So apparently Tom Harkin "defended," at some level, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's claims that President Bush is the devil. Here's the Radio Iowa story that started this mess.
Four blogs that I've seen have picked up on this, and they're all wrong in one way or another.
First and foremost, no, State 29, it's not, nor is it ever ok to call for elected officials, or anyone else, to die in a plane crash. The biggest asshole in this isn't Chavez, Bush or Harkin, it's you.
Krusty, you're wrong in your assessment of national security decisions. Harkin is right when he says that less people hated us before Iraq. Whether Iraq was the right decision or not, it's a globally unpopular move, and it's led to new security risks that may never have surfaced if we hadn't invaded.
Chris, you're wrong in defending Harkin's decision to speak on the matter. How hard would it have been to say "I recognize some of Chavez's concerns, but the fact remains that calling a sitting president 'the devil' is the wrong way to go about fixing it?" In an ideal world, Harkin brushes off the question. At the very least, he needed to find a way to answer that didn't imply approval.
Gavin, you're wrong in suggesting that our lack of moral high ground leaves Bush open for attacks like this. No sitting leader of any country should face attacks like this.
KL
3 comments:
Harkin's point wasn't the mere observation that more people don't like us now.
War is like that madman. We probably weren't very mufuggin popular in Dresden in 44 (or 2004 or anytime in between for that matter). Of course those who support the jihadists-like the vermin in the streets cheering 9.11 throughout the Muslim world-or the vampires that profit from them-like the French and Russians-or our global adversaries-like China, Russia and France-like us less now that we are fighting back.
It always sucks when a little shit blows back on you, just ask the Cyclone fan who said with 5 minutes left in the half "We have the better QB" last Saturday when the 5 minute mark in the game came. All of those who are angry now were happy when the could bomb and terrorize us without much happening to their interests.
But we still have to fight back-or surrender to their world view. If want Kanye West to appear as Christ on the Rolling Stone, they have to accept books that ridiculue the Prophet with killing the author. The culture of jihad is historically incompatible with the new, or possibly even the last, millenia.
So, as I always say, lets get about putting the big American boot up their ass so I can once again fly without scotch, valium, ambien, and a double dose of lexapro.
I meant "Gavin" when I wrote "madman".
Apologies extended.
Have to disagree with the main post. Harkin's comments were spot-on. He called Chavez' remarks "incendiary," which they were, and in context made it quite plain that (1) Chavez was criticizing Bush's Iraq war; (2) unfortunately, most of the rest of the world feels as angry at the U.S. as Chavez; (3) incendiary remarks don't help change Bush's policy; and (4) Harkin doesn't remember much about Noam Chomsky's books.
The interview also sounds like it was recorded about 5 am and Harkin was just waking up.
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