Eric Margolis: The Good, the Bad and the Lucky (Chirac, good; Bush, bad and lucky)

The Toronto Sun ^ | December 28, 2003 | Eric Margolis

[Southack]

"His faux "war on terrorism" is seen abroad as a crudely disguised imperial power grab"

To be imperial, one must conquer and keep land, hardly what Bush has done by convincing Ghadafy to give up Libya's WMD programs without firing a shot.

Thus, "imperialism" it ain't.

[Southack]

"JACQUES CHIRAC: The quintessence of a grandiloquent, slippery, scandal-plagued French politician, Chirac has nonetheless gained genuine stature as the voice of "old" (that is, not for sale) Europe. The contrast between Chirac's good sense and reasoned policies and Bush's crusading religious zeal could not be sharper. France remains the land of reason"

The above paragraph is replete with nothing but lies.

Chirac is not only "for sale," but the worst kept secret in Europe is that Chirac will sell out for as little as a cute girlfriend in a free Paris apartment. The entire construction of France's De Gaulle aircraft carrier was an exercise in giving away French contracts as quid pro quo payoffs to Chirac's friends.

Nor are Chirac's foreign policies either "good" or well reasoned. Chirac demanded that NATO wage war on Yugoslavia in 1999 without even so much as going to the UN for a single speech or debate! How can foreign policy be well reasoned if there is not even a debate?!

[cake_crumb]

"I intend to redefine what it means to be a conservative.” Buchananism stood for anti-free trade and anti-globalism in economic policy; anti-immigration and pro-life in social policy; and isolationism in foreign policy. Yet despite his strong pro-life position and frequent religious appeals, Buchanan was rejected by rank-and-file religious conservatives and their leadership"

LOL...nope, not real conservatives at all.

[cake_crumb]

"Margolis, like all of his fellow fear-mongers, can't name a single, specific "right" that has been undermined here in America..."

I would still like to know whom the EEEEVEEEEL team of Bush/Ashcroft ordered firebombed or shot and just how many dissenters to the Bush administration have been thrown into prison, died mysteriously or vanished...and where these 'proncipled' people were during Waco, Ruby Ridge and the abduction of Elain Gonzalas by jackbooted thugs.

[Snowyman]

In short, Margolis is trying to re-write history according to his uneducated perspective, rather than on easily demonstrable facts

He does have a weird accent......looks weird too. But having heard him discuss events in Afghanistan and Iraq I'd say he does know the Middle East,

"Eric Margolis was born in New York city and is a graduate of Georgetown and New York Universities. Mr Margolis is an author, columnist, and broadcaster; often commenting on Middle East, South Asia, and Islamic affairs. He is a contributing Foreign Editor to the Toronto Sun newspaper, a widely published syndicated columnist, and often appears on Canadian television broadcasts. He is affiliated with several organizations including International Institute of Strategic Studies in London, England and the Institute of Regional Studies based in Islamabad, Pakistan.

By all indications, Eric Margolis was a staunch supporter of the Afghan "Mujahideen" campaign against the Soviets in the 1980s. He carved strong bonds between himself, the Afghan fighters, and their Pakistani military and intelligence handlers. These relationships are quite obvious in his views and writings. Eric Margolis is a very well travelled journalist, often "embedded" with Muslim mujahadeen forces engaged in conflict around the world. His commentaries have focused on the Israeli-Palestinian issues, the war(s) in Iraq, the Balkans, Kashmir, and Chechnya"

[Southack]

"Much of the rest of the world abhors Bush's extremist, Christian fundamentalist, neo-conservative agenda."

Well, Margolis certainly can't explain with his above logic why Bush gave $15 Billion to combat AIDS in Africa. That's hardly "extremist" or "neo-conservative," after all.

[OpusatFR]

His opinions are just as valid as mine!

I hope he knows that... ( ;

[cake_crumb]

Rachael Corrie forged strong bonds with her Pali handlers. That doesn't men she knew anything about that she was doing. Margolis doesn't sound in this article like he has a single clu. He's spouting Islamonazi rhetoric.

[albertabound]

Margolis is an American, please return Mark Steyn.

[Snowyman]

He's spouting Islamonazi rhetoric.

Maybe. I don't really care other than I've heard him on panel discussions regarding Afghanistan and Iraq and he more than held his own . I recall people disagreeing with him on his opinion ,which I suppose would be natural when 4 or 5 experts(?)get together , but not challenging the validity of the facts he was using .

[cake_crumb]

" I recall people disagreeing with him on his opinion ,which I suppose would be natural when 4 or 5 experts(?)get together , but not challenging the validity of the facts he was using "

The most worrying part of that statement is the idea that 4 or 5 'experts', especially those who disagree, weren't questioning each other's facts.

[aculeus]

But by so far avoiding social turmoil in China, and by refusing to give in to U.S. demands to devalue China's fixed rate currency, Hu has prevented a sharp currency devaluation that would have caused massive bank failures and the implosion of China's soaring but still fragile economy - a disaster that would shake the world's economy.

Eric, your ignorance is showing.

The US has pressured China to up-value its currency.

We are convinced it is deliberately being kept artificially low, making their prices cheap on world markets.

A devaluation (the term you used -- twice) would make China's trade balance even more distorted and would be a catastrophe ... for the USA and others. No one is recommending that step.

Basic info available here:

www.bizasia.com/trade_/bea9n/ us_heat_chinese_currency_peg.htm - 23k

[RoseofTexas]

Lemme see here, Dean=brilliant while Bush=Managed by brilliant political handlers! GOOOOOAAD I HATE THE FREAKIN LIBERAL MEDIA FUDGING WHORES!! No matter what W does, say or act upon, with EXCELLENT results, he will never be given credit! NOT NOW or in future History books! The majority of the FREAKIN historians are liberal whores!! They rather cut their wrists than give W his due credit! W will always be snubbed by the bastards. Mark my words!

[RoseofTexas]

ooops...snub=snob :)

[JCB]

"And even on war, Bush had UN resolution 1441 supporting him, whereas Clinton went to war in Yugoslavia in 1999 without even *going* to the UN."

It's worth noting that Eric Margolis couldn't wait to bomb Yugoslavia to "punish the Serbs" (as he once put it) for the war in Kosovo. Amazing how a new face in the White House is all it takes to change the guy's opinion when it comes to UN blessing.