John McCain and al Qaeda
Historians of early 21st century American politics will remark the degree to which radical forces, usually called neoconservatives, perverted language as recommended by the National Socialist Party in 1930s Germany. Continue to demonize liberals, blame them for all social and economic problems, and soon enough no one will be willing to admit to being a liberal. Claim that liberals and Democrats are too soft to combat terrorists and soon enough a majority, even in the oldest democracy on earth, will believe it. Open up entire electronic networks, such as Fox, and chains of radio stations, such as Clear Channel, and buy enough newspaper chains, and make all these media available to pre-programmed neoconservative ditto heads, and sure enough a subculture will emerge which distrusts its own government and believes that an entire political party is not to be trusted.
This has all happened before. And where it has happened, authoritarian government emerges.
Worst of all, a formerly "maverick" Republican, one who was sensible enough to understand the dangerous perversions involved in this radicalization of American politics, will find himself repeating the idiotic mantra that we are "fighting al Qaeda in Iraq so we don't have to fight them here."
John McCain knows better. I know he knows better. But it is appalling when a serious patriot like McCain is forced to fall into line with these radical perverters of language, one of the most dangerous things that can happen in a democracy, in order to lead a party that is so far off the mainstream rails that it will take decades to return to civility and normality.
If John McCain seriously believes we are at war with al Qaeda in Iraq, that alone is such a serious error in judgment as to rank him with George W. Bush at his worst and therefore disqualify him from any chance to govern this country.
John McCain is intelligent enough to know that our tragically flawed invasion of Iraq has indeed kicked open a hornets nest, a 1300 year old hornets nest of violent rivalry inside Islam, and that for us to put all the hornets back in the nest will take decades and trillions of dollars, that it will assure the decline of the American republic, and that it will represent a grasp at empire that would cause all of our founders to revolve in their graves.
Why then would he, a combat veteran, a courageous prisoner of war, permit himself to be captive to the perverters of language? Does he want to be president so badly that he will join that band of radicals who have seriously damaged American democracy, who have tortured and lied, who have twisted our very Constitution so wrongly that it is hardly recognizable?
I refuse to believe it. It is not the John McCain I have known for 30 years.
John McCain can redeem himself and redeem the soul of his party by admitting once and for all that what is flawed about Iraq is not our military strategy, not our lack of will, not our failure of national commitment. It is that we chose the wrong war at the wrong time with the wrong enemy. John McCain's problem is not al Qaeda. His problem is George W. Bush and the people he chose to advise him.
We will pay for their arrogance for years to come. Our 35,000 casualties are paying with their lives and their futures.
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
Orwell said in "1984" War is Peace"
It would seem so to the Republicans.
But it could be a case of lifting foreign policy from Shakespeare. In Heney iV part 2 the King asks his son,
"...be it thy course my Harry,
to busy giddy minds with foreign quarrels
that actions hence borne out may waste
the memories of former times?"
Republican foreign policy looks a lot like that to me.
http://gre
wait a sec, you're using orwell too prove a point about rebups? sorry ass pinko commie
But if we do get the old McCain back, we'll lose the election.
Having him say neoconish things helps our team.
McCain is, however, starting to play the Bush/Rove game of disecting national demographics, and saying things like---we withdraw troops, but keep the military base in Iraq, and no casualties.
Now how can puppy Obama compete with that?
Obama MUST say we keep military base in Iraq, remove troops en masse, and no csualties.
Or else we lose.
America now has the best Fascist Government money can buy. The election of the Bush clone would be the end of America as we know it.
i agree whole heartedly
it is so sad.
My most fervent hope is that all Democrats come together in the biggest fight we've had in a long time - November, 2008. I hope that we put aside phrases like "puppy Obama" and all start rowing together. We know that there is a "machine" that is gunning for our party, our candidates, and the soul of our country.
What I hope the most is to hear Republican Pundits on the day after the elections in November talking about the Democratic party as a formidable "machine."
As thinking, feeling Democrats we tend to buck the popular "flow." We tend to question leadership, especially our own. I think that's what makes us strong. But on certain issues (like fighting swiftboating and lies) I think we have to respond in force and with one voice.
Regardless of which candidate you supported through the primary process, they all fought the good fight for the right reasons. We can discuss differences of opinion in December.
Let's pull together and beat the Republicans - can we at least use that as a starting point?
"Puppy" Obama??? I reject that characterization, ma'am. It certainly took more than a "puppy" to outrun the most highly-monetized, well-oiled political machine in the Democratic Party. Not only that, but for the past two months or more, he's been fighting on two fronts - Clinton and McCain - three if you count the right-wing media Mr. Hart spoke of. And I hasten to add, that "puppy" started from scratch less than 18 months ago.
Or, to put it in your terms, Obama may have started as a puppy, but as you well know, a puppy grows to full adulthood and becomes a BIG DOG in just over a year. :)
NO MORE REPUBLICANS!!! Ever as President! We know better people! Evolution is grand! Ignorance has no place in Government. Republicans are like Gnomes..th
Wow. That was a well thought out statement. I'm proud of you. We sat around for 8 years as Bill Clinton allowed attack after attack on American interests. And yes that includes 9/11 because if you think that whole plot was developed in 9 months then you are an idiot. While we were being attacked, Clinton was being serviced by an intern. So let's put democrats in the white house. Let's put more illegal trading, file shredding, tax hiding, furniture stealing democrats in the white house. That is EXACTLY what this country needs.
Let's put more illegal trading, file shredding, tax hiding, furniture stealing democrats in the white house. That is EXACTLY what this country needs.
If you can show/find ANY proof of any of the above rediculous accusations, I will be happy to vote republitards in Nov.
Furniture stealing? What are you smoking?
Your total lack of knowlege and logic is appalling.
Excuse me? That was the Clintons. That's why she is not the nominee.
That will never happen again. Barak and Michelle have class.
Are you talking about the same John McCain who helped start this war?
Read Salon article "John McCain's real war record"
http://www
Quote:
In the period leading up to the war, McCain sounded, at times, less like a straight-talking maverick and more like the neoconservative former Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. "It's going to send the message throughout the Middle East that democracy can take hold in the Middle East," McCain said about the war on Fox's "Hannity & Colmes" on Feb. 21, 2003. He seemed to think Iraq would be a cakewalk, predicting that the war "will be brief."
Thanks, I needed that. The MSM just bombards you with whatever a politician says on a particular day, especially if he is the powerful chairmand of the communications committee that controls cable, television, so one is left thinking that the politician stands for whatever came out of his mouth 2 seconds ago.
Whatever he might stand for today, McCain's judgment is defined by his views on the Iraq war before we went in, not afterwards when any fool can see what is going on.
So lets just let the hornets nest alone and hope we don't get stung by another 9/11! Brilliant advice!
That's a terrible suggestion, proving Hart's point exactly. The only people who make these comments are republicans. No democrat has ever suggested that.
They pulled 9/11 because we were over there. If we weren't seriously affecting their lives (by, I might add, going against everything the country is supposedly founded on: freedom of people to choose their own destiny), they wouldn't att
actually..
but you keep sniffin karl roves butt (aka his mouth) and believe that bullshit.
attack. Contrary to what you may have heard, they don't actually hate us for our freedom. They hate us because we support regimes (by giving them weapons the people can't possibly fight against in a direct fight: hence the terroristic attacks against softer civilian targets) that cater to our needs rather than the needs of their people, rather than letting the people in the region decide for themselves how they want to be ruled.
And yes, that might mean that they have to fight a civil war for a few years to get it all worked out, and that is very unfortunate. But that very thing is happening in half a dozen African countries *right now*, and we aren't doing crap about that. Don't let'em fool you with the humanitarian crap on Iraq: if they didn't have something we needed, we would not be bothering with them.
Bush protected America on 9/11 and rebuilt New Orleans after Katrina. He's the man!
Very well said Al. I hope that the "maverick" reads this.
Al when will you speak out regarding Hillary & Barack??
The Neocons have indeed perverted the language but we don't have to worry anymore if it will play in Peoria because since yesterday we know it won't even play in Mississippi.
Now that's progress.
Well, it's still playing in West Virginia..
As long as American Foreign Policy is guided by the neo-cons and the Israel Lobby
we are going to be in the middle east. Lieberman and his boys are already leading McCain
by the nose and tell him what to do. Oil will be sky high, American wealth will be drained
and wasted, the American dollar will be useless paper. We will continue to spend trillions of
dollars on our military, yet we lack health care, real jobs and a thriving economy.
Our media will never step up and tell it like it is. They are muzzled and controled
We lack the any statesman with
courage to tell it like it is. Ron Paul is our only man of courage in public life. Isn't there
any courage out there in this once honorable country?
Great article, Mr. Hart. It is so hard to watch our country being perverted by these maniacal weirdos for all of these years. Not only does John McCain know better but so should most all of those who claim to be conservatives. There is nothing conservative about what has occurred the last 7 years, it is radical and very dangerous and must be stopped.
"It is so hard to watch our country being perverted by these maniacal weirdos for all of these years."
Here is the problem. WE have watched, WE have allowed, WE are the problem. A large portion of our society is willing to look the other way as long as we have SUVs to drive and XBox's to play. We allow ourselves to be diverted and dumb-downed and pandered to. We allow executive orders that give the President the power to declare martial law and dissolve the government. We allow the USA PATRIOT Act and other Acts of Congress (our representatives that WE voted for) to give power to the Executive Branch never known before. We allowed deregulation so that the "watchdog" media never sound the alarm anymore. WE are the problem. There will always be maniacal weirdos; there will always be greed and evil. It is, unfortunately, human nature. We can evolve to a better place, but at the same time must always be vigilant and not give our freedoms away. So, yes, blame them. But don't forget to look in the mirror.
A well informed article by an American patriot. References to neocons and Nazis couldn't be more true. In terms of kicking the hornets nest, however, there may be some plus side for America. When all sides of Islam are getting along fighting a common enemy, trouble tends to come our way. By fighting amongst themselves we benifit. However with the present policy of leaving our troops in country its like we are purposely sacraficing them; like they are of no value. Get out troops out of there and kick that hornets nest again on the way out.
Well said Mr. Hart. Let us recall during the Apartheid years in South Africa, the GOP and 'affiliates' were doing business there, while simultaneously, preaching against Apartheid. Yesterday I met the husband of an ex-co-worker, who ranted & raved about gas prices & insisted we needed to be in Iraq (his brand new truck, clearly a six cylinder & gas guzzler stood idling close by emitting green house gasses for the rest of us to die from). A Fox news viewer & supporter, this individual is an excellent example of many Americans, their attitudes & behavior. He too supports McCain and he too voiced dispicable words against assisting those in Myanmar & China! Disgraceful!!! And thus begins the downfall of this once great nation the world USED to look up to. Now, the world just wishes we would go away and leave them all alone - help and all!!
The golden moment in the Bush Administration was when he pulled the "Which side are you on boys," after 9/11. He then had 80 and 90+ approval ratings because technically we are all Americans and technically no one (sane) was on the side of people who converted a passenger conveyance into a missile for civilian wholesale destruction.
From there Neo-Cons installed the language:
Al Qaeda... The Army we are fighting against: As opposed to the reality that at best we remain engaged with multiple factions with multiple agendas.
Terrorist.
Muslim... Backwards: Good muslims had to wait three to five years to be treated with any dignity at all, and then the whole concept that there would be "good" and "bad," expands the citizen-terrorist divide.
___________
McCain is fighting the black-and-white (machiavellian not racial) battles in a year where we want shades of grey... Obama will get the Blue through Purple vote, and McCain-- at his present trajectory may be like that farmer on his way to market who tried to please all the people all the time and broke his donkeys back-- can only hope for some of the "red."
America is sick and tired of polarization and the politics of fear and division!
I whole heartedly agree with most of your post, however I take exception to your statement :
"He then had 80 and 90+ approval ratings because technically we are all Americans and technically no one (sane) was on the side of people who converted a passenger conveyance into a missile for civilian wholesale destructio
I distinctly recall being in the 10 - 12% at the time, and I never was on the side of terrorists.
At the risk of saying something unpopular like Bill Maher did I would also question the "civilian wholesale destruction" comment. the pentagon is not a civilian target. the WTC were financial/
In all honesty Gary I don't really think we have any control over the federal government at this point. Let alone the states. They operate independent of the will of the people that's for darn sure. This lie Mccain is spreading about how in 4 years everything is going to be rosy is just that. An out and out fantasy based no no facts, trends or verifiable research and with no change in a strategy that has failed miserably since 2003.
One thing is for certain. We can't kill our way to peace in the Middle East. What we are doing is setting ourselves up for eternal emnity a la Israel. This is the forces of the gods of Allah vs. Judeo-Christianity all the way. It's funny. When you think about it it should be a fairly simple thing to spread some money around doing favors and acts of goodwill and gradually over time win them over. Let them govern themselves however they want. But engage, engage, engage.
I am in total agreement with the sense and substance of Mr. Hart's piece except for his evaluation of John McCain as stated here:
"Why then would he, a combat veteran, a courageous prisoner of war, permit himself to be captive to the perverters of language? Does he want to be president so badly that he will join that band of radicals who have seriously damaged American democracy, who have tortured and lied, who have twisted our very Constitution so wrongly that it is hardly recognizable?"
Assuming the most courageous performance as a prisoner of war (and there were, according to several seemingly credible reports, some serious compromises with the US Code of Conduct), it seems to me difficult to conclude that he or anyone else would endure 5 years of brutal captivity without sustaining some serious emotional and/or mental scarring. That such scarring could (and likely would) seriously skew his thinking and judgement is by no means a stretch.
I wonder if whoever it is that replaces this tragedy,will he/she contrinue the practice of "Signing Statements".
I wonder if the executive,the Judicial,and voting public will continue to sit idly by and allow this very serious threat to our freedoms continue,should the next administration continue this horrible practice.
Every American citizenwith the ability to comprehend beyond the Eighth Grade level should make it a point to read The Rise And Fall of the Third Reich especialy the part when Adolph Hitler becomes chanceler and convinces the German Parliament to give him power to "Rule By Decree"because of a National Emergency.
The similarities can be very frightening!!!
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
