i was wooed too...
The Israeli government, which provides funding for trips like birthright israel, knows where its interests lie. It recognizes that Jewish supremacy in Israel is highly dependent on the ideological support of American Jews and the $3 billion sponsorship of the US government. And what better way to buy the loyalty of the younger generation of Jewish Americans than by making them feel that they themselves are Israeli, their souls married to their homeland even if their bodies are divorced from it. (Despite their deeply felt connections, very few trip alumni choose to move to the Promised Land.)
But somehow, unlike most of my peers, i didn't buy in. Emma Pollin breaks it down over at Wiretap.
Ooh, and while you're (almost) there, check out Alana Kumbier's piece at Alternet: Bush's plan to fund the marriage initiative and abstinence-only education programs with welfare dollars is his administration's idea of the perfect wedding.
originally posted by elihu
Comments
I was an anti-contra latinamericaphile peacenik in the 80's who could somehow never check my doubts at the door and cross the line into full-fledged Sandinismo. Although I desperately wanted to go to Nicaragua and see some things for myself, my fear of putting myself into the position of propaganda tourist and potential brainwashee kept me from scraping together a few bucks and doing so.
It's astonishing to me that one can still hear the most preposterous reports from people who've been to Cuba and swallowed everything they were told without batting an eye.
I wonder how the Israeli and Cuban propaganda-by-tourism programs do and don't resemble one another?
[Oh, and in case anyone is confused, a disclaimer which should be unnecessary: if there's anyone in the world as deluded as a loyal Fidelista it's a "free"-market utopian Bautista-Reagan-Bush gusano. A pox on both their houses. Pobrecito Cuba!]
Posted by: Prentiss Riddle | July 20, 2002 6:50 PM