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| Fifth Column |
| Ted Rall goes back to the future |
| 2004-01-06 |
Ted Rall is at his fatalistic best in his latest column, predicting the doom of 2004.Should the Republicans and Bush prevail, the radical reforms enacted under his first term--a shift of power away from Congress toward an increasingly imperious presidency, the transition from European-influenced secular democracy to Third World-style theocratic police state, perpetual war--will take on an air of institutional permanence.It almost sounds like 1984. However, France is curtailing religious freedom and dictators are peacefully capitulating. Engineering a withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq, two pointless and unaffordable wars, would suck up time and money. Terrorists might mistake reasonableness for weakness and strike more aggressively at American targets.(emphasis mine)Afghanistan just got a constitution, and Iraq is chugging along towards self-government, but I suppose that’s not enough. Al Qaeda is on the run, its supply lines are heavily depleted, and it has taken to attacking its own old benefactor. There too, innocent people have been its victims. Three years have passed without a major attack on US soil, and barring the Bali attack, any major incidents elsewhere. Al Qaeda’s effect on the outside world is currently reduced to issuing PR announcements through their good friends Al-Jazeera. Indeed, pulling out of Iraq and Afghanistan would be a colossal mistake, and nothing could embolden the terrorists more. But to Rall, a few attacks on American targets seems to be worth getting rid of Dubya’s Evil Empire. The tone of the article implies that Rall wants things to get worse just so that Bush looks bad and the Democrats look good. He has a long list of predictions tacked on — and some are rather specific. I’ll be keeping a checklist. Not that its going to matter if Rall’s blinkers are still on. |
| Posted by:Vivek |
| #10 …the transition from European-influenced secular democracy to Third World-style theocratic police state, perpetual war… Oh yeah, tell me when he rounded up Michael Moore, Noam Chomsky, etc. Tell me how, if we are theocratic, how StageQ can put on a play that blasphemes Jesus. You're Rall wet, Teddy. |
| Posted by: Korora 2004-1-6 2:15:55 PM |
| #9 Rall sure does talk pretty. For being a bed wetting, polysyllabic, moronic, paranoid, MoonBat snot weasel! |
| Posted by: Jack Deth 2004-1-6 1:00:30 PM |
| #8 From the standpoint of the PETA chicken holocaust advertisements, wouldn't GW have to be a poultry farmer to qualify for fuher status? |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-1-6 11:30:23 AM |
| #7 I like the Bush=Hitler comments. If Bush were Hitler, the left would either be dead, rotting in concentration camps, or too scared to say boo. As they feel "brave" enough to say that Bush = Hitler, they disprove their own statement. The very act of making it, refutes it. |
| Posted by: Ben 2004-1-6 10:20:07 AM |
| #6 "radical reforms... shift of power away from Congress... increasingly imperious presidency... theocratic police state..." Huh? WTF? I'm beginning to wonder if the essence of Leftism is some mental incapacity that causes a person to actually think in terms of straw man arguments. Unable to find very much to complain about in the real world, they invent a fantasy world to rail against. Or "rall" against. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2004-1-6 9:23:34 AM |
| #5 Ted Rall doesn't set me off either - he's so whacked from exposure to Assholium that his ravings aren't taken seriously by even the LLL |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-1-6 9:15:13 AM |
| #4 The Bush==Hitler stuff doesnt wind me up at all, because its obvious it really means the Left == stupid. God I love the internet! There is no where to hide. Express any opinion and you will get the spotlight of critical analysis shining on you from someone. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2004-1-6 8:15:53 AM |
| #3 A list of other things that should be around if Bush==Hitler. I don't usually go postal, but I was VERY P*ssed. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2004-1-6 7:56:03 AM |
| #2 If Bush=Hitler, why isn't Rall a wafting cloud of ash by now? |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2004-1-6 4:56:07 AM |
| #1 Rall has risen to bear the mantle of current Ultimate Chicken Little Bush Hater. The fact that he has no shame and doesn't acknowledge when he wrong is the hallmark of an LLL leader. And there is no doubt he is from that gutless stripe of asshat who would gladly sacrifice American soldiers' lives so he could crow quagmire or gleefully cheer another 9/11 (though he actually predicts there won't be one in 2004; hmmm, wonder why?) so he could claim the Arab Street has awakened to jihad - and it would all be Bush's fault, of course. What he misses is what the entire LLL misses: Those who hate the freedom of the West would've volunteered for jihad anyway, and with many fewer obstacles and thus many more successes, without the WoT as it's being waged - by Bush. Taking the war to them, knocking down Saddam and the Taliban and cutting off the money is working. More of the same will work even better. Rall has reached the Top Level of the Bottom Feeders in his upside down world. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-1-6 4:41:48 AM |