“Prime Minister Netanyahu is a great friend of our country, and this invitation carries with it our unwavering commitment to the security and well-being of his people,” John Boehner. His people? What about ours? What about America’s interests and not Israel’s? Americans need to realize in the 21st century that Israel and America will not always share the same interests.
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| Bibi and his Boner. |
America under George Bush invaded a sovereign country under false pretenses. The cost to America was thousands of soldiers' lives. The chaos the invasion created is being felt now as parts of Iraq are controlled by ISIS. When will America realize that invading countries for so-called ideological reasons borders on criminal? And yet, Netanyahu would like nothing better than for the U.S. to start a war with Iraq. Then he would get what he wants, and Americans not Israelis would lose their lives.
Diplomacy has and will continue to be the most productive means for America to safeguard its own interests in the international community. It is the White House and not the House of Representatives that is responsible for conducting our foreign policy. President Obama was elected by the American people and entrusted with doing what the executive branch does--setting out a foreign policy. President Obama received 65,915,796 votes to secure this position. John Boehner represents the 8th Congressional District of Ohio and received 126, 539 votes. To gain this seat he spent $17.1 million to $5000 spent by his Democratic challenger. Since John Boehner will never win an election outside of his minuscule Ohioan precinct, however, he will never be entrusted with the authority to shape U.S. foreign policy. Because of his inability to accept his inconsequential position in the federal government, his only recourse has been and will be to try to derail the work of others. Thus, the invitation to Netanyahu.
“How dare a foreign leader come into our country and tell us how to shape our foreign policy?” is the question we should be asking ourselves.
Perhaps the answer lies in all the money Israelis and their PACs contribute to U.S. elected officials and all the influence this money gains. Israeli racketeer Sheldon Adelson contributed $92.8 million to get Romney elected in 2012. But there are many more groups. Connie Bruck's New Yorker article (http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/09/01/friends-israel) on the extraordinary influence that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has on American foreign policy is well worth reading.
