Few can claim a free trip to New York, so I recongise my good fortune. I see that the claim of ‘free’, entails a few naff days with an extended family and I am willing to do this, mainly because my siblings are sweet and mandatory babysitting isn’t really a hardship. In comparison to other requirements of this trip, it is virtually a delight.
As I said – free – is a broad term, and in this case free comes with strings attached; the burden of sitting and listening to absolute crap spouted by people who should know better. I’ve always defended America, it’s a generalization to call a whole populace ignorant and I’m not going to do that, but what I will say is this, while in the USA I’ve encounter ignorance in the most unusual places. (Most people attack the Deep South – I am however disgruntled with the stupidity I met here, in New York City, supposedly one of the freest most democratically inclined and educated places in the world.)
Part of this free holiday included making nice with my dad’s friends. This time it involved a fancy meal on the Upper East Side, which should in principle have been an enjoyable experience. Okay I knew going in there, that the people we where meeting were of an older generation to me – but that’s fine, I wasn’t looking for a clubbing experience. Perhaps mistakenly I had a few expectations of good conservation, say. Expectations that well educated (if only in Missouri State university), well off, friends of my father’s, wouldn’t be pig ignorant or try and shove their opinions down my throat. Boy was I disappointed. Because, you know, the Israeli-Palestine situation is really the best topic of conservation for the first time you meet someone.
Now I can see that a Republican New York Jew could very possibly be a conservative and a Zionist, what however I did expect was at least, an attempt at a balanced argument, but this was not the case. After all this man, lets call him Jamie, should have the wisdom since he has the education and money, to see both sides of the argument. But no, Jamie can only see one side – his side – he’ll ignore Israel’s targeting of children on school buses (in the Gaza conflict in 2008), their attack on the aid ship to Gaza where they killed 19 people and instead he’ll choose to bang on about the Balfour Agreement (1917). Which in my own ignorance I knew little about – Jamie grabbed a hold of this slip in my knowledge and I got a lecture on the promised land which had been gifted to the Jewish people by the English (one would think that an American would have a problem with the English and their control over colonies, but apparently not)… so I listened unconvinced. When I got home, I doubled checked his statement and the Balfour Agreement shows that actually the Palestine area and its people were not consulted and nor were they too happy about the influx of thousands of people (understandably enough – again surely an issue a right-winger could sympathise with, given how little they like immigrants). Jamie’s conclusion that the war that followed the installment of Israel was a huge shock, which demonstrates a lack of hindsight that is amazing. But I listened, trying I think, to be polite (which according to my step-mother was not entirely convincing). Occasionally I would raise an opposing viewpoint, but in truth, it was a little hard to get a word in edge ways. Or just out of boredom in the continuous right-wing drone on why Israel had a perfect right to attack, main and kill (actually none of this was acknowledged) I would interject with a query, which was shot down with the wise words, “You’ve never been to Israel have you?”
No, Jamie I haven’t. I don’t have oodles of money, or the free time or the security team to nip over to a frankly dangerous country that is in the midst of a civil war, but believe me if I did, I’d want to see Gaza, Bethlehem and Israel – I’d want to see all of it, or as much as I possibly could. When I said this (just the latter part, because I was trying to be polite, not that anyone else was), I was told somewhat severely “Well that’s not Israel.” Yes I know its not, it’s a shame that Israel isn’t quite so aware of its borders.
After the tedious lecture of stupidity, pro-Zionist, factually inaccurate (I’ve double checked the net) nosense Jamie started in on the French (never a particularly easy topic for the Americans given that they owe their independence from the Brits to the Frogs, but hey what’s factual accuracy between friends…) so yeah Jamie started on about the French, and how it was no longer safe to be a Jew there, because of the increase in Muslims in France. HA. Given that the last famous case relating to France and race/religion (nope not the Jewish bloke who might have raped a Muslim maid in New York, not that) was about the French government banning women wearing burkas. The French seem rather keen on actually attacking the Muslim populace (you’d think a pro-Zionist would be all over that one).
But the true highlight of the dinner came near the end, when the ever so wise Jamie declared that he didn’t believe in Global Warming. Give my father credit here, he finally scoffed. I however could no longer resist, my fraying torn façade of politeness crumbled and I giggled. I did however resist the temptation to ask – ‘do the icebergs just keep melting cos they feel like it?’
It was here that I gave up and embraced the opportunity of making eyes at the waiter, who had previously said I had a sexy voice when I pronounced Italian words (I know this is flirting as I’ve heard myself speak Italian and there is nothing sexy about it).
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