Posted on 02/04/2006 6:40:55 AM PST by doctora
February 4, 2006 -- Why did the Bush administration need to insert itself into the increasingly violent worldwide protests by Muslims upset by the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed?
And, having chosen to issue an opinion, why did the administration take a position that is, frankly, shameful and wholly antithetical to the basic freedoms that Americans hold dear?
Even as European and Asian leaders appealed for calm and understanding in the wake of escalating violence, the State Department yesterday came out foursquare in support of the demonstrators — and condemned the "offensive" cartoons.
"These cartoons are indeed offensive to the belief of Muslims," said department spokesman Kurtis Cooper. "We all fully recognize and respect freedom of the press and expression, but it must be coupled with press responsibility."
He'd have done better to call instead for respect for freedom of the press, rather than kowtow to rampaging mobs attempting to intimidate newspapers worldwide.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Why don't you email some American soldiers and ask him if he thinks his GOVERNMENT should be stirring up Islamo-fanatics by taking actions at the HIGHEST LEVEL to come to the aid of some CARTOONISTS, not any "Danes with boots on the ground".
You are forgetting our AMERICAN SOLDIERS and their well-being. Just like Nancy Pelosi does every time she makes a snide remark about how she "supports our troops".
She DOESN'T support our troops. And if all the freepers here who want to declare war no the State Dept would take a step back and consider their own actions, they would have to admit that in this instance, they are not supporting our troops either.
The official government-speak has to be careful .. even the Danish government made semi-conciliatory noises.I agree with this. Totally. I have repeatedly expressed the wish that American cartoonists to join in here. I would like to see 10,000 anti-Islamic cartoons spring up all over the globe, from a thousand different talented pens. I wish I had the talent. I would join in too.This is the people's fight, more specifically the press. Every free-speech supporting newspaper should print these cartoons.
But to criticize the State Dept, who is most likely following orders from the top, most likely at the request of commanders in the field...
I guess you must hate my tagline. -Tom
I don't think the State Department should have said a damn thing! Nobody asked them to take an official position against the cartoons, or for them.
Has the NY Post published the cartoons?
Read #6. It was a state department functionary responding to a question. The whole thing was overblown by Reuters and the NYT and NYP bit on it.
The State Department can hardly be described as part of the Bush Administration.
Looks like we're on the same page.
LOL!! The POST doesn't even have the courage of its own convictions.
Part of winning our wars in the past has been nation rebuilding and reeducating, leaving behind a peaceful democracy.
You can not have a free society without free speech, you will never change the course of the middle east without standing up and forcing freedoms on Iraq which islam does not allow, which is why leaving Iraq can not happen for decades(just as in Japan and Germany).
That is not a spurious argument and it has nothing to do with 1991 (speaking of stupid spurious arguments). We're talking about a VERY fragile situation in Iraq RIGHT NOW. With our troops on the line, EVERY DAY.
We were in the same position in Japan after WWII when we shoved changes in their society down their throats(don't think they wanted to change, changes that were against their religion).
These cartoons not only are not CRUCIAL they are NOTHING compared to our troops in Iraq.
They are crucial and everything we are fighting for.....bringing the islamic world a new direction from where islam wants them to go, because that will just continue the terrorism with bigger and better weapons in the islamic terrorist hands until eventually the west will be forced into a war to wipe out islam. This is our one chance to change islams direction(not that I think it will actually work, but it must be tried).
Iraq is where the real battle lines are being drawn.
We have won the war there, but we are doing battle for ideals now. If we back down then there was no point in winning the war in the first place because you have changed nothing....the thought process that got Iraq and Afghanistan where they are today is what needs changing or we do war again in 20 years. Really what is the point of going after Iran and taking their nuke capabilities away if we do not change their society, if we do not they will just do it again.
How fickle of so many Freepers. I want Jim R's opinion on this issue. How sickeningly fickle. I'm tempted to leave this site over this issue, but there are enough other people around here who "get it" to keep me here.
Because we see islam as the core to the problem that needs to be dealt with, because when we leave the middle east islam will still demand death to all non-muslims and if we do not change the thinking of these islamic countries they will continue trying for weapons to destroy non-islamic countries and continue the support of terrorism because of the korans demands. If we do not change the thinking patterns of what is right and wrong there we have accomplished nothing.
A lot of you are turning into a bunch o' DU'ers, abandoning our troops in the field to rush to the aid of EUROWEENIES who will SPIT IN YOUR FACE for all the help you offer them once this is over.
...nobody here is abandoning our troops and it is the DU'ers that are always on the enemies side which we are not, but this is now about ideas which free speech is one that the islamic world needs desperately without the threat of the one doing the speaking getting his throat slit and that is worth fighting for and demanding, and never worth bowing down to islam and losing ours.
How many times have we screamed bloody loud when Christianity was satired in a blasphemous way? Granted, we're not going to go on a Jihad but as much as we hate it, it is their religion and they obviously believe it.
To be fair, the Bush administration should have released a statement, and I quote, "Blah, blah, freedom of speech, blah, blah, must respect other points of view, blah, blah, respectful of all faiths, blah, blah."
2. Do we also believe the fervent MSM exploitation of Abu Graib "photos" and related stores contributed to violence against our troops?
I don't agree those are anything analogous to the cartoons. Those two examples were dubious and/or overblown reporting, specifically critical about our troops' behavior. They were deliberately reported by (supposedly) our side to put our troops in the poorest light possible.
Don't know about the beat down, but I looked up the name on the state department website, and he's about as low in the pecking order as one can get and still be in DC.
Very curious.
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