‘Overwhelming Contempt’: Hillary Clinton Panned For Declaring Young Americans Don’t Know Anything About History
Hillary Clinton faced criticism after she slammed student protesters by claiming young people “don’t know very much” about the Middle East.
On Thursday, the former secretary of state joined Morning Joe where she shared her views on the nationwide student protests over U.S. support for Israel amid the war in Gaza. She noted that young people are ignorant of Middle Eastern history but also “many areas of the world, including in our own country.”
“I have had many conversations, as you have had, with a lot of young people over the last many months now,” Clinton said. “They don’t know very much at all about the history of the Middle East, or frankly about history, in many areas of the world, including in our own country.”
Clinton then went on to claim that if Yasser Arafat, the former leader of the Palestinian Authority, had accepted a deal presented by former President Bill Clinton then Palestinians would have an independent state. She added, “It’s one of the great tragedies of history that he was unable to say yes.”
Her comments drew criticism from the left who accused Clinton of having “overwhelming contempt” for “anyone who isn’t her.” Others slammed Clinton for lacking “basic humanity” regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
One user even slammed the DNC for rolling out a “condescending, unlikeable failure to repeat a bunch of ahistorical lies and call young people stupid.”
it’s hard to believe that her political style (obvious, overwhelming contempt for voters, potential voters, or really just anyone who isn’t her) proved unsuccessful in 2016 https://t.co/G3otX6xLha
— derek davison (@dwdavison) May 9, 2024
First of all, you’re wrong. Many young people have a much more accurate view of the Middle East than you do.
Second of all, it doesn’t take a phd in Middle East history to oppose babies being starved and bombed by the thousands. It just takes some basic humanity. Something you… https://t.co/AdGYcxhxnK
— Krystal Ball (@krystalball) May 10, 2024
Democrats unleashing their secret weapon: Let’s roll out our most condescending, unlikeable failure to repeat a bunch of ahistorical lies and call young people stupid https://t.co/WgifknI9lv
— Aamer Rahman (@aamer_rahman) May 9, 2024
the best way to get people to vote for
you is to constantly insult their intelligence and never take them seriously https://t.co/0byGlihsr4— matt (@mattxiv) May 9, 2024
Wow. Her ability to make so many inaccurate and misleading statements in such a short period of time is breathtaking. https://t.co/iCCRCnzxlQ
— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) May 10, 2024
Hi, I have a MA in Middle East Studies and am a professor, and my deep knowledge says Hillary Clinton is a trashcan warmongering liar who hates Palestinians. https://t.co/Soq5e6hGMG
— Randa Jarrar (@randajarrar) May 9, 2024
Meanwhile, Matt Duss of the Center for International Policy noted that Clinton’s claims regarding Arafat have “long been disputed by people with far more knowledge of Middle East history, including some who participated in the 2000 Camp David talks.”
This talking point, which has been used to justify decades of violence and repression against Palestinians, has long been disputed by people with far more knowledge of Middle East history, including some who participated in the 2000 Camp David talks. https://t.co/pXjOwwSAxI
— Matt Duss (@mattduss) May 10, 2024
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