tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458341.post1312053651464531892..comments2024-01-06T10:36:04.084-05:00Comments on A Commonplace Blog: Chabon’s illusionsD. G. Myershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659136455045567825noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458341.post-1274052240660356722010-06-09T22:33:26.350-04:002010-06-09T22:33:26.350-04:00I am not a very religious Jew, but I know enough a...I am not a very religious Jew, but I know enough about Judaism to know that we are "chosen" not because we are somehow inherently "special" but because we committed to following the Decalogue and God's laws. Would that ignoramuses such as Chabon consider what they don't know before they put fingers to keyboard and embarrass themselves again.steven Marksnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458341.post-60959175229160224432010-06-08T12:37:42.639-04:002010-06-08T12:37:42.639-04:00You are right, of course, because you agree with m...You are right, of course, because you agree with me, but more seriously because the evidence is there to prove it. It's worth noting, though, that embedded in Chabon's argument is its counter. The heightened moral nature and obligations of the Jewish people, nationalized as Israel, are most commonly invoked these days by "as a Jew" critics and fake regretful "friends" like Andrew Sullivan. This is their excuse for giving the Palestinians - even Hamas - a pass, while training their ethical sights on Israel.<br /><br />However, Chabon closes<br /><br /><i>Let us not, henceforward, judge Israel or seek to have it judged for its intelligence, for its prowess, for its righteousness or for its moral authority, by any standard other than the pathetic, debased and rickety one that we apply, so inconsistently and self-servingly, to ourselves and to everybody else. And let us not forgive ourselves — any more than we forgive Israel, or than Israel can forgive itself — for that terrible inconsistency.</i><br /><br />The critic of Israel who is not openly anti-Zionist who assents to this argument has relinquished the basis for his own discriminatory judgment.A. Jay Adlerhttp://sadredearth.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458341.post-17269445269616183242010-06-07T20:02:41.567-04:002010-06-07T20:02:41.567-04:00I think such finger pointing as Chabon's is al...I think such finger pointing as Chabon's is almost always beside the point, which is the questioning of one's own moral self.<br />To expect more of Israel is, I suppose, a way of asserting that a kind of goodness may still be "politically" possible. "Personally" possible, perhaps. Politically, no. Especially during wartime. Especially when there are so many who seem committed to war. But don't you believe that Chabon's confusions of purpose, not to mention causes and effects, are typical of contemporary discourse? We struggle with finding the values that might function as first principles for our arguments.PMHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01848296275862900483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458341.post-12961578945699312702010-06-07T18:05:57.752-04:002010-06-07T18:05:57.752-04:00I guess I understand why non-Jews might reject the...I guess I understand why non-Jews might reject the "promised land" concept, but I do not understand why Jews (including Chabon) deny the Biblical promise. Is it because Chabon (and others) believes the Biblical promise to be nothing more than whimsical narrative built on cultural myth? Even if someone were to argue that Biblical narrative is largely metaphor, I invite that someone to consider the notion that metaphor (with respect to God) is simply a human attempt to articulate the ineffable, that which is beyond human intellect.<br /><br />By the way, thanks for your response to Chabon; I read his piece earlier today and knew that you would certainly take him to task. Well done!<br /><br />Now, will he respond to you?<br /><br />Perhaps, if he reads this, Chabon can also respond to the "promised land" concept, which makes the existence of Israel something that cannot be questioned as it is simply divine edict; perhaps, though, Chabon denies the divine, which renders him not much of a Jew.R/Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07791522136032565027noreply@blogger.com