The revolution may have started in Tunisia where ongoing protests forced the countrys foreign minister to step down Thursday. It then spread to Egypt on Tuesday, taking aim at the 30-year rule of President Hosni Mubarak.
And now it has migrated to Yemen, where tens of thousands of anti-government protesters demanded Thursday that another U.S. ally step down: Yemens president, who has held power for 32 years.
But the spark for this wave of revolutions may have started during the Bush administration when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gave a seminal speech at the American University in Cairo:
For 60 years, the United States pursued stability at the expense of democracy in the Middle East and we achieved neither, Rice argued during her 2005 speech which came across as a direct challenge to the Mubarak regime, a regime that receives billions of dollars in U.S. foreign aid, the second highest after Israel.
Now, we are taking a different course. We are supporting the democratic aspirations of all people.
The Bush administrations argument was that if the people of the Middle East dont have political freedom then Arab youth will be pushed into mosques where they are readily recruited by Al Qaeda.
President Obama tried to pick up the baton with another speech in Cairo shortly after he took office.
All people yearn for certain things the ability to speak your mind and have a say how you are governed, President Obama said in his June 4, 2009, outreach to the Muslim world.
Government that is transparent and doesnt steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose. These are not just American ideas, they are human rights, and that is why we will support them everywhere.
But Obama failed to mention this weeks Egyptian protests in the State of the Union address. And in her first remarks after the Egypt riots broke out, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at first looked as though she were siding with stability at the expense of democracy.
Our assessment is that the Egyptian government is stable, Clinton said.
The next day the administration did an about-face, calling for the Mubarak regime not to block social media websites, a weak endorsement of the protesters, according to Middle East experts.
I think they are at sea, said former Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller, currently at the Woodrow Wilson Center. I mean, the paradox here is that the Bush administration that made this a priority, didnt have or didnt witness, preside over the kinds of changes that are now possible in this region and I dont think the administration frankly knows quite how to respond.
As evidence, Pentagon officials met with top Egyptian military leaders at the Pentagon Thursday. The previously scheduled meetings will continue until next Wednesday.
The Obama administration reluctantly inherited the Bush administrations call for democracy in the Middle East.
I think the Obama administration came to office with a much more nuanced view of the region. They were not interested in engaging in regime change, said Miller, author of The Much Too Promised Land. They wanted a low-key approach to what appeared to them the cookie cutter ideological approach to democratization in the region.
The State Department was slow to embrace the Tunisian protests as well then just one day before Tunisias president was forced to flee his country for Saudi Arabia, Clinton gave a speech in Doha.
#4
Anti American dictatorships generally develop pro American populations in time. Pro American dictatorships are likely to develop anti American populations if we are not very careful.
Having said that we can stop all the innocents led by thugs crap, and worrying about collateral damage so much we put our own military at greater risk. When they are a hostile democracy you know where they stand.
#6
The direct cause is The Bernank and his monetary policies which are exporting inflation to all parts of the world because of the reserve status of the dollar, unlike what happened in Zimbabwe, for instance. The solution is for them to cut their parity with the US which will drive up their currencies. This will make their imports more expensive and push the dollar down further, which I think is what The Bernank want to happen. As the Chinese say, we live in interesting times.
#7
Most people of the Middle East don't seem to want political freedom, just the freedom to lord it over, abuse and/or kill some kind of underclass, the Jooce, infidels, blasphemers, furriners, uppity women, etc. I don't expect much good to come out of the revolutionary fervor there, just more of the same with different labels.
#8
The direct cause is The Bernank and his monetary policies which are exporting inflation to all parts of the world The other 'direct cause' is the man who re-appointed Bernanke in 2009 and who has been completely asleep at the wheel as far as the US economy and debt crisis go. Obama allows these monetary policies, either out of malice or ignorance.
#9
It is true. Inflation run amock. Food prices are twice as high as last year. Energy prices also very high. Gas. Basically, everything costs more. That alone can bring pressure against a ruling coalition.
#11
For a guy the left called a chimp-like idiot, Bush sure seems to have put in action a lot of complex conspiracies that work even years after he has left office.
#12
I wouldn't blame the Feds. The Chinese have been running their printing presses for a while too, and using the proceeds to subsidize their export industries. So they get a much higher "multiplier" effect than we do from the same thing.
[Asharq al-Aswat] The rapid stream of news in the Arab world today not only confuses people, but also causes them great frustration. Even Tunisia, whose spontaneous uprising was an inspiration to the Arab masses from the Ocean to the Gulf, now seems to fluctuate between falling into a security vacuum and chaos, and returning to the old regime once more, but with a new façade. The Tunisian masses are dissatisfied with the results of the change they demanded, a demand which they paid for with blood. They see attempts to abort their uprising, and circumvent their demands. The government reshuffle has been limited to replacing a few symbols of the past era, whilst the same old regime continues to dominate the transitional period. This is a phase which is supposed to prepare the country for new elections, to elevate it to a level of true pluralism, freedom of expression, and freedom of association.
In the Arab domain, some interpreted the Tunisian uprising as a movement focussing on improved living standards. Some believed that the main demand was for economic concessions, such as aborting the decision to increase the price of basic commodities. This was thought to satisfy the angry masses, and return them to their deep slumber. However, The infamous However... a correct interpretation of the current situation, and the mood on the streets of a number of Arab countries, would show that people do not only seek to alleviate the economic burdens they shoulder, but rather they seek better political conditions, wider political participation, and genuine freedoms. The numerous political suicides committed by young protestors in several Arab countries, inspired by the young Tunisian man named Mohamed Bouazizi, perhaps reflect a state of desperation and despair, as a result of deteriorating conditions, a prevailing sense of frustration, and the lack of change on the horizon. If there are no real breakthroughs, the Tunisian case, despite the uncertainty of its results so far, will be repeated in other countries. Some nations suffer from a state of congestion far greater than that experienced by the Tunisians, prior to their outburst.
The Arab citizen today no longer relies on the official press or official spokesmen, in order to be informed. There has been a credibility crisis regarding such sources, which dates back to Ahmed Saeed and Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf. The internet and social networks have become sources where people acquire information and exchange news. It is worth noting that in this arena, rumours are sometimes incorporated into the news, by those seeking disturbance rather than change, or destruction rather than reform.
Frustrated by the state of affairs, the Arab citizen is filled with suppressed rage at the deplorable situation, and also at failing to make his voice heard. He feels defeated by the state of weakness and submission that has caused the Arabs to feel powerless and humiliated, in view of the prevailing state of fragmentation, rivalry and tension. There is a lack of Arab consensus, a lack of confidence, as well as a notable, rising sectarian tone.
Official statements can no longer convince people that the situation has improved, whereas bad news is always competing to be at the forefront of our media. Anyone who follows a news bulletin on our screens will find a daily account of the number of victims of Iraqi bombings, a country ravaged by sectarian strife, or the corpse count resulting from militia wars in Somalia, which have been a constant sight for nearly 20 years. There is also news about the Arabia Felix [Latin term for modern Yemen, lit. 'Happy Arabia'] region, which unfortunately is no longer 'happy'. Internal wars have broken out, and al-Qaeda has managed to infiltrate its body, having decamped from the Tora Bora caves [in Afghanistan] in search of a new sanctuary where it can spread destruction, in the region and across the world. On the other hand, Sudan has shown the Arabs what can happen when a government fails to establish the principle of citizenship, and translate this into a reality on the ground. While the heart [Khartoum] drowns in a maze of politics, the other organs of the body feel marginalized and abused, which prompts them to bear arms, and seek secession.
Sudan failed to achieve peaceful coexistence, and thus paid a heavy price, namely its unity. It may continue to pay even more if the situation does not change. Yet Leb is another example of how politicians fail to understand the need for tolerance and peaceful coexistence between ethnic or religious components, to maintain the unity of a country, and end the bloodshed of its people. Today the Lebanese seem to behave like the Bourbon Kings of La Belle France - "they neither forget anything nor learn anything". They are repeating the same mistakes that caused their small country to bleed, driving it towards civil war and a series of failed truces and constant quarrels, which are often followed by armed festivities. Lebanese politicians could not fortify their country and so they sought assistance from abroad, thus opening the door for years of foreign interference. The country became subject to external considerations and quarrels, making Leb a mere piece on the Middle East's complex chessboard. Leb proved impossible for all mediators, and frustrated all those who cared for it. Today it is heading towards a new phase that could prompt an unprecedented conflict.
Paleostine is in a continuous loop of frustration and fragmentation, between Gazoo and Ramallah. There is no hope for the stalled negotiations, as detailed in the recent damaging leaks. While the helpless Paleostinian citizen suffers, numerous reconciliation efforts take place, and leaderships dispute over a state that is yet to be born.
This is a glimpse of the Arab vision that may help us understand why Bouazizi's suicide has been an inspiration to some young Arabs. We must listen to the voice of the masses and find a way out of this situation, before frustration wreaks havoc on everything.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/28/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
What is wrong with the Arab world? One could wax eloquent, but in a nutshell: Islam. Fix Islam and you are home free. But good luck with that!
#3
I've always wondered what would have happened if the Spanish, flush with gold from the New World had continued the reconquesta across North Africa instead of attacking the Heretics in Northern Europe.
#5
Ataturkism tried, and has fading but not yet lost effects in Turkey. He at least eliminated the caliphate. It would take another leader to continue secularization, a leader so far absent, but likely to arise from a fringe or small offshoot.
#6
The Spanish did spend a lot of their treasure both fighting the Turks in the Balkans and in various colonial ventures in N. Africa, most of which weren't very successful in the long term.
#10
rjschwarz... The Portuguese were the grand planners of that... they were going to sack Mecca via the ocean and Red Sea... but got sidetracked when they gazed on the wealth they could get by hijacking the spice trade....
Posted by: Water Modem ||
01/28/2011 9:36 Comments ||
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#11
Arab journalists are part of the reason for the problem.
For decades they pushed Arabism, even when only 2% of the Arab world believed in it, they pretended it was the dominant ideology.
Arab journalists have also led the way with anti Zionism. They basically ignored the depravities of the arab dictators until a few years before the US ousted Hussain. Even then it was only lightly covered.
And, as noted above, the Arab journalists have, to this day, never (with a few exceptions) honestly reported on the cruelty of Islam as practiced in the Arab world.
To see why the Arab world has problems, the Asharq al Aswat (the middle east) needs to look in the mirror.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
01/28/2011 10:28 Comments ||
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#12
See previous article titled: Lurid moonbat fantasies, and what they leave out
Much of what is wrong with the left is also wrong with the Arab world. Andrew McCarthy has an interesting book entitled: The Grand Jihad; How the Islam and the Left Sabotage America that draws a nexus between the two.
#13
Procopius2k, thanks for the link. Still it seems defensive to me. Protect Rome from sea invasion and protect trade routes.
I was thinking more along the lines of conquering, colonizing, and converting North Africa. Literally a continuation of reconquesta, a rollback of Islam from Morocco Eastward.
Crusades should have done the same thing starting with reconquering Spain. It would have had easier logistics and likely had a longer term impact then the hail Mary conquer Jerusalem plan even if it wasn't as sexy.
#15
Arab journalists are part of the reason for the problem.
For decades they pushed Arabism, even when only 2% of the Arab world believed in it, they pretended it was the dominant ideology.
Arab journalists have also led the way with anti Zionism. They basically ignored the depravities of the arab dictators until a few years before the US ousted Hussain. Even then it was only lightly covered.
And, as noted above, the Arab journalists have, to this day, never (with a few exceptions) honestly reported on the cruelty of Islam as practiced in the Arab world.
To see why the Arab world has problems, the Asharq al Aswat (the middle east) needs to look in the mirror.
In Arabia, there is no such thing as a free press. Any criticism of other Arab governments would eventually lead to criticism of the journalist's own government. This is why al Jazeera is pretty unique. The problem is blowback. I think Qatar's emir will come to regret his decision to unleash al Jazeera.
On the other side of the coin, the Arab countries don't have a journalist problem. They have an audience problem. Western-oriented views are seen as treasonous and akin to apostasy. What is the audience for a samizdata publisher / blogger like Sand Monkey? Mainly Westerners who see what they want to see.
#16
Procopius2k, thanks for the link. Still it seems defensive to me. Protect Rome from sea invasion and protect trade routes.
I was thinking more along the lines of conquering, colonizing, and converting North Africa. Literally a continuation of reconquesta, a rollback of Islam from Morocco Eastward.
Crusades should have done the same thing starting with reconquering Spain. It would have had easier logistics and likely had a longer term impact then the hail Mary conquer Jerusalem plan even if it wasn't as sexy.
The reason the Spanish went no further in the Mediterranean was the discovery of the Americas. Why attempt to overcome near-peer adversaries in the deserts of North Africa when you can have free rein in an entire continent of Stone Age kingdoms? I think the Spanish made the right decision, and we are better off for it.
#17
I was thinking more along the lines of conquering, colonizing, and converting North Africa. I'm not thinking on those lines. The Muslims in that part of the world have fouled their own nest, and they can clean it up themselves for all I care.
#18
Spain didn't have the manpower to conquer North Africa. They wouldn't have had the manpower for the Americas, either, except that disease did so much to wipe out the population disparity, leaving the remainder of the natives in disarray and despair.
#19
Yet the Spanish had the money and manpower to dominate France and the Netherlands and support proxies in Germany during the 30 years war. I think the Idea of Protestant heretics drove them a bit nuts.
#20
Supplying an army large enough to win in North Africa would have been a challenge, as well as having enough desert beasts to defend territory.
Now controlling the pillars and some surrounding area would have made sense, but I am hands-on unfamiliar with the terrain as it would affect military operations. No reason to control anything other than coastline and ports, but each garrison would invite an attack by overwhelming forces, and if each garrison had to be resupplied by sea better make sure they control the sea.
#22
Re: Spain
Philip II was so narrowminded he could see through a keyhole with both eyes.
He drank in all the prejudices and fanaticism of Castile. Despite being king of half a dozen ethnic groups, he never learned another language, spent less than four of his seventy one years outside Castile, and by his pigheadedness drove the Netherlands into rebellion. He squandered the wealth of the New World in his dynastic wars.
Why attempt to overcome near-peer adversaries in the deserts of North Africa when you can have free rein in an entire continent of Stone Age kingdoms? I think the Spanish made the right decision, and we are better off for it
The Spaniards transferred the same narrow-minded, brutal Castilian attitudes to the New World. Why bother to develop industries, learn new ideas, create infrastructure, get out of the Middle Ages, when you have a steady stream of gold and silver coming in?
Philip II set a pattern that doomed Spain to three extra centuries of medievalism, and transferred it to the New World. This is the sort of rigidity, pigheadedness, and government by corrupt caciques that turns people toward populist blowhards like Chavez and Morales.
#2
Yokay, but mainstream Russians must bear in mind that Radical Islam's jihad is ultimately GLOBAL in scope...
IOW, EVEN IFF RUSSIA DID GIVE THE NORTH CAUCASUS ITS FORMAL INDPENDENCE, IN LT IT MAY NOT MEAN THE END OF ISLAMIST-JIHADIST TROUBLES FOR RUSSIA FROM SAME.
Again, 9-11 + GWOT = WAR FOR OWG-NWO = THE "STATUS QUO" IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE OR TOLERATED = CHANGE-OR-DIE, PUT-UP-OR-SHUT-UP, etc.
M-U-S-T CHANGE, NOT "MIGHT/COULD" CHANGE.
Iff one does not change VOLUNTARILY OR CONSENSUALLY, CHANGE WILL COME FORCIBLY, UNILATERALLY, + VIOLENTLY, BY ANY + ALL MEANS NECESSARILY!
#1
It is a basic fact of physical science that batteries run down more quickly in cold weather..
Why talk about the "facts of physical science"? It's a cult. And BHO can just issue an executive order requiring batteries to hold their charge longer.
Posted by: Matt ||
01/28/2011 11:14 Comments ||
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#2
You mean the damn things don't run on smug as a backup power source?
#4
Not to worry! The One has told us that soon we will all live close to high speed trains powered by a miracle energy source. We will all ride together in comfort excersing our Right to high-speed WiFi. And, I for one, look forward to the day when everyone is smartly dressed in those cool metallic-looking unitogs.
#5
Switch based conversion of autos to Natural Gas and a home compressor make much more sense.
Run on nat gas without road tax and then when you go long distance just flip the switch to run on gasoline.
Conversion costs: typical $2500 to $4000 per auto and $2500 to $5000 per natural gas pump.
Posted by: Water Modem ||
01/28/2011 15:05 Comments ||
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#6
And BHO can just issue an executive order requiring batteries to hold their charge longer.
Did someone tell him that? Because he seems to think he can.
#7
Then there's the problem of being stuck in a Houston or Miami traffic jam in hot, humid weather. I think most electric cars would run out of juice even faster, trying to run A/C in that scenario.
#10
I nominate Swamp Blondie for Snark-o-the-day! (From someone who is surrounded by smug little Prius owners)
Posted by: A Very Reasonable Man ||
01/28/2011 20:19 Comments ||
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#11
Its fashionably American to drive around the biggest Pickup you can afford therby allowing your fellow rednecks to "witness" the massivness of said drivers cock
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/28/2011 20:29 Comments ||
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#13
btw - I assume you drive a Smart Car. Shrinkage!
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/28/2011 20:30 Comments ||
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#14
Well out here we get the largest Pickm'up Trucks possible to haul horse trailers to work and if the truck makes you look good doing it, it is because the witnesses have vehicle envy. So you see, out here our cocks are a full trailer and two studs larger than what you only think is a big cock.
#18
Its fashionably American to drive around the biggest Pickup you can afford therby allowing your fellow rednecks to "witness" the massivness of said drivers cock
Spoken like someone who is insecure about not measuring up.
[Asharq al-Aswat] Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri considers what happened to his [political] bloc as being virtually a "political coup d'etat" and he [also] expressed his "deep sense of betrayal." He said that his father's killers were the ones who were responsible for him being removed [from power], and he has every right to say this, however Hariri must remember that democracy itself is crooked.
Our democracy, as I previously described it, is an "Iranian democracy" where the winner loses, and the loser is the one who forms the government, along the lines of what happened in the recent Iranian presidential elections. As Leb today is being run by the "Supreme Guide" Hassan Nasrallah, we see the same method being adopted in this country.
For example, Nasrallah blamed the majority government because it did not do anything for the people; however he did not acknowledge that his men and Nabih Knobby Berri ... the Hizbullah sock puppet ... 's men surrounded Fouad Siniora's residence for 538 days, and then later withdrew from the government, forcing its collapse. This is not to mention the innovation of their "blocking third" veto power. In light of all of this, how could any government serve the people? Hezbullies was not satisfied with their endless tricks, and indeed Omar Karami has responded to Nasrallah's speech in which he claimed that he had refused to accept the position of prime minister due to his advanced age, saying "I listened to Sayyad Hassan [Nasrallah] during his address, in which he lamented me. Today I am standing before you, and I ask you to bear witness as media representatives, do I look ill to you?"
A further trick in Hezbullies's repertoire was to undermine Leb's 'Day of Rage', which had been called for by Hariri. Hezbullies sought to interfere and sabotage, and everyone knows that Hezbullies has infiltrated some Sunni areas [of Beirut] -- which is something that I wrote about a few months ago -- in order to generate inter-Sunni sedition. Have we forgotten, for example, the story of Sunni Death Eater Omar Bakri, who was released from prison [in Leb] after terrorist charges against him were dropped after he said that he acknowledged that Shiite Hezbullies was "Ahl al-Qibla" [i.e. Mohammedans, who pray in the direction of Mecca] and not "Rafidah" [Shiite Mohammedans who reject the caliphate of Muhammad's two successors, Abu Bakr and Umar]? Interestingly, the lawyer representing him in this case was Hezbullies MP Nawar al-Sahili.
Therefore, the message to Hariri today is that whilst you may have lost the battle, you have not lost the war. Your war is to protect the state, and the most important means of guaranteeing this is the Special Tribunal for Leb completing its mandate and uncovering the killers of Rafik Hariri and his associates, regardless of the price. This will prevent bloodshed, ensure that Leb is protected, and ensure the continuation of Rafik Hariri's message, for [Rafik Hariri] did not monopolize the Sunnis, but rather returned them to a state of strength, without firing a single bullet.
The government today is facing major challenges, and with all due respect to Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who is aware of the extent of my personal appreciation for him, the Lebanese [leadership] succession is not only an internal matter, but a regional one as well. We do not know if Mikati has cleared the air with the Gulf States, particularly as certain countries did not agree with the manner in which he came to power. Most importantly, Soddy Arabia's acceptance of this appointment has yet to be confirmed, and we are aware that Soddy Arabia had announced that it was washing its hands of this issue. This is an extremely important issue, and Riyadh is currently warning its citizens from traveling to Leb. Of course, there is still the international community, especially Washington, which Prime Minister Mikati says is very important to him. However we do not know how this stance can be reconciled with the 'defenders of the resistance', especially considering that Nasrallah regards the Lebanese Sunnis as being disloyal merely because they have a relationship with the West!
So, former Prime Minister Hariri, your task is to protect the state, and the way to achieve this is via the completion of the international tribunal, which is what led to your being removed [from power] in the first place. So don't stop...continue!
Posted by: Fred ||
01/28/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
You silly rabbit. The Supreme Leader way over there in Iran had Hariri blowed up thru Syria.
Failure to follow through cost lots.
Hat tip Instapundit
This week, as President Obama has been busy consolidating his alleged pivot to the center, I've been reading Joshua Berman of the Shalem Center in Jerusalem. His 2008 book Created Equal contrasts the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly the Torah, with the legal order that predominated in the rest of the Near East at the time.
Berman writes:
"The new order articulated in [the Pentateuch] stands in contrast to a primary socioeconomic structure prevalent ... throughout ... the ancient Near East: the divide between the dominant tribute-imposing class and the dominated tribute-bearing class... These two groups, the exploiters and the exploited, are opposite sides of the same coin. The dominant tribute-imposing class consists, in short, of the political elite...This class includes not only the nobility but all who benefited by association with it: administrators, military and religious retainers, merchants, and landowners who directly or indirectly benefited from state power. What all of these have in common is that they all participated in the extraction of produce, or surplus, from the dominated tribute-bearing class: agrarian and pastoral producers, slaves, unskilled workers ... Their production was drawn as surplus in the form of taxation, slave labor, rent, or debt service..."
...Reading about dominant tribute-imposing tribes and their exploitation of dominated tribute-bearing classes by means of debt, tax and mandated labor, seemed strangely similar to modern times. It seems that Washington is not as far removed from Ur, Nineveh, Cairo or Babylon as we would hope. It seems also that our emerging system of central control is not what its advocates claim: It is not new; it is ancient.
America's liberal left is preoccupied with salacious fantasies of political violence. These take two forms: dreams of leftist insurrection, and nightmares of reactionary bloodshed. The "mainstream" media ignore or suppress the former type of fantasy and treat the latter as if it reflected reality. This produces a distorted narrative that further feeds the left's fantasies and disserves those who expect the media to provide truthful information.
In a Los Angeles Times op-ed piece, socialist author Barbara Ehrenreich defends socialist sociologist Frances Fox Piven, who has recently been criticized, most prominently by Fox News Channel's Glenn Beck, for advocating violence in the service of left-wing aims. Ehrenreich claims that Piven was merely urging "economically hard-pressed Americans" to "organize a protest at the local unemployment office." In fact, as we noted Monday, what Piven urged in the pages of The Nation was--these are her words--"something like the strikes and riots that have spread across Greece."...
The dishonesty of Ehrenreich's piece is shocking, but it isn't even the most bizarre thing about it. She begins by bemoaning the absence of grass-roots activism in America....Ehrenreich's explanation is America has become "a tyranny of the heavily armed." Americans don't get politically involved because they're afraid of getting shot. The implication is that if only the government would take away Americans' guns, Americans would be able to grab their Molotov cocktails and rise up against the government, or for the government, or something.
But wait. How has it escaped Ehrenreich's notice that the past two years have seen the greatest flowering of grass-roots democracy in America since the civil rights movement? We refer, of course, to the Tea Party movement. To be sure, you won't see any Molotov cocktails at a Tea Party gathering. You may see some guns--a normal part of life in most of America--but they will be borne lawfully and not used violently.
Since the Tea Party advocates individualism and not socialism, we may assume that Ehrenreich strongly disapproves of it (as does her pal Piven). But to bemoan the dearth of grass-roots activism in America without even acknowledging the Tea Party's existence suggests a detachment from reality bordering on the clinical....
Posted by: Mike ||
01/28/2011 08:30 ||
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#1
How has it escaped Ehrenreich's notice that the past two years have seen the greatest flowering of grass-roots democracy in America since the civil rights movement?
1) It doesn't fit her preconceived notions of what a grass-roots protest movement would be (always, ALWAYS has to be leftist, because there's no other kind! Her colleagues in the sociology department are QUITE sure of that, and they simply CANNOT be wrong!), and 2) even more offensive, they won't quote her approvingly....or buy her overrated books.
#2
America's liberal left is preoccupied with salacious fantasies of political violence. These take two forms: dreams of leftist insurrection, and nightmares of reactionary bloodshed.
Their enemy is America??? After scanning the article I said to myself, there's not enough therapy in the world to remedy what's wrong with the left. The left is completely bonkers.
#3
Why is it so hard for journalists to remember that their job is to tell the truth?
It's ironic that Taranto attempts to scold the "mainstream media" with a leading question based on false assumptions. Legitimate journalists only have an obligation to tell the facts. It's up to the consumer to decide what is the truth. Apparently Taranto has yet to contend with his own set of fantasies
#6
A prime example of the "Lurid Moonbat Fantasy" is the idea that the leftists can take over the major cities and force their will on the rest of the country. Modern cities are remarkable easy to kill since NONE of them are setup to withstand a siege. They get their food from the outside and have less than 1 week's supply on hand; they get their water from outside sources that are easily cut; and they get their electricity, natural gas, and gasoline from the outside, which are easy to deny them. Have a city like Chicago get cutoff from access to outside power and food (Lake Michigan could provide somewhat potable drinking water), and see how long they last, especially in the winter, in the cold and dark.
#8
Have a city like Chicago get cutoff from access to outside power and food (Lake Michigan could provide somewhat potable drinking water), and see how long they last, especially in the winter, in the cold and dark.
Okay, I'm in! Let's do it!
Posted by: Secret Asian Man ||
01/28/2011 19:51 Comments ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
