I admire Dr. Bacevich more than you could possibly know. I mourn the loss of his son more than you know or care about. This event changes my thinking about the war more than I expected and more than you know or care about.

May I respectfully submit as an antiwar war veteran that you put a cork in it and say a prayer in memory of Andrew Bracevich? It probably won’t feel as good as flapdoodling, but perhaps would be more appreciated by those of us horrified by this turn of events.

Very nice.

You have no knowledge about what prayers I may already have said. You also have no evidence about what my personal reaction to this event was. If you did know, you would also know how completely offensive your personal attack on me is.

May I respectfully submit as an antiwar war veteran that you put a cork in it and say a prayer in memory of Andrew Bracevich? It probably won’t feel as good as flapdoodling, but perhaps would be more appreciated by those of us horrified by this turn of events.

I also don’t think that triviality or ignorance is unique to the pro-war side. I’ve seen lots of triviality and ignorance from anti-war types as well.

I did 15 years in the military and, while it did not include combat, it did instill a measure of understanding for what combat soldiers have to go through. But I also found that the combat soldiers themselves are generally contemptuous of the trivialities of both pro-war and anti-war varieties.

So let’s focus on rejecting trivialities and ignorance generally instead of only from one side, ok?

Are you seriously trying to make the argument that the only people who can speak an opinion about the war are those who have a personal military connection? Or are you trying to make the argument that the only people who can be pro-war are those who have a personal military connection?

And are either of those arguments that you really want to be called upon to defend all their implications?

Maybe the whole “chickenhawk” theme is nothing but a BS way to try to skew the debate anyway. Let’s try dealing with the arguments instead of trying to ad hom away all opposition, ok?

Can’t we have some respect for the dead?

You also have no evidence that Bacevich’s son opposed the Iraq war. As the Cindy Sheehan roadshow fiasco has shown, the beliefs of the parents do not always reflect the beliefs of their children. Fortunately, I think it is unlikely that Bacevich will appropriate his son’s sacrifice into his personal political agenda like Sheehan did. I certainly think you should avoid assuming that linkage.

That said, since it has been engaged now, I’ll state the test that I think differentiates when someone is biased. Basically, it is a test of consistent application of standards of judgment. If someone uses standards of judgment when judging one actor that are more harsh or even contradictory with the standards they use in judging another actor, then that person can be fairly seen as biased in their judgment.

Do I think Swaraaj is biased against the United States? Sometimes, yes. I’ve seen several posts from Swaraaj (who posts an exceedingly large number of posts on this site, a prolific nature that tends to exaggerate the impact of any perceived bias) that display a pattern of inconsistent and even contradictory standards used in judging the behavior of U.S. actors versus other actors.

Does bias = anti-Americanism? I think they differ in degree. Bias against the United States need not necessarily go to the degree of actually wishing harm upon the country or its citizens. I don’t think there is any evidence that Swaraaj wishes harm on the United States or its citizens. My perception of Swaraaj’s errors in judging the behavior of the United States and its officials is based on intellectual differences, not moral condemnation (at least from my side).

America is much more than a geographical fact. It is a political and moral fact – the first community in which men set out in principle to institutionalize freedom, responsible government, and human equality. ~Adlai Stevenson
——

America is a passionate idea or it is nothing. America is a human brotherhood or it is chaos. ~Max Lerner, Actions and Passions, 1949

AustinRoth Says:
May 15th, 2007 at 9:05 am eBelieve it or not, and despite my snarkiness, I actually like his posts a lot. Not only are the a different view of the world and the US (even if I don’t always agree, and I think he is anti-US)…

Just out of curiosity… How does one prove one’s love for America? Or, for that matter, that one is not anti- America?

I said in the other threads I don’t have a problem with his posting on India, and want him to continue.

My initial reply (that seems to have started this little insignificant firestorm) was just in light of his comment that Americans posted too obsessively about America.

Believe it or not, and despite my snarkiness, I actually like his posts a lot. Not only are the a different view of the world and the US (even if I don’t always agree, and I think he is anti-US), it is not only the information itself, but the style of writing.

He expresses himself with a use of language that at times I find very fascinating, separate from what he is actually saying.

I guess it is similar to my liking Rage Against the Machine as a band, even though I am about as diametrically opposed to the political message of their music as can be.

This was actually a thoughtful link from you for once.

BTW – just to poke a stick at you and reiterate an early point of mine, with the exception of the posts around whether you are biased and posting too much on India, of your last 11 articles, 6 generated 0 replies, and 3 had 2, and 1 had three (this one, and now 4).