Discussion for article #247658
Good on them for this.
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“This is not a matter of Trump making controversial statements,” Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and director of the Anti-Defamation League, told TPM in a Monday interview. “This is a matter of saying things that profoundly conflict with core American values of pluralism and tolerance.”
Isn’t Drumpf "saying things that profoundly conflict with core American values of pluralism and tolerance” considered “making controversial statements”?
Moreover, if it’s not “a matter of Trump” why are his donations being singled out to be “redirected”?
Just call it what it is, Greenblatt — The ADL want to distance itself as far away as possible from Drumpf’s hate speech — and skip the doublespeak.
The ADL are as responsible as any other right wing organisation for setting the mindset of right wingers that laid the groundwork for the rise of Trump. Among many other things, they’ve elevated any criticism of Israel’s behavior and policy toward Palestinians as antisemitism. Attacked critics of Israel viciously, engaged in insanely over the top smear campaigns against academics and activists and journalists. They’re as culpable as any other right wing organisation. What they’re doing now, is what they always do: some strategic PR. But I bet they’d be happier with Trump in the White House than they are Obama, because Trump is happy to think of Palestinians - and Arab Israelis, for that matter - as sub-human. Obama’s refusal to think like this - to actually see Palestinians as human beings with just as much right to self determination as Israelis do - is why he’s so hated by Israel and their defenders.
Statements can be controversial in many ways. Here he is specifically referring to controversial statements that “profoundly conflict with core american values of pluralism and tolerance” and not to politically controversial statements,
High school basketball games in Iowa and Indiana were interrupted in recent weeks by students chanting Trump’s name and shouting “build a wall” at opposing teams from more diverse schools.
When people chant your name while engaging in vile, racist acts, most people would be mortified. But not Trump, he’s probably orgasmic about it all.