And then, in reaction to the leftwing outrage, the latest tonight that Obama may now in fact really of course by all means shut down Gauntanamo.
Citing Darth Vader:
OBAMA: I’m not going to lay out a particular program because again, I thought that Dick Cheney’s advice was good, which is let’s make sure we know everything that’s being done. But the interesting thing George was that during the campaign, although John McCain and I had a lot of differences on a lot of issues, this is one where we didn’t have a difference, which is that it is possible for us to keep the American people safe while still adhering to our core values and ideals and that’s what I intend to carry forward in my administration.
Speaking of which…
I was in the airport this weekend and saw a cover story in Vanity Fair about just these sins of the Bush administration. Before opening the magazine I thought ‘Hmm, no doubt there will be a few loyalists quoted, but mostly it will be interviews with either (a) those who screwed up, or (b) those who jumped ship, or (c) those who hate Bush’s guts.’
Then I turned to the article and, surprise, surprise, there was the old reliables–the UN, International Court, EU guys balanced by? Yes, former Bushies like Scott McClellan, Richard Clarke, Ken Adelman, Lawrence Wilkerson, Matthew Dowd, “Brownie” from FEMA—all offering their postfacto infinite wisdom how the nebulous “they” in the White House had not heeded their own brilliance.
Oddly, hearing Wilkerson, Richard Clark, and Germany’s Joschka Fischer damn Bush has the opposite effect of what they intended, especially an allegation offered by Wilkerson that Bush, according to the German Foreign Minister’s allegation, used a swear word or two to insult Fischer’s boss Gerhard Schroeder, the oily ex-Chancellor now at work under a multimillion-Euro contract for Gazprom as it cuts off gas to his own German people. If Bush really said what Fischer said to Wilkerson that he did say, Bravo (I remember the orange-haired Schroeder’s anti-American ‘we don’t click our heels to anyone’ braggadocio, with all its scary talk of the “German way.”)
In the interest of fairness I would suggest Vanity Fair could now do a post-election essay on Obama’s recent career—with ‘insider’ testimonies about the “real” Obama from a fair sampling that included Rev. Wright, Blago, Tony Rezko, Blair Hull, Jack Ryan, Jesse Jackson, Alice Palmer, Bobbie Rush…I don’t think any of these Obama supporters would give a fair appraisal…
I’ve been reading more about Colin Powell’s sudden involvement in the Inauguration and his utopian appeals to a new brotherhood on the horizon. And for some reason, something is not right about this, odd, weird, troubling…
Colin Powell’s presentation to the UN on the flawed WMD intelligence did great damage to the country. His assistant Richard Armitage paid no price, legal or moral, for leaking the whatever status of Valerie Plame, working out some sort of deal with the Special Prosecutor, while keeping quiet about the concurrent legal pursuit of Scooter Libby for that very “crime” he committed. Powell’s character testimony for the crook Ted Stevens was just the sort of DC-insider old politics that Powell decried when he declared his 11th-hour allegiance to the post-meltdown surging Obama. Go figure all this, I cannot.
You First…
I think in the past month I have read a half-dozen op-eds by white-male, insider journalists pontificating that the Republicans just didn’t get it—that poor old Sarah Palin and the decrepit white guy John McCain were dinosaurs. Hip multiracial Barack Obama was now the wave of the future, and the clueless calcified conservatives better get with the new face of America. It was a plausible enough thesis given demographic trends—if one believes in rigid and fossilized tribal and racial fault lines.
But two observations: why do privileged, entrenched white elites in the NY-DC axis always give soap-box lectures about the beauty of diversity while never (?) stepping aside themselves from their jobs to jump-start the up and coming careers of the other? (For 21 years I watched tenured senior white male professors lecture their departments on affirmative action, then hire by race and gender, and turn away young white male candidates by rote, who usually were far stronger applicants than these diversity prophets ever had been, who were mostly hired by old boy networks in the 1960s and 1970s.)
I think we surely could use more diversity at the New Republic, Vanity Fair, the New York Times, the Nation, Time, Newsweek (its managing editors are mostly white guys), etc. in editing, publishing, and advertising. And why are we to assume that a non-white citizen won’t intermarry out of their race, or won’t get tired of paying 50% of his income in taxes to the federal and state government for redistribution schemes that make things worse rather than better? What we have here is a lot of easy pronouncement and very little actual diversity in practice. Ms. Kennedy seems the emblem of all this for our times: Is the price for privilege going up to Harlem once in your life to have lunch with Al Sharpton—and, then, presto, you’re a woman of the people (rather than say, having five kids in Wasilla?) Surely, she should have been out lobbying for some very hard-working African-American or female New York state or federal legislators who all paid their dues, and, to be considered for a Senate seat, simply need a boost to overcome the old money-status-insider firewall.
Oh well, this transition is getting very interesting…
Note: I thank everyone for suggestions and edits. For those who still drive American, I may try one last time, as I said last post. For Obama supporters: it does our new President very little good (cf. the recent softball press conferences) when no one compares his rhetoric to his record. Our adversaries surely will do that, and he needs to be careful what he says, so he doesn’t find himself in the proverbial corner without options. [For now he also needs to have a moratorium on Chicago appointments.])
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32 Comments
1. Neville:VDH, as an Australian humanities academic, now painfully familiar and disabused regarding most of the affirmative-action problems you describe, I confess to not understanding this paragraph:
[quote follows]
But two observations: why do privileged white elites in the NY-DC axis always give soap box lectures about the beauty of diversity while never (?) stepping aside themselves to jump-start the up and coming careers of the other? (For 21 years I watched senior white male professors lecture their departments on affirmative action, then hire by race and gender, and turn away white males by rote who usually were far stronger than these diversity prophets who were mostly hired by old boy networks in the 1960s and 1970s.)
Jan 13, 2009 - 2:15 am 2. vb:You’ve taken President Bush down a notch in my eyes. Did he really only come up with one swear word for the oily (or should we say gaseous) Herr Schroeder? I expect better from Texans.
BTW, have you read the oily letter from Gerd’s buddy Steinmeier at the Spiegel Online English site? I can only advise not reading it on an empty stomach unless you are trying to simulate bulemia. Interestingly, Steinmeier did not say how many Guantanamo detainees he is willing to take. Nor did he indicate the level of German support for providing forces to monitor the Rafah border crossing. I think he has been giving advice to the Egyptians, though. He obviously thinks the youthful Barry should be equally receptive to his sage counsel.
Jan 13, 2009 - 3:44 am 3. RJ:Twist your hands, wring them until it really hurts! For what good? Here comes another team to run things; sure they have used energies from the left, spare me the pain of reality. Some arguments are never meant to be solved, nor go away, they are those conflicts that only get resolved in a temporary manner, a partial movement one way or another.
This lawyer boy, who dreams of Lincoln but more like Alexander the Great with words in his quiver, is more than thrilled at becoming a leader like those old African chiefs, the Zulus! Enter the ghost of dear old daddy from afar…
Americans are obese, in more ways than just body mass! Even Jack Bauer running from crisis to crisis will not bring about a truth which will motivate our masses to real change.
Channel Heinz Kohut for a week or two.
Mommy ain’t coming to rescue your sorry ass today!
Your “wake up call” is on its way!
Jan 13, 2009 - 6:55 am 4. TLM:Indeed. Ironies and inconsistencies abound. The much ballyhooed notion of diversity has been preached more than practiced, with the loudest sermonizers being those least likely to adhere to their own teachings. Politically correct speech “promotes harmonious campus environments”, while outside the hallowed gates of university students are free to engage in demonstrations calling for the extermination of a whole people. A primary rationale for the United Nations is to improve child welfare throughout the Third World, while in their own protectorate in Gaza blatant child abuse is condoned… etc. etc. etc. ad nauseum.
“And for some reason, something is not right about this, odd, weird, troubling…” VDH, that describes most of what you write about. I’m sure in some alternative universe it all makes sense. But not in this one.
Jan 13, 2009 - 6:58 am 5. RJ:At to General Powell and how he bothers some:
Back in those jungles, over there, in that far off place where America’s Honor and Will were tested and for many…lost.
There are stories, told in hushed voices, of how this great American General, as a younger officer of the Army, had special work to do.
My Lai needed his attention, quietly.
It is said he did some things to help others in this mess.
If these stories are true, as those few who have heard them say it is so, then what bothers our good professor of classics, has roots going back there.
This may be what some say is “inside” Washington politics.
It’s a really special club, a quiet club perhaps.
Jan 13, 2009 - 7:10 am 6. Cameron:Fantastic bit here. The section on the way in which Vanity Fair constructs their “penetrating” exposes is dead on. In the case of Vanity Fair though, it should come as know surprise as Editor Graydon Carter pontificates every month on how the Bush Administration/Right is destroying America/the world/anything else he can think of. With all of these publications (Vanity Fair, Time, Newsweek, New Yorker, NY Times, etc)they begin with their conclusion – Bush is Satan – and construct their arguments and sources around this rock solid and trendy premise.
Jan 13, 2009 - 7:56 am 7. tanstaafl:What we have here is a lot of easy pronouncement and very little actual diversity in practice.
In the cosmology of today’s Left, you can make a lifetime out of talking about diversity, inclusion et al. and etc. while, effectively, doing little or nothing.
It’s “the religion of human kindness” and, like many precepts of the Left, all it demands is a constant stream of words thrown at it.
It’s all hat and no cattle.
As the basic assumption is that they need your help, it is also extremely condescending towards your fellow man.
As a corollary, if you are a minority who has made it on your own merits, you might expect to be scorned and ridiculed by many in this this same crowd of Leftist pontificators.
“Caring” about the guys incarcerated at Guantanamo is another aspect of the empty religion of human kindness, mainly useful as a way to needle and pick at those in power, aka your political enemy.
(am I joining Islam every time I hit the “submit” button ?
)
Jan 13, 2009 - 8:59 am 8. elixelx:Obama cannot dither forever!
He cannot vacillate ad aeternum!
He cannot hang fire till the 12th of Never!
Sooner or later this Hamlet will have to act, or better, take action to try to better his rotten republic, and then we will see if Mr. Hopeychangey just hopes that change gonna come or whether he is willing to do something to bring it about.
Remember, Hamlet too hoped for change, but, until his hand was forced, danced and pranced and beat around the BUSH until every one of his loved ones was dead, and the only redolence in Denmark was that of the decaying bodies of once-beautiful people.
“Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pitch and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.”
Obama will not founder on the rocky ambitions and actions of others: he will become grounded on the shallow banks of his own uncertainties!
Jan 13, 2009 - 9:41 am 9. Chick:Citing Israeli willingness to give up territory for peace is laudatory. But it should also be recognized that the territory being given was handed to the Israelis by the UN, the US, and indeed the world, from holdings that once were those of resident Palestinians. After 50 odd years, it does seem impractical for these powers to become “indian givers” and return that what which may not have been theirs to give away, thus planing the seeds of the enduring conflict. But it may be time for world powers to impose a peace, be it by an economic blockade of the parties, military imposition, or temporary occupation, hopefully benign, somewhat like that which worked in Japan and seems to be evolving in Iraq.
Jan 13, 2009 - 10:46 am 10. Cornhead:1. Recently at Mass, we prayed for “peace in the Middle East.”
We’ve been praying for peace in the Middle East for 40 years.
Enough already.
Just stop it.
The rest of the world is sick of all this fighting.
Leave Israel alone.
Does Hamas take the rest of the world for idiots? They are the victims and they are the same ones firing 3000 plus rockets into Israel?
2. The new “24″ episodes will turn the popular culture against all this concern about extreme interrogation.
Terrorist to FBI: “You can’t do that. You’re FBI.”
And then the FBI goes ahead and does it.
Cherry Jones plays Barack/Hillary as President.
Jan 13, 2009 - 1:10 pm 11. The Ballad of Phil Donahue:Loved your discussion of “privileged, entrenched white elites” never stepping aside to help diversity. Reminded me of the sad saga of PHIL DONAHUE. Donahue is a media figure so old and broken, your readership may not even remember him.
He was a middle-aged Chicago Irishman with a “issues” talk show in the seventies. Phil constantly informed us that somewhere, “THERE WAS A BLACK WOMAN WHO NEVER GOT A CHANCE, NEVER GOT AN OPPORTUNITY ‘CAUSE THE OLD WHITE BOYS NETWORK NEVER GAVE HER A SHOT, KEPT HER DOWN…” then he would mutter about this for thirty more seconds until he got to his commercial break.
But suddenly, somehow, in the early eighties, a black woman got her shot. Her name was OPRAH WINFREY and what she wanted was PHIL DONAHUE’S JOB. So she went to Chicago and ate Phil’s lunch, right in front of him.
Years later, Vanity Fair wanted a picture of Phil and Oprah together. Because, you know, he paved the way for her. Donahue, now a bitter old Irishman with no talk show, refused.
Jan 13, 2009 - 4:06 pm 12. The Historian:SPEAKING OF THE OTHER FOOT
The Democrat Party destroyed the “Waters Edge” concept and will have to live with the results now that they are in control.
http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2009/01/war-in-iraq-lest-we-forget.html
Jan 13, 2009 - 4:16 pm 13. Tom Holsinger:The Obama administration is about to take ownership of the war on terror. Past Demoratic rhetoric denouncing the Bush administration for being beastly will result in the public holding the Obama administration responsible for any successful attacks in the U.S. by foreign terrorists, for being too nice to them.
While I doubt the Obama administration will do much different from the Bush administration in terms of domestic security measures or interrogation of captive terrorists, that won’t save it when we’re hit again at home. They have to be perfect, and I don’t see them being perfect.
Jan 13, 2009 - 6:16 pm 14. The Sensei:Brilliant. I am a new follower to your Blog Professor and let me say, I am extremely impressed. I will openly admit that I have not had a chance to go through your Blog completely but thus far, I am a HUGE fan. Keep up the good work. I will comment more as I go through the site
Jan 13, 2009 - 8:15 pm 15. Gregg Calkins:I have nothing special to say tonight on your subjects, Mr Hanson, but for some reason it seemed like a good time for me to write and say how much I appreciate your steady display of calm and rational common sense in a world which seems increasingly filled with bloggers and commenters who are seriously challenged not only in their ability to reason but also in their vocabulary and ability to craft a coherent sentence, not to mention emotional stability.
Before you take this too much to heart, however, please let me add my caveat: I agree with perhaps 95% of what you write, but I also have a number of good friends who consider me somewhere between a loon and lunar, raising the possibility that I might not be the world’s best character witness.
I was born in Los Angeles in 1934 and spent quite a large part of my life living in various parts of California, from San Diego to Mt Shasta and parts in between: Camp Pendleton (3 years in the Marine Corps), Santa Monica, Barstow/Daggett/Newberry Springs for 8 years, La Habra and Whittier, Bakersfield/Oildale, Walnut Creek, and, finally, Jackson the final 20 years. One of my bigger regrets is that I did not know who you were before I moved away from the litigation nation in early 2000 and did not impose myself on you for a visit. I probably drove very close to your family ranch many times.
I don’t really have a point here except to say that I know where you are coming from in part because I’m from the same place; I think you are doing a fine job and make quite excellent sense; and this often seems to be a world where you hear more often from those who think you are a nut than from any supporters.
It could be that we two are anachronisms fading from the scene, but since a few years ago I adopted a little Costa Rican boy who will be 6 in a bit more than a month, I’m committed to lasting longer than I otherwise might have as well as educating another young mind as best I can. Since you are an up-and-coming young writer, I hope to be getting the benefit of your insight during all that time.
Sincerely, Gregg Calkins
Jan 13, 2009 - 9:44 pm 16. R Richard Schweitzer:Exactly when and how did Cyprus become “Greek” after the disintegration of the Otto?man Empire following WW I?
Was there not a British Mandate over Cyprus? What occurred during that mandate period the now makes the Turkish military presence a “Turkish Muslim occupation?”
And what circumstance generated that Turkish Military presence?
This writer has “no dog in the fight,” but is vastly surprised at such a characterization eminating from one so well versed in the facts of history particularly of that region. Why not say that the Turks from the High Altai are occupying Greek Anatolia? And, how did the Turks become Muslim? Unlike so many of an earlier period, not by the sword.
Jan 13, 2009 - 10:35 pm 17. TLM:A few years ago my youngest brought home a school drawing she made in crayon showing daddy holding a supposed “handgun” upright, elbow bent, getting ready to aim. The teacher’s note stated drawing pictures of implements of violence in school was not allowed. The “handgun”, of course, was a cordless drill.
Contrast that attitude, which prevails in American schools, with what you see from Gaza: a whole generation of kids schooled in violence and death. All with a wink and a nod from UNRWA. If Hamas’ treatment of Palestinian children is criminal, UNRWA is complicit as well. What court of law should I send the charges (war crimes and child abuse) to for this UN agency?
Jan 14, 2009 - 6:26 am 18. amr:I am always amazed at why so many highly educated individuals in the West chose to enter into the framework of a Western suicide pact regardless of what the other side does. We learned very quickly how to deal with the Japanese method of fighting during WWII and it did not include much in the way of PC tactics; proportionality during war was not in our vocabulary. But it seems today that regardless of the atrocities that the Islamists commit, there is a mighty cry as to why we made them do it from those who should know better. The Left seemly forgets that, as happened after the Iranian revolution, they will become the victims, since no one respects or needs useful idiots post-revolution.
Jan 14, 2009 - 8:04 am 19. Pops in Vienna:Another great blog Doc. Please keep them coming.
I guess I’m a bit cynical. I anticipate that in the near future the IDF will be withdrawn. This will be followed by a couple of peace conferences and perhaps direct talks at Camp David, hosted by President Obama. Noble prizes will follow the announcement of a peace agreement. A few months later rockets will begin falling on Israel and CNN will tell us it’s Israel’s fault.
It’s deja vu all over again.
Jan 14, 2009 - 8:14 am 20. Ron Kean:Sometimes I wonder where Obama was born. It may always be a mystery. That’s what makes it exciting and inviting. It should be a cloud on his presidency.
Imagine an eighteen year old girl from Kansas being wheeled into the maternity ward at the hospital in Kenya. Phillip Berg says that her mother-in-law was there. I wonder if Barak Senior was there?
Maybe Barak Senior was living with his 18 year old wife in Hawaii. They went to one of the hospitals in Hawaii although which one continues to be a mystery. I wonder which hospital in Hawaii is going to put up a sign saying, ‘President Barak Obama Was Born Here’. That hospital’s PR department must be sleeping on the job.
And I’m ridiculed for my interest. Why should it be hidden?
Besides that, It was nice to hear positive stories about American cars on the previous thread.
Two cliches in Journalism: ‘Jews is news.’ and ‘If it bleeds it leads.’ These wars with Israel are perfect for them. PJTV is the best alternative for at least $10.00 a month.
I heard about Krauthammer and Kristol but Obama will be sorely lacking until he invites VDH for a one on one. And soon.
I am and I’m not worried about Israel. Israel is really different as far as countries go. You can say it’s blessed. If the Allies had fought the Palistinians in WWII, the war wouldn’t have gone on for long. Nevertheless, life is lost and it’s tragic.
Saying that, I hope the IDF inflicts enough injury on the enemy that it stops firing missiles. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. It’s one of those things you should only have to ask once.
Jan 14, 2009 - 5:33 pm 21. Jack Marcotte:Essential vdh
Looking for rational cause and effect in all the wrong places. Whatever the subject there is no there today and so you state.
It is confusing only if you think that our current situation demands rational thought.
The keystone to being a liberal left wing Obama supporter or affirmative action supporter is that there be no accountability or memory. Rational thought?
Short term memory lapses are required that are so short that it is impossible to make the connections to cause and effect. There can be no guilt. Just self righteousness.
“We can’t feel guilty about saving the world–can we” “After all it just takes a little talk by the right people saying all the right things”.
Hope and change brings it all into being. Positive results are not required when “positive Utopian” thoughts can replace reality.
It is ironic that the American bashers like Obama and his wife can get elected and then when elected think that America can save the world, the lions will lay down with the lambs concept. Soothing words only needed.
In today’s world we should be destroying some of it and helping some of it if we were rational. Bush tried somewhat to do this. Who were his biggest critics? By now it is silly to state the obvious.
In times gone by it used to and still does in some cases become literally a matter of life and death to see and know reality. An American foot Soldier is still in one such profession. A bullet looks at nothing except hits whatever is in its path.
In the past knowing Cause and effect allowed us to prosper. It hasn’t been that way in the US since the 60’s were kicked off by the “Great Society”.
It is now possible in the US to make a good living just showing your race and skin color card—except when you need to vote, no Id’s needed–it is discriminatory. Huh?
No real talent needed just a piece of meat occupying space spending resources. Producing nothing.
People have forgot that the liberal left wing ideology in America is a residue of the in-roads of communism in American academic life (life?). They were trying to take Capitalist America down. They may yet succeed.
It appears to now be politically incorrect to say that you are a communist. This probably has to do with funding of grants. It has been replaced by simplistic ideas that are communist. The assumption is that no one knows the difference.
Ignorance and a psychotic Utopian complex reducing the world to simple untruths stops the realization that we are reconstructing failed communist ideas and that we have just jumped off the building—but so far so good. We must give this dive a chance to succeed.
Good advice would be to make sure that all who care, are involved in business areas where knowledge of cause and effect is an absolute necessity. Hard skills only need apply. No studies group here.
When the feel good vibes creating disasters crashes due to idiot voters and ignorant and power hungry politicians we must be able to pick up the pieces and start over again with some rational level of an integrated society. Either that or strap on your guns.
The thin veneer of American society has already broken down in the inner cities due to generations of welfare recipients started on and never weaned from the Great Society ideas. No character or individual responsibility there. Greed, envy, criminality and stealing are an accepted way of life: The Street Life.
What are family values? Don’t walk anywhere in the inner cities to found out about this mystery subject.
We have seen the additional cracks in the wall within the banking industry.
The Banking industry destroyed due to politicians telling bankers where they had to lend money over the last 15 years. Loans based on race and skin color. No “red lining” allowed—what ever that meant.
Politician created entities like Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac buying up the results of non qualified lenders and borrowers and then reselling the results to the Securities industry as mortgages on homes.Mortgage backed securities packed with a lot of worthless paper—how good can you get? Madoff could not have created a better scam.
Having a business that feeds at the government trough is OK if it is not your core strength and your only line of work. It, as all yellow brick roads, comes to an end. It should not be your end–that is one thing we can all agree on.
Jan 14, 2009 - 5:58 pm 22. DeK:The world’s folly in condemning Israel for civilian deaths is difficult to fathom. On one hand, Israel seems to have accomplished much in minimizing civilian losses considering the difficulty of separating combatant from pathetic standers by.
On the other hand, Hamas has cynically, amorally, and disgustingly hidden themselves behind their children, grandparents, and neighbors….an indirect execution of their own people as a propaganda and tactical ploy. Surprizing that Israel takes better care of their families than they do. Yet they are victims…as if the world has no expectations for them to be civilized– any inhumanity of their is given a pass. Ironically, they give new meaning to the term “noble savage”. Their criminality and so much of the gulled world’s stupidity turns one’s stomach.
Jan 14, 2009 - 6:49 pm 23. Sullihan:Two points regarding a couple of comments: First, the British administration of Cyprus began in 1878, it was formally annexed in 1914, it became independent in 1960, and 3/4 of it population was (and is) Greek. Second, the location of an American’s birth is irrelevant if his mother is an American.
Jan 14, 2009 - 7:56 pm 24. TLM:Jack Marcotte:
Cause and effect? How passe. Launching thousands of missiles at your neighbor doesn’t cause wars. Evil Jews cause wars. They should be exterminated, the sons of apes and dogs as the hadith says. Qassam rockets launched at Israeli civilians are just like fireworks on the 4th of July, a political expression formulated by freedom fighters, democratically elected ones no less who love to show their firm grasp of the moral dimension of government of the people, by the people blah blah blah, by executing their political adversaries. That, and perennial war with the Jews, is a cause they can believe in. And the effect on the conscience of the West? Nil, at best.
Odd that most military conflicts in the past 50 years lacked a clear dichotomy between the opposing sides, yet when now presented with such a situation so many Americans are having a hard time discerning the good guys from the bad. Regardless anyone’s feelings towards Israel (and mine are not based on religion), we could apply the hostage scenario approach to figuring out who to support in this war. We don’t usually recommend acceding to the demands of terrorists who take hostages, for fear of perpetuating this violent and criminal behavior. Hamas holds their own civilian population hostage to their war aims (i.e., their PR campaign). Why would anyone suggest Israel agree to their demands? My humble advice to the Israelis: Free the Palestinians. Destroy Hamas.
Jan 14, 2009 - 10:38 pm 25. Barry Meislin:“Day of Death” and “Day of Punishment”—with all the bizarre use of the vocative (“O Israel, you will see your rivers of blood” or “O Olmert, we will cut your head off!”
If anyone is truly interested in learning about the Palestinian “catastrophe” (”Nakba”) of 1948-1949, all they have to do is notice that Arabs were shouting basically the same things then as now. “Drown the Jews in the sea!” “Palestine from the River to the Sea!” “We will slaughter them!” Etc.
Or if one wants to learn about what really happened in May-June 1967.
Essentially: the perfidy of the Jews is that they fight back when they’re not supposed to.
Essentially: when Arabs try to slaughter you, you’re not supposed to defend yourself (then as now); and if you do, you’re a bestial aggressor deserving to be slaughtered. You’ve brought it upon yourself.
And if the result is a Palestinian Nakba, or a Egyptian-Syrian-Jordanian drubbing, it must be the fault of the aggressive, demonic Jews.
And if there’s no peace, it’s the Jews fault because the Jews haven’t tried hard enough to live with their neighbors, or haven’t given back enough territory, or don’t trust (for some reason) their Arab partners in peace.
Same now as it ever was.
Jan 15, 2009 - 3:36 pm 26. Ron Kean:23. Sullihan
Is that a fact?
Jan 15, 2009 - 6:32 pm 27. ET:Wait, wait, wait a minute – Barack Obama said that there are “People who are intent on blowing us up”???
Pardon my disbelief drenched in sarcasm, but how can this be? We have been told, ad infinitum, by our intellectual and media betters, that there is no terrorism threat, it’s just a conspiracy by Bush/Cheney to steer military contracts to Halliburton, Islam is a religion of peace, the rioters in France and elsewhere share no common trait except “Youth” and “Disenfranchisement” – you get the idea.
What does the Left have to say about this rather amazing admission of Obama’s? I can’t get over it! Where’s Michael Moore, and what’s his take?
(I could do more sarcasm, but it’s rather depressing.)
Jan 15, 2009 - 6:49 pm 28. Jack Marcotte:Essential vdh
ET,
The irony is that B. Hussein Obama’s ideas are a regurgitation of failed social policies that have already eliminated millions and millions of human beings from this earth.
Evidently they don’t teach history at Harvard. Only History Studies that allow you to pick and chose what you want to study or conclude.
A “share the wealth” government in the past (real history) ment stealing from and killing those that had the “wealth”.
When people believe you can get something for nothing and they can vote for it including ballet box stuffing within the inner cities and develop governmental policy based on it to centralize power using fear and ignorance—you got to know it is the beginning of the end game.
Of course this is not new starting with the largest failures within the Iron Curtain countries run by communists. Nazism was of course socialist and anti capital.
Communist and Nazi socialism translated into murdering population classes, in Russia, land owners and small farmers, in Germany Jews and others classified as less than humans. I won’t mention Cambodia/Indochina it didn’t happen after all it was not reported in the MSM.(I need to drop my own sarcasm).
Lose the sarcasm and just strap it on. If you don’t have any hard skills you had better develop them. It is no longer funny.
It’s time to check your rear end when a President of the US tells you that you are a victim and big brother government will take care of you wither you like it or not.
Jan 16, 2009 - 6:20 pm 29. Pops in Vienna:I see Israel has declared a cease fire despite rockets still being fired from Gaza. Isn’t that more like a surrender?
What’s next, a meeting at Camp David with President Obama? Will Noble Prizes follow for Hamas leaders and the Benedict Arnolds who govern Israel?
Jan 18, 2009 - 4:49 am 30. psyklik:Here’s what I just received from a fellow correspondent. I’m still working on my response.
” I use phraseology like “savage Jewish invasion” in reaction to the overwhelming pro-Zionist bias in American news media. I realize that the bias goes far deeper that just the media; it’s cultural. This nation was founded on a Judeo-Christian ethic. We are predominantly Christian. The bedrock of the Christian faith is the Bible, both Old and New Testament. If one accepts the Old Testament as truth, one accepts that the Jews are God’s chosen people. As such, the actions of the Jewish nation, i.e. Israel, are favored by God and not to be questioned. The Old Testament advances the view that when Jewish military aggression was successful, God was with them. When they were defeated, God was punishing them. The right of other peoples to exist, have possessions and live in peace is never considered. Remember the “Promised Land?” When they got there, it was occupied.
Please spare me invective about my being an anti-Semite. I have nothing against Jews or the Jewish religion, per se. After all, Christianity is fundamentally a Jewish denomination. What I object to is any group of people who think their prerogatives supersede the rights of others.”
Jan 19, 2009 - 9:20 am 31. Paper Shredders for Sale:The saleman told me from whom I bought the shredder. All office shredders roll on casters for convenient sharing among offices. Every shredder model has a 10-year warranty on cutting heads and can take staples and paper clips which saves office stationary too.
Jan 28, 2009 - 1:05 pm 32. File shredder:Living in Florida there was an urgent need of shredder in the office so I called up the saleman who told me there was No sales tax on purchases delivered out of California! 10 year warranty on cutting heads & 1 year warranty on mechanical parts (parts only)!
Jan 28, 2009 - 1:06 pm