Around The Sphere June 2, 2007
Our linkfest offering readers a guide to provocative and informative posts on weblogs representing many different viewpoints. Links do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Moderate Voice or its writers.
As We Reported Yesterday, Peggy Noonan says the Bush administration’s (customary) use of demonization of its foes but this time going after conservatives opposing immigration reform was the last straw for conservatives who don’t change their values to adjust to White House or talk show host talking points. But WAS IT? Some such as this reader writing to Andrew Sullivan abandoned ship earlier.
More Thoughts On Peggy Noonan’s Declaration Of Independence via Middle Earth Journal. And be sure to read The Heretik. Also: Sensible Mom.
Some Conservatives Are Now Even Asking If Bush Is A Bad Person (a question to which his critics have an answer) but Right Thinking’s Lee concludes that Bush is actually weak: “And weak men can be encouraged to do bad things.” He offers an elaborate explanation.
Dubai Advertising And Local Cultural Values: Has there been a conflict? Thoughts of some student journalists there…
The Number Of Independent Voters (like yours truly) Is Growing In Leaps And Bounds: Some more thoughts here.
Some Democrats Just Didn’t Do Their Iraq Homework and now, Dick Polman says, they’re paying for it.
If You Oppose Immigration Reform Are You A Racist (As Some In The White House Suggest)? The Queen Of All Evil in very blunt language gives her inimitable reply.
Is There Some Hope In Iraq amid the gloomy stories? Consider this..
Some See Some Transatlantic Obsessions — that German blogs and sites are as anti-U.S. as many U.S. blogs and sites are anti-France. Details HERE.
Perceptions of America In The Middle East: Just Ask A Shiite.
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16 Responses to “Around The Sphere June 2, 2007”
Excellent round-up! Thanks!
The Euro-Trash blogs are obscession-filled, without a doubt.
I wonder if any of those playpen lefties were among those who attacked police in a typical Smelly Socialist anti-G-8 protest, complete with wacky signs such as “Water As A Human Right!”
Noonan is late. Look at the 2006 elections. That isn’t just dissatisfaction with Bush and Iraq, but also with the Congressional GOP, incidentally.
That’s my reaction too, DLS- where has she been the past 5 years- under a rock? I guess you can say that just as too much loyalty to the president weakens the political decisions that the WH has made, so does too much loyalty to the president and the party hurt the party and the country in the long run.
I will admit,the Democrats have been disappointingly weak and waffling- though I think they’re intentions are ok. But the Republicans have been even worse, because they have not taken any initiative when things have gone downhill. Instead of apologizing and defending the indefensible, they should have been demanding a much higher standard of performance from the leaders they put into office.
If the Democrats weren’t full partners in this illegal and immoral war of aggression, they certainly are now. Their intentions (as if we can divine them) don’t matter in the slightest to the Iraqis and our troops dying everyday . They gave Bush exactly what he wanted.
It’s high time all of you apologists realized that. It’s time to start voting strictly for anti-Iraq war candidates.
Chris- The only real chance the Democrats EVER had to end the war was to get Republicans to part ways with the president. They have a slim majority in the House and no majority in practical terms in the Senate. Even if all of them voted only for a bill with timelines in it, it wouldn’t be enough to override the veto.
Where I think they come off weak is in the PR battle, because Bush and the GOP are constantly able to back them into a corner and perpetuate the myth that they don’t support the troops. Also, they don’t seem to be able to get any Republicans to vote with them- except Paul, Hagel and Gordon Smith.
kritter,
From Stephen Zunes:
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/06/01/1608/
Chris- They are not going to give Republicans ammunition that they are soft on national defense. If they did we would be under GOP rule for the next generation. While I think this wasn’t their finest moments, I don’t really want to suffer under the consequences of their party’s actions to defund the war. If we end the war, it will have to be a bipartisan effort, or under a Democratic president.
kritter,
That’s the same type of argument that the Republicans have used to justify everything they’ve done in the last decade. From voter suppression to lying about Iraq, it was all because they thought that anything but GOP rule would be ruinous for the United States.
Well that’s why I said they were cowardly(the Democrats) in my other post, and that they don’t understand how to fight the GOP smear machine.
But what are our alternatives? They’re still our best shot at ending the war. Don’t you think its even worse that Republicans are still blindly backing Bush? I’m not very happy with either party, but still will not vote GOP for this and other issues. We’re not set up for a third party in this country, as badly as we need one- it just ends up throwing the election-like Nader did in 2000.
kritter,
Yes, the Democrats blindly followed and even strengthened the GOP’s talking point about the war spending. The idea that defunding was somehow putting the troops in danger. It was an outright lie, and the Democrats failure to call the GOPs bluff on that was just mind-boggling.
As for our alternatives, I don’t know. I hope someone like Ross Perot comes along again and shakes things up. We need something to change the two party status quo. Our system has failed us on national defense, health care and economic growth for the people. Where is the reset button?
And Nader didn’t change the 2000 election, Gore won.
‘And Nader didn’t change the 2000 election, Gore won.’
Well, Gore would actually have served if it hadn’t been for Nader. And I can’t help but think we’d all be in a much better place right now. I wouldn’t mind going back to the “Don’t worry be happy” 90′s one bit. And in Poly Sci 101 they tell you that the surest way to elect a real minority candidate (who may be the most extreme of all 3) is to run a third party candidate. If you have a liberal, a moderate and a conservative who’s in with the religious right- guess who wins? Because there are 100 million evangelicals, and they helped Bush in both times.
The Democrats shouldn’t have to worry about the half of a percent of people who voted for Nader.
If the Democrats actually stood up and started representing the American people and addressing their concerns, instead of blindly following the polls and the advice of their corporate sponsors, they might be able to actually win elections on their merits.
Instead the Democrats have to count on the Republicans ****ing it up.
It was 2.7%- which was enough to change the result if you assume most Nader voters wouldn’t have voted for W. I do agree that the Democrats seem very weak, and don’t respond to media attacks very well.
Look at the difference btwn Clinton’s last 2 years when he was investigated nonstop, and had WH administrators constantly testifying in front of congress, and the committees headed by Waxman and Leahy. They are terrified to actually enforce the subpeona and won’t impeach Gonzales, who so badly needs to go. That’s been a real joke.
But I also think the media itself has moved to the right and is much more complacent. They have enabled Bush/Cheney and seldom run more than fluff stories now. Investigative reporting is on the wane. If Rupert Murdoch buys the WSJ it will get even worse.
kritter,
I still don’t agree on the Nader issue… not that I’ve ever been able to convince a single person otherwise.
Otherwise I think we fundamentally agree. The Democrats are the lesser of two evils.
Geez, Joe. Ask a Shiite? You’re kidding, right?
“This Palestinians conflict has been going on for decades and as far as I know for sure, it will not end unless the Palestinians are given back Israel.” Well, at least we got that cleared up.
“Some of us who study this matter deeply, like me, believe that the USA and Europe are controlled by Freemasons and groups like that who want to bring about the New World Order.” Let’s not forget Skull & Bones.
And then there’s the old 12th Imam escatology, to name just one more example. What’s worse, this guy is taken seriously in the comments.
I’m all for upgrading the US’ image in the ME, and I am for a solution that will give Israel the security it requires and the Palestinians the state they desire. But we aren’t going to get anywhere by giving fora to insane ideologies.