maybe I should start sending these cards out to commemorate this important occasion?



The one that my family got upset about was one that started on the 10th of Tishrei. No kippers all day.

[Guest]

Absolutely -- the difference is belief in democracy and capitalism as opposed to Arab culture which generally rejects these things. It has nothing to do with Israeli occupation. Romney was absolutely correct.

You have historical and cultural cause and effect reversed here. The longstanding Israeli "occupation" (of what, one wonders, as no such thing as a distinctive "Palestinian people" having a historic "homeland" has ever existed) is a symptom, not a cause, of Palestinian Arab death culture, suicide culture, and genocide culture (and is primarily an outgrowth of the Yom Kipper War in 1973, the third genocidal attempt to drive the Jews into the sea since 1948).

Droopy,

You just don't seem to get it, do you?

It really matters not if Romney's remarks could be construed as reasonable (or even accurate) based on carefully selected facts. The problem is that he said what he said on the international stage in an area of the world where it is extremely important that the US can be seen as a neutral broker.

It was absolutely the wrong thing to say. Junior diplomatic staffers (GS 11 - 12's) learn this stuff in their 20's. That a 65 year old candidate for President doesn't get it is absolutely astounding, and not in a good way.

Let me help you out. Imagine what would have happened had candidate Obama traveled to Salt Lake City during the 2008 campaign and stated, in public, that he admired of LDS culture in spite of the fact that the Church was founded by an individual later documented by both Church and public records to be an adulterer, liar, drunk, polygamist and fraud who engaged in polyandry and pedophilia.

Now just because this is all true, as can be documented in LDS Church records and approved sources, as well as the public record, does not mean that it would be a good idea to say it in public in Salt Lake City, especially of you would like to be seen as a person with some foreign policy and diplomatic skills.

If you think this example is a stretch, just note the public reaction to Romney's statements in Israel, especially as reported in the foreign press.

[_Droopy]

I missed that war. Maybe I should start sending these cards out to commemorate this important occasion?

Saturday, the 6th of October, 1973.