June 7, 2010

Helen Thomas retires over Palestine comments

I've watched The Video several times, and I don't hear any anti-Semitism in Helen Thomas' comments. She was offering her opinion that Jewish people should "get the hell out of Palestine," and return to, among other places, the United States -- and "everywhere."

Stopping an endless cycle of bloodshed and reprisal by suggesting one of the combatants think about relocating (to perfectly nice, developed economies) is not racism. Racism is something like driving by an Asian American and yelling Go Back To CHIna!

Rather, Thomas made the mistake of thinking that a culture's attachment to the land can be defined-out of a complex and highly charged struggle.

In that sense, Helen Thomas is just as naive as libertarians who seem to think prejudice and racism can be assumed out of existence, so civil rights laws (and Affirmative Action) are unnecessary. Interesting theory, but: No.