Liberal Lunatic of the Day (3/13/2005)

Liberal Lunacy ^ | 3/13/2005 | Beckwith

[Beckwith]

Naomi Klein, writing in The Nation magazine asks the question, "Can Democracy Survive Bush's Embrace?"

Klein writes, “It started off as a joke and has now become vaguely serious: the idea that Bono might be named president of the World Bank.” Bono talks to Republicans as they like to see themselves: not as administrators of a diminishing public sphere they despise but as CEOs of a powerful private corporation called America. "Brand USA is in trouble...it's a problem for business." The solution is "to re-describe ourselves to a world that is unsure of our values."

Klein continues, “The Bush Administration wholeheartedly agrees, as evidenced by the orgy of re-description that now passes for American foreign policy. Faced with an Arab world enraged by its occupation of Iraq and its blind support for Israel, the US solution is not to change these brutal policies; it is, in the pseudo-academic language of corporate branding, to "change the story."”

"Brand USA's latest story was launched on January 30, … and retold by the White House's unofficial brand manager, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. "Iraq has been reframed from a story about Iraqi 'insurgents' trying to liberate their country from American occupiers and their Iraqi 'stooges' to a story of the overwhelming Iraqi majority trying to build a democracy, with U.S. help, against the wishes of Iraqi Baathist-fascists and jihadists." This new story is so contagious, we are told, that it has set off a domino effect akin to the fall of the Berlin wall and the collapse of Communism. (Although in the "Arabian Spring," the only wall in sight--Israel's apartheid wall--pointedly stays up.)"

Referencing the canard about oil, Klein writes, "Kurdish Iraqis have a legitimate claim to independence, as well as understandable fears of being ethnically targeted. But the US-Kurdish alliance has handed Washington a backdoor veto over Iraq's democracy. And with Kirkuk as part of Iraqi Kurdistan, if Iraq does break apart Washington will still end up with a dependent, oil-rich regime--even if it's somewhat smaller than the one originally envisioned."

Klien identifies her core politics in the following, “The only idea that has ever stood up to kings, tyrants and mullahs in the Middle East is the promise of economic justice, brought about through nationalist and socialist policies of agrarian reform and state control over oil. But there is no room for such ideas in the Bush narrative, in which free people are only free to choose so-called free trade.”

Klien concludes with, “Allowing the Bush Administration to fold the liberation struggles of Lebanon, Egypt and Palestine into its own "story" is a gift to authoritarians and fundamentalists. Freedom and democracy need to be liberated from Bush's deadly embrace and returned to the movements of the Middle East that have been struggling for these goals for decades. They have a story of their own to finish.”

link: http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050328&s=klein

[Beckwith]

Klein sees the conflict in the Middle East as a business problem. George Bush and the Republicans see the War on Terror for what it is, an ideological and economic struggle.

The president sees the conflict in the Middle East as an opportunity to spread freedom and democracy, while Naomi and her fellow-lefties see Bush as evil, the United States as an ogre and the war only about oil.

People who are depressed, "tend to see the world in the opposite of rose-colored glasses," says Dr. Stuart Copans, a psychiatrist from Brattleboro, Vermont. Naomi Klein and her fellow travelers appear to fit Dr. Copans diagnosis perfectly. Losing the last three elections has caused the left to progressively become more depressed and more openly hostile to those with whom they disagree. The left does not engage openly in the marketplace of ideas, but has resorted only to vile personal attacks on all with whom they disagree.

This entire work of fiction is depressing. Worse, it reads like it was written by a Berkley Poly-Sci student.

Klein’s statement, “… promise of economic justice, brought about through nationalist and socialist policies of agrarian reform and state control over oil” sounds like it was written by that old-style leftist, Venezuela President Hugo Chavez, who recently offered his support for Iran's nuclear development plans. Then again, that statement could be right from the lips of the great agrarian reformer himself, Fidel Castro.

Klein’s essay is littered with a litany of anti-American platitudes, such as, “occupation of Iraq”; “American occupiers”; “Iraqi 'stooges'”; “end up with a dependent, oil-rich regime”; "authoritarians and fundamentalists". She also betrays her personal self-loathing and anti-Semitism with the observation, “the only wall in sight--Israel's apartheid wall--pointedly stays up.”

Where does the left get these notions? The more I read about and by these people, the more I am convinced that liberalism is a progressive brain disease.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

What is truly frightening about this article is that a huge portion of Americans believe every bit of it. The only thing missing was " Halliburton! Halliburton!!".
Of course, if we asked this idiot to name ONE truly socialist nation that had met its ideal, she couldn't come up with one.

I think I'll go back to bed now.

[APFel]

I really enjoy these "Lunatic of the Day" articles. Does anyone have a pinglist for it, and if so, may I be placed on it?

APf

[Eric in the Ozarks]

She seems ready to write off Israel in a hurry.

[exDemMom]

Losing the last three elections has caused the left to progressively become more depressed and more openly hostile to those with whom they disagree.

I would say that their depression (and self-loathing) is independent of any election results. What they have is a blind faith in the ability of government to make everything better, to lead them to a utopian promised land if only they can vote the "correct" people into office. They have little to no self-confidence, and the "correct" people constantly claim to have the answers (Algore: I will protect the people from the powerful. JFKerry: I have a plan) without ever defining those answers. I think their growing hostility and violent tendencies result from desperation. With each election that doesn't go their way, the perfect socialist utopia that would make their lives wonderful skitters that much further out of their reach.

When a leftist realizes that the quality of his or her life is not something that can be imposed on them from the outsede, but is something that has to be first achieved within, they stop being a leftist (note my screen name).

The more I read about and by these people, the more I am convinced that liberalism is a progressive brain disease.

No, it is not itself a disease. However, it has a strong attraction for those who are already mentally unbalanced. Kind of like moths for flames.

[cardinal4]

Naomi Klein, writing in The Nation magazine asks the question, "Can Democracy Survive Bush's Embrace?"

Thats funny, Democracies seem to grow under Bush's watch..

[Bahbah]

Liberalism it has a strong attraction for those who are already mentally unbalanced.

In addition, it has a strong attraction for those who don't yet know very much (and some who never will know very much). When I was young, I was a liberal democrat, but, since I had not had my BS detector removed, realized what a load of nonsense it was, which has made me also an exDemMom. ;)

[Faraday]

The only idea that has ever stood up to kings, tyrants and mullahs in the Middle East is the promise of economic justice, brought about through nationalist and socialist policies of agrarian reform and state control over oil.

IOW, what the middle east needs are more Saddam Husseins. These leftists are more malicious than the Islamic fascists. The latter are deluded religionists. The socialists have seen their ideals put into practice broadly in the 20th century with results that range from economic decline to the worst horrors in the history of humanity. Socialist hatred of human liberty is the enemy of our time.

[Teacher317]

Thats funny, Democracies seem to grow under Bush's watch.

Ah, but they aren't "real" democracies, because they are not Socialist democracies. Therefore, they are forced to suffer under "so-called free trade".

And then, she completes the hypocrisy by accusing her opponent of what she is doing at that moment: "redefining" the issues to then claim "See? I was right all along!"

[Teacher317]

And worst of all, especially with the young activist students, they are utterly sincere, and truly just want things to be better. It's sometimes hard to hold their zealous beliefs against them when they are so well-meaning.

It's amazing how deep the programming entrenches itself, just because it sounds good and it comes from The Beautiful People in Hollywood.

[WorkingClassFilth]

What fools like this need is a one way ticket to a Stalinist collective. I remember reading a book by a high level Soviet defector years ago. He recounted the origins of his disillusionment when he was assigned to serve on a peasant collective for a summer as a young man as part of his need to identify with the proles. The poverty and miserable conditions staggered him. Of course, the only abundant articles for sale were alcohol and tobacco. In the log hut with a mud floor that served as the collective's 'store' stood a brand new motorcycle - unused - that had stood for well over a decade still unsold. It seemed that some central planner had decreed that this region had X population and would support the purchase of Y motorcycles. So, they were shipped a motorcycle by the benevolent state. The kicker was that the motorcycle was completely encrusted with spit, sputum and mucus. Each customer that came in to buy their meager allotment of vodka or flour or whatever, ceremoniously cleared their throat and spit on the shiny new machine as a way of proclaiming their love for the utopia of equality and freedom from want.

[facedown]

...and retold by the White House's unofficial brand manager, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman.

This moonbat must think Marx was a moderate.

[Condor51]

Klien identifies her core politics in the following,

“The only idea that has ever stood up to kings, tyrants and mullahs in the Middle East is the promise of economic justice, brought about through nationalist and socialist policies of agrarian reform and state control over oil everything.

Naomi, you're an ignorant little commie slut.

[JoeV1]

"Freedom and democracy need to be liberated from Bush's deadly embrace and returned to the movements of the Middle East that have been struggling for these goals for decades. They have a story of their own to finish.”

In other words, let them work out their problems by blowing each other up.

[carlr]

Faced with an Arab world enraged by its occupation of Iraq and its blind support for Israel, the US solution is not to change these brutal policies;

I don`t see an Arab world enraged.I see an Arab world that is finally getting a chance for freedom.The rage against the US has always been fomented by either dictators like Saddam or Assad or the fanatical zealots like Bin Laden.
The Arab street that we always heard so much about now given the chance to break free of this hatred is taking advantage of it.

The left cannot accept the fact that once again they are wrong.Their policies of appeasement and head hanging weakness brought about the stranglehold of despotism.
President Bush working from a position of strength and offering hope may very well have turned the corner.

As with all issues the left will keep repeating the same words because they have no others to replace them.
The more they do this the more they will be relegated to irrelevancy.

[Faraday]

And worst of all, especially with the young activist students, they are utterly sincere, and truly just want things to be better. It's sometimes hard to hold their zealous beliefs against them when they are so well-meaning.

I have no doubt that Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Ho Chi Minh, Castro, and Lon Nol may well have been sincere. Sincerity and desires are cheap. "By their fruit shall ye know them."

[Eric in the Ozarks]

A spit cycle, then ?

[Chgogal]

What is sad, I have enough years under the belt NOT to have to read the article after I read the title, "Can Democracy Survive Bush's Embrace?". The arguments and observations have not changed over the years and the authors have been proved more or less wrong over the decades.

I hate to admit that the French are right, "The more things change the more they stay the same."

[Casloy]

2008 is looking so good for the Republicans. The left just doesn't get it.