[lbo-talk] Mahathir: Jews rule the world

[kjkhoo at softhome.net]

At 2:06 PM -0400 20/10/03, Doug Henwood wrote:
>kjkhoo at softhome.net wrote:
>
>>Whatever, the reactions of western capitals -- esp in view of the 
>>contemporaneous reports about that US under-secretary's speeches re 
>>the satanic Muslims, and the writings of such as Lewis and Pipes, 
>>etc., not to mention Friedman -- is sanctimonious cant.
>
>Of course. But just because Lewis, Pipes & Boykin & the rest are 
>anti-Muslim bigots doesn't make Mahathir any less a serial 
>anti-Semite.

Of course. Fair enough it's Mahathir's folly, and it's hardly my 
intention to defend the man. But there's the point about how the 
story was covered and what was highlighted. The version you posted 
was one of the 'better' ones. And indeed the point he made about the 
futility of violence was one that needed to be made, as also the 
points about the need for change. Though undoubtedly on the latter, 
too, he partially conforms to the home grown image of him as, in the 
pithy Malay phrase, "cakap tak serupa bikin", i.e. that talk and deed 
are worlds apart.

kjk