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Mark Steyn: Stop Whimpering, We're in a Battle
The Telegraph ^ | April 20, 2004 | Mark Steyn

Posted on 04/19/2004 5:00:32 PM PDT by quidnunc

"This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper." I'm saving the end of the world for my final column, but T S Eliot's words seem at least as pertinent to the present war – or "war", according to taste. It will be decided not by the bangs – whether in Fallujah or Bali or elsewhere – but by the whimpers. And, although the bangs have got a little louder in recent weeks, it's the whimpers that have become deafening.

Whimpers, whimpers everywhere. On American TV, the network sob-sisters tut sympathetically with the "Jersey Girls", four media-savvy 9/11 widows who've decided that metaphorically speaking George W Bush was at the controls of the planes that slammed into the World Trade Centre. Beltway reporters are a-twitter about the biennial doorstopper from The Washington Post's Bob Woodward, this time a huge book sourced up the wazoo portraying the President as a simpleton Christian avenger whose obsession with Iraq is a dark pathology as ingrained as paedophilia.

For some reason, this is being portrayed as some kind of dramatic revelation rather than media conventional wisdom for the past three years – or, come to that, the President's openly stated position: judging from the Campaign 2000 press coverage, he more or less campaigned as a religious halfwit bent on toppling Saddam. Does anyone actually read Woodward's books? I know I've never finished one. But every cable news channel is pretending to be riveted by the change to some alleged "Gotcha!" moment on page 743.

-snip-

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 911commission; anotherstupidexcerpt; gorelick; jerseygirls; marksteyn; whimper; wimps
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To: Eurotwit
Another great one by Steyn.

Thanks for posting the entire text.

21 posted on 04/19/2004 5:43:25 PM PDT by Gritty ("The only relevant Vietnamese comparison for America-a choice between victory or self-defeat-M Steyn)
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To: Eurotwit
Yes, the Vietnam quote is good, but I'm with Mr. Mojo. Here's the key line from this Steyn: "It's often said that the terrorists are only a "small minority" of Muslims. True. But, when it's well connected with everyone from the House of Saud to Pakistan's nuke maestro A Q Khan, a small minority can do a lot of damage."
22 posted on 04/19/2004 5:49:02 PM PDT by Califelephant (John Kerry has more positions than the Kama Sutra)
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To: Stirner
Casey (William, I think) was Nixon's (and Ford's, I think) CIA director.

CAsey was Reagans CIA director and supposedly allowed Woodward to interview him on his death bed. Woodward said Casey admitted that the Reagan administration did very bad things with Reagans approval in Iran Contra.

There was just one little problem. On the date that Woodward said he interviewed Casey, Casey was in a coma in the hospital intensive care room with no visitors allowed.

That little fact was not persued by the press. But generally people in a death comas in intensive care with no visitors allowed, don't talk much with reporters or anyone else for that matter.

Talking while in a death coma is something that not even William Casey could do.

23 posted on 04/19/2004 5:53:00 PM PDT by Common Tator
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To: Eurotwit
" The only relevant Vietnamese comparison is this: then as now, for America it's a choice between victory or self-defeat. "

Can't forget John Kerry then and now.
He's like a bad penny that keeps reappearing.
If the country is at war, you can count on Kerry to run down the troops and undermine the mission.
Thank God he wasn't around during WWII.
He's still trashing the soldiers- " We have got to stop making war on the Iraqi people."
Still trashing the mission - Iraq is a mess and all frogged up.
Still trashing the country.
And he wonders why we question his patriotism.
24 posted on 04/19/2004 6:02:45 PM PDT by Wild Irish Rogue
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To: Mr. Mojo
But then it's not a small minority anymore. Terrorist enablers and financers are terrorists themselves. ......and that's no small minority.


Terrorist enablers and financers, not a small minority; I agree, the Democrat party is no small minority.
25 posted on 04/19/2004 6:15:35 PM PDT by Newtoidaho
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To: Rooivalk
They think they have an implicit agreement with the terrorists. We attack your political enemies here, every chance we get. It we succeed and replace them in office, you bomb somebody else until we are voted out again. Then kill our countrymen. We will whine some more. When we are back in office, bomb somebody else again. Then we will sell ourselves to our people as good at dealing with you, able to stop the bombings.

In return, whenever we are in office we will leave you alone and let you rule your part of the world, murder whoever you like (just not us, at those times), etc. They consider is a fine offer and can't see why anyone wouldn't take it. They think they had the same deal with Marxist rebels during the cold war, and national liberation movements during de-colonization. And they don't see any reason not to make the same offer to Islamic terrorists, or any good reason why those terrorists won't take them up on it.

All you have to understand is that their own power means more to them than murder does. Their enemies are republicans, not foreign terrorists. The one great crime in the world is depriving them of office, not murdering innocent people.

They have puppy dog followers who aren't this cynical, who can't think in consecutive sentences. Who think it is judgmental to be against anyone, who think nothing ever justifies use of force and especially not by us, who think it is all about oil and therefore wrong, and other kindergarten level propositions. They are dupes to the above cynics, political footsoldiers, votes. But not the source or drivers of the attitude and policy.

26 posted on 04/19/2004 6:25:41 PM PDT by JasonC
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To: Rooivalk
really do not understand the mindset of the defeatists. Do they think that if America followed their 'advice' and cut and ran that the jihadists would be satisfied?

Have they ever looked at the history of appeasement?

You make the mistake of applying logic to the whiners on the left. They are basically insane: they are more interested in the RATs' attainment of political power than they are in the long-term survival of the Constitutional Republic known as the United States. The morons really think that they can "negotiate" with the likes of the rag-head terrorists; that somehow its the fault of the US that we were attacked and that if only we could change our foreign policy to accomodate these "victims" then everything would come out right. That way, we could gin up some more tax dollars to try and "pay off" the poor, misunderstood victims of centuries of Colonialism.

The left has been educated into imbecility by institutions that are themselves completely out of touch with any reality other than the one they have created for their little academic world. It is they who will ultimately pay the price if a jerk-off like John 'effin' Kerry is elected pres: the price of another major attack on the US and possibly an expanded and far more expensive global war. It is the "Way of The Rat".

27 posted on 04/19/2004 6:26:56 PM PDT by 45Auto (Big holes are (almost) always better.)
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To: Eurotwit
Steyn Bump...Kudos to Eurotwit for the full article...and thanks to quidnunc for bringing the article to Eurotwit's attention so he could post the entire article.

FMCDH

28 posted on 04/19/2004 7:02:39 PM PDT by nothingnew (The pendulum is swinging and the Rats are in the pit!)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
I think you'll like this one! :-)
29 posted on 04/19/2004 8:06:57 PM PDT by calcowgirl
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To: quidnunc
This guy is the best conservative writer out there - bar none. Outstanding stuff, and incredibly prolific. Wow.
30 posted on 04/19/2004 8:31:34 PM PDT by Tennessean4Bush (An optimist believes we live in the best of all possible worlds, a pessimist fears this is true.)
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To: Eurotwit
Thanks for the completion of the article!
31 posted on 04/19/2004 8:35:51 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States - and war is what they got!!!!)
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To: calcowgirl
Steyn is always great!
32 posted on 04/19/2004 8:40:03 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States - and war is what they got!!!!)
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To: Tennessean4Bush
I must confess that I have the intellectual "hots" for Steyn. Rarely have I read anything by him that wasn't brilliant.
33 posted on 04/19/2004 9:18:25 PM PDT by HanneyBean (John Kerry liked this tagline before he disliked it)
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To: JasonC
They think they have an implicit agreement with the terrorists. We attack your political enemies here, every chance we get. It we succeed and replace them in office, you bomb somebody else until we are voted out again. Then kill our countrymen. We will whine some more.

John F'n Kerry sees himself in Paris negotiating peace with the NVK. Err I mean Al Quaeda. These 60's hippies have flashbacks all the time.

34 posted on 04/19/2004 9:34:10 PM PDT by Rightwing Conspiratr1 (Lock-n-load!)
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To: irv
He doesn't write them to be read. He writes them to be worshipped. And the media comply.

Isn't this the guy who had an extensive "tell all" interview with a comatose man???

35 posted on 04/19/2004 10:35:10 PM PDT by Swordmaker (This tagline shut down for renovations and repairs. Re-open June of 2001.)
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To: GailA
Any one have more info on this. He was CIA or FBI couldn't hear which.

William Casey, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency under Reagan

36 posted on 04/19/2004 10:36:43 PM PDT by Swordmaker (This tagline shut down for renovations and repairs. Re-open June of 2001.)
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To: Common Tator
Talking while in a death coma is something that not even William Casey could do.

Oh,, I don't know...

This is the official transcript supplied by "Big Ear" a source that refuses to reveal her identity. Our editor certifies that we have pinky sworn that this is a real imperson... er, person.

(Begin Transcript)

Woodward: Mr. Casey? (Sound of slap) Mr. Casey? I'm Bob Woodward with the Washington Post... you know, the guy who made up "Deep Throat" and brought down a president. (another slap) Mr. Casey, could we have some focus here?

Casey: ""

Woodward: Well, OK! Tell you what, I'll whisper a statement to you and if you disagree with the statement, tell me. If not, just stay silent. OK? If you agree, just don't say anything.

Casey: ""

Woodward: Remember, this is 'ON THE RECORD'... oh, I say that metaphorically... I don't really have a tape recorder. OK?

Casey: ""

Woodward: OK, First statement: Oliver North stole money from the government when he had a $200,000 renovation done to his house. Right?

Casey: ""

Woodward: AH! you agree. Second Question. Ronald Reagan was fully aware of the illegal nature of the Iran-Contra affair.

Casey: ""

Woodward: (to himself) Casey agrees. (Louder) Next Question: This administration deliberately chose to ignore the law and thumb its nose at Congress.

Casey: ""

Woodward: We're on a roll here... Next statement: You personally think Ronald Reagan has the brains of a rabbit and the attention span of a chipmunk.

Casey: ""

Woodward: lessee, what to say... Oh, I know! Nancy is a shrew and a tarot reading wierdo that told the president what to say.

Casey: ""

Woodward: Whow! this is great! Next... and you think that the fact that Ronald Wilson Reagan has six letters in each of his names means that he is the anti-christ.

Casey: ""

Woodward: Ok, I think I hear the nurse coming... We'll have to finish this up fast. AHHH? lessee... OK! You agree that anything else I think of for my book was something you would say and DID say in our interview.

Casey: "" bleeeeee__________________________________________p

Nurses voice: Cardiac Arrest in fifteen... flatline.... Mr. Casey, hold on....

(end of transcript)


37 posted on 04/19/2004 10:59:43 PM PDT by Swordmaker (This tagline shut down for renovations and repairs. Re-open June of 2001.)
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To: Eurotwit
Eurotwit,

Thanks SO MUCH for posting the (unnecessarily excerpted) article in full!

Mark Steyn rocks!!

FReegards,

ConservativeStLouisGuy
38 posted on 04/20/2004 5:40:48 AM PDT by ConservativeStLouisGuy (transplanted St Louisan living in Canada, eh!)
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To: GailA
"Local talk host here in Memphis mentioned that woodward interviewed a guy name Casey for his last book who was comatose...Mr Casey's wife was fit to be tied. Any one have more info on this. He was CIA or FBI couldn't hear which."

CIA. Former director--William, I think. Woodward claimed a hospital interview when Casey was long out of it. Woodward fabricates and lies and, because he's serving the Rats' agenda, gets away with it--save for the 'net and talk radio...

39 posted on 04/20/2004 5:41:28 AM PDT by eureka! (The shrillness of the left is a good sign.....)
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To: Swordmaker
I have to admit.. You undoubtedly have that conversation exactly as it took place.

40 posted on 04/20/2004 5:43:45 AM PDT by Common Tator
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