Does the Times' Roger Cohen Make Any Sense at All?

After reading his recent op-ed, "Jews in a Whisper," we wonder out loud, Does the Times' Roger Cohen Make Any Sense at All? And we conclude, no, he does not.

Roger opines that British Jews whisper the word "Jew" in their polite conversations. Or so he imagines. Talk about seeking after a hidden mannerism! Harumph.


But what makes no sense is how he somehow thinks this imaginary trait relates to the need for Jews to be "vociferous" (oh, there is a Britishism) in another way. To wit, Cohen says, "The lesson is clear: Jews, with their history, cannot become the systematic oppressors of another people. They must be vociferous in their insistence that continued colonization of Palestinians in the West Bank will increase Israel’s isolation and ultimately its vulnerability."

In rhetoric lessons we learned that when you say something like, "the lesson is clear" that signals a weak argument which you are trying to cover over. Here it announces that nonsense follows.

Roger. If you are reading our blog, just FYI, we don't whisper "Jew" here on our blog or in any restaurant or in any other venue. So your basic facts are wrong, your personal anecdotage is counterbalanced.

And oh yes, just one more thing, the Israelis, and by your act of association, we American Jews are not now, nor have we ever been, "systematic oppressors of another people." That's just name calling and you are not whispering it. You are writing in the New York Times. Cut it out. Roger you are not making any sense at all to us.