Netanyahu to address Congress - thoughts?

[Maisie]

I was wondering what your opinions are about Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu being invited to address Congress. Its clear that Netanyahu is concerned about Iran having nuclear weapons. And President Obama has been snubbed by this invitation. What is likely to be achieved by this visit?

 

[AGBF]

I was wondering what your opinions are about Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu being invited to address Congress. Its clear that Netanyahu is concerned about Iran having nuclear weapons. And President Obama has been snubbed by this invitation. What is likely to be achieved by this visit?

Obviously John Boehner went outside of the usual channels to do something not normally done. This is not the normal protocol. (By a longshot.) He has made a fool of himself. But I don't see who it can harm except him and the Republicans. (And, of course, Netanyahu...who may now lose the Israeli elections. But that's his choice.) The man is an idiot. Boehner, that is.

Deb

 

[Maisie]

I'm really curious to hear what Netanyahu says. I am assuming its about Iran. What could he achieve by speaking to Congress? It seems to me that the negotiations are being put back again and again. I can see that Israel is fearful that Iran is trying to make a nuclear bomb.

 

[Karl_K]

I think its a distraction from the real problems and in comparison is a non-issue.

 

[movie zombie]

Boehner got played............

 

[Dancing Fire]

I was wondering what your opinions are about Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu being invited to address Congress. Its clear that Netanyahu is concerned about Iran having nuclear weapons. And President Obama has been snubbed by this invitation. What is likely to be achieved by this visit?

Obviously John Boehner went outside of the usual channels to do something not normally done. This is not the normal protocol. (By a longshot.) He has made a fool of himself. But I don't see who it can harm except him and the Republicans. (And, of course, Netanyahu...who may now lose the Israeli elections. But that's his choice.) The man is an idiot. Boehner, that is.

Deb

Deb
According to you all Republicans are idiots...

 

[AGBF]

According to you all Republicans are idiots...

Ah...but I am not the only one saying that Boehner is an idiot. Although it is true that some people prefer to say that he is meddling with the full knowledge that he is breaching protocol...which would make him someone attempting deliberately to overthrow our system of checks and balances rather than an idiot. I guess it would make him a subversive.

AGBF

 

[Dancing Fire]

According to you all Republicans are idiots...

Ah...but I am not the only one saying that Boehner is an idiot. Although it is true that some people prefer to say that he is meddling with the full knowledge that he is breaching protocol...which would make him someone attempting deliberately to overthrow our system of checks and balances rather than an idiot. I guess it would make him a subversive.

AGBF

I'd agree that Boehner is an idiot...

 

[Maisie]

I think its a distraction from the real problems and in comparison is a non-issue.

A distraction on the part of Congress?

 

[Maisie]

Boehner got played............

By Netanyahu?

 

[movie zombie]

yes.

and the far right let's go to war types.

apparently, this situation hasn't happened since the early 1900's and I forget who was involved but it was considered a bad political move all around........

most Americans....even the US Jewish community....think this is a mistake.

to have this guy running for re-election in his own country doing this would seem to imply that the US Congress backs him.....
and having him come to lecture our President is just a jab in the eye. disrespectful all around.

Boehner is in a box of his own making.....on this and some other issues as well.

 

[Dancing Fire]

yes.

and the far right let's go to war types.

And then there is Prez Obama...Who is ISIS???...

 

[AGBF]

yes.

and the far right let's go to war types.

And then there is Prez Obama...Who is ISIS???...

This is a really good article about ISIS (also called ISIL).

Link...http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2015/02/what-isis-really-wants/384980/

The acronym stands for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). That is the group that has been beheading its captors, most recently 21 Coptic Christians in Libya, and burning them alive (as it did the Jordanian pilot whom they burned alive soaked in gasoline in a cage, all of which they proudly videotaped).

I am afraid I don't have a laugh in me about ISIS/ISIL. To me they represent all that goes wrong when religion takes over government, when there isn't a separation between Church and State; when there is not religious freedom. You may find that too bland a statement in the face of the heinous deeds perpetrated by ISIS, but I happen to be teaching a citizenship class to people who want to become US citizens. (It is now a very hard test.) The last lesson I prepared-lesson two from the website-was on ow this country was founded by the Pilgrims and why. Although the citizenship test does not ask about the term "Separation of Church and State" (it asks about "religious freedom") we discussed the origin of the term. (It comes from a letter by Thomas Jefferson.)

The correct answer to the question "What is freedom of religion?" on the citizenship test is:

"You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion."

Pretty smart on the part of the Founding Fathers. They learned from their experiences in Europe!

AGBF

 

[AGBF]

I just looked back to see how ISIS was first mentioned in this thread and I don't see where it was. Did you just insert it for no particular reason, Dancing Fire? I am not sure whether it had anything to do with the Netanyahu thread!

Deb/AGBF

 

[Dancing Fire]

I just looked back to see how ISIS was first mentioned in this thread and I don't see where it was. Did you just insert it for no particular reason, Dancing Fire? I am not sure whether it had anything to do with the Netanyahu thread!

Deb/AGBF

Lets hope Prez Obama listen to what Netanyahu have to say about the dangerous situation in the middle east, b/c it seem like our Prez does not feel that ISIS is a threat to our country.

 

[AGBF]

I just looked back to see how ISIS was first mentioned in this thread and I don't see where it was. Did you just insert it for no particular reason, Dancing Fire? I am not sure whether it had anything to do with the Netanyahu thread!

Lets hope Prez Obama listen to what Netanyahu have to say about the dangerous situation in the middle east, b/c it seem like our Prez does not feel that ISIS is a threat to our country.

Good point.

 

[Karl_K]

I think its a distraction from the real problems and in comparison is a non-issue.

A distraction on the part of Congress?

yep this time.
Both parties do it and both the white house and congress do it no matter who the president is.
Heck even other countries do it and sometimes corporations too.
Raise a bunch of noise with one hand while doing something bad with the other.

When something like this flares up in the news that is really meaningless in the long term I look around to see that is just barely being mentioned that they wanted to cover up.
This time to be honest I just don't care enough to even bother looking.

 

[movie zombie]

I think its a distraction from the real problems and in comparison is a non-issue.

A distraction on the part of Congress?

yep this time.
Both parties do it and both the white house and congress do it no matter who the president is.
Heck even other countries do it and sometimes corporations too.
Raise a bunch of noise with one hand while doing something bad with the other.

When something like this flares up in the news that is really meaningless in the long term I look around to see that is just barely being mentioned that they wanted to cover up.
This time to be honest I just don't care enough to even bother looking.

yep.....but it is sad, imo, that we've become so jaded..........

eta: however, I was listening to a radio program some weeks ago and apparently the last time this happened was like 100 years ago and created such a stir then that no Congress has done it since.....until now, of course.

 

[Maisie]

I'm really interested to hear what Netanyahu has to say. I feel that he wants to reach out to the man on the street so to speak. I can see why there is such anxiety over Iran getting Nuclear weapons. The US seems to be set on making this deal with Iran maybe Netanyahu thinks he can get the public behind his cause and hopefully bring a different arrangement with Iran?

 

[movie zombie]

re reaching out to the "man on the street": there were better ways to do this, Maise....imo.
he could have written a letter to the NYT and/or Washington Post.........
he could have traveled in the US and given speeches.
but he didn't.
he's running for re-election and he's coming here to bolster his ratings.
bad Bad BAD mistake.
yes, he was "invited" but he could have declined and done as I suggested above.

 

[Maisie]

If he thinks he will bolster his ratings that may have backfired. http://dailycaller.com/2015/01/27/obamas-top-election-aide-now-working-to-defeat-netanyahu/

 

[movie zombie]

yes, backfired with the US Jewish community as well: http://www.france24.com/en/20150226-us-jews-brace-netanyahu-congress-speech-bibi-rabbis/

 

[Maisie]

I can see that US Jews have an opinion. Especially if they are using their money to support Israel. I feel that in a way it's ok to have these opinions when you are thousands of miles away from the Middle East. Iran regularly threatens to wipe Israel off the map. They make no secret about their hatred of the fact that the Jews were settled there. I believe that Iran wouldn't hesitate to use a nuclear bomb on Israel. If I were Netanyahu I would try anything I could to stop this happening. I wonder if he feels this is his last chance to do something before the elections in Israel. Maybe he thinks his time is short and he could be out of a job soon.

 

[movie zombie]

imo, Iran would not use the nuclear bomb as it would be nuked in retaliation.
only one nation has used such destruction, the US, and it was used twice.
the purpose of having such weaponry by other nations is self-defense and a thread to be held over our heads.....which means that one nation cannot and will not be able to control each and every country in the world.

 

[Maisie]

Sorry its taken me so long to reply. I've been sick in bed

I believe Israel has something called the Samson Option. Meaning they will only use nuclear weapons if they are fired upon. I hope other countries are as sensible.

I watched the address Netanyahu made to Congress. Is the clapping and standing up all the time standard for Congress? They seemed to like a lot of what he was saying.

 

[Karl_K]

Sorry its taken me so long to reply. I've been sick in bed

I believe Israel has something called the Samson Option. Meaning they will only use nuclear weapons if they are fired upon. I hope other countries are as sensible.

I watched the address Netanyahu made to Congress. Is the clapping and standing up all the time standard for Congress? They seemed to like a lot of what he was saying.

I do feel Israel will not use them if left alone but I don't feel that way about Iran.

Yes that is normal for addresses to congress and many other speeches in the US, political and not.
Its kinda a tradition.