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Another example of the inability of Democrats to condemn bigotry

House vote condemning anti-Semitism
Final totals of House vote condemning anti-Semitism.
Click for source.

This column today might sound familiar, as I have reported similar examples numerous times before (See previous essays here, here, here, here, and here). Yet, it is important to document the inability of the modern Democratic Party to unequivocally condemn bigotry, because so much of its base and membership are actually are in favor of such things.

Yesterday the House passed a resolution condemning the horrible rise of anti-Semitism seen nationwide and globally, mostly expressed during pro-Hamas demonstrations that have often descended into violence and calls for the murder of all Jews in Israel.

The resolution [pdf] is quite clear. After listing numerous examples of harrassment and violence against Jews in the U.S., Australia, Israel, and globally, it condemned such behavior, and made it clear that the term “anti-Zionism” is simply a euphemism for anti-Semitism.

The final vote totals are shown in the screen capture to the right, taken from C-SPAN. As you can see, except for one nay vote and four not voting at all, the entire Republican caucus voted in favor of this resolution.

The Democrats however were not so unanimous. While a little less than half of the Democrats in the House voted in support of this amazingly simple resolution, half voted “present”, following the instructions of Congressemen Jerry Nadler (D-New York), Dan Goldman (D-New York), and Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) (all members of the Democratic Party House leadership). These Congressmen opposed the resolution because it is…

…just the latest unserious attempt by Republicans to weaponize Jewish pain and the serious problem of antisemitism to score cheap political points. … This resolution is therefore redundant of ones we have all supported and is instead intended to waste important floor time to use the rise of anti-Semitism as a political wedge issue.

In order to stop the Majority from playing these political games, we will vote Present, and we urge our collegues — regardless of their substantive views of the resultion — to do the same.

Let’s translate this statement into its real meaning:

The Repubicans are forcing us to vote in favor of an resolution against bigotry, and if we vote in support of this position we will antagonize our radical Marxist base that supports Hamas, the destruction of Israel, and all the racial quotas being imposed by critical race theory in academia and the corporate world.

And if we vote against this condemnation of bigotry, it will show the public where our party really stands.

We therefore suggest you vote “present” to try to hide our real position.

Democrats: The party of genocide and bigotry
Democrats: The party of genocide and bigotry

Obviously, this approach fails entirely. By voting present the Democrats prove that when the real battle against tyrants needs to be fought, they will either run like hell in fear or eagerly join up with tyrants. And we know many Democrats are eager to join tyrants and bigots by the thirteen Democrats not afraid to publicly oppose this resolution.

This behavior by Democrats is typical. They have resisted similar resolutions repeatedly in the past decade. Sometimes they do so merely for blind partisan reasons, unwilling to give an inch to anything the Republicans propose, even if they agree with it. More often it is because they fear or support their increasingly radical and bigoted base, and thus act to block such resolutions.

Either way, the Democrats in Congress continue to tell us how bankrupt and corrupt their party has become. That this party continues to garner votes from at least 40% of the American population speaks as badly about those voters. It isn’t the party here that is to blame, but the people who continue to either willingly or blindly support it, as it increasingly descends into authoritarian politics now often inspired by outright bigotry and anti-Semitism.

Genesis cover

On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.

 

The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.


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"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News

9 comments

  • Cotour

    It is funny, when the Republicans are morally shamed into bad political strategy, like ejecting George Santos from the Congress without him being convicted of anything, they do so.

    And when the Democrats are faced with a moral dilemma such as condemning a barbaric attack where innocent young women have been violated in the most heinous ways and then shot or worse, the Socialists and Communists among them can justify ANYTHING and not make a simple statement of humanity they refuse.

    AND, they look themselves in the mirror in the morning and say, we are winning, by any means necessary means by any means.

    And a majority of them are women.

    They really are such a disgusting example of humanity, desperate and perverted humanity. No one is truly safe with them in power because they are truly mentally ill.

    Pure Strategy not one second of concern with Morality.

    Just waiting for those old white Conservative bastards to croak.

  • Cotour

    You see, it’s you not them. You just don’t understand properly.

    “Harvard President Claudine Gay says her antisemitism comments were misunderstood and insists school WILL take action against students calling for the genocide of Jews after ferocious backlash and donor boycott”

    Unfortunately, Harvard, the elite or the elite in “education” has an outrageous legacy bank account in the multiple BILLIONS

  • Jeff Wright

    Who was the Republican “Nay” voter?
    A Grover Norquist type?

  • Jeff Wright: Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky). Though he is a reliable conservative on many legitimate issues, when it comes to foreign policy he is an absolute isolationist, to the point of absurdity.

  • Let me add that he has also exhibited behavior that suggests a bit of anti-Semitic bigotry lies behind his votes.

    He however is the exception to the rule among Republicans. To make him the issue is to try to avoid the fact that such behavior is becoming the rule among Democrats.

  • Questioner

    Why do US politicians even care about Israel in first place? Isn’t Israel itself a strong military power (possessing, among other things, about 300 nuclear weapons, it is estimated) that should easily deal with the poorly armed Palestinians? Or is it more about the US empire having to convincingly demonstrate its power in the Middle East now that the cause in Ukraine is lost for the US?

  • Luke

    Antizionism isn’t antisemitism, though.
    It’s worse.
    Much worse.
    You can be an antisemite without wanting to see millions of Jews murdered.

  • pzatchok

    the president and the White house cqan say anything they want.

    The MSM will just spend the next week covering for them if it seems to go against the winds of the present societal movement.

    Its nice to be able to do or say anything and not have it ever effect you.

  • Hominem Humilem

    Questioner: There is a strong moral strain in U.S. foreign policy–there always has been. Even when the U.S. was small and weak, its leaders spoke of supporting individual rights and democratic principles even if they would not commit the country to defending them elsewhere. That moral strain has never left, though at times a sense of isolationism (we are responsible only for ourselves and should not seek “monsters to destroy” overseas) has dominated decisions about whether to take action.

    Nuclear weapons aren’t really relevant in dealing directly with the savages attacking Israel; their utility is solely in their capacity to deter state-level action against it. For the biblically inclined, think of nuclear weapons as “the Samson Option”, a desperate measure wherein an attacker would be destroyed along with Israel. Short of that, the conventional forces you mention are the tools that will be used.

    The slander that Israel is incapable of making its own decisions and acting on its own behalf (that is merely an extension of the U.S.) is an antisemitism that merits nothing but laughter in response. Most of the famous military actions taken by Israel have taken place without U.S. sanction (or even notification of Washington); this time, the response came over the stated opposition of the U.S. administration, which is eager to appease Iran in the hopes of resuscitating Obama’s agreement with the ayatollahs.

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