Why is it when the world’s thugs, tyrants, madmen, and dictators open their yaps and attack the United States, they sound like someone who’s hacked the Democratic National Committee mainframe and downloaded Howard Dean’s next speech?
The reasons might surprise you. First and foremost, liberal talking points about America are a perfect fit for the victimology used by these galoots to assure their own people that being poor, oppressed, ignorant, and a slave to superstition is not really their own damn fault but rather their plight is due to the evil machinations of Bush, the CIA, and the Zionist Neo-conservative monsters who control America. This is standard boilerplate for the dictators of the world who can claim legitimacy in this regard thanks to a compliant and agreeable media here in this country.
And that’s the second reason the world’s troublemakers use Democratic party talking points when skewering America; they know that their critique will get wide distribution in this, the most media saturated nation on earth. The fact is, they are counting on their allies on the western left to absorb their critique and then regurgitate it into harmless sounding bromides which reflect the essence of their diatribes while making the criticisms more palatable by dressing them up in the language of victimhood and brotherhood.
In short, the world’s bad guys have figured out that the best way to affect American policy and politics is to parrot the rot that emanates from the left on a daily basis.
The liberals deny this, of course, In fact, they get downright apoplectic if you even mention it. But the evidence is there for anyone with half a brain to see. From Osama Bin Laden’s cutsie references to Fahrenheit 911 in his pre-election message, to this latest screamer from Iranian President Ahmadinejad, whose letter to the President could almost have been written (sans the kooky religious overtones) by Noam Chomsky or Ward Churchill, the tyrants of the world seem to have picked up on the fact that they have natural allies in the west who oppose the United States for exactly the same reasons they do.
For example, before even knowing the contents of the letter, Kevin Drum instructed us in what it really meant:
But I guess the interesting question is whether the Bush administration wants to talk with Iran. We know they didn’t want to three years ago, and we also know that the recently proposed talks about Iraq haven’t gotten anywhere, but maybe it’s different this time. After all, they aren’t quite on top of the world the way they thought they were in 2003, and there is a midterm election coming up. It’s just barely possible that if Bush thinks talks could make some kind of progress in the next few months that it might help his chances in November.But probably not. The Bushies are far more likely to view the Iranian offer as either a trick or a sign of weakness, and the smart money says the Iranians get turned down. Besides, there’s a slim chance the talks might succeed, and what happens to our plans to bomb them back into the stone age then?
Is it coincidence or proof of my thesis that a government mouthpiece at Tehran University echoed Mr. Drum’s comments:
“It would be a big mistake if the United States dismissed it or if they only consider it as a philosophical, religious, historical letter,” Nasser Hadian, a political science professor at Tehran University, said by telephone. “It would be a good idea if President Bush responds to it. It can open up some space.”
Respond to what? This?
“Those with insight can already hear the sounds of the shattering and fall of the ideology and thoughts of the liberal democratic systems,” Mr. Ahmadinejad wrote.
If that sounds familiar, Hitler said something similar:
Hitler: “Thus democracy will in practice lead to the destruction of a people’s true values. And this also serves to explain how it is that people with a great past from the time when they surrender themselves to the unlimited, democratic rule of the masses slowly lose their former position.”
Far be it from me to compare Hitler with the left (although reading his rants against the Soviet Union is an interesting exercise in rhetorical comparisons when you substitute “Republican” for “Communist”), but there are some truly remarkable similarities between the language used in Ahmadinejad’s insufferably arrogant lecture and criticisms of Bush and the US government that you can read any day of the week on Daily Kos:
“Sept. 11 was not a simple operation,” he wrote. “Could it be planned and executed without coordination with intelligences and security services, or with extensive infiltration? Of course, this is just an educated guess. Why have the various aspects of the attacks been kept secret?”[...]
But he asks: “Why have the various aspects of the attacks been kept secret? Why are we not told who botched their responsibilities? And, why aren’t those responsible and the guilty parties identified and put on trial?”
Like any smart 9/11 conspiracy loon, Ahmadinejad couches his accusations in the form of a question, thus inoculating himself against charges of being a nutcase while at the same time, raising a straw man that is impossible to knock down. And anyone familiar with the 2004 Presidential campaign recognizes the rhetoric as coming from the same people (Representative Cynthia McKinney) that the “whole story” of 9/11 is being deliberately withheld from the American people.
Meanwhile, the media is playing their role perfectly. The Associated Press is enthusiastic that this insulting, arrogant, self-serving missive from Ahmadinejad is actually the theocrat’s way of showing he only wants to be our friend – if only the US would stop being so mean to the despots, the mass murderers, and brutes of the world:
In places, he strikes a soft, almost fatherly stance. On its first page, Ahmadinejad strikes a tone of a man who is troubled by a friend’s actions and decides to sit down and give him a little advice.He later casts himself as a humble teacher and man of faith who mingles with students and common people.
Uh…okay dad. Mind if I borrow the car tonight and oh, by the way, do you have an extra $50 for gas?
Not to be outdone, the New York Times informs us that the President’s belief in Christianity should make him a soul brother of the Iranian President:
While the letter laid out a litany of policy disputes with the United States, it was also personal, urging President Bush, who is candid about his religious conviction, to examine his actions in the light of Christian values. As he has done in the past, the Iranian struck a prophetic tone, which is certain to be well received by his core supporters and mocked by his opponents.
Of course, this is the talking point of talking points for the left; that Bush is a hypocrite because his professed belief in Christianity is at odds with his warlike actions. The fact that the President’s loyalty to the United States should conflict with his belief in “turning the other cheek” or any other Christan platitude is a sure sign that Bush does not allow his faith to dictate American security interests, which makes him directly the opposite of the religious fanatic who currently runs Iran.
There is very little commentary on the left so far about not only what the letter means but what’s in it. This is hardly surprising. When an American hater like Ahmadinejad starts sounding exactly like the President’s opponents, it pays not to advertise that fact for reasons of electoral survival.
But if I were a lefty, I wouldn’t worry. After all, most of the media has your back on this issue and will be extraordinarily careful in not mentioning the similarities between you and a deadly enemy of the United States.
UPDATE II
Stanley Renshon has a fascinating psycological/political take on Ahmadinejad’s letter – which shouldn’t be surprising because Renshon is a political psychologist.
A sampling:
It’s not only that the letter is framed in large religious and political terms like “needs of humanity,†“rational behavior, logic, ethics, peace, fulfilling obligations, justice, service to the people, progress, property, service to the people, prosperity, progress and respect for human dignity,†and calls on Mr. Bush to “follow the teaching of divine prophets.†Words like peace; justice, progress and prosperity have many meanings of course. However, in Mr. Ahmadinejad’s view they all lead in one direction—that Mr. Bush and the United States have, by their behavior both at home and abroad strayed from the path of virtue as defined by Mr. Ahmadinejad and reaped the just rewards of world hated as a result.
Read the whole thing.
9:27 am
How does it feel at 33%? From the look here, quite desperate. Hasn’t anyone told you that the old Liberal = Terrorist/Enemy strawman is dead with the public. All you’re doing now is spinning for your own pleasure.
9:37 am
What’s to deny? Jesus was a major influence on the liberal movement. Get a clue, moran.
9:38 am
All you folks with half a brain my see the equivalency. But anyone with a whole brain will instantly realize how spurious your comparisons are. So tell me, what happened to the half of your brain that actually reasons?
9:53 am
MSM Says Ahmadinejad Seeking To Bond With Bush
I was trying to ignore the idiotic letter from Iran’s president, but it looks like the story has legs about 18 pages long.
The document gives rare insight into a man who has largely been a mystery to the West, showing him as fixated on a long l…
10:05 am
So what happened to WTC7, smartypants? The only “loons” are people like you, who refuse to face the possibility that the official story is the conspiracy theory.
10:13 am
ACW:
I blame it on aliens. Scientists took a little different view:
http://www.architectureweek.com/cgi-bin/wlk?http://www.house.gov/science/hot/wtc/wtcreport.htm
Chapter 5
10:17 am
AHMADINEJAD AND HIS LIBERAL TALKING POINTS From The Right Wing Nut House
When the United States and the Soviet Union where locked in a nuclear standoff, the survival of the world depended upon rational people starting a nuclear war for fear of self annihilation.
In Iran we have a nutcase with his finder on the red button wh…
10:18 am
Such pleasant trolls, today—no?
10:20 am
nikko;
Happens every time Peter Dauou links here.
10:32 am
More and more the people hear and see the liberal traitors in our mist coupled with the criminal media the more a light dawns on their thinking, not the fools that have posted here to tell you how wrong you are but by the ones that don’t post because they begin to see the error of their ways and, ever so slowly, begin to leave the dark-side.
10:43 am
Jeez, what a whopper: domestic political opposition in a free republic is equal to the terrorist enemy. Right. I like reading your ‘24’ updates but your equivalency on this topic here is putrid.
Dude, you’re better than that.
10:45 am
” The collapse of these structures is particularly significant
in that, prior to these events, no protected steel-frame structure, the most common form of large commercial
construction in the United States, had ever experienced a fire-induced collapse. Thus, these events may
highlight new building vulnerabilities, not previously believed to exist.”
I would think that scientists might have looked into something that surely couldn’t have happened a little more thouroughly than these hacks did. The thousands of independent scientists who have looked at the problem are convinced that building was brought down with explosives.
10:46 am
Barry:
Got it backward. The terrorist enemy is deliberately using arguments created by domestic opposition to both give it legitamacy and because they know that it strikes a responsive chord in many in the western left.
It would be more accurate to compare the terrorist enemy’s tactics to the tactics used by the left. Big difference.
10:50 am
Regarding the WTC-7 collapse, I merely wonder why they never decided to fight the fires.
I have read the report, and it does leave quite a bit open to speculation – including the amounts of fuel oil and diesel recovered. Ongoing studies are said to be necessary, but will they ever happen?
10:51 am
As for your argument about the “enemy” using the left’s arguments, maybe those arguments are well reasoned and stand up to logic and common sense. Shrub’s policies and arguments for said policies are in tatters, yet you keep blathering about the same thing.
11:00 am
Rick,
I don’t know why I’m even giving merit to your sad argument by leaving a reply, but here goes:
You uncontextually compare Ahmadinejad’s statement on Democracy to Hitler’s; and conflating statments made by ill defined (in the scope of your little rant) “opposition” or American “left” with the statements of the Iranian president hoping to present some sort of causal analysis. On top of this, and perhaps ironically you never see that you and the “American right” or “neocons” are employing the very techniques used by the Nazi’s in order to stifle opposition. You embrace what amounts to a corporate media, military industrial quasi-facist state, in which any contrary message from within is equivalent to a direct attack on the nation, and therefore punishable – you have not said how.
In any case, I bowed out after the level of your disingenuity became evident. You are no better than the Malkins, Limbaughs, and Coulters of the world.
11:07 am
You embrace what amounts to a corporate media, military industrial quasi-facist state, in which any contrary message from within is equivalent to a direct attack on the nation, and therefore punishable – you have not said how.
Why must there be punishment? I guess laughing you off this website may be considered a form of “punishment” although your idiocy deserves something more creative – like maybe throwing water balloons at you.
As for the rest, congratulations on throwing up every lefty canard about the right in less than two sentences. That may be some kind of record.
11:11 am
“As for the rest, congratulations on throwing up every lefty canard about the right in less than two sentences. That may be some kind of record.”
Gee, Rick – it is a little hot today. I think a little water balloon fight might be fun.
Maybe the punishment is the complete eradication of all dissent through the dominance of the forums of discourse. Seem to remember Horowitz having a wet dream over something like that before.
But please – let me know how the “lefty canards” are any different from the “neocon canards” that you perpetuate on this very thread.
11:17 am
Wow, what a diatribe of hate you get when all you have done is connect the dots (which are invisible to those wearing rose-colored glasses). Hang in there, Rick. All the “ranters” don’t get one basic law of the universe: Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not their own set of facts.
11:19 am
While I am an actual card carrying liberal, I have to agree here with the premise of the article, the Iranian president is very much indeed trying to use leftist rhetoric to incite not just the American public (and media), but world opinion as well. As a liberal democrat, I disagree with quite a bit of what is going on in this country and administration, however, I will NOT have it be chided by an unabashadly theocratic nut job, who’s own country’s human rights record and international behavior leaves much to be desired for. Bottom line, what is being said here is correct (using the political opposite’s talking points in order to drive a political wedge, thus causing dissaray), but the deliverance of that message is a bit too lefty bashing for my taste. Nature of the blogging beast though, so I can take it (lol)
11:19 am
Typical response to level-headed arguments from most righties—insults and water balloons. Where’s the beef, Rick?
11:27 am
As a liberal democrat, I disagree with quite a bit of what is going on in this country and administration, however, I will NOT have it be chided by an unabashadly theocratic nut job, who’s own country’s human rights record and international behavior leaves much to be desired for.
And I agree. Which is why his letter should be laughed off, as it probably has been.
What troubles and angers me here is the rampant disingenuity and hypocrisy on display when one implicity posits the logical fallacy that because a disreputable or discredited individual agrees with a pre-existing opinion (such as the false premise for the war in Iraq – I haven’t read the whole letter), the opinion is itself “wrong”. That’s just disingenuous.
Attempting to indirectly conflate the “liberal left” with Hitler through by means of conflating Iran’s president with not only the “American left” but Hitler is also disingenuous, and in my mind hypocritical of the “American right” because if anyone is attempting to stifle internal American debate by making such comparisons, it’s the “American right”.
But Rick already knows that.
11:30 am
Wow, what a diatribe of hate you get…
Yet another example. I was taking a sarcastic (far from hateful) tone to mirror what I saw as the predominant tone in the main story. Perhaps I was wrong to do so, but please, please stop with the tired meme that any opposing viewpoints must by extension be hateful in nature.
11:31 am
“You are no better than the Malkins, Limbaughs and Coulters of the world.”
Keep up the good work Rick.
I just can’t get enough of the “right-wing industrial facist complex” chatter.
11:33 am
Actually, my reference to Hitler was non germane and probably should have dropped it. But when I read that part of the letter dealing with the death of democracy it brought to mind what Hitler talked about in Mein Kampf.
My enthusiasm got the better of me there. And I don’t think I was comparing the left to Hitler at all. It was just a sidebar observation to what Ahmadinjad wrote.
And how do you get a desire to stifle internal debate out of what I wrote? Are you saying that criticism is out of bounds? You can rant on to your heart’s content as far as I’m concerned – more power to ya. But “stifle dissent?” C’mon, get real.
11:36 am
Gravatar, I agree, simply because a lunatic parrots my ideals does not necessarily render those ideals wrong. It should also be noted that the Iranian president often said ‘praise be unto him’ after referring to Jesus, does this render christianity moot? I think not (though I am an atheist, and it does not apply to me, I do try and respect others religous beliefs and freedoms). It is specious reasoning to offer up Dems’ think this, Iranian Pres said what Dem’s say, therefor Dem’s must be wrong. But as I said in my last post, the nature of the blog is to express these over the top opinions and rants, whithout an editor standing over the author a great deal of freedom (and irresponsibility as well) are allowed. I actually LIKE that about blogs, and would never want to lose that ‘wild west’ feel of opinion, and political discourse. In the end it makes me enjoy politics more, and stronger in my ideals.
11:42 am
Rick,
I will give you the benefit of the doubt on the Hitler thing. I am so sick of hearing Hitler comparisons, that whenever I do, it triggers an emotional reaction.
Anyway, it’s one thing to correctly state that the Iranian president seems to have latched on to the main gripes that the “American left” has with the way that the GWOT is being carried out, and the necessity of invading Iraq. But when you say things like:
In short, the world’s bad guys have figured out that the best way to affect American policy and politics is to parrot the rot that emanates from the left on a daily basis.
The liberals deny this, of course…
and pepper it with more “liberals hate america” “rot”, you are in effect employing the common right wing tactic to stifle or discredit opposing viewpoints.
Furthermore, as I mentioned earlier – his letter should be laughed off and I don’t think that any such nonsense from the mouth of this loony will be affecting American foreign policy or politics any time soon.
11:45 am
But as I said in my last post, the nature of the blog is to express these over the top opinions and rants, whithout an editor standing over the author a great deal of freedom (and irresponsibility as well) are allowed. I actually LIKE that about blogs, and would never want to lose that ‘wild west’ feel of opinion, and political discourse. In the end it makes me enjoy politics more, and stronger in my ideals
Again, I agree with you. And of course Rick has the right to his own opinion. I also respect him for allowing comments, and actually addressing them. I appreciate the opportunity to point out what I feel to be disingenuous tactics, and have my opinion rebutted.
If I came off as “hateful” then I apologize, but I see that word being tossed around all to casually these days – especially in the face of different opinions – to summarily dismiss them.
12:04 pm
Apoplectic? No.
Just rolling the eyes, and slowly shaking the head.
Your obsession with abandoning sense, common or special, in order to frame everything that happens in the world in a comic book variety left-right dichotomy, of the type that the bombastic entertainers like Limbaugh have perfected, is bizarre and tragic. What a waste of neural energy and bandwith.
12:23 pm
“Stifle dissent”
After twenty five years of personally observing the left/right confrontations this is what I see most of the time.
Go to most college campuses when a conservative speaks and learn how the left feels about free speech. Go to an abortion rally where both sides are represented and see how the left feels about differing opinions. Go to illegal immigrant marches where both sides are represented and see who gets the beat down.
The only dissent that most liberals are comfortable with is their own. We have so demonized anyone who disagrees that Rick is characterized as a right wing loony. Unfortunately for the left many times it takes a comic book example to get the point across.
12:24 pm
Rick, I do have to chime in that though I disagree with you on many things, allowing and responding to comments on your part is pretty classy. Good move.
12:53 pm
After twenty five years of personally observing the left/right confrontations this is what I see most of the time.
Go to most college campuses when a conservative speaks and learn how the left feels about free speech. Go to an abortion rally where both sides are represented and see how the left feels about differing opinions. Go to illegal immigrant marches where both sides are represented and see who gets the beat down.
The only dissent that most liberals are comfortable with is their own. We have so demonized anyone who disagrees that Rick is characterized as a right wing loony. Unfortunately for the left many times it takes a comic book example to get the point across.
Agreed. However, my main problem with the current trend in “stifling dissent” is that I see the conservative tactic of attacking the “biased liberal MSM” for the last 30 years working – and the conservatives STILL continuing to pound home “comic book examples”.
Not to mention the fact that, unlike the “right”, I’m unaware of any organized, concerted effort on the part of the “left” to systematically alter the level on which the public discourse (MSM) takes place. I mean AM Radio, media ownership consolidation through relaxation of FCC regulations, RW think tanks, the centralized dissemination of unified talking points,a network of authors solely dedicated to trashing the “left”, The “K Street Project”, and the continuous crying about the “libera media”.
When I speak of the public discourse, I generally refer to the MSM and blogosphere, and there I see a media at best scared to ask hard questions of the Administration, and at worst directly parroting RW talking points.
12:54 pm
So, Rick Moran has read the letter, because, of course, he can read Persian?
1:07 pm
So, Rick Moran has read the letter, because, of course, he can read Persian?
It was translated to English by the Iranians prior to being sent. I’ve seen a .pdf of the original. It’s pretty stupid, and if anything will galvanize the “left” against Iran even as it parrots and perverts some “lefty” beliefs. I’m troubled by ALL religious lunatics:
Letter
1:40 pm
A copy of the letter was posted on the NYT website, quite the read. It should be dismissed by all as Iranian propoganda, and an insult to the legitemate issues that we on the left raise. I do think that there is (and actually must) be a diplomatic solution to the current situation, but it must be led by either the international community, or the USA, and not be done to Iran’s tune. I also agree with the poster that said it takes real class to allow comments, and engage in debate, this is a great deal of fun and always come away with something when in discourse with opposing viewpoints.
2:02 pm
Funny the author of this blog considers Ahmadinejad sounds like a liberal parrot
.
Let’s see, The man is a religious fanatic, looking for trouble preferibly a war with the west, he is an extremist with an agenda, he wants to destroy Israel, he wants egemony in the Arab world, he of course wants a nuclear bomb…. And he sounds liberal
.
Are you high?.
With the only exception of the destruction of Israel remarks, you give this man a pot belly, a pair of bi-focals and a shot gun and you can start calling him Dick !!.
2:13 pm
“gil”
We’re not high – the left is the “legalize everything” side of the aisle, anyway. Nice projection, though.
He said in the letter that we should be spending our war revenues keeping his anti-Semetic lunatic ass in check on a war on POVERTY instead. Just like Democrats. He wondered if Jesus would be pleased with what George Bush has done. Just like Democrats. He questions repeatedly the “actions we have taken” during the past three years, their positive impact on the world and demands repentance. Just like Democrats. He claims that our war in Iraq is about protecting Israel. Just like Democrats.
Get it?
Maybe Kos didn’t read the letter before he drilled your talking points into your head on his sewer of a blog.
2:20 pm
Busted, the Good LT has got my number. Damn, and I thought I wasn’t so transparent
2:37 pm
So that I might understand the logic here:
First, you notice how much like Hitler the letter writer is.
Then, you notice that he make many criticisms of Bush, based on his actions.
Then, you notice that “liberal” seem to be criticizing Bush, based on his actions.
Therefore: Crazed fundamentalist Iranian=Hitler=Liberal.
My mind reals at this type of “well there in the same room so they must be the same” kind of logic.
And yes I did read the letter. It rambles and makes mistatements and goes on and on about how religion should be the touchstone for political action.
If I were to use the logic employed here, I would rather say that this letter is at least a literary attempt to capture the same talking points that President Bush has been using to justify every move and policy decision that has been made so far.
But to have civilized discourse in a free democracy does not mean that I have to characterize my opponent as the actual enemy. If you want to rip this country apart that is more effective than anything that someone from a far away country could do, with or without weapons of mass destruction.
However, between two anachronistic leaders, who want to wear the mantel of spiritual leaders I say, beware the false prophet. Good men do not need to tell you (a) that they believe in god or (b) that they are good men, because good men are known by their deeds.
2:41 pm
Liberal? Really?
Why didn’t you quote this passage?—-
Liberalism and Western style democracy have not been able to help realize the ideals of humanity. Today these two concepts have failed. Those with insight can already hear the sounds of the shattering and fall of the ideology and thoughts of the Liberal democratic systems.—-
He and Bush think just the same way, you liar!
2:46 pm
Maybe Kos didn’t read the letter before he drilled your talking points into your head on his sewer of a blog.
Nice try, Good LT. I don’t even read Kos (no kidding) because I think he is sometimes as radical left as sites like this one are radical right.
I read the first part of the letter prior to making my first post, then finished it later. It’s pretty stupid, and you’re simply proving my point. In my mind, you’re giving the “right” a bad name.
2:59 pm
I also agree with the poster that said it takes real class to allow comments, and engage in debate, this is a great deal of fun and always come away with something when in discourse with opposing viewpoints.
Uh oh. Was I wrong? As soon as I struck a concilliatory tone, all comments from the “right” ceased, except for the single liberal bashing post by Good LT. Would you conservatives RATHER just call names like we’re on the playground, or did we say something that you actually agree with?
Couldn’t be that you’re all on conference calls or in meetings…
3:08 pm
“US troops terrorizing Iraqi women and children..”
John Kerry
“Army is broke..”
John Murtha
“We can’t win this war….”
Howard Dean
“Bush Lied…” “No blood for oil…”
“BushitlerMcChimpyHaliburtonCheneyRove…”“”
All democrats all the time.
Still don’t see any similarities?
3:16 pm
I also agree with the poster that said it takes real class to allow comments, and engage in debate, this is a great deal of fun and always come away with something when in discourse with opposing viewpoints.
Well, I meant everyone but the Good LT and Nikko of course. lol, from them I just take away insults, and not an intelligent argument for their view of the current state of events.
3:26 pm
“US troops terrorizing Iraqi women and children..â€
John Kerry
“Army is broke..â€
John Murtha
“We can’t win this war….â€
Howard Dean
“Bush Lied…†“No blood for oil…â€
“BushitlerMcChimpyHaliburtonCheneyRove…â€â€œâ€
All democrats all the time.
Still don’t see any similarities?
Nikko, I could sit here and rattle off a list TWICE as long as yours, but I won’t.
Why?
Because then I’d be a hypocrite. But I will say this:
‘ve noticed before that being civil can kill the discussion. Especially with the nutcases. Damn, and I was having fun discussing things on “the real”.
3:29 pm
Nikko, rather than provide recent hateful Republican quotes, here is a “blast from the past” re: Bosnia:
“You can support the troops but not the president.”—Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)
“Well, I just think it’s a bad idea. What’s going to happen is they’re going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years.”—Joe Scarborough (R-FL)
“Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?”—Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/6/99
” President . . . is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation’s armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy.”—Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)
“American foreign policy is now one huge big mystery. Simply put, the administration is trying to lead the world with a feel-good foreign policy.”—Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)
“If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy.”—Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of George W Bush
“I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning . . I didn’t think we had done enough in the diplomatic area.”—Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)
“I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarified rules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our over-extended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan today”—Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)
“Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is.”—Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)
Now do you want to engage in honest debate, or more fear/hate mongering?
3:50 pm
Heres to:
1. Free and readily available late term abortions for all welfare mothers and rich white girls alike!
2. The right for all homosexuals to openly fornicate on street corners, be recognized as married couples, and adopt at will in the hopes of creating more fags – because we all know they weren’t born that way!
3. The forced conversion of the American populace to Islam – sooner than later!
4. Net worth taxes at a rate of 10% annually. Proceeds going to welfare, promoting Allah as our one and only savior, and the degradation of moral values – all seemingly incongruous concepts, yet the goal of our liberal nation.
5. The systematic decommisioning of our military.
6. Handing power over to the illegal immigrants and bowing to the massive influx of dirty Mexicans as proof that the white race is dying.
7. The forced abandonment of self reliance, and the requirement that all people must give up jobs and rely on the government (funded by massive tax hikes) for assistance in survival.
8. The forced admission by all civilians that Communism is the right way to go.
Any more suggestions, guys?
4:00 pm
hmmm, either this is someone else posting as Gravatar, or it’s sarcasm, please let it be sarcasm, I hate those gay babys
4:06 pm
Didn’t Osama Bin Laden have a message a few months back asking for the US to negotiate with him and al Quaeda?
Negotiate with terrorists?
That sounds more like Ronald Regan than the left.
4:07 pm
Good lt.
I am sorry, you lost me what “war revenues” are you talking about?. The last thing we are getting out of Iraq is revenues. In fact the only one getting revenues in this conflict is Halliburton.
“The Democrats question Iraq” . Absolutely. That does not make them soul mates of Ahmadinejad. Let me ramind you that Republicans are questioning the war in Iraq also. In my opinion, it is not that the Democrats sound like the Iranian President, but rather than the Iranian president is sounding like 65% of AMERICANS in questioning this war. That is a more fair statement, and more real also.
“Democrats wander if Jesus would be pleased with what Bush has done”. They do?. Just when I though that Pat Robertson had a monopoly on the Jesus interpretation business.
“Democrats talk about repentance”. No. Democrats talk about ACCOUNTABILITY. If Bush and partners want to repeant they can go to a priest.
Finally. The American Jewish community is one of the strongest supporters of the Democratic party. It is NOT credible that the Democrats would be claiming that the Iraq war was conducted to help the Israelis. The remark is made to imply corruption, and collusion between Jews, and Americans can you name ONE politician or Democratic pundit that has expressed this view?.
In short. Your views,a and the views of the author of this blog are nothing but red hearing, and shamless spin.
4:20 pm
It was me being sarcastic. I was getting bored, as I noticed than when I am civil it seems to kill the tread on the RW blogs.
Oh well.
4:26 pm
Gravatar, I hope your list was satire or sarcasm, because if you really believe that a Democrat in office would ‘force’ you to do any of the things you mention, then——don’t what to tell you.
The only place where behavior is forced is in totalitarian regimes, like Stalin’s, and I don’t see even the most liberal Dem advocating for America to turn into a totalitarian state. Your list of items, including the one about homosexuals coupling on all public street corners, have as much chance of occuring as me growing organic web-shooters and swinging amongst the skyscrapers like Spidey.
4:28 pm
But of course, I’m not Spidey. For a clue to who Barry Allen is, do a Google search. Hint there was a joke about it in Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can.
4:40 pm
The leader of Iran is a fundamentalist. Bush is a fundamentalist. Iran is a theocracy. The religious right in this country wants a theocracy. The Iranian Prime Minister is sure he’s right. Bush is sure he’s right.
From where I sit, Iran looks more like the right than the left.
4:53 pm
I am sorry, you lost me what “war revenues†are you talking about?
He’s talking openly about the oil we’re stealing from Iraq. Except that money isn’t going to our government – per se. Only to the individuals in our gov’t who have stakes in the companies who are taking no bid contracts to pump all that oil out and ship it worldwide. Don’t expect gas prices to go down any time soon, though.
5:07 pm
Others Noticed, Too
I posted yesterday that the Iranian President's letter sounded exactly like he was reading Daily Kos. I wasn't alone in noticing that. Rick Moran over at Rightwing Nuthouse has a really detailed piece on it including the observation t…
6:28 pm
for anyone with half a brain to see
I wouldn’t go throwing around terms like that if I was you Sunny Jim, given the lack of metal horsepower evident in, oh, anywhere the US administration has set foot in the last 6 years.
Or is the USA’s abject failure in Iraq et al the fault of someone else besides republicans?
9:11 pm
So now the President of Iran is a Liberal? You guys are really desperate…
His “liberal talking points” are about as liberal as Lenin’s, Stalin’s, Castro’s, Mussolini’s, Franco’s, Hitler’s, Pinochet’s, etc… Note that I put left-wing dictators in the same bag as right-wing dictators. Dictators are dictators, whatever their ideological inclination. They all suppress freedom of speech and throw their opponents in jail (or worse).
Keep on drinking the Kool-Aid. I suspect that, as your very own little dictator’s approval ratings go further and further into the toilet, you will need higher and higher doses of your favorite reality-effacing drugs. 31% approval ratings and falling…
You are in the minority, and increasingly clearly, you are the unhinged minority. Not to worry, though, you are in good company. There are people out there who think that Hitler was a hero.
10:39 pm
Seriously guys… What are you putting on your kool-aid?.
11:42 pm
I also share beliefs with Iran’s leader about the colour of the sky and which way is up.
When everyone thinks you’re wrong, that just means they’re all stupid-heads.
11:45 pm
Can we just bomb these people already?
Wizbang and Rightwing Nuthouse have the scoop on the Iranian president’s latest shenanigans. Seems like the mullahs learned much from our so-called loyal opposition. Too bad it ws all the wrong lessons, not that that does us any good.
12:52 am
Ahmadinejad is a freak. He’s also a politician. I think he’s serving up his bellicose rhetoric to play to his fundamentalist base. To that end, he’s really not that unlike Bush at all, he’s just the opposite side of the coin.
Bush had his “Axis of Evil” and “Bring it on” (or was it “Bring ‘em on..?) moments. While those phrases played well to Bush’s base, they struck a chord of distrust throughout much of the world. Note that Iran was included in the axis. This is Ahmadinejad’s equivalent play to his base. As aggresive as Bush has been in the middle east, are you really surprised that someone has choesn to challenge Bush, at least rhetorically?
“...the world’s troublemakers use Democratic party talking points when skewering America…” – It is only logical that anyone outside the US who is critical of the current administration would highlight opposing voices within the US, troublemaker or not. Were a Democrat in power and unpopular on the global stage, you can bet that the same troublemakers would tap into Republican talking points. That wouldn’t make the Republicans complicit in the troublemaker’s agendas any more than it would the Democrats in this situation.
It doesn’t much matter what the Democrats think or talk about right now anyway. The Republicans are in charge. Either the Republicans deal effectively with Iran or they don’t; if you’re not happy with the results, send a message in November.
2:33 am
that moran lives in opposite land.
10:33 am
“But the evidence is there for anyone with half a brain to see”
That’s sort of it, isn’t it. The evidence shows one thing to people with half a brain and other things to people whith a whole brain.
12:37 pm
all that god talk is kinda creepy coming from someone who’s supposed to be a political leader, no? the opposition to liberalism is completely retrograde. what kind of mindless sheep would choose such a person to lead their country?
12:52 pm
i’m talking about iran.
12:53 pm
i think.