11 January 2009

Naomi Klein in "The Beauty and the Beast"

I am sorry that I cannot be 100% serious about Naomi Klein, with all due respect to her genealogy (coming as she does from a long line of pacifist Jooish folks), to her education (or, rather, the lack of it - it is difficult to reconcile what she says about herself on her site with the dry language of Wiki), to her books and other achievements that witness her popularity, if not her penetrating wisdom.

I am not going to argue the pointed remarks and speeches she makes re punishment of them Zionists, because David Hirsh has made mincemeat of her position with ease and elegance fitting a (real) scholar. So I would like to dedicate this post to the style rather than substance. Style is all important sometimes, you just have to agree.

David Hirsh (or Engage editor) has chosen to improve the visual side of his article by this double picture:

Thus, of course, reviving the imagery of "The Beauty and The Beast" (no offense intended, people, really - I mean it, but who can miss this angle?)

Now, to understand who is the Beauty and who is the Beast here, I want to offer some supporting evidence. Namely, Ms Klein's latest and freshest on Israel:

After you've read the above, close your eyes and listen, just listen to the words in the headline. Do you hear the familiar shrill notes that Jews heard so many times in their history? Do you detect the histrionics? The passion to punish? Don't you feel some words missing in that headline and clamoring to be added - to continue the list of punishments?

Don't you feel the Beast?

P.S. I forgot to mention that Naomi Klein's picture is the left one.

Cross-posted on Yourish.com.

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