The Israel lobby’s smear campaign against Chuck Hagel is an absolute outrage: they are hurling every mudball they can get their hands on at him, and of course the main charge is “anti-Semitism” – because he wont’ kowtow to the Lobby and proudly declares that, while he supports Israel, “I’m a United States senator. I’m not an Israeli senator.”
To ordinary Americans, of course, such a sentiment is called patriotism: to the Lobby, it’s high treason. Welcome to Bizarro World!
I was on Twitter last night, and I was sickened to see that the “buzz” is that because the evil Washington Post has come out editorially against Hagel, his nomination is supposedly doomed. I thought to myself: Really? Is the editorial page editor of the WaPo, a notorious neocon, really going to dictate the future of American foreign policy? Do these people really have that kind of power – or do we, the people, have the power?
I decided to put this question to the test. So I posted a White House petition on the White House petition web site supporting Hagel’s nomination and urging the administration to fight for him.
We have until January 18, 2013, to get 25,000 signatures – on which occasion the White House will have to respond in some manner.
This is important. If the War Party gets away with this vicious campaign of character assassination, then they can get away with anything. The American people want out of Afghanistan, just like they want out of Iraq – and they overwhelmingly oppose war with Iran, which the War Party is pushing like hell. Hagel opposes their war plans: he has opposed the murderous sanctions on Iran, and has advocated diplomacy over military action. He has consistently and bravely stood up to the Israel lobby, and refused to sign on to their numerous “open letters” urging the administration to kowtow to Tel Aviv.
No, the Washington Post editorial board doesn’t have the last word when it comes to the vital issue of war and peace – not if you speak out and let your voice be heard. Yes, we can have an effect – but only if you act now.
One month – 25,000 signatures. It’s doable – so let’s do it.
Please go here to sign the petition.
As of 10:51am December 20, currently 453 signatures. C'mon folx, this needs more participation, and it's really not hard to do, registering for whitehouse.gov petition site.
Justin, I hope you're planning to keep this blog-post actively linked on the Antiwar.com main page for the full "petition circulation" period through January 18 as a reminder to those who haven't yet participated. Also, is there anyway you can give this petition more prominence on the Antiwar.com main page, beyond simply linking through a blog post?
And everyone, also remember that the petition page on the whitehouse.gov site has buttons you can click to promote Justin's petition on Facebook and Twitter.
Hagel is a former Republican Senator with an 84% lifetime approval rating from the American Conservative Union. He voted for war with Iraq, which should (obviously, I thought) permanently disqualify him from any postion that has any influence over foreign policy whatsoever. It was a stupid war fought for stupid reasons and Hagel was on board with that.
I'm a Libertarian so I'm skeptical of Government in the first place. But I'm antiwar before anything else: I just don't see Hagel seriously altering/reforming our foreign policy. If he intended to do so, Obama wouldn't appoint him. But their views are largely the same and that, along with Obama's strange bipartisanship fetish, is why he's being considered at all.
We shouldn't let (rational) distaste for AIPAC cause us to assume the enemy of our enemy is our friend. If Hagel becomes Secretary of Defense, children will still be murdered in Yemen via drone. In a few years, Justin Raimondo will write an excellent column calling for his resignation. Maybe there will be another petition. I might sign that one, because it can't hurt anything I guess.
I sincerely hope our president has the balls to appoint Chuck hagel as sec of defense in effect telling our israeli bought and paid for whores in congress and the press to go fuck themselves
Justin, I hope you're planning to keep this blog-post actively linked on the Antiwar.com main page for the full "petition circulation" period through January 18 as a reminder to those who haven't yet participated. Also, is there anyway you can give this petition more prominence on the Antiwar.com main page, beyond simply linking through a blog post?
Doesn't matter the Obama administration has proven time after time that it can be rolled by the smallest amount of criticism from the armchair warriors.
I strongly suggest the nomination of former Senator Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense. America needs someone with real military experience to run the Pentagon and in Chuck Hagel that experience is in abundance. There is no more honorable American than him. Do not allow any lobby group to determine who is to run the United States Defense Department for any reason that is not in America’s best interests. Chuck Hagel can be counted on to put America’s best interests first and that makes him the right man for the job.
The hearing was the best recent example of Jewish intimidation. How dare they ! This is USA not Israel. Hagel is a very good appointee. I do not agree much with Obama's policies, but on this one I am with him.
very blog good adminssdasd
very blog good adminssadasd
very blog good adminsasdasd
hat communities divert law enforcement resources from violent crimes to illegal drug offenses, the risk of punishment for engaging i
sdert law enforcement resources from violent crimes to illegal drug offenses, the risk of punishment for engaging i
most important job is taking your call when you get drunk in Riyadh. You don't get a great job at an influence mill with that on your résumé. You do if Ambassador to Saudi Arabia means what doing the "important work" needed under current policies.
ésumé. You do if Ambassador to Saudi Arabia means what doing the "important work" needed under current policies.
“Don't waste your time to make new dreams. but waste it to make one of your lifetime dream, come true.”
I think this needs more solution in order to keep good security.
It likely covers the more overarching questions of how to maintain advice and consent democratic governance responsive to the national interest when those highly motivated sleeper spies and operatives-in-waiting for Israel activated and caught are never seriously punished.
most important job is taking your call when you get drunk in Riyadh. You don't get a great job at an influence mill with that on your résumé. You do if Ambassador to Saudi Arabia means what doing the "important work" needed under current policies.
The CIA itself is guilty of exploiting social media to harness the information on millions of unsuspecting web surfers, so whatever good they seeming do seems to be eclipsed by the recent scandals. Google Edward Snowden to find out more.
Few Americans realize that Israel has a history of violating its' agreements with the Pentagon. They sold the American Patriot Missile Defense technology – a gift to Israel from American tax-payers – to Communist China for one billion dollars
Through their American agent, former CEO of Loral Corp. China acquired the Loral Missile Guidance System for one billion dollars. Loral's CEO paid a one hundred million dollar fine after his conviction for this illegal transaction. He left the courtroom a free man, after pocketing nine-hundred million dollars.
From Pollard's massive treasure-trove of Pentagon military secrets, Israel sold to Communist USSR all of America's tactics and strategies in a projected military confrontation during the Cold War. The reported price: another one billion. The response from the alleged perpetrators: silence.
He was the spy of a foreign power. He spied on this country, handing over secrets that compromised our nations security while acting as the spy of a foreign power. Unfortunately, this man will be pardoned and set free because this country is, and will continue to be, the compliant, spineless puppet of the foreign power that used Mr. Pollard to spy on us.