A peacenik inspired by India (Ted Turner Alert)

Hindustan Times ^ | December 14, 2005 | Vir Sanghvi

[mylife]

A peacenik inspired by India

Vir Sanghvi

New Delhi, December 14, 2005

He is the unlikeliest saviour the United Nations can expect. And yet, Ted Turner, the legendary founder of CNN, Cartoon Network and even World Championship Wrestling, is giving a billion dollars of his own money to various UN agencies through his United Nations Foundation.

Turner is in Delhi to induct N.R. Narayana Murthy on to the board of the Foundation and though he has lost none of his legendary swagger, he says that he is a changed man. "I went to military school. I supported the Vietnam War. I was very conservative politically," he remembers. "But then, I realised that the war in Vietnam was wrong. I know that the war in Iraq is wrong. Hell, all war is wrong."

His donations to the UN will be spaced out over the next several years but he has already paid $650 million and intends to keep giving another 50 million a year for the foreseeable future. He regards it as money well-spent. "Nuclear weapons are the greatest threat to mankind," he says. "It's a myth that weapons make the world a safer place. Nuclear weapons are the most unsafe things in the world."

His commitment to the UN emerges out of his view that only international institutions can make a difference in today's complex global situation. "We live in a world where war is glorified," he says. "When I ran CNN, I never allowed them to glorify war. Now you watch something like Fox News and they cover the war in Iraq with an American flag in the background."

Of course, Turner no longer runs CNN. He merged it with Time-Warner and then after the combined entity merged with AOL, he was forced out of the management of the company. Worse still, Time's stock tanked and Turner lost billions. But he says that none of that really matters to him any longer.

"I come from Atlanta," he says. "It's the city of Dr Martin Luther King. And he was inspired by Gandhi. And it's good to be in India because that's my inspiration too."

[MadManDan]

Hey Ted, the greatest threat to mankind is stupid people. Why don't you donate money to those in THIS country who really need it.

[mnehring]

And he was inspired by Gandhi

Gandhi was a good man, but what many neo-hippies fail to note is that the false peace Gandhi put together was really an illusion while the enemies of Hindi India were amassing power to rekindle their civil war. Maybe a little foresight would have had Gandhi think that sometimes people's intentions are not good and your enemy isn't appeased by good intentions.
This is very similar to the ignorance of Vietnam and the estimated 3 million that were massacred after we left.

[sagar]

Hell, all war is wrong.

Do some research, uninformed Mr. Turner. Atleast don't distort Gandhi. Gandhi said :

Many people mistake non-violence as compromise or avoidance of conflict. It is not. On the other hand, it is standing up for what is right (truth) and justice. Fighting a violent war is better than accepting injustice. So, really there is no contradiction in fighting a just war, and believing in non-violence. Both are duties to be carried out to preserve justice and truth.

http://www.kamat.com/mmgandhi/war-peace.htm

And Gandhi was inspired by Mahabharata, the epic full of (just) wars (against evil), and especially Bhagavad Gita, which is essentially a pro-war book.

[CarrotAndStick]

And who can forget:

"That which looks for mercy from an opponent is not non-violence."

"Among the many misdeeds of British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest."

Gandhi, An Autobiography, page 446 (Beacon Press paperback edition)

"I think it would be a good idea!"

In reply to a reporter's question, "What do you think of Western Civilization?"

[BricksAndMortar]

Gandhi's name is often misused by the liberals to portray him as a sort of an anti-war peacenik, no matter what the cost. The posts above proves the contrary.

I guess India knows better. And the liberals won't change their wily ways.

[Rembrandt]

I wonder if Mr. Sensitivity told the people of India his joke about the previous pope searching for land mines by stomping around saying, Nope, none here.

Teddy did, in fact, tell that "joke" on TV about 10 years ago.

[proud_yank]

a good quote to throw out to any of the leftists who think they embrace him:

"Among the many misdeeds of British rule in India, history will look upon the act depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest" --Mahatma Ghandhi

[proud_yank]

Arghh.. you beat me to Gandhi's gun quote! I love tossing that to the libs!

[proud_yank]

His commitment to the UN emerges out of his view that only international institutions can make a difference in today's complex global situation.

What a bleeding moron. For a man who earned so much money in a capitalist economy to come out and say that more government will solve problems, goes beyond repulsively stupid.

"We live in a world where war is glorified," he says. "When I ran CNN, I never allowed them to glorify war. Now you watch something like Fox News and they cover the war in Iraq with an American flag in the background."

Basically admitting a liberal bias. And an anti-American to boot. What is wrong with showing the American flag? What a sick pig. Its because of people like this that veterans are spit on. Sick. Sick. Sick. Move to Cuba.

Of course, Turner no longer runs CNN. He merged it with Time-Warner and then after the combined entity merged with AOL, he was forced out of the management of the company. Worse still, Time's stock tanked and Turner lost billions. But he says that none of that really matters to him any longer.

Gee...wonder why.

[Cogadh na Sith]

Hey, you lay off of Teddy T!

That guy gives me hope and inspiration:

That you don't have to be very bright to get rich....

He gives me hope--he's dumb as a box of special-ed hammers and he still made a mint....

[Thombo2]

Ted Turner,exemplifies the defenition of "usefull idiot".