As a general rule I tend to show a bit of charity to people who are very old. They tend to speak their mind with less control and as age starts to overtake you one is very much susceptible to gaffes and embarrassment.
These days however It has become so chic to hate and condemn Israel (not to mention the brownie points you earn from the upset us and we behead you crowd) that people say things aloud that 20-30 years ago would have been impossible to have said in polite company.
And so we come to Helen Thomas.
In my opinion one of several things is going on:
1. She has reached the point in life that she will say something she thinks without pausing to think of the consequences for herself.
2. She has reached the point in life that she will say aloud what she thinks and doesn’t care what the consequences are.
3. She has reached the point in life where she is canny enough to know that the press will not call her out for things said so she doesn’t care what she says.
#4. Age has nothing to do with it, She thinks the worm as turned to the point where she can say the most extreme thing she actually believes without any worry.
5. She is senile and talking nonsense.
Thomas has never been a fan of Israel so we can safely assume that her antipathy is genuine. Her writings on this and other subjects is not materially different from many younger people who think the same so we must assume that #5 is not the case. If you look at the statement there seems no level of confusion so #1 is out. Thomas has been not only challenging Israel for decades but her position is consistent with many other people where she came from so #2 is out. That also suggest #3 is wrong however the person with her is clearly nervous.
My guess is #4 but she is aware of #3 and is quite willing to use that advantage to put her fellow journalists in a position where they feel they must be silent.
With the rise of open hatred and violence against Jews worldwide her time has come.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. For years the west has pushed the canard about saving the Jews as part of the reason for the war and why it was just. In my opinion the nations never gave a damn if the Jews were wiped out altogether. It was the average soldier who saw the evil that was done and was repulsed and outraged by what they found. It was their repulsion of an armed free people that caused things to happen and forced nations to acknowledge and memorialize this evil.
As their generation dies away the outrage that spurned it dies with them and the world is able to celebrate that oldest of hatreds and evils that has always kept them warm at night.
I'll wear the Fr O'Malley Badge proudly
Abdul: What is your name?
Father O’Malley: William O’Malley.
Abdul: I did not call you.
Father O’Malley: You called for all the Jews. I’m Jewish, just like Jesus Christ. You take one, you gotta take us all.
I choose to stand with Israel, because they are right! Not perfect, but right, how can I do anything else and live with myself?
Update: That was fast. I still think she was thinking #4 but switched on a dime to #1. I guess that is still a bridge too far..
Update 2: How much must it tear up Thomas to make that apology when Palin is hitting her on the statement.
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