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| Law & Order' actor: I know more about war than troops |
| 2006-03-20 |
| According to actor and comedian Richard Belzer, American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are too uneducated to be expressing support for the U.S. military mission since they're just "19 and 20-year-old kids who couldn't get a job" and "they don't read twenty newspapers a day." Belzer, who's best known as Detective John Munch on NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street" and "Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit," is a frequent guest on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher." On one previous appearance, he threatened to walk off the set when told columnist Ann Coulter was also appearing, calling her a "fascist party doll." On Friday night's live broadcast, Belzer attacked claims by fellow guest Florida Congresswoman Ileanna Ros-Lehtinen's that U.S. soldiers continue to express support for the war. In the lively exchange, captured by the website NewsBusters, Belzer dismisses Ros-Lehtinen accounts of meeting with troops in Iraq and their credibility as "bull----." Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: "Having been in Iraq a few times, and Afghanistan, having met the troops one-on-one with free reign and asking them what they're doing, they're saying 'We're proud of our mission, we know what we're doing over here. We don't want you guys in Washington to lose it over there'. And there is a great sense of determination that what they are doing is making a difference. And yes, it has been an important mission what we're doing ... come on." Richard Belzer: "Yeah, come on. Our soldiers now are at ..." Ros-Lehtinen: "Are a volunteer force, a volunteer force." Belzer: "Okay, fine. No one questions the nobility and the honor that these men and woman who are serving and what they're doing. No one questions that. But now they're targets, they're not going out. Now they're just protecting each other and they're in the middle of a civil war. So it's really not fair to have these people who volunteered their lives to protect our nation under false pretenses to now be a target ..." [Loud applause for Belzer] Ros-Lehtinen: "Ask them. Ask them if it's fair! Wait a minute, wait a minute. My stepson, wait a minute, my stepson ..." Belzer: "That's bull----: Ask them! They're not .. they don't read twenty newspapers a day. They're under the threat of death every minute. They're not the best people to ask about the war because they're going to die any second." Ros-Lehtinen: "Wait a minute! You are talking about my stepson, my stepson who just finished last week eight months of duty ..." Belzer: "God bless your stepson. Doesn't mean he's a brilliant scholar about the war because he's there. And God bless him." Ros-Lehtinen: "Oh, you are though! You are though? Okay." Belzer: "Well I have more time, I'm not there. My life is not under threat." Ros-Lehtinen: "Thank you. Thank you. I'm glad." Bill Maher: "I think the point he's trying to make is that a 19-year-old who is in that army because he probably couldn't find other employment ..." Ros-Lehtinen: "He's a college graduate. He's a Marine officer. He volunteered for the Marines." Belzer: "He's the exception for the rule." Ros-Lehtinen: "He's not the exception for the rule. I've been there ..." Belzer: "You think everyone over there is a college graduate? They're 19 and 20-year-old kids who couldn't get a job ..." Ros-Lehtinen: "Yeah, you know because you've been there and ..." Belzer: "What, I don't f---ing read!? Don't do that!" Maher [to Belzer]: "Woe, woe, woe. Come on. Wait, wait, wait. That ... Don't." Belzer: "Pardon my French." Maher: "Yes ... that was over the line and now you're going to lose ..." Belzer: "It's this patronizing thing that people have about if you're against the war everyone's lumped together. You know, the soldiers are not scholars, they're not war experts ..." Maher: "You're going to lose even me like Michael Moore did when he came down on Charlton Heston in Columbine." Belzer, a conspiracy theorist who once hosted several conspiracy-themed specials for the Sci-Fi Channel, is the author of the 1999 book, "UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don't Have to Be Crazy to Believe." To view the exchange between Richard Belzer and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, click here [Note: Contains vulgar language]. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #20 Let me get this straight. Since *he* couldn't manage to cut it in the Army after failing in civilian life (sure, baby, you were too damn funnay and got kicked out of school for that....right) back in the 70's, he thinks *all* the current crop of soldiers are like him? Talk about projection. |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2006-03-20 21:14 |
| #19 Law and Order SUV drops from any viewing lists I had. Buh-bye |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-03-20 20:43 |
| #18 I'm always stuck between amusement and anger at these high school dropouts who think they are qualified to pass judgement on foreign policy and military matters. If the American public didn't over pay them and idolize them, their view of themselves might be a little more realistic. |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-03-20 20:22 |
| #17 thanks Richard - you do a good job of reading words and emotions written by others. Your own work seems to have gotten you .....middle of nowhere. We should listen to you for advice? YJCMTSU |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-03-20 20:08 |
| #16 I saw comments somewhere lately that the military volunteers test in the upper third of physical and mental competence of the population as a whole. I worked with Hollywood types for ten years in Beverly Hills. They are not in the upper third. They just believe their own BS and whatever words their agent puts in their mouths. |
| Posted by: usmc6743 2006-03-20 20:07 |
| #15 May he rot in hell with his back broken. A worse fate - may he be forgotten and ignored, even by his "friends" in Hollyweird. There is no greater punishment for these attention-hounds than to be ignored. May that be the fate of all of them, Hollyweird types,Cindy Sheehan types, and the rest of the looney left. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2006-03-20 16:59 |
| #14 Belzer was funny as a snarky know-it-all talk show host on one of the National Lampoon LPs back in the '70's. That was 30 years ago. Obviously, he still has an ax to grind with the military and just as obviously he doesn't know any active or recently active military. May he rot in hell with his back broken. |
| Posted by: JDB 2006-03-20 15:43 |
| #13 Belzer, a conspiracy theorist who once hosted several conspiracy-themed specials for the Sci-Fi Channel, is the author of the 1999 book, "UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don't Have to Be Crazy to Believe." Kinda says it all, don't it? |
| Posted by: Mike 2006-03-20 15:01 |
| #12 Damn, another actor I will refuse to watch. The list is growing |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2006-03-20 14:56 |
| #11 This exchange tells you everything you need to know about the left: They are smarter and know what is best for YOU. Obviously neither Bill nor Richard has met anyone currently in the military or they would not make such idiotic statements. I would make a blanket statement that ANYONE currently serving in the Military could land a good paying job in the private sector without too much difficulty. Further you can read tons of newspapers and still get it wrong. If you only read Pravda or any of the commie rags you would be mystified why communism failed. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2006-03-20 14:38 |
| #10 "enlisted in the Army when he failed there, then tried to get out" Bingo. There's where the inadequacy and inferiority complexes originate regards the armed services. He's a wimp and this is his defense. |
| Posted by: Spugum Sherens5365 2006-03-20 14:11 |
| #9 There would have to be another Roman guy, with a clipboard, asking: Cake or Death? |
| Posted by: Spugum Sherens5365 2006-03-20 14:05 |
| #8 According to Wikipedia, he got tossed out of every school he attended, supposedly because he was too funny. (uh huh) Unsuccessfully tried junior college, enlisted in the Army when he failed there, then tried to get out. White, straight, Jewish, cousin of Henry Winkler. Married 3 times. Yup, just the go-to guy for serious military analysis. |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-03-20 13:47 |
| #7 ..Gilbert Gottfried as a Roman soldier...twisted, but funny. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2006-03-20 13:14 |
| #6 Maybe if he was forced to carry a large wooden cross through downtown Jerusalem while being scourged by Gilbert Gottfried, dressed as a Roman soldier. I'm not saying it would do anything, just that it sounds like a good idea. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-03-20 13:03 |
| #5 career in standup It would have helped if he were funny or even mildly amusing. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-03-20 12:55 |
| #4 ....Hell, it must be nice to have a job that is so undemanding that you have TIME to read 20 newspapers a day. Reality check - he's still pissed because his career in standup never quite took off. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2006-03-20 12:40 |
| #3 "UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don't Have to Be Crazy to Believe." But it probably helps. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2006-03-20 11:57 |
| #2 For some reason I find it funny that a conspiracy theorist believes everything he reads in 20 papers. I guess if they regurgitate your world view. I expected more from Belzer, I don't know why. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2006-03-20 11:56 |
| #1 *adds Belzer to list, just above Maher* |
| Posted by: Spugum Sherens5365 2006-03-20 11:41 |