Holocaust Declaration

Uber-Neocon Charles Kruthhammer has asked the US ensure there is not another Holocaust by promising the treat any attack on Israel as an attack on the US. This statement would be called the "Holocaust Declaration."

It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear attack upon Israel by Iran, or originating in Iran, as an attack by Iran on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon Iran.

This should be followed with a simple explanation: "As a beacon of tolerance and as leader of the free world, the United States will not permit a second Holocaust to be perpetrated upon the Jewish people."

This piece is revealing on so many levels.

First, the continued reliance on the Holocaust as a justification and motivation for taking such actions is troublesome.

The narrow focus on the Holocaust reveals a distorted, and self-absorbed, view of the world that leads to poor decision making such as attacking Iraq and issuing declarations such as the "Holocaust Declaration."

The Holocaust was just one of a long history of horrible incidents that occurred in world history. Two were committed by this country - slavery and the virtual extermination of the American Indians.

There is a long list of others from the Irish famine to the Russian revolution. Additionally, the creation of Israel is probably considered such an event by the Palestinians.

Second, Israel is an expansionist sectarian state that has a poor Human rights record. It can't be treated as other nations as it is constantly engaged in provoative activities and backing from the US will only give them additional license to do so.

Israel has nuclear weapons including second strike capability (despite Kruthhammer's statements to the contrary). See this. Israel should be on notice that they will be responsible for their initial round of defense so they should take care not to provoke with their actions. They need to live in the dangerous world an act accordingly just like every other country on the face of the earth.

Finally, America needs to pull back on its world wide commitments to police the world. Our current empire is bankrupting us, due largely to the previous advice taken from people like Kruthhammer. Making new commitments on this level that take their justification solely from the Holocaust and solely directed at a particular people seems wrong headed, to say the least.