, let's not forget that while Clinton
>himself came from humble beginnings, his cabinet was surpassed in its
>number of millionares only by the current Bush cabinet and most of
>Clinton's closest non-white consorts, other than the people in the photo
>ops, were wealthy African Americans like Vernon Jordan and Ron Brown.
>
>The portrayal of the Saudis in F911 was very problematic indeed.
>___________________________
>
>Liza Featherstone wrote:
>
> I actually think "Saudi" money is OK, just as it's OK to talk about
>U.S. or
>Israeli or British or French money. And we do talk about U.S. money: the US
>money in Israel sustaining the occupation, etc. The reason the term "Jewish
>money" creeps us out -- and it should -- is because "Jews" qua Jews are not
>a nationality or government or any kind of body from whom "money" can
>reasonably said to originate. Jews cannot as a body write a check. Some
>Jews as individuals send money to pro-Israeli groups, others send money to
>anti-war groups, or subscribe to LBO. To talk about "Jewish money"
>substitutes a racist cliche for analysis, as we all agree. Inasmuch as talk
>about "Saudi" money is similarly not always about the government, it risks
>a
>similar racism, but when we make clear we are talking about the Saudi
>elites, who effectively do run the country, I think it is acceptable. I
>think Moore in his film did do that, especially with the shots of Bush
>senior cavorting with the Saudi ruling class. There the message was not,
>look, he's hanging out with these weird scary Arabs, but rather, look how
>comfortable he is with other rich people, regardless of apparent cultural
>barriers. Unlike Clinton, Bush I was not a guy was often shown relaxing and
>kicking back with people very different from himself, so the image is
>striking, making you think, oh, maybe they are not so different: perhaps
>globally, the ruling class is his "base" rather than the American people
>who
>voted for him.
>
>Liza
>
>
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