Netanyahu, In Political Bind, Comes Bearing Gift

How does Ha'aretz know this was the excerpt Netanyahu wanted Obama to see?

I think it was this one:

"A desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds… a silent mournful expanse…. a desolation…. we never saw a human being on the whole route…. hardly a tree or shrub anywhere. Even the olive tree and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country"

Now I'm really upset. I've got caught up myself in Obamamania...

Dewde- Darker side to US policy...I think of Obama, oil, and the energy grid.

A funny excerpt from another Twain work, "Tom Sawyer Abroad", discussing Jerusalem:

“What do we want of it?”

“Why, can’t you understand? It’s in the hands of paynim, and it’s our duty to take it away from them.”

“How did we come to let them git hold of it?”

“We didn’t come to let them git hold of it. They always had it.”

“Why, Tom, then it must belong to them, don’t it?”

“Why, of course it does. Who said it didn’t?”

I studied over it, but couldn’t seem to git at the right of it, no way. I says:

“It’s too many for me, Tom Sawyer. If I had a farm and it was mine, and another person wanted it, would it be right for him to – ”

I guess it is still appropriate to use Twain's work to make fun of the American press of today.

I wonder if 'Bibi' understands that the book is a work of satire, a send-up of American Holy Land travel books that was meant to shed more light upon American attitudes than anything else.

"..an irreverent send-up of smug sanctimoniousness..."

Twain is not giving a real picture of Palestine here, he is making fun of American tourists.

60% of Americans could not find Israel on a map.
Posted by: tjp612 | May 18, 2009 12:42:16 PM

I think that the essence of the problem is the fact that 100% of Israelis cannot find Palestine on a map.

I couldn't even find Israel on the 2003 roadmap..

What language do you think Mark Twain wrote in? LOL
*****************************************************
EdDoc80, What language can you read in? In some historical accounts, the Ottomans (Turkish/Muslim occupiers) are credited with maintaining Jerusalem well. It's an incendiary excerpt from Twain, so quite naturally, it raises questions.

"Obama will have to really get in gear to match "W's" formidable faux pas machine"

Even with his (extensive) use of the telemprompter, I still like Obama's chances. Remember, during extemporaneous speaking Obama has to filter much of what he says between what he really believes and what he should say, which inevitably leads to gaffes or unintended messages (e.g., "when you spread the wealth around it's good for everybody" moment with Joe the Plumber).

Book exchanges are nice, but the President declared at AIPAC "we will never allow Iran to have nuclear weapons?"
And just how is the President going to guarantee that claim, as Iran begins to cross the red lines established by the Israeli govt, amassing enough enriched uranium to make a bomb, and more to come?

'he'll give Bush a run for his money'.... tjp612

Obama will have to really get in gear to match
"W's" formidable faux pas machine, and history of entertaining malapropisms

Give "The O" some time....he'll give Bush a run for his money....

"I'm not that worried over momentary word lapses by Obama or anyone else, as long a their track record seems to be one of some kind of competence."

...and thus my concern...

on faux pas, seem I remember Bush saying something about the 'Grecians'

old 'W' has a funny long list of 'hits':

"I promise you I will listen to what has been said here, even though I wasn't here." —at the President's Economic Forum in Waco, Texas, Aug. 13, 2002

"I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the news themselves." —Washington, D.C., Sept. 21, 2003

"The war on terror involves Saddam Hussein because of the nature of Saddam Hussein, the history of Saddam Hussein, and his willingness to terrorize himself." —Grand Rapids, Mich., Jan. 29, 2003

"I couldn't imagine somebody like Osama bin Laden understanding the joy of Hanukkah." —at a White House menorah lighting ceremony, Washington, D.C., Dec. 10, 2001

"I'm also not very analytical. You know I don't spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things." —aboard Air Force One, June 4, 2003

"After all, a week ago, there were—Yasser Arafat was boarded up in his building in Ramallah, a building full of, evidently, German peace protestors and all kinds of people. They're now out. He's now free to show leadership, to lead the world."—Washington, D.C., May 2, 2002 (Thanks to M. Bateman.)

I just went on google maps.. I know it's in the middle east, somewhere within short range missle range of Iran.. ok, I give up.

tjp612:

I'm not that worried over momentary word lapses by Obama or anyone else, as long a their track record seems to be one of some kind of competence.

Not understanding the difference between Shia & Sunni would seem like a more egregious error, as was sometimes demonstrated by previous government officials.

I disagree with your comment that Obama apologizes for the US.....while doing an amazing amount of great things for a long time, there is also a darker more sordid side to US policy, no harm in admitting we are not gods and we make mistakes.

I wonder if he asked Bibi how to say "Thank you" in Israeli...

Dewde,
"it's worse than that"

I was being very, very generous in my assessment...and it's not getting any better...afterall, our own President has claimed he has visited "57 states" and apparently thinks "Austrian" is a language. While he chastises Americans for not being not being able to say anything other than "merci beaucoup" when visiting France, he refers to "Cinco de Mayo" as "Cinco de Cuatro" ("five of four").

But, "he won" so he is free to chastise/criticize us at home and apologize for us during speeches abroad.

60% of Americans could not find Israel on a map.
Posted by: tjp612

you are correct Sir,
it's worse than that, my brother after teaching for over 30 years in Tenn. told me that 'students' had trouble naming the 50 United States. Some had difficulty finding their own state of Tenn on a map....

There is a side show/circus that bears little resemblance to an open minded discussion on events in America........ people are much more concerned with being 'on the right side' than having their own opinion and a pronounced fear of those who think or act differently....