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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
Michael Harold
Published Letters: 498 Editor's Choice: 3
kdwmson,
The Japanese internment camps are a cruel and dark stain on our history. One of many. The creation of the camps was stupid and unnecessary, part of a continuing pattern of racism, fear and governmental stupidity that started decades before the war. And while it was going on, many Japanese-Americans were overseas fighting for their families back in the States. The Japanese internment was a terrible, evil f*-up. But it was not genocide. Big difference.
I don't take sides when it comes to Democrats, Republicans and war. I know what war is. I despise it for all the right reasons, the chief of which is that the people who gain the most from it are the people most likely to get rich and the least likely to be killed.
Several months ago I made a list of all of America's wars. Next to each war I put the name and political party of the President in power at the time of the war. From Andrew Jackson on, it's been mostly Democrats. George Washington doesn't count.
That doesn't change the fact that, if I need a political name tag for some reason, I guess I may as well call myself 50% social democrat and 50% Austrian School of economics (mostly Schumpeter; I am definitely not an ideologically driven libertarian or objectivist - now that's crazy!)
I don't argue to win, although I used to - overmuch. It was a case of pure Ego. Sometimes I argue to convince. But mostly I try to engage in rational dialogue. If I'm mistaken, I come out the better because I hopefully won't repeat the mistake. Otherwise, it's on to the next windmill.
OMG, it's not like the NY Times?
The Politico is rapidly becoming one of the most prominent and influential national media organizations, and its odiousness has seemed for some time to be generated by more than just the standard dysfunction in our national press corps.
Translation: Waaaaaah!!! Shooter{2,4,2, . . . }
Shooter told a joke.
I think this (from your excerpt) pretty much sums it up:
As a one-time insider, Reedy found that the presidency had become a uniquely American monarchy, an institution never contemplated by our founders. There are few checks on the man (or perhaps in the future, woman) elected to this office, other than his (or her) own character. The office is, in effect, a stage - a focal place that magnifies a president's weaknesses, and often ignores his strengths.
I found something very similar from Douglas Adams:
If there's anything more important than my ego, I want it caught and shot now. -- Zaphod Beeblebrox
Who was Zaphod Beeblebrox?
He was briefly the President of the Galaxy (a role that involves no power whatsoever, and merely requires the incumbent to attract attention so no one wonders who's really in charge, which is a role Zaphod was perfectly suited for). -- from Wikipedia
A Skinner Box is a controlled environment used to study animal behavior as a function of reward and punishment. The psychological term is operant conditioning. Journalists in the MSM have responded to the beltway's "Skinner Box" by becoming docile in terms of their thinking and fully supportive of political power's machinations. They receive their cues, they punch the bar, they receive their "reward."
One thing thing to bear in mind, Glenn. It takes much longer to extinguish the behavior than it does to create it. Your work is cut out for you.
Another thing.
All this talk about Democrats being weak on security is a GREAT BIG LIE. At times of global crisis, our leaders have almost always been Democrats:
Conflict - President - Party
Revolutionary War - Washington - Federalist
War of 1812 - Madison - Democratic-Republican
Mexican War - Polk - Democrat
Civil War - Lincoln - Republican
Spanish-American War - McKinley - Republican
World War I - Wilson - Democrat
World War II - F.D. Roosevelt - Democrat
World War II - Truman - Democrat
Korean War - Truman - Democrat
Vietnam War - Kennedy - Democrat
Vietnam War - Johnson - Democrat
Vietnam War - Nixon - Republican
Gulf War - G.H.W. Bush - Republican
Iraq War - G.W. Bush - Republican
For a more detailed description of wars, dates and presidents see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_war_by_the_United_States
When it comes to looting (er, I mean looking) after American interests on behalf of its corp (er, I mean people), Democratic presidents have shown themselves to be some of the most intelligent, ruthless and successful managers of war in the history of "civilization." That's right - in the history of the world.
You mess with us, we will nuke your ass. And we're just the democracy spreading people to do it.
With the exception of Lincoln (who was a closeted Democrat if one is to judge him by his actions), Republicans are just too self-interested and unimaginative to be effective in global conflicts.
I, by the way, am anti-war. I know what war's about, and it ain't democracy.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Once seen as a lunatic fringe, reactionary anti-women groups are courting respectability
Salon headlines in your mailbox
