The Classical Liberal: Israel Bashing Paleocon?

I used to link TCL fairly often for the weekly Rule 5 entries, as recently as a month or two ago. But while cruising around over there a while back I noticed some positive chatter on Ron Paul's ideological positions. Since then I've just left the dude alone. But now it turns out that he's in my comments disgreeing with my ruminations on Julian Assange (I said "I won't think twice if Julian Assange meets the cold blade of an assassin"). Look, I consider Assange an enemy of the state. If he was an American he could be charged with espionage and perhaps sentenced to death. Marc Thiessen's written on this at length (and more today: "Obama administration is weak in the face of WikiLeaks"). John Hawkins has been out front on this for a while: "The CIA Should Kill Julian Assange." And it's like I said, I wouldn't think twice if Assange met an untimely fate. Perhaps no one in history has leaked more classified information. And not only is he putting American lives at risk, he's abetting terrorism. I don't like him and I want him stopped. So what does TCL have to say? Well ...

You're a good guy, at least I think so. Maybe you want to think twice about the "virtue" of advocating murder. There are things in this world much more important than government.

Hmm. I'm a "bad guy" if I reject illegal violations of U.S. sovereignty, not to mention the larger compromise of American national security interests and the security of our allies? Okay, I guess I'm a bad guy then. Or, I'm bad if you're half-baked Paulbot. Yep. Looking over at TCL's right now it's clear the dude's all in for the Texas Congressman, defending him against claims of anti-Semitism, trutherism, or what have you. See, "Ron Paul Sucks!", and "'Israel’s intransigence could cost American lives'." And that's just for starters. The first one's a snarkly piece where TCL links to some lame Paulbot-worshippers, "Why Ron Paul is wrong on every damn thing!", and "Ron Paul, not a Truther, nor a Birther, but perhaps a Round-Earther." And the second one's a classic Israel-bashing screed:

As we speak, America is facing both a constitutional and financial crisis of epic proportions. So tell me, please, how "conservative" is it, really, to render America's best interests subservient to the desires of the Israeli government, while spending trillions of dollars fighting wars without end, with nothing substantial to show for it?

And that's what really bugs me. "Subservient to the desires of the Isreali government"? I really don't like going there, but this is the same territory as Mearsheimer and Walt. I wrote on that recently: "The London Review of Bigotry." Plus, see View From the Right, "The Paleocon anti-Semitic Complex." And NewsReal has lots of stuff, especially "7 Videos That Prove Ron Paul is a Leftist in Libertarian Clothing." And also Jane Jamison: "Ron Paul: Anti-Semite: Case Closed."

I'm sure TCL means well. But he's way over the anti-Semitic side of town, and I can't hang with that. And that's to say nothing of the America- and Israel-bashers at Faux-Conservative Times.



NO RULE 5 FOR YOU!!