So, Jimmy Carter.

[Preechr]

CARTER: I don't know why not. You never hear anything about what is happening to the Palestinians by the Israelis. As a matter of fact, it's one of the worst cases of oppression that I know of now in the world

To say it's the WORST? I disagree, though maybe he doesn't know of any other cases of oppression... I think there are a helluva a lot of Israelis that would agree Palestinians actually have been oppressed by Israel, and there's an argument to made as to whether doing so at times was warranted and even abusive. Was it as bad as their oppression by Egypt or Jordan? Probably not... I would say that Israeli oppression and occupation, when combined with the freedoms offered by living in and around the state of Israel, was instrumental in the evolution of Palestinian nationalism.

And I think what's happening in the West Bank and in the occupied territories is completely contrary to the basic principles of the Israeli religion and completely contrary to the basic principles of Israel as a nation when it was founded.

Again, he's partially correct. In the religious sense, it's my understanding that the Chosen were commanded to remain in diaspora, which pretty much rules out the establishment of a Jewish State. This is an open debate, however, and Carter looks like a fool (again) for throwing that into his rhetoric. Politically, Zionism has three requirements, and it seems Israel will only ever be able to achieve two of them at any given point: A Jewish state that encompasses all of Israel and that is based in freedom. It's clear Israel's current intention is to give up on allowing further settlements in favor of a smaller and freer Jewish state, so again, Carter is just a fool.

CARTER: I would guess so, Larry. It's almost inconceivable for any members of the House and Senate to take any position that would be critical of Israel.

That's one reason I wrote my book, is just to precipitate some controversy, to use your word, or provocation, that is to provoke debate on the issue and to let the people of America know that there are two sides to many issues in the Middle East, and that in order ever to have peace for Israel, Israel will have to comply with international law.

Here I can almost entirely agree with him, and I don't think I'm the least bit anti-semitic and I know I support Israel fully. Where I disagree completely is in what he didn't say but he obviously believes: The Jews control America.

I think the harder pill to swallow is much closer to the truth: Americans for the most part truly do not care enough to sort fact from fiction, preferring instead to simply pick one side or the other for essentially the same reasons they root for their favorite baseball team or apple pie baker. We are just an incredibly self-centered and reading averse people. We like our conflicts black and white. Good guys and bad guys. Cowboys and Indians, baby.

Neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians are evil, and neither are either morally pure as the driven snow. The thing is, they both know this, and Carter isn't adding a damn thing to the discussion.

Of course, he has a long history of pointlessness. He is the quintessential progressive, and he is as rabidly useless as the movement he represents.