Hey,
I don't know either, but I have decided that I'm going to hold my nose and go see Fat Boy's movie.
If nothing else, to know how to respond to the critics with something besides *ad hominem*, emotional, self-defeating arguments that automatically proceed from judgements about "bias", or "bashing the President".
Which don't go far in convincing doubters and skeptics that there isn't some sort of smoking gun, somewhere. You can only go so far with reminders about not wanting to give back-stabbing support and/or encouragement to the totally evil, S.O.B. Bast*rds, hacking off all those innocent heads in Iraq, and elsewhere.
At some point, your arguments have to stand on solid ground, and counter the factual points that the anti-war opposition think they're trying to make, to meet them head-on...
I don't know. ...I still have this on my computer's memory clipboard, I was e-mailing it to a friend, so that we could both go over it to attack the inaccuracies, point by point...
This is it. If anyone can point out holes, or offer other counter evidence, I'd appreciate it.
Bush's Accurate Case for War
by Robert Steinback
Let's alter history just a little bit, and imagine that President Bush had given us an accurate case for war in Iraq 18 months ago.
``My fellow Americans, I'm appearing before you today to ask for your support as I make the most solemn decision a president can make: Committing our military troops to war.
``We must remove Saddam Hussein from power, although his only known threat to the United States is that he hates us. While we know that Hussein possessed and used weapons of mass destruction in the past, we have no evidence that he has them today or that he's making more. But he hasn't proved that he doesn't have them, and this constitutes an urgent threat to America.
``So we must act now, because Hussein, who had nothing to do with the Sept. 11 attacks, might choose to give the WMDs that he doesn't have to Osama bin Laden, with whom he has never collaborated.
Hussein hasn't attacked us
``That's why I've decided to shift the bulk of our military resources away from catching bin Laden, who has already attacked us and vows to do so again, so that we can pursue a man who hasn't attacked us and almost certainly can't, based on the remote possibility that he'll give aid to bin Laden, who no longer is my top priority.
``My fellow Americans, the case is clear. We must liberate the Iraqi people, though we have little evidence that they want us to invade their country. We must give them a chance at democracy, though history strongly suggests that a Western attempt to impose a government in this part of the world is doomed to fail.
``Our very presence is likely to attract terrorists from all over the region and inspire new recruits, dedicated to undermining our attempts to impose a new government.
``Still, we must ensure the establishment of a new, friendly government in Baghdad that won't have a prayer of survival without our help. Before long, they'll beg us to establish a military base in Iraq -- which is our primary objective. That, in theory, will enable us to threaten every other Middle Eastern nation that dares to stand against us. Peace will reign, oil will flow and profits will accumulate. Admittedly, experts consider this a pretty far-fetched scenario, but we can't fail because God is on our side. He tells me so.
Dangerous attorney general
``But we face a long, difficult, bloody operation. More than 800 American soldiers will die and 4,000 will be maimed during the first 15 months of war. We'll honor them by saying that their sacrifices helped preserve American freedom, which in fact is threatened more by my attorney general than by Hussein.
``In addition, this war will put us at odds with France, Germany and many other of our traditional allies. But we'll work to repair those ruptured bonds soon, when we go crawling back to the world community pleading for it to bail us out of the tar pit into which we're about to leap.
``And so, my fellow Americans, I'm asking you to commit a modest $200 billion of your hard-earned money over the next two years to support this patriotic endeavor. Don't worry; your money will be in good hands, as we will hand out billions in no-bid contracts to corporations well known to people in my administration.
``And you can count on firm leadership from me until our mission is accomplished. So that you never lose faith in me, I will refuse to take responsibility for anything that goes wrong, whether it's intelligence failures, prisoner-abuse scandals or insufficient body armor for our troops.
``I'd like to tell you that America will prevail and that terrorism will be defeated. But I'm here to give an honest evaluation of our situation.
Strategy a `total disaster'
'So I am compelled to tell you that more than two dozen retired military brass and diplomats from both major parties who doubt the wisdom and sanity of my call for war will take the unprecedented step of publicly describing my strategy as a `total disaster.' They'll say that my approach will make the world less safe, alienate us from the very allies we need to help construct a global anti-terrorism alliance and undermine our national prestige and honor.
``And they'll be right. But here is the ultimate truth that so many of my un-American, unpatriotic critics overlook: You won't care. You'll still like me and support me, no matter how badly things turn out. That's because you have short memories, and you'll believe just about anything I tell you, even if it contradicts what I've told you before.
``So, in closing, let me say, God bless you, and God bless America.''
exactly. Unless you see the movie, you can't criticize it. Reminds me of the Rabbis saying The Passion was like this and that, even before it came out.
Saying some "Moore hates America" talking points is not going to do any good. The movie makes some GREAT points, especially about the "Patriot" Act passed without anyone reading it, and why we kiss the Saudi's *ss. Also, used car salesmen comes off as more trustworthy as Marine recruits.
You need to ask yourself, why are Al-Queda, Syrians Chechen's are being killed in Iraq? Why is Iran massively funding the resistance fighters to kill hopes of a free and elected government in Iraq? What ARE they afraid of?
Read your post a second time, I guess you were looking for rebuttal to the crud. Sorry
Go to a multiplex, buy a ticket for another movie and then go into F9/11. Plex away.
Try Chistopher Hitchens take: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1157757/posts
I don’t know how this administration is expected to win this war when they have to face this sort of crap from every side—even the side that is supposedly behind them.
Anyone who does not believe Hussein was still a major threat to us and our allies is either ignorant or so consumed with hate for Bush and Republicans that they refuse to what is in front on them. In short they can't connect the dots. By the way ABC News panned Moore's movie as being full of inconsistencies and outright falsehoods.
Respond to the critics of the movie or the President?
Why would you think there are inaccuracies? You weren't for this war anyway.
When the President made the case the liberals responded with their case:
30,000 dead Americans
World World IV as war would break out in Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Pakistan, Afgahnistan, India, etc. The end of the planet!
Collapse of the US economy.
We heard them clearly and still voted yes to the war. We heard their predictions 10 times for every time the President spoke.
Liberals were lying then and they are lying now.
800 dead. Sorry, grow some and realize that Iraq has been a stunning success. Well planned, executed, and as truthful as humanly possible.
And we get the added bonus of knowing without a doubt that the US press is a corrupt, evil (and incompetent) group of the lowest slime on the planet. And, the UN cannot fulfill its mission.
No matter how Moore shades or slants it, we humbled the world with shock and awe. The majority of the US casualties are due to the fact that we have been decent to the innocent people of Iraq. Many wanted to level the place and start again. The whiny cowards of France and Germany who were bleeding the people dry in Iraq know that we own them any time we want them.
Of course, as they are liberal, they couldn't possibly understand that a God fearing Nation like the US wouldn't even consider doing to them what they did to each other for hundreds of years. They live now because of our good graces and it galls them that their moral strength is on par with their military, that is to say non-existent.
They saw it like we did on CNN and Fox News. The slightest slap from our collective might and the 6th largest army in the world evaporated. The scheming press quickly pointed out that shock and awe didn't work and we were in a quagmire until it completly worked and it was done. What chance would France or Germany have against us. None.
We stopped on the highway of death during the first gulf war because our leaders could see no reason to kill 300,000 Iraqi soldiers who if the case was reversed would slaughter us to the man. We aren't like them. We know the value of life because that's what happens when you have liberty.
And what do we do with this unstoppable might? What do we do with the ability to shape the world like the Zeus and Neptune. We remove tyrants and free innocent people. Then we go home and figure out a way to feed them all.
I would be crying too if I was from France and Germany (just before putting the gun in my mouth).