Letters to the Editor
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"There is no other way to put it" (?)
With respect, contrary to Mr. Greenwald's claim that "there is no other way to put it", I believe there is another perspective.
This is not about being "right" (as in correct) or "serious", this is about squeezing out the light of truth from the public arena. The simple truth is that the pundits and "experts" referenced in Mr. Greenwald's post are nothing more than hateful, war-mongering racists. It is not a question of being unlearned on matters middle eastern, it is a question of promoting crimes against humanity.
Is it worth debating whether white supremacists lack credibility when it comes to matters of race? Do you really need to see a white hood before you recognize a viewpoint built on racism?
How is it that Americans found a way to destroy the Dixie Chicks' career, but choose to do nothing to deter this mindless blood-thirst? These people should not be laughed out of town; they should be charged with promoting hate. It is not their credentials that should be questioned; it is their humanity that is in doubt.
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I emailed Fred ...
for those of you that would like to as well .. here is the email:
fredhiatt@washpost.com
Remeber, be nice!!!
I emailed him the link to this column. I don't think much more need be said.
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Details, Details...
Anonymous:
Glenn: Ritter denied those [sex offender] charges, which were dismissed.
Of course he denied them. And everyone in prison is innocent.
Of course, Scott Ritter isn't in prison.
But why let mere facts stand in the way of a good rant?
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The Reality Kid ...
thankfully .. they didn't destory the Dixie Chicks career(though they tried) .. but that's the price we pay for being part of the reality-based community .. guys like Hiatt and Leeden want other people to die and suffer for their gain ... it's truly revolting
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No Time For Inspections
Hiatt's March 2003 attack on ElBaradei and Blix had the same central thesis as his editorial of this morning: war cannot wait for further inspections.
Glenn beat me to the punch in Update II - the utter shamelessness of these neoconmen is mindblowing. Having incorrectly presupposed the existence of Iraqi WMD, and on that basis urged a precipitous attack on Iraq that has resulted in the current ongoing catastrophe, Hiatt again is willing to presuppose the existence of an Iranian nuclear weapons program and again urge precipitous war at the expense of a continuing inspections regime.
Mr. Hiatt appears completely oblivious to the horrific consequences of his previous counsel regarding Iraq, the grave error of which has been conclusively demonstrated. The possibility that he may again be wrong does not occur to Mr. Hiatt. He refuses to acknowledge that inspections in Iran - as in Iraq four years ago - have to date provided absolutely no evidence of an existing Iranian nuclear weapons program, and appears prepared again to argue (as he did in the case of Iraq) that the absence of such evidence is proof that Iran is concealing such a program.
What kind of person could be completely unchastened by the scope of the unfolding catastrophe in Iraq and his own role in fomenting this illegal and immoral war? What kind of monster could again argue that inspections of the very sort that should have averted the disaster in Iraq must again be disregarded, discredited, and discontinued in favor of a precipitous war?
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My take a smidgen different
I spent a bit of time in DC, and speak the native language, based on my experience with the denizens of that horrid city, i don’t think Hiatt cares as much about being wrong on Iraq as he does ensuring the class of people with whom he breaks bread most evenings continue to be taken seriously (if i may use that hackneyed joke).
Glenn and others have of course pointed this out frequently, and that's once again the case here. To these people it’s all about really smart, accomplished people (those who are “in the know”) discussing matters regarding our empire in a civil fashion even when they disagree. Matters we rubes or meddling fools such as Mr ElBaradei are clueless about. The fact that a few of the “in the know” folks are demanding war with a nation that never attacked us, while others think that may not be a good idea, is simply just a matter of differing opinions. Nothing for them to get all excited about. And nothing we’d ever understand.
And war itself is nothing especially horrible, it is simply an abstract notion.
That’s the mind set.
I admire Greenwald’s tenacity, but it’s pointless. If war with Iran is in the cards, it will happen. Nothing we can do about it. Oh sure, to make myself feel better - and to retain some fragments of sanity - I have written my congresswoman and my senators asking them to demand that a declaration of war is issued prior to any attacks against Iran.
Will that do any good? Of course not, how rude to demand a declaration of war! Our republic is dead and has been for a very long time.
Actually i'm not even sure it ever existed.
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Anonymous is a Coward
And that does tarnish the U.S. Marines when you pose as a former Marine. Anonymous is also afraid to tell us who he/she supports as current political favorites. Is it because someone here my laugh at his/her poor choices?
I don't think even shooter would be willing to defend this weak minded failure unless he/she emerges from the mud.
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What is anonymous' point exactly?
Ritter was right about Iraq not having any WMDs at time of invasion. That senior Iraqi officials might have made themselves available for interviews is a pretty silly attack on his credibility. They knew Bush wanted to invade their country over this, it's clearly in their interest to get the truth of the matter across.
All the rest is distracting Dross. I'm not considering hiring Ritter as a babysitter for my kids, so much more irrelevant could that accusation be?
Hooray for ad hominem attacks in lieu of substantive argument or factual revelations!
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Michael Ledeen, the voice of sanity
From the Boston Globe
http://boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2004/10/10/man_of_the_world
Man of the World
Michael Ledeen's adventures in history
By Jeet Heer and Dave Wagner | October 10, 2004[...] Ledeen is a major voice for an aggressive US policy to overthrow the mullahs, which he sees as but one small part of his vision of an American-led "global democratic revolution."
[...] "To be an effective leader, the most prudent method is to ensure that your people are afraid of you," Ledeen wrote in "Machiavelli on Modern Leadership." "To instill that fear, you must demonstrate that those who attack you will not survive."
[...] Ledeen is especially contemptuous of leaders he regards as weak and corrupt, such as Bill Clinton. In a 1999 article in the scholarly journal Society, he warned of dire consequences if Clinton were not impeached. "New leaders with an iron will are required to root out the corruption and either reestablish a virtuous state, or to institute a new one. . .," he wrote. "If we bask in false security and drop our guard, the rot spreads, corrupting the entire society. Once that happens, only violent and extremely unpleasant methods can bring us back to virtue."
[...] In a March 2003 speech at the American Enterprise Institute, Ledeen dismissed worries that the American public would lose heart if there were too many casualties in the then-imminent Iraq war. "All the great scholars who have studied American character have come to the conclusion that we are a warlike people and that we love war. . .," Ledeen declared.
[...] Ledeen, however, claims his own politics are perfectly mainstream. "I think of myself as a fairly typical American."
- - The Boston Globe; October 10, 2004