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ceebeegeeI don't know what it is about some guys--yes, in my experience this generalization is correct, it is always men--who feel the need to correct women. It is really annoying. Today a friend of mine (Beth D.), from when I went to HS in New Hampshire, posted a link on FB about this new White House seder, and another friend of mine (Tim A., a conservative for what it's worth) responded "Kinda odd seeing as we just gave Israel the diplomatic finger last week." Another guy responded some kind of statement basically about how it was all contrived, everything out of the WH (from any administration) was calculated or whatever, but I skipped over it and responded to Tim "Well, diplomatic relations between us and Israel the state, and our cultural support for American Jews are two different things--even many Jews do not necessarily support Israel's policies. (And in the '50s-'60s the disparity was even more noticeable--Southern Jews as a group explicitly did NOT support Israel, they saw such support as undermining American patriotism.) Often I, a WASP, am far more pro-Israel than some of my Jewish friends! But I do think this is cool, if you're going to have an Easter Egg roll and a White House Xmas tree, why not a seder?"
Third Guy responds "Clara, this may be true and would still be entirely beside the point. What is handed to the press involves a *perception* game. Even the most simplistic of associations (Jewish-American & Israeli) are valid when playing in the public eye. And remember, he's making a statement to the Israelis just as loudly. He is trying to diffuse ANY knee jerk reaction of appearing to be anti-jewish administration."
Bitch Switch--ON. Do NOT talk down to me like that. God, I get so pissed off, with a white-hot passion, as that kind of condescension. You are not here to teach me, and you and every other computer-and car-salesman had better get that through your head. I wrote back coldly "Please don't tell me what is beside the point. You interpreted the article as a strategic PR-aimed release from the administration; I was responding to the apparent contradiction, as voiced by Tim, that a White House-hosted seder should coincide with our perhaps temporary cooling of diplomatic relations with Israel. I didn't address your take on it at all. I have no opinion on whether or not the release was cynically motivated and in fact do not concede your assertion that that is THE point."
I find the angrier I get online in political discussions (and this wasn't even that! Jeez, I wasn't responding to him, this was an historical highlight about Jews in America!), the colder and more Spockianly articulate I become. I think it's the WASP in me.
Third Guy responds "Clara, this may be true and would still be entirely beside the point. What is handed to the press involves a *perception* game. Even the most simplistic of associations (Jewish-American & Israeli) are valid when playing in the public eye. And remember, he's making a statement to the Israelis just as loudly. He is trying to diffuse ANY knee jerk reaction of appearing to be anti-jewish administration."
Bitch Switch--ON. Do NOT talk down to me like that. God, I get so pissed off, with a white-hot passion, as that kind of condescension. You are not here to teach me, and you and every other computer-and car-salesman had better get that through your head. I wrote back coldly "Please don't tell me what is beside the point. You interpreted the article as a strategic PR-aimed release from the administration; I was responding to the apparent contradiction, as voiced by Tim, that a White House-hosted seder should coincide with our perhaps temporary cooling of diplomatic relations with Israel. I didn't address your take on it at all. I have no opinion on whether or not the release was cynically motivated and in fact do not concede your assertion that that is THE point."
I find the angrier I get online in political discussions (and this wasn't even that! Jeez, I wasn't responding to him, this was an historical highlight about Jews in America!), the colder and more Spockianly articulate I become. I think it's the WASP in me.
