Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
Conor Friedersdorf, I don't know what your problem is with Andy McCarthy. But you've got better things to do with your time on a day like this than to denounce his "sophistry" about the Muslim Brotherhood. This is a particularly time-wasting paragraph:
The Daily Dish understands all too well that it's more complicated than McCarthy leads us to believe because we've been struggling through this stuff in an effort to inform as best we can. The only thing of which I'm certain is that I can direct you to people with higher quality arguments as you muddle through.
Conor, you've directed your readers to me. And I have consistently said just what Andy McCarthy says about the Muslim Brotherhood. (Here's my higher-quality argument, Dish readers: Andy's right.)
You've also directed them to Eli Lake. At minute 4:53, Eli makes precisely, but precisely, the point you're denouncing as simplistic, namely, that Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood.
You've also directed them to Leslie Gelb and Jeffrey Goldberg. In other words, you've actually directed your readers to no one who would disagree with Andy, other than Daniel Levy, who's a nut.
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May '10
Re: Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
And here's a big LIKE for this post!
May '10
Re: Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
Claire, perhaps you underestimate the importance of disagreeing with National Review often enough to remind the world that Sullivan and company are more nuanced and sophisticated.
For years McCarthy has been one of my primary sources for info on Middle Eastern terror; he's not Bernard Lewis, but he explains more lucidly than nearly everyone I've read the relationships between various jihadist allies and front groups.
Does it matter that Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood have particular local concerns that color their actions, or that their leaders don't meet weekly to exchange itineraries over coffee? Not if they have the same guiding principles, the same ultimate goals, and a clear history of cooperating to achieve them.
Jul '10
Re: Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
Aw, go easy on Conor. It's hard to tell one bearded, wild-eyed, howling, Israel-hating fanatic from another.
Jul '10
Re: Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
It's all so confusing. Iran, meaning Persian Shiites, fund Hamas but the Muslim Brotherhood, which is to say Arab Sunnis, run the show? That's what Wikipedia says, so it can't be right. Sunnis and Shiites are a big schism. Arabs and Persians hate each other. New media is never right.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, Islam stands as one against the Great Satan. They will cheerfully kill each other once Uncle Sam is stuffed and mounted over the mantle.
I am disappointed that Conor has made the journalism of the denunciation of conservatives his mission, and hope that he will start to focus that passion on stories that need to be told. Like that the Muslim Brotherhood is not an order of fun-loving, wine-making friars, or whatever point it was Bruce Riedel was trying to make.
Oct '10
Re: Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
When your claim to fame in the conservative movement is to disparage and attack other conservatives (re: David Frum), you become a shallow opportunist that picks fights in order to get attention by the left wing media. Sad.
Conor has been attacking Mark Levin for years. I guess Don Quixote got tired of battling that particular windmill and is going after National Review and Andy McCarthy now.
Sep '10
Re: Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
I think Conor Friedersdorf has missed it by that much.
Dec '10
Re: Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
Conor's piece seems to take issue with the words and structure of Andy's argument rather than its conclusion. The description "sophistry" seems more apt to Conor's criticism.
He also reminds me of a joke:
A man spends his first night in prison lying awake, terrified. Then he hears inmates up and down the cell block calling out numbers: "17!" "103!" "44!" Each number is followed by general laughter. The new guy feels more at ease, and falls asleep.
The next morning, he asks his cellmate about the numbers and laughter. The cellmate explains, "We have only one joke book in the prison library, and everyone knows all the jokes. We just call out page numbers instead of telling each joke."
The new guy studies the joke book, picks out his favorites, and memorizes the page numbers. That night, he joins in: "37!" Everyone on the cell block groans.
The guy whispers to his cellmate,"What's wrong? I thought that was a funny joke!"
"Sure it is," the cellmate answers. "But you told it wrong!"
Oct '10
Re: Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
Claire.. Outside of the unnerving and important events of the day.
Would pose something... The first of which being, the "terrorist" attacks on American home soil have seemed to come to an end for the time being. On the face of it is a puzzlement considering the detemination of enemies of the West.
Secondly, does anyone recall the speech made by the goon in charge from Tehran stating the West can be subjugated without firing a shot ?
Accomplished through simple immigration and increasing numbers of the followers of Islam...
Blunt question.. Any response ?
Dec '10
Re: Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
Point of information: they seem not to have succeeded recently, but we've seen plenty of attempted attacks on our home soil, from New York City to Portland and points in between. Our enemies seem to be as determined as ever, and constantly seeking weaknesses they can exploit.
Dec '10
Re: Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
Connor's arguments are so incredibly lame that they're truly not worth responding to - if not for the fact that they were published by the Atlantic.
In any event, I applaud you for pointing out that Daniel Levy is a nut. I would have said "astronaut", but "nut" is good enough.
Oct '10
Re: Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
Stuart Creque
Point of information: they seem not to have succeeded recently, but we've seen plenty of attempted attacks on our home soil, from New York City to Portland and points in between. Our enemies seem to be as determined as ever, and constantly seeking weaknesses they can exploit. · Feb 2 at 2:55pm
In reply.. Consider the inept quality to the recent attacks... If quality means a job done right...
The point being, something here is amiss..
There are far too many targets of opportunity here...
Would you speak to the excellence of our intelligence services for this ??
Sep '10
Re: Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
Hummus, Hamas, its all so confusing for conservatives who only went to a state college.
Dec '10
Re: Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
wilber forge
In reply.. Consider the inept quality to the recent attacks... If quality means a job done right...
The point being, something here is amiss..
There are far too many targets of opportunity here...
Would you speak to the excellence of our intelligence services for this ?? · Feb 2 at 5:11pm
I am sure our intelligence and counter-terrorism services are doing the best they can. However, it seems they weren't the reason that the attacks on the Christmas Day flight to Detroit or on Times Square failed. Those terrorists reached their targets, and only our good luck and their bad chemistry prevented horrific losses. Our luck simply can't hold forever: we know that the bad guys can get the chemistry right more often than not, because we see the carnage they cause in other parts of the world on a near-daily basis.
Re: Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
Let it be noted that there's no worse place to find oneself in this cold world than on the business end of a rapier sharp Claire Berlinski post. Let it also be noted that there's nothing more enjoyable than reading said post.
Oct '10
Re: Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
Claire ain't just whistling "Dixie"!
Sep '10
Re: Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
The last time I saw an eviceration like this, Yaphet Kotto swallowed the air pellet in Live and Let Die.
Re: Yes, Hamas is the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood
My response will appear at The Dish in the next day or so.