Monday, May 16, 2016

David Horowitz's Attack on Bill Kristol, Whitewashing of Mike Tyson, Justification of Linking Rafael Cruz to JFK Shooting

David Horowitz
Update: Jonathan S. Tobin on Horowitz/Breitbart's flaws:
That Horowitz might be attracted to Trump doesn’t surprise me because he has been an exponent of applying the vicious tactics of the left that he grew up with on behalf of the right. Like many who like Trump because he is gutter fighter with no scruples when it comes to fighting dirty, the man who helped launch[ed] the “slap Hillary” game on the Internet not only on the side of the billionaire but is ready, like the candidate, to say just about anything to discredit an opponent.
That is the only way to understand why Horowitz would write and Breitbart.com would publish the “Renegade Jew” smear of Kristol.
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David Horowitz has published an article at Breitbart.com which attacks Bill Kristol's case against Donald Trump.

Breitbart headlines it by calling Kristol a "renegade Jew"--a slur (like calling Ronald Reagan a "renegade Christian"). Horowitz never uses the phrase "renegade Jew" in his piece, but does call Kristol's position a "betrayal":
To weaken the only party that stands between the Jews and their annihilation, and between America and the forces intent on destroying her, is a political miscalculation so great and a betrayal so profound as to not be easily forgiven.
Horowitz seems to have missed Hillary Clinton's stated solidarity with Israel in contrast to Donald Trump's neutrality.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton pilloried Donald Trump on Monday for his intention to take a “neutral” position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, telling AIPAC that Israeli security was not negotiable and anyone who thought otherwise “has no business being our president.”
“All of this work defending Israel’s legitimacy, expanding security and economic ties, taking our alliance to the next level, depends on electing a president with a deep personal commitment to Israel’s future as a secure, democratic Jewish state, and to America’s responsibilities as a global leader,” Clinton said.
Bill Kristol
“We need America to remain a respected global leader, committed to defending and advancing the international order, an America able to block efforts to isolate or attack Israel. The alternative is unthinkable. Yes, we need steady hands, not a president who says he’s neutral on Monday, pro-Israel on Tuesday, and who knows what on Wednesday, because everything’s negotiable. Well, my friends, Israel’s security is non-negotiable.”
Then, of course, there is Trump's declaration that he will keep Obama's agreement with Iran which fast tracks Iran to nuclear weapons that can obliterate Israel and which Horowitz called "worse than [the 1938] Munich" agreement. Maybe Horowitz has changed his mind on that and thinks that strict enforcement will make Obama's Iran agreement workable. But, the question arises as to whether Horowitz himself is joining the ranks of Jewish commentators who might be miscalculating and inadvertently* betraying Israel.

But there is no question about Horowitz's disgusting whitewashing of Mike Tyson's noxious fantasies. David Horowitz claims that Mike Tyson is a new man who repented of his past and is committed to "humility and service to others."
But as anyone familiar with the sports world would know, Mike Tyson had a dramatic change of heart following his release from prison — rejected the life he had led, repented his past, and committed himself to a course of humility and service to others.
Here is an online news summary of the transformation: “Former boxing champ Mike Tyson has dedicated the rest of his life to caring for others – because he considers himself a ‘pig’ who has ‘wasted’ so many years of his life.”
That might come as a surprise to Donald Trump supporter Sarah Palin. In a 2011 ESPN radio interview Tyson made public his wish that Palin be brutally sexually attacked**.  How's that for humility and service to others? So, if David Horowitz (who apparently "is familiar with the sports world") thinks that's okay, his definition of humility and service to others is quite different than that of most decent people.

Speaking of decent people, one should compare Jake Tapper's view with Horowitz's opinion of Trump's vile linking of Ted Cruz's father with the "shooting" of John F. Kennedy. Tapper called it "shameful" and made not only without evidence but in the face of contrary evidence. For Horowitz it was just "campaign mischief".
So it might be, if Trump were actually putting forward a conspiracy theory. But what we have here, obviously, is not a theory but some Trumpian campaign mischief — not dissimilar in form to his earlier suggestion that because Ted Cruz was born in Canada, he might not be able to actually run for president even if he were to win the nomination. These were both campaign tricks — dirty tricks if you like — to throw a rival off balance and gain an advantage.
Horowitz's NewsReal writer Cassy Fiano wasn't so placid about campaign "dirty tricks" when Sarah Palin was linked to U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords shooting in 2011.
"These unhinged reactions show that left will use anything to smear their enemies and promote their sick, twisted agenda. Six people are dead, and all these moonbats could do was try to find ways to pin this on conservatives, engage in race baiting, blame America, and exploit the tragedy to further their own agenda. If one ever needed a primer on the sickness that infects the American left today, all they would need to do is read the examples listed here."
Though a usually insightful, well-informed, decent man, Horowitz seems to have a Trump-based amnesia on things said and done in 2011 and horrible attacks on Sarah Palin. Certainly this can lead to political miscalculation. As to whether it will amount to an inadvertent but profound betrayal of Jews is still to be seen.
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*inadvertent - giving Horowitz the consideration and respect he does not give Kristol
**"raped" according to Palin's daughter's point of view

4 comments:

MAX Redline said...

The exodus from Breitbart media has been nothing short of astounding, and with food reason. Andrew would be ashamed of what they've become.

T. D. said...

Yes, very sad. John Nolte just said he was leaving (though on good terms). Ben Shapiro is a big loss. The leadership has shown themselves to be people of "whatever" principles.

MAX Redline said...

I had begun to dislike the Breitbart sites, but Shapiro's departure clinched it for me; if I see a link to Breitbart, now, I don't bother reading it.

T. D. said...

Yep. Isn't it amazing how fast you can trash your own brand? Fox News too.