They make oatmeal, don't they?
Posted on 12/22/2005 5:01:11 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
by Mark Finkelstein
December 22, 2005 - 07:50
Who would have thought the peaceful Quakers would be used as a spearhead?
Yet ironically, in the debate over national security and surveillance, liberals are attempting to beat the Quakers' plowshares into swords.
This morning's Today show offered a prime example.
In to debate was elegant lefty Katrina vanden Heuvel of The Nation and that most unreliable of Bush defenders, Pat Buchanan.
Credit Katie for at least identifying The Nation as a 'liberal' magazine. Needless to say she labeled Buchanan "conservative."
And in fairness, Couric hit vanden Heuvel with a tough first question:
"Many people say, including the President, including VP Cheney, that there's a reason why there hasn't been a terrorist attack, that the country is safer, it needs the Patriot Act, it needs to be able to conduct these kind of spying things. They need more latitude because it's a different environment."
Vanden Heuvel responded with breathtaking condescension. "Katie, Katie," she purred, with a tone befitting a kindly teacher putting a recalcitrant third-grader back in place, "there must be a balance struck between security and liberty . . . but this President has committed the most abuse of executive power in modern American history. He thinks he's above the law."
Echoing Russ Feingold, vanden Heuvel declared: "we need a President not a king," and accused Bush of "crushing the Constitution."
Katie quickly got on board. She responded "some liberals are concerned," then 'corrected' herself, "some Americans are concerned that it's not just potential Al-Qaeda plots that are being spied on. We're talking about Quaker meeting houses, animal rights activists. Are there other organizations that cause you concern over this?"
For Vanden Heuvel, it's shades of '1984':: "We're seeing only the tip of the tremendous surveillance state that is being built up in these last few years. 9/11 is being used and abused by this administration."
Vanden Heuvel again referred to surveillance of Quaker meeting groups, declaring "these are innocent Americans."
She then added, among groups being surveilled: "Catholic Workers Groups? These are not terrorist organizations."
Buchanan agreed that "they ought not to be going to Quaker meetings."
Couric would not be mollified: "You kind of blew off the notion of the Quaker meeting house. Doesn't that concern you? Maybe it's gone too far?"
Buchanan had to go further: "if they wasted their time with Quaker meetings, they ought to be fired, Congress should take a look at it. But there are enemies in our midst who did these things right in the United States."
Vanden Heuvel accused President Bush of "shredding" the Constitution.
Buchanan called the Dems' bluff: "if he shredded it, they should impeach him, but you and I know they don't have the guts to put a bill in the hopper."
Mused vanden Heuvel darkly: "if the Democrats take back the House, look for articles of impeachment."
Look, I don't know if or why surveillance was conducted of the Quakers. But when vanden Heuvel lumped them in with the Catholic Workers, she seriously overplayed her hand.
Despite its innocuous name, the Catholic Workers is a radical, far-left group. Right here in my home town of Ithaca, a group of Catholic Workers was convicted in federal court for having sprayed blood over a military recruiter and a recruitment center.
There was strike coverage, but while they talked about fines being imposed on the union and even possible jail time for the union leaders, Today continued its blackout on explaining to viewers that the strike is illegal. Ironically, it was the UNION leader who was shown uttering the word "illegal," in reference to something he alleged management had done!
In contrast, Lauren Green at Fox & Friends just flatly referred to the strike as an "illegal walkout."
Absolutely. I Googled "radical Quakers" and found this site.
http://www.quaker.org/renewal.html
... while Quaker pacifists were joined by a wide variety of people in constructing the American peace movement of the 1950s and 1960s, this small group welded enormous influence. Ultimately, the notion of prefigurative politics fostered second wave feminism, spurred an alternative culture, and inspired a new environmental movement--demonstrating a continuity among the diverse social movements that have come to comprise American radicalism.
I don't know if this is the same bunch that was discussed on the Today Show, but if so, they sound like Socialists and Commies in Quaker clothing.
THere is also a "world" group that would be interesting to monitor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends_World_Committee_for_Consultation
Pat tried to respond to her ridiculous assertions and was told by Couric to "hold-on Pat" until they framed their accusations to their liking.
jonny, I think you are on to something :)
Aren't Quaker peaceniks just as nutty?
You bet. It wouldn't be surprising at all to find that people in Quaker groups had connections with those collaborating with enemy operatives. It was the case in earlier wars.
During the Vietnam War, Quakerism was very fashionable because it could get you conscientious objector status, and hence out of the draft. So a tremendous number of Lefties came into the movement, which has been more political than religious in flavor in many regions for a half-century.
The Quakers and related outfits, such as the Fellowship of Reconciliation, were stocked with Lefties anyway because Quakers in this country are pretty exclusively wealthy.
There was heavy infiltration by the KGB into all these organizations, and they tend to be lunatic anti-American to this day.
Did you hear the bit relating to the "bin Laden satellite phone being disclosed by Wash. Times in 1998?" F&F asserted that it is an urban legend that the 1998 disclosure bin Laden used a satellite phone was "a leak." The same information was printed in 1996 in Time magazine, and bin Laden openly gave interviews via satellite phone.
They went on to speculate that what MIGHT have been a leak was the ability to triangulate satellite phone signals and locate the transmitter.
If you have nothing to hide
why would you be afraid of a
a little spying?
BTTT.
The AFSC was formed in 1917 by a group of 14 socialist Quakers to aid draft resisters. AFSC has been penetrated and used by Communists since the early 1920s ...
Since the 1960s, the AFSC has supported revolutionary terrorist groups such as the Vietcong, Palestine Liberation Organization(PLO), and the Central American Castroite groups.
"before we deplore terrorism, it is essential for us to recognize whose ‘terrorism’ came first...."
Yep, just a bunch of harmless peace-loving Quakers /sarc
Geez, I wish the word "Catholic" could be copyrighted so idiots could not use it.
Merry Christmas Dear Heart!!! And thanks for all you do!
Many thanks, and the very same to you.
PS: I will gladly accept that 'Merry Christmas' as a "Happy Chanukah" in my case ;-)
Does Katie or Buchanan even know who and what the Quakers are?
As to the Catholic Workers, I've gone to their web site:
http://www.catholicworker.org/roundtable/easyessays.cfm#%3Cstrong%3ETaking%20Over%3C/strong%3E
On the one hand, they state that they are "not Communists." On the other hand they clearly sympathize with various Marxists goals.
Under the heading "Taking Over," they state:
"Patriots believe that the way to bring about a classless society is a class war between the Capitalist State and the working class."
Hey!
My sister used to invite one of her fellow teachers to our Christmas Buffet. Being Jewish, she and her family had never been to a Christmas celebration before. I hear her 11 year old say to her brother, "Wow, this is just like on the Soap Operas!"
It became a yearly event. Pitifully, not being the hostess, I was never invited to the Chanukah celebration. :-(
I'd take some spare Latkas anytime!
Happy Chanukah, FRiend!
Ya know! They are wacked.
Anybody know how many Quakers have been arrested?
They make oatmeal, don't they?
Members of the Catholic Workers have a history of actions at military installations. For example, read this account of the actions of Peter DeMott, one of the four convicted of spraying blood at the recruitment center:
"On December 13, 1980 Peter DeMott, former seminarian and Vietnam veteran from Jonah House, entered the General Dynamics Electric Boat (EB) shipyard in Groton, Connecticut during the launch ceremony for the "USS Baltimore" fast attack submarine. Noticing an empty EB security van with keys in it, he got into the van and repeatedly rammed the Trident "USS Florida" denting the rudder. Security guards then broke into the van and arrested him. He was tried by a jury in New London Superior Court and convicted of criminal mischief and criminal trespass. He was sentenced to one year in jail."
Here is a link:
http://www.plowshares.se/aktioner/plowcron2.htm
LOL!
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