NYT's Kristol Criticizes MoveOn 'Alex' Ad: Infant Will Be Too Young To Serve, Has Nothing To Worry About

Smug lackwit Bill Kristol takes to his New York Times op-ed perch today to inform the world that while he found MoveOn.org's latest advertisement effort, "Not Alex," to be the outfit's "most effective" effort yet, he is nevertheless "not persuaded." [Watch "Not Alex" here.]

I know: BIG surprise. Still, Kristol is ostensibly required to write about something, so he might as well weigh in on this matter. His main criticism? Well, it's largely that Alex's mother has nothing to worry about, seeing as he'll be too young to serve in Iraq during the McCain presidency:

Now it might be pedantic to point out that John McCain isn't counting on Alex to serve in Iraq, because little Alex will only be 9 years old when President McCain leaves office after two terms.

Leaving aside the fact that by acknowledging that Alex will emerge from the end of McCain's terms unscathed (by the Iraq War, anyway), Kristol is more or less admitting that those who are old enough to serve in John McCain's army have plenty of scathing to look forward to, my main problem is with Kristol's contention that once a presidency ends, so do the problems caused by that president. And seeing as how McCain is only too happy to continue our bog-down in Iraq, uphold the Bush administration's policy of appeasement toward al Qaeda, and perhaps ensnare the country in a wider war with Iran, the chances are high that one day, the lasting damage of McCain's foreign policy preferences might rebound to Alex's misfortune.

But, look, if some more perspective on this matter is needed, here you go:

On this past Sunday's edition of This Week With George Stephanopoulos, the host honored those who had recently died in Iraq and Afghanistan. If you were paying attention, you might have noted that among the fallen were five who were, at the time of their death, just nineteen years old.

On May 1, 2003, when President George W. Bush hung his famous "Mission Accomplished" banner on the deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, those same five soldiers were just fourteen years old. When the first Gulf War ended in February of 1991, those same five soldiers were between the ages of one and two. On March 17, 1988, when Saddam Hussein attacked the Kurdish town of Halabja with poison gas -- an event that was an oft-cited point of outrage as Bush attempted to gin up a moral pretext for the current conflict -- those same five soldiers were several months short of being conceived. And when Hussein appeared in this 1983 picture, shaking hands with then-colleague Donald Rumsfeld, it was possible that the parents of those same five soldiers had not yet met.

So, yeah. I hate to be pedantic, too. I just hate glib ignorance masquerading as assurance even more.

Comments

[MuchMadness]

If Kristol really believes that this war is such a noble cause, why doesn't he advocate that we actually pay for it? I mean higher taxes and a real sense of shared sacrifice, not just adding the cost to our national debt and devaluing our currency.

[duze]

Kristol writes about a baby because he can only right like a baby. Once again his commentary is neither factual or actual. Why does this smug, arrogant, mediocre grade school so-called journalist even have a job?

[Arleen1]

Kristol may be right about the 9 years but remember that there is always a nut job lurking in the wings like McCain. There is always someone primed to continue the agenda, Alex and his mom need to worry.

[tsloan]

Kristol reminds me of one of the Muppets....with his big mouth....I'm just sayin'

[freshnotbitter]

surely Kristol has freinds, and relatives, with children whom he could finger as selfish brats who are avoiding service to their country. He should give some concrete examples, be honest and show that he has character, show that he isn't just picking on MoveOn.org but that he has the courage of his convictions. Maybe in his next column?

[nyboomer]

I wonder what percentage of the military comes from homes that have an income as high as Bill Kristol, GW Bush or Dick Cheney?

I suspect that the US military will largely be populated from lower middle class and poor homes with the officer corps coming from middle and upper middle class homes.

There is nothing like regressing under Republican leadership.

America! To the rear march!

[freshnotbitter]

Actually we were doing really well in terms of quality of enlistments untill recently, when the Bush policies began to drag us all down. The military is declining along with the rest of the country due to the selfish behavior of the Bush oligarchs.

When Obama is president the military will improve as Jim Webb types move into the positions where they can affect real democratic change and instill American values into the system instead of just doing what the oil barons want.

[TovSquirrel]

and we are paying attention to Herr Kristol for why?

[SEQUOIABISON]

How else would you expect the main cheerleader for invading Iraq to respond to criticism about the war; the "man" is callous warmongering fool.

[leftLibertarian]

Why hasn't Kristol joined the military to fight in the Iraq War? He's old enough.

[billrott]

Because he is and always has been a coward.

[VOTER]

Exactly!

[Piatt]

Thought it was a terrific ad, particularly given this administration's eagerness to keep our collective attention off our fatalities and injured. They are all someone's sons and daughters.

[Tommygun264]

What a MORON!!!

[sammy333]

Careful! Bill-the-smiling-murderer-Kristol strikes again from NYT, his 'safe haven'. Knowing how much human suffering his conspiracies had caused, it makes me sick even to see his face.

[larry91403]

Does Bill Kristol have children he wants to volunteer for our Armed forces to fight now in Iraq?

[Suthngal]

The hidden message, that SO MANY are overlooking is the POSSIBILITY of the draft being brought back. It has ALREADY been reported that the numbers for our "volunteer" military is down. If the GOP keeps a hold of the White House, which they hope they can, through simple fear tactics... then they could EASILY bring back the draft...for this 100 year war. Hence this commercial and the woman saying that you can't have her child. It would have been ludicrous if she was a holding a FEMALE child.

Think beyond the obvious!

[Daisy1111]

The TV spot is ridiculous because it's an ALL VOLUNTEER MILITARY!

So if the little boy grows up and wants to JOIN when he's 18 it's his choice, not Mommy's choice.

And if the little boy wants to NOT JOIN, he's free to NOT JOIN because (I repeat) it's al ALL VOLUNTEER MILITARY.

Add to that, M c C a i n, if elected, will not be in office when this kid is 18 years old.

So the TV spot is moronic any way you look at it to anyone who stops to think about it..

[tsloan]

Daisy Dear.....you've missed the whole point.

[GeoNorth]

Daisy, haven't you noticed that in mid-east societies, they can hang onto a grudge for centuries. The Sunnis and Shiites have been fighting over Mohamad's successor for at least 1400 years. The way we have dealt with this sutuation has been nothing less than horrible. Don't you think that it's possible that their grudge on this will last a while? That will affect all of our fututre generations. And speaking of 1400 years, that's probably how long it will take to pay off this fiasco.

[VOTER]

Daisy........................ so sad!

Another low information voter!

[Tommygun264]

You are as brain dead as Kristol - we cannot afford to maintain a permanent troop presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus in Iran, without instituting a draft. You take the "Let Them Eat Cake" prize for this month thus far. Good luck in the year-end finals, Daisy1111.

[Thorn2008]

I hate to point out to Daisy how obtuse her comment is as plenty of great argumnets have been made in posts here about the truth; let alone a great article that is not only forward thinking but backs it up with an example of the past. As a Gulf War Veteran Special Intelligence communicator I can tell you that I'm proud to advise the youngsters in my life not only to refuse to serve in the volunteer service but if the draft is re-inacted (and it very well may) that they would be wise to leave the country for a more peaceful shore. You see I witnessed events at the end of the war that not only covered up troop exposure to sarin gas but destroyed evidence of where Saddam got the chemical weapons of mass destruction in the first place. From the US of course.

[ebethgay]

Even if little Alex doesn't have to serve in the 100-year Iraq occupation, he may have to serve in Afghanistan since President Bush took his eye off the ball and didn't nip the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the bud when he had the chance. Maybe someday little Alex can find a 6'6" terrorist on dialysis.