Max Blumenthal On The Link Between Closet Cases And The Religious Right

It's a bit of a dry speech, by the usual Blumenthal standards, but well worth watching. "The modern radical right, the most homophobic political movement in American history, has become a sanctuary for repressed gay men."

Teabaggers On Parade

"I want the government out of my Social Security." And of course, the guy who supports English-only has a misspelled sign.

Blumenthal Video: Israelis To Obama - "Save Us From Ourselves"

Attending a protest on anniversary of the Six Day War, this time Max Blumenthal talks to some native Israelis and finds strong support for Barack Obama. You may recall that in his previous clip, Blumenthal interviewed many anti-Obama dual American-Israeli citizens.

(Via JMG reader Osman)

What Obama Is Up Against In Israel: Racist Dual American-Israeli Citizens

On the eve of the president's speech in Cairo last week, filmmaker and writer Max Blumenthal and blogger/Israeli peace activist Joseph Dana took to the cafe-laden streets of Jerusalem to ask young people one simple question: "What do you think of Obama and Israel?" The video they captured is very disturbing. NSFW.

Joseph Dana:

Most of the people that we talked to were dual American Israeli citizens. The answers in this video reflect the education and worrisome perspectives that many American Jews harbor towards Israeli politics. The sense of entitlement that the American Jewish community has when it comes to Israeli policy is on full raw display in the words of these young adults. Based on our interviews these people were from high socio economic backgrounds and had developed thoughts about current Israeli politics. The question is why more journalists are not covering this story. All you have to do is walk the streets of Jerusalem and you will find dozens of people that harbor the same beliefs. As a resident of Jerusalem, I can say that the people represented in this video are not members of a fringe group or simply drunk college kids. These people reflect the sentiments shared by many people in this country and this city. These people and their families are the core of the opposition to meaningful peace between Israel and her neighbors. This is what Obama is up against.

(Via JMG reader Sheepy)

Value Voters: Lock Up Queers, Death To Blasphemers

Huffington Post's Max Blumenthal reports from last week's Value Voters Summit where he lets the cameras roll as the Christianists elabocrazy on quarantining sodomites and other Jeebus-filled topics. Watch the video all the way through, if you've got the stomach for it. From his post:

Recently, there has been a lot of mainstream media noise about a new, more socially conscious evangelical movement rising from the angry ashes of the Christian right. Pastors like Rick Warren and "evangelical feminist" Bill Hybels are supposedly bringing issues like the environment and poverty to the forefront of the movement's social agenda, while pushing anti-abortion and anti-gay activism to the wayside. Yet no one told those evangelicals gathered at the Value Voters Summit about this friendly new initiative.

If anything, the movement seemed more extreme and paranoid than it did four years ago. Rev. Lou Sheldon, dubbed "Lucky Louie" by his former paymaster Jack Abramoff, told me that homosexuality is a "pathological disorder" and "a groove" that is difficult to escape from. He proceeded to passionately defend his friend, Senator Larry Craig, from allegations of homosexuality.

The "friendly new initiative" that Blumenthal refers to is discussed at great length in David Kirkpatrick's excellent New York Times Magazine article from this weekend, The Evangelical Crackup. Also highly recommended.