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.
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Once again old man Johnny is showing how out of touch he is with the Iraq Occupation and America, he thinks we are stupid and ignorant when he tells and out and out lie. Mr. Hart is correct when he says our American Republic will suffer as the re-pukes WARMONGER in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. The re-pukes and their neconservativism have taken this country to new lows when it come to Democracy and Freedom.Ho
Mr. Hart, it is indeed unfortunate that you are not in a leadership position in this country. We're on a road straight to a facist dicatorship -- if we're not already there -- led by the corporations and a small cabal of "insiders" who are working directly from the I.G.Farben
I would be shocked if McCain was willing to admit to what he likely knows.....
You must also infer that a vast majority of Americans are much like the populace of 1930's Germany - who allowed their fascist regime to commit atrocities in their name.
The people must rise and put down tyranny from within before the remainder of the world ban together to put us down from the outside.
"God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. ... And what country can preserve its liberties, if it's rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure." - Thomas Jefferson
T.J. certainly got the "lethargy" part right. And I'm quite certain he would have 'sold' you a couple of slaves (at a fair price, mind you) when his old balance sheet came up a bit short.
Good words. But good words without at least concomitant deeds are the stuff of armchair revolutionaries.
The quote stands without need of some collateral connection to be valid - and to your collateral concerns there were many others who would count to you as armchair revolutionaries when they were - in fact - the indispensable instruments of the success of the revolution.
The idea of America as a hegemonic power, exerting its influence all over the world, dominating and conquering at any cost is nothing new. The genocide of millions of Native Americans and the enslavement of the black race bears witness to the blood-drenched nature of our past. The most horrifying of crimes were justified with the obscene claim that the oppressors were acting in the best interests of those they oppressed.
Dwight Eisenhower
Wow! I started reading that quote and thought it was Rev. Wright. How low we have sunk, when telling the truth is considered a disqualification for high office.
The republican party used to be honorable.
Dear Gary,
You should examine what you speak of and reconsider some of what you say about McCain.
Goebbles and Hitler were delighted to discovered that the repeatition of words is so poweful that if you repeat lies enough times that people take them on as if true.
Why is it that at least 3 times every day an Obama supporter (or a "Democratic strategist) praise McCain. DURING A CRITICAL TIME WHEN A DEMOCRAT MUST TAKE BACK THE WHITE House!
Or we face depression and the continuanuation of march towards fascism.
McCain is of average intelligence and a relative moron in comparison to Obama who is very intelligent and Hillary who is Brilliant. McCain is accident prone. As a soldier he had several serious accidents with aircrafts, and as one who followed the Middle East for decades McCain embaresses me!
That said, you are right about aL qAeda. There are only about 1,300 of them in Iraq and anyone who thinks we need (160,000 soldiers and 100,000 contractors) 260,000 people to fight 1,300 has got to be uninformed.
Furthermore, Mohamed Atta studied architecture in Germany for 4 years before taking down the World Trade Center. It is *moronic* to believe that we are quote: "fighting them over thar so we don't have to fight them over here." Instead we have created an Iraq milatary training and recruit center for them there.
The Bush Cheney cabal knew full well that Al Queda were not in Iraq. They went in for the oil and to settle an old score (Sadam trying to assasinate Bush I). They've ripped off billions of taxpayer dollars on bogus contracts as well as training a private army (Blackwater). Where is the outrage that these Blackwater thugs are payed 3 times what legitimate troops are payed while our soldiers are being supplied with shoddy armour. It can only happen in a country where a lot of people are not thinking. I genuinely believe however that the public is waking up.
Thank you for being a truth-teller -- for not being afraid to warn of the frightening parallels between America under Bush and Germany in the 1930s under Hitler.
Fortunately, the parallels will end in 2008 if American voters reject a third Bush term and elect Barack Obama president. Because then we will reclaim our democracy and end the flirtation with fascism of the past six and a half years.
Your post here reminds me that you would make a great choice in the Obama Cabinet -- perhaps as secretary of homeland security or secretary of defense.
The parallels won't end. We (if we're lucky) may have a means of slowing the overt push to fascism/co
And let's get rid of torture while were at it.
Am I the only one getting tired of all the people fervently ignoring or excusing what a person does and says just because they knew the person and believe they're better than reality is showing them to be?
At some point one must realize his Drunk ,,,Junkie ...thievin
I hear a voice telling me that John McCain is being sacrificed in a losing, by a large margin, the election. The Republican big-wigs know they are in the dumpster. There is nothing they can brag on in the past seven years, Their lack of oversight and negative domestic and international selections and allowing this corrupt administration to continue on so recklessly has come full circle to do them in. Many of them are unhappy with McCains flip-flopping so openly and his temper tantrums. They pray they can salvage the Senate count but I believe the voting public has felt the failures of their acts in their own pockets. Does anyone truly believe that an unemployed worker or a family worrying about foreclosure going to vote for a non caring politician. Does anyone believe that the men and women
in the serviice going to vote for those opposed to concern for their families or the creation of a " G I "
bill for their future educational benefit. Bush opened the door for al Quada and Iran, Live with it.
One further thought.
It's very fashionable for commentators (and politicians) to opine about the intractable eternal emnity between Shi'ah and Sunni.
If one had been to Iraq during the days of Brother Saddam, one would have found integrated neighborhoods to an extent not found in our own country. And intermarriages to boot. If these two Muslim groups are such inverterate eternal enemies, then why wouldn't they be even more segregated than whites and blacks in our own country?
If the Shi'ah and the Sunni are such bitter foes, how does one explain significant Sunni participation in the anti government coalition in Lebanon. The Karami Family for one.
If the Sunni and Shi'ah are religiously at odds, how does one explain Sheikh Shaltoot (deceased Sheikh of AlAzhar a pre-eminent Sunni "university") issuing a Fatwa that the Ja'afari Mathab (Shi'ah legal school) was a perfectly acceptable Muslim school alongside the four Sunni ones?
Sometimes facts are so inconvenient challenges to our delusions or the "common" wisdom.
The answer of course is that a lot of this emnity has to do with economic and poliltical issues - where one group has been kept down by the other. And precious little to do with faith.
vis-Ã -vis Catholics and Protestants in Ireland?
Now one of the few bright spots in history.
That perplexes me too. The sunnis and shias got along fine. Saddam was wary of the small segment of Shia and dealt with them harshly (yes, over the top, but nowhere near the worst we've seen from that region) when threats arose. I answer it by calling it the 5% paradox. 5% of hate filled radicals have proven thru history time and time again that they can foul it up for the other 95%. That 5% can scare/intimidate you with lies until you believe it yourself. The current US admin need only look in the mirror for proof.
The middle east is way more precarious in that they have been settling even minor disagreements with violence for centuries. Since we've sold arms to just about every country over there at one time, maybe we need to consider the ban of all arms sales to any Middle Eastern country. If there is even the remotest chance that our own weapons will be used against our own men and women, then it is not worth the risk. Sure, we'll buy your oil on the open market, but we (the entire world) will cease any and all arms deals to you. No exceptions and anyone selling arms to them will be dealt with harshly.
In most of the Arab ME the Shi'ah have been the poor cousins with economic power in the hands of other groups.
In Lebanon the Sunnis and Christians monopolized power with the Druze as a second tier part of the favored group.
In KSA, the Sunnis have held down the Shi'ah who sit on top of the oil fields in the Eastern Province. Here one can make an argument for a religious motive, but recall that the Wahhabis throught every Muslim (Sunnis included) who did not "buy" their particular view of Islam to be "bad guys".
In Bahrain, 2/3 of the indigenous population are Shi'ah (with a "split" of sorts between those who are Iranian by origin and those Arab by origin)and 1/3 Sunni. The ruling family is Sunni and has historically preferred its own.
A lot of these preferences or allocations of economic and political power are tribal in nature. I take care of the people in my family, my clan, etc over others.
Well and properly stated. And, in a sadly glib aside, I'm certain that Sen. McCain, with the help of Sen. Lieberman, will one day sort out the situation. Probably when they have their little chat with Allah/Yaweh/God.
Where is Gertrude Bell when we need her?
Ms Bell worked for British Intelligence.
The British were not interested in advancing the interests of the people of Iraq.
Perhaps, your post is a plea for competence in executing an unjust plan rather than justice?
I believe I have an answer, when times are chaotic and resources and territory are up for grabs the minority of people who are predatorial are able to get the people who normaly would be gentle, peacful citizens to follow them into a civil war based on whatever dogma is at hand, in this case religion. The sheep who follow them don't have to believe the dogma but follow out of fear anyway.
Religion like patriotism is often the refuge of scoundrels.
During WW2 as the Nazi armies advanced, Brother Stalin suddenly got religion and nationalism. If you look at the propaganda films made during the War, you'll see the theme defend Orthodoxy and the Russian nation from the Hun repeated over and over.
After Gulf War 1, Brother Saddam had a religious slogan written on the Iraqi National Flag. This from a guy who was a dedicated secularist in a party founded by a Christian and a Muslim with the explicit purpose of creating a secular non religious party.
And of course there are many more examples.
"and believes that an entire political party is not to be trusted."
I believe that the entire Republican party is not to be trusted.
Not right. Just one example: Lincoln Chafee.
So neoconservatives are Nazis? Nazi is the common term for "National Socialist Party in 1930s Germany" I believe. Since many neoconservatives are also Jews, I wonder how they will accept your label.
I don't disagree with the statement about neoconservatives demonizing liberals, etc. but what are you doing when you call the other side Nazis? Let's also remember that, demonization of your oponent predates the Nazis and post dates them too as illustrated by your post. It's a very old trick that has worked very well.
I personally am tired of politicians, neoconservatives and liberals, that want to slice and dice America for their own low purposes. Stir up the blood, forget the important issues, it's us against them, etc.
Americans have a lot more in common than the few small issues that politicians like to use to divide us. We will find that out if we fire all the toxic dividers in congress and hire unifiers to take their place.
I'm Jewish, and all the Jews I know (mostly Reform) are liberal leaning (esp regarding Iraq). I live in South Florida and have seen that by far they have been supporting Clinton (altho her comments about obliterating Iran may have lost her many of them). And, if they don't support Clinton, they support Obama (like myself). Neoconservativism suggests a radicalism that is just not present in the general Jewish community, although I am not denying that some architects of neoconservatism, such as Wolfowitz, are indeed Jewish. The architects were also all flavors of Protestant. Neoconservatism is NOT a movement that arose in the Jewish community. Jews by a WIDE margin are Democrats, and a force that is trying to pull Florida back into the blue column. Jews by a general rule NEVER go looking for a fight, but if punched, will punch back a knock-out, if able. If not, they'll run - something their neighbors in Israel have been hoping for the last 65 years.
THANK YOU!!!! I have always said I will support HRC if she wins and have been saddened to hear of many HRC supporters so angry they would vote for McCain out of spite. THANK YOU so much for saying you will still vote Democrat. Thank you. Let's stay focused on what's best for us all. And McCain is absolutely McBush.
Well said.
(Not sure about the punch back vs. run closer. History shows that between the fall of ancient Israel and the formation of modern Israel, Jews often absorbed hits. Which is one reason Israel punching back both surprises and PO's so many.)
Well fauve, I don't know how many Jews are neocons, but I would suspect it is a small minority. I am no expert on neoconservatism but I think most people believe that neoconservatism was founded by either Irving Kristol (father of Bill Kristol) or Norman Podhoretz or both.
Sorry for the history lesson. I have no love for neocons, Bush, etc., etc. I in fact have no love for either party. I think both parties have both evolved into a convenient mechanism for buying and selling favors. And I think they both manipulate us voters into overlooking their terrible faults by race bating, abortion bating, and in this case, creating allusions to Nazis. I am sick of it.
I hope Obama is telling the truth about wanting to unify America. I think it's what we need most.
" but what are you doing when you call the other side Nazis? "
What he is doing is hitting the nail on the head.
It is sad to say; but still too close to the truth
Nazi, perhaps not quite. I can think of no more accurate a name.
Would your prefer "fascist"? The term has nothing to do with anti-Semitism, but with political theory, specifically the collusion of government and business, which is extremely apt.
You might also look into the life of Bush's grandfather, Prescot Bush. Google him.
Fascism: a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.
Take out the word Dictator and you have the Bush / Cheney administration's wet dream.
Properly speaking fascism is a political philosophy of "corporatism" - that society is composed of certain economic/social groups - within a highly defined hierarchy of ranks which arise "natural law" like from their economic and social positions.
Think of the feudal system of Western Europe in the Middle Ages.
That is, everyone has his place in society, role and dignity (of sorts). When society is restored to this "natural" state then conflicts are eliminated.
Contrast this with "socialism" which seeks to eliminate classes.
Dictatorship is an element, but plenty of dicatorships are not fascist in a technical sense.
The Argentine military dictatorship was not fascist, nor was Schussnig in Austria.
Admiral Horthy in Hungary. Stalin was not a fascist. Nor Ceaucescu.
Heartily agree.
Our political discourse suffers from a tendency to brand our opponents as the spawn of Satan while considering ourselves as the "Lord's soldiers".
It is an affliction of those on both the right and the left.
At one time it was more associated with our foreign policy.
Sadly that mistake is now prevalent in our domestic sphere.
When someone (right or left) thinks they have a pipeline to ontological reality 24/7, it's time for the net.
The optimistic part of this report, Gary Hart, is your vision of historians, at least US historians. Germany's present historical perspective came at the cost of nearly total destruction. The prospect for the U.S. isn't so rosy, at least from the point of view that tries to understand the truth. It is true that the immediate political prospects for the right wing don't look so good right now, but as soon as there is a "change" in government, the right will ramp up its misinformation, at best. The media system, and "reasonable liberals," will pull out all the plugs in its drive to "see both side," which means the views of both the fire and the fire brigade, to quote Ben Franklin. In a very short time, new government will take on the responsibility for the disaster. True historians will be branded as fringe, like Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky. I think there is little chance that future US students will get an intelligent picture of what happened. They never have.
Right on, and shout it from the rooftops, the mind of the country has been stolen by the neocons but the realities of this world will prevail upon their nefarious project to instill their values as revealed and immutable revelation of human nature. In fact, these masters of the universe are filled with contempt for the masses and consider themselves vastly superior to everyone in their own country and to the elites of the rest of the world. They consider themselves guardians and protectors of their personal legacy and the last thing they would allow is a popular president backed by a Congress who can actually show people that their interests and lives will be assisted by their own taxes rather than installing a new plutocracy of corporate barons to dominate the little people.
I'm replying to "Counterglow" (There's not a "reply" link there, for some reason.
He wrote "I keep forgetting how much of a role oil played in this whole fiasco."
How could you possibly forget, when you see the price at the pump (rising every day), every time you fill up your tank? The oil companies are making out like bandits (strike the "like"), thanks to the chaos deliberately created by the neocons. Bush and his oil buds are becoming rich, beyond their dreams, while impoverishing the rest of us. This was one of the principal reasons for this bogus war, as well as U.S./Israe
Forgive me, but I meant as an original motive for invasion. The huge price jumps currently crippling the economy are a recent phenomenon. How many relatively new SUV's are still on the road?
Although one reason for high gas prices is the inability of the US to control the Iraqi oilfields and ensure an extra-OPEC supply, the main reason is limited refining capacity. Several years ago, the major oil companies realized that there was a lot more money to be made from refined product than crude oil, so they closed down a significant fraction of their refining capacity. The resulting bottleneck allows them to artificially restrict supply and ensure that it rarely or never exceeds supply.
Democrats and the media have created this monsterous Manchurian candidate with all of their fawning over McCain. If this isn't the McCain that Hart has known for 30 years, then he hasn't been objective or observent towards his former senate colleague. Why does he think that so many Republicans are angry and depressed at McCain's candidacy? He can't be trusted.
It has always been easy to see where this Iraq crap was headed. Look to George's Palace in Baghdad. If the Democrats in Congress had spent half the time and a fraction of the energy fighting the construction of America's largest embassy in the world instead of fighting the construction of security on our border with Mexico, people like Hart wouldn't be so damn surprised at McCain's dogged determination to keep bringin' home the flag-draped caskets.
There is NO WAY that Democrats can take the moral high road on this war. They have remained virtually silent while this Vatican-sized 'testament to U.S. superiority' is being built. Could it be that there's the same allegiance to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce? Elect Hillary and find out. But don't feign righteous indignation that McCain is somehow 'different'. 100 years in Iraq has always been the goal. That embassy is proof.
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