“The Touro Covenant must survive the attack on the USS Liberty” Sidney O. Smith III

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Sidney O. Smith III has sent us this essay on the principle of religious liberty in the United States.  pl

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19 Responses to “The Touro Covenant must survive the attack on the USS Liberty” Sidney O. Smith III

  1. J says:

    Israel intentionally attacked the USS LIBERTY, which in and of itself was/is an act of war against the United States of America by the State of Israel.
    Israel is an enemy to our U.S., by it’s own Israeli hand!

  2. Bruce Stryd says:

    Mr. Smith,
    I have recently become aware and interested in the USS Liberty event. I am reading the Scott book right now. To me, it is very clear the attack was intentional. And here’s were your point is made evident to me — I have emotional content behind my conclusion that the attack reveals an ongoing arrogance in the Israeli leadership and esp. Zionist American Jews. I feel they consider themselves superior and above any human agreement or standard morals. Before learning more about this event, I would have been much less likely to have these perspectives. Your point is taken. But until both the US and Israel is willing to have the truth be known, addresses and recompensed, I have little motivation to work at a new attitude. Thanks for the article.

  3. Charles I says:

    Wow. School is in today. From the founding Fathers to the high seas to the pointed question.
    Sidney, gentlemen like you and Pat have a depth of historical, political, religious and philosophical context situate in a first class mind that is a rare delight. Thank you for this remarkable, provocative and empowering essay.

  4. Ron says:

    The survivors of the crew have loved this great nation so much that they put their lives on the line June 8, 1967 and everyday afterward just to tell this great nation what really happened and keep our country secure. Little did we know they wouldn’t accept our truth. Had I known I wonder if I would have given up even my own family to make yours safe. That is exactly what this all amounts to, and now we are looked upon like some kind of monster. In reality we are the last of the real red blooded Anericans. Look closly because you will see no more like us.

  5. Cloned Poster says:

    amen to the souls that are forgotten

  6. euclidcreek says:

    Justice delayed is justice denied. Thank you to the men of the USS Liberty.

  7. steve says:

    Thanks for the excellent essay.
    I disagree however on the possible ramifications of continued official suppression of the Liberty massacre with, as you state, the potential eruption of systemic anti-Semitism.
    This incident occured over 40 years ago, and to most Americans, that time period would constitute ancient history to be placed in the mental archives, considered as having no dynamic for the present.
    Particularly nowadays with the official lies and propaganda concerning, among other things, our Iraq War, Americans have lost their sense of awe at the machinations of government. If the false lead up to that war hasn’t caused much to change, nothing will.
    And so, unfortunately the nation’s consciousness “moves on”.

  8. Very interesting essay, Mr. Smith. You are absolutely right in your main contention that the conspiracy of silence with respect to the USS Liberty incident and cover-up tends toward dissolution of the bond between Jews and the general population of the USA. Only the truth will set all of us free, heal the wound and maintain unity.
    I only object to the word “covenant” which has a specific meaning with respect to Jews; namely, their unique relationship with the Almighty, who made successive covenants with them.
    Also, I’d add that the Jews of Touro Synagogue, which is in Newport, Rhode Island (the perfect setting for Middle East peace negotiations), were Sephardic Jews, who are descended by blood from Abraham; whereas the likes of Jacobtinsky, Netanyahu, Sharon, Shamir, Begin and Peres are descended from a Turkic people known as Khazars who converted to Judaism in the Middle Ages before migrating westward into eastern Europe, where they became known as the Ashkenazi Jews. This real distinction helps us understand certain prophecies about the Middle East, which I have endeavored to explain in my essay Ersatz Israel: On those who call themselves Jews but are not, at http://www.show-the-house.com/id55.html.
    It is good to communicate with those who care about the Liberty survivors and understand the implications of the attack and cover-up and therefore hunger for justice. The longer we wait, the closer we get to the Day of Judgment.

  9. zanzibar says:

    Sidney
    Thanks for the excellent and thought provoking note. And thanks for keeping the memory of what happened to the crew of the USS Liberty alive. Even as it was a dastardly attack by an “ally”, the deliberate act to prevent an accounting by our own government is even more dastardly. The cowardice of our politicians and military brass makes it even more shameful. I suppose the coup is now complete and our politicians are now subjects of the court of AIPAC/Ziocons.
    The Touro covenant was established in the same context as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. So it makes sense. I am afraid however that context no longer exists in contemporary America. Our people no longer know what it means to be sovereign. Our liberties have been eroded and state power is supreme. The machinery of government is greased with corruption and cronyism. Even with the biggest financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression – the fraud continues and becomes more brazen. Those responsible acquire even more power and wealth.
    In the words of Jefferson – “Every generation needs a new revolution”. What will our generation do?

  10. Sidney O. Smith III says:

    Charles I et al.
    Thanks you very much for the comments. I spent some time on this one, and I greatly appreciate Col. Lang posting the essay.
    Steve
    You make an excellent point, imo. The weight of time — 40 years and counting — makes the Liberty cause sink on its own now. I haven’t seen much pushback against Scott’s book, so I am inclined to believe that those who want to bury the injustice forever know that the less said, at least right now, the better (in their view). But, in the big picture, I don’t think such an approach is going to help this country.
    My hope, of course, is that some Jewish Americans, perhaps those of the John Gunther Dean tradition, but others as well, will review the evidence, conclude that probable cause exists for a Congressional investigation, and then take up the cause of the Liberty vets in the name of the “Touro Covenant”. And, in my opinion, if such were to happen, it then becomes incumbent upon Gentiles (meaning any non-Jew) to appreciate and recognize such efforts made on behalf of the USA and in the name of justice for all.
    Sid

  11. Sidney O. Smith III says:

    Ken Halliwell has brought to my attention — and rightly so — that the evidence indicates that the machine gun fire from the MTB’s raked primarily, if not solely, the starboard side of the Liberty. Additionally, only the IDF claim five torpedoes were launched; in other words, it could have been six.
    I don’t know where Ken Halliwell falls on the Myers Briggs test, but I think he is the guy you want examining evidence from a crime scene. Before reading Ken Halliwell’s work, I was leaning towards Cristol’s defense of the IDF. But Ken Halliwell impeaches Cristol, at least in my view, certainly enough to reach the level of probable cause for a Congressional investigation. But decide for yourself.
    Zanizibar
    Thank you for the comment. You know, I voted for Obama and my only regret, at least so far, is that he did not name you Secretary of Treasury and/or chief financial adviser.
    S. St. John
    I probably should have stressed in greater detail that I meant a secular, not religious, covenant. By Touro Covenant, I basically mean a special relationship between Jew and Gentile arose in the US and, all in all, it has been a good ride for everyone.
    And the other special relationship of late appears to be placing more and more pressure on the Touro Covenant. All anyone has to do is read the blogs, even at WaPO. And if that good American, Rabbi Teitelbaum, is correct, a destructive cycle is in place that does not bode well.
    Again, my hope is that Jewish Americans from the John Gunther Dean and other traditions will review the evidence on the Liberty incident, contemplate what is at stake, and then take a stand, one way or the other. But then again, an American Gentile, George Schultz, sold out Dean even when the Israelis tried to kill Dean, so I can understand the reluctance. A true American hero, he is — Dean of the Touro Covenant, perhaps, and of course, falsely accused.
    So I remain of the probably old school belief that if the Liberty vets are ever going to see justice, it will be due in part to some courageous Jewish Americans jumping on board, as Judaic values include the idea of justice for all. But it sure would help if Senator Webb busted a move, one way or the other, and therefore, unlike George Schultz, helped lead the way. You know, like the title of Webb’s latest book, A Time to Fight. Not sure the USS Liberty is mentioned in the book but one can still hope.
    Sid

  12. Once again from Amendment I to the Constitution–“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, . . .
    Okay what does this mean? To me it is designed not to create a secular United States but to help protect the government from religion. My view is that religion threatens government and governance and belief in faith over reason was discussed from Aristotle to St. Thomas Acquinas. The WEST chose reason. Others have chosen faith. Time will decide this contest perhaps but it is something that will last until the last human breath is taken on the face of the earth. Why? I do not have the answer but I do know that reason has driven the WEST ascension to prominence not religion. What I do find interesting is that the three desert religions are so militant in their affairs and involvement with the others from time to time. Perhaps there is final wisdom in the Bible, Quran, and Talmud but those books seem to drive what could ultimately prove the irrelevance of the WEST to the entirety of human history. Time will tell! What it will not tell is what really was behind the Israeli attack on the Liberty. That secret if it exists is not in the US just the facts of what happened. Congress has enough problem looking forward honestly much less looking back! Any hopes for “truth” to be a product of a Congressional investigation are slim to none.

  13. fanto says:

    Mr Smith, your essay is very deep and I will keep it in my archive. I hope against hope that justice even if delayed will not be denied and that “reason” will win and not faith in any religion; the ascent of the WEST – as Mr. Cummings says – is based on adherence to Truth, and Truth originates in reason, (and maybe in the sense of honor of the warrior – knights…)
    The Liberty story will no doubt become more known because of this blog.
    Great appreciation to you Sir and to other contributors.

  14. zanzibar says:

    Sidney
    In terms of financial management, I believe, anyone with common sense would do better than the kool-aid drinking serial bubble blowers that run the show. What is confounding is how the economic cognoscenti can keep a straight face as they propound that the solution to excess debt is even more debt. But what do I know – even the Chinese are on the bubble blowing bandwagon. Their bank lending has exploded since last November. Chinese banks have reportedly lent RMB 7 trillion (>$1 trillion) in the first half of this year compared to under RMB 5 trillion for all of last year!

  15. J says:

    Every time that Americans dare to criticize Israel’s government for their murder of USS LIBERTY crew-members, or question Israel’s actions against the Palestinians, or criticize the Israeli government’s actions in any way, those who dare to criticize are ‘labeled’ as — ‘anti-Semitic’.
    Here’s a eye-opener, a former Israeli Minister Shulamit Aloni explains the Israeli government’s tactic against its critics:
    YouTube – Former Israeli Minister Shulamit Aloni: “It’s a Trick, We Always Use It.” (calling people “anti-Semitic” for U.S. criticisms, and bring up the ‘holocaust’ for European criticisms)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUGVPBO9_cA

  16. Sidney O. Smith III says:

    Fanto
    Thank you very much for reading the essay. I took that one about as far as I could go, at this point. In fact, I hit a wall, maybe an iron wall, but I dunno’.
    Here is what I find a disturbing trend — one that apparently doesn’t bother in the least the NY left, such as Phil Weiss, and for reasons I don’t yet know.
    But anytime a person looks at a potential miscarriage of justice and determines that probable cause exists for an investigation (in this case a Congressional investigation consistent with the VFW resolution), then certain assumptions start to arise, either consciously or unconsciously.
    In the Liberty case and generally speaking, the more that people believe that an egregious injustice took place with a cover-up, the more people will believe that those who oppose remedying the injustice are acting out of a sense of ethnic identity at the expense of American justice and the American people (including I add, Liberty vet survivor “Rocky” Sturman, who is Jewish).
    So what will happen when a majority of people believe beyond a reasonable doubt that the Liberty incident involved multiple murders and a cover-up? How will they start to view those that keep saying “Case closed”? Such a development seems to echo the very destructive cycle that Rabbi Teitelbaum warned us about, decades ago.
    As a result, to prevent the shattering of the Touro Covenant or whatever anyone wants to call it, it is imperative that justice for the Liberty vets goes hand in hand with people becoming more conscious of the unique American experience given to us by the Touro letters. That is why I believe that the Jewish American community should start speaking up about the USS Liberty incident, one way or the other. It would help stop, or at least slow down, the destructive cycle predicted by the Satmar Rabbis.
    For some reason, the NY left refuses to acknowledge the wisdom that may very well arise out of the Satmar worldview, particularly in regard to Jabotinsky’s Zionism (I still believe Buber’s Zionism would have worked but perhaps I am naïve). Regardless, Weiss and company perhaps are imbued with a sense of post-modern Freudianism that refuses to acknowledge such a tradition. If so, then I don’t think Freud provides the complete answer, despite his brilliance. Freud can take you so far on a royal road but then it all disintegrates, at least from what I can tell, but to each his or her own.
    That said, Weiss probably deserves a Pulitzer, when all is said and done.
    Zanzibar
    One reason I wish you were President Obama’s chief financial advisor is that you write and explain economic developments and trends as few can. You really are gifted, so much so that even I can understand economic issues about which you describe. And you write in such a way that I say to myself, “Wow, even I understand this concept and he is ‘spot on’, as they say.”
    WRC
    Thank you very much. Once again, you seem spot on.

  17. optimax says:

    This off subject–this piece in the local paper about veterans of atomic testing in the North Pacific during the 50s and 60s shows how our government can treat its veterans, and citizens, poorly, criminally so in fact:
    “Since the tests were declassified 13 years ago, veterans of the experiments began to come forward, wondering if cancers and other defects trace back to the explosions.
    “I could not talk to my doctor about it until 1996,” says Frank Farmer, 73, of Lebanon. Now the Oregon state area commander of the National Association of Atomic Veterans, Farmer says that over the years, he has heard frequent complaints of the military’s reluctance to acknowledge lingering health effects in servicemen like them.
    For atomic veterans to get extra benefits related to their disabilities, and for their spouses to get payments after they die, they must first find a doctor familiar with the symptoms of problems caused by the tests.
    But since the men weren’t allowed to tell their doctors about the tests for years, their doctors often had no idea that their problems may have been caused by the tests.”
    http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/atomic_veterans_gather_to_reme.html
    Col., I will be getting a copy of your paper from the VMI archivist soon. Looking forward to reading it.

  18. fanto says:

    Mr. Smith, coming off subject also, but you mention “brilliance” of Freud, here I would like to mention that he took over (if not plagiarized) many of Schopenhauer’s ideas – to the point that any reference to Schopenhauer was removed from the Freud’s museum in Vienna, if my memory serves me correctly (there was an article in Der Spiegel about it many years ago)

  19. Sidney O. Smith III says:

    Fanto
    re: Freud, denial, and the USS Liberty.
    Fascinating info. I stand corrected, and gladly so.
    And with that correction in mind…maybe those of the Joseph Campbell/Carl Jung school will take up the USS Liberty cause. Jung’s book Man and his Symbols seems apropos because if ever there was a powerful symbol — it’s the USS Liberty. And surely the GOI and AIPAC also are keenly aware of the symbolic power of the USS Liberty.
    Imo, the loaded symbolism of the Liberty incident makes it imperative that courageous Jewish Americans, such as Phil Weiss and company, look at the evidence and speak up soon, one way or the other, for reasons already offered, namely to preserve the experience given to us by the Touro letters.
    At one level, no group of Jewish Americans have shown more courage than Weiss and company (Horowitz, Rosen, Blumenthal et al). They deserve a Pulitzer and history in all likelihood will remember their work much longer than that of Jeffery Goldberg. And American Gentiles should spread the word about their work, done in the spirit of E Pluribus Unum.
    But, alas, something I have just realized: for reasons still unknown, many of the post modern left appear to have a difficult time respecting the greatness of such figures as John Gunter Dean — a Jewish American patriot who comes from the American heartland. And none of them appear to have taken a stand on the USS Liberty incident nor — and here is the Freudian point — recognized some of the analytical assumptions that come out of the Satmar worldview — many of which appear , increasingly, to have extraordinary accurateness.
    So, simply speculating: maybe some of those of the post modern left tend to view psychology as a religion instead of trying to understand the psychology of religion. Big difference — perhaps one that sums up the difference between Jung and Freud, although I must admit I have little interest in and not much understanding of either.
    But just as Freud strived mightily to take out the biblical Moses, some (certainly not all) on the left appear imbued with a similar Freudian impulse and appear reluctant to see the wisdom of those who have played what ostensibly comes across as the historical role of a wise spiritual counselor, such as a rabbi.
    From what I can tell, early Zionism, like Weiss’ tradition, arises out of an extreme left view. And when you pull back the mask of early Zionism, its leaders seem to have desired to take out the rabbis’ role and replace it with a State apparatus.
    Such is the case with the left’s relationship with Rabbi J. Teitelbaum. But it’s the info that matters and Rabbi Teitelbaum deserves a bit more credit went it comes to identifying the enormously destructive cycle perhaps inherent in Jacobtinsky’s Zionism. The NY left is only now seeing the same trends that Teitelbaum and other Satmar rabbis recognized decades ago, yet there is not much of a respectful hat tip from the left pointing out the credit where credit is due.
    And, imo, in the big picture — meaning preserving the Touro Covenant — they need to do so, if they would only think through the symbolism and what is at stake here.
    And after all, simply making such an observation doesn’t mean a person has to become a Satmar rabbi. It doesn’t mean a NY lefty has to change his lifestyle. I mean, like millions of others, I have an overwhelming admiration for some of the Amish but I don’t see myself riding horse carriages in PA anytime soon. Same with the Western equivalent of Buddhist monks — the Trappists. Merton deserves a close read and a hat tip too.
    And isn’t that the message of Jung?
    In that spirit, perhaps the Satmar Rabbis have the wherewithal to think through the Liberty incident. Perhaps the Satmar rabbis will evaluate the evidence objectively on the USS Liberty and take a public stand. Such a stand, potentially would do much to preserve the Touro Covenant (and, surely, such a Satmar statement would be a welcomed addition to Jim Ennes’ website).
    And all of this said, and to be fair, if memory serves me correctly, some guy named Jack Ross, who contributes at Mondoweiss, is writing a book about anti-Zionism in the orthodox community, so I am painting with a broad stroke.
    Hey, here’s hoping that Jack Ross will think through the Liberty incident a bit more than Weiss and see what is at stake, evaluate the evidence and then take a stand on the USS Liberty, one way or the other. From what little I know, it wouldn’t surprise me if Jack Ross respects the work of John Gunther Dean and even Moses Jacob Ezekiel — the artist and the Biblical figures too.

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