Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Pundits run for cover.
The American Conservative ^ | January 15, 2007 | Glenn Greenwald

Posted on 01/07/2007 12:28:49 AM PST by amchugh

When political leaders make drastic mistakes, accountability is delivered in the form of elections. That occurred in November when voters removed the party principally responsible for the war in Iraq. But the invasion would not have occurred had Americans not been persuaded of its wisdom and necessity, and leading that charge was a stable of pundits and media analysts who glorified President Bush’s policies and disseminated all sorts of false information and baseless assurances.

Yet there seems to be no accountability for these pro-war pundits.

(Excerpt) Read more at amconmag.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bund; dersturmer; iraqwar; isolationism; neocons; pundits
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-58 next last
To: amchugh

it sounds like they reject the neocons.


That's good. Neo-conservatives aren't.


21 posted on 01/07/2007 5:03:20 AM PST by freedomfiter2 ("Modern, bureaucratic, unionized education is a form of intellectual child abuse." Newt Gingrich)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: amchugh
Yeah, 20/20 hindsight is what they are attempting and are wrong. WMDs are the most serious threat in this century. A statement from the 9/11 commission to the effect of 'it is not a question of if, but when' the next WMD attack will occur.

If folks who have USED WMDs get to persue MORE WMD programs, what do you think the result will be?? Doh!

22 posted on 01/07/2007 5:11:07 AM PST by sr4402
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: peyton randolph

If you disagree, because the words were "taken out of context", then would you please supply the context?


23 posted on 01/07/2007 5:54:22 AM PST by jammer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: amchugh
Sorry Greenweenie but winning the war on terror is an everyday occurrence. It happens everyday there is not a terrorist attack on American soil. Bush was right to move the front of the war out of New York and into the ME. He also moved the military into the fight which should give the NY office workers much relief.

The pundits were right back then and their resolve has only weakened now because of a misinformation disease that inhabits academia and other gutless groups.

24 posted on 01/07/2007 6:11:41 AM PST by RGSpincich
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: peyton randolph; ninenot; sittnick; steve50; Hegemony Cricket; Cicero; GarySpFc; Wolfie; ...
"Bash the neocons/jews."

It is very cowardly on the neocon side to accuse their critics of antisemitism. Whether several neocons are Jewish or not is not relevant to the merits of neoconservative doctrine.

Seems that neocons, not being able to defend their views, try to claim victim status. How shameful!

25 posted on 01/07/2007 6:24:27 AM PST by A. Pole (Donald Rumsfeld: "Arguments of convenience lack integrity and inevitably trip you up.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Anti-Bubba182
One of Greenwald's more notable clients was neo-Nazi Matthew Hale.

What a spurious argument? You cannot judge defense attorneys by the vices of their clients.

26 posted on 01/07/2007 6:29:33 AM PST by A. Pole (Donald Rumsfeld: "Arguments of convenience lack integrity and inevitably trip you up.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: kcvl
Interesting. It's that hard-left loony-right axis of evil.
27 posted on 01/07/2007 6:34:02 AM PST by veronica (http://images20.fotki.com/v360/photos/1/106521/3848737/gladysPSCP-vi.jpg)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: peyton randolph

Thats great, but is that what has happened here ?

Do you know ? Or are you just making accusations ?


28 posted on 01/07/2007 6:37:57 AM PST by Axlrose
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: peyton randolph; jammer

I would also be interested in seeing the original context, as you claim that these quotes have been taken out of context.

This really shouldn't be that hard, the comments were all in the public domain. In fact I'll do one for you. Here are the full and original contexts of the Paul Mirgenoff quotes:

http://powerlineblog.com/archives/2006_04.php

" David Ignatius in the Washington Post supplies something that has been lacking in the MSM -- an acknowledgement that the selection of Jawad al-Maliki to be Iraq's prime minister is good news. As a bonus, Ignatius explains why the selection enhances the chances of national unity. For one thing, al-Maliki represents "a modest declaration of independence from Iran." And by resisting Iranian pressure to back Ibrahim al-Jafari, Shiite leaders "stood up for a unified Iraq."

We should remember, however, that "back room" political victories, though important, must be accompanied by a substantial diminution in the violence that plagues parts of the country including Baghdad. Al-Maliki's selection is an important step towards that vital objective, but it hardly guarantees success."

http://powerlineblog.com/archives/2006_11.php

" John Podhoretz responds to those like Ralph Peters and David Brooks who have concluded that, as JPod frames it, "the entire Iraq adventure was a fool's errand - well-intentioned but fundamentally unworkable because it was based on the notion that Iraqis would step up to the plate and take control of their own destinies in a positive way." His answer is that the Iraqi people actually did step up to the plate when they participated en masse in elections. By virtue of that participation, the Iraqis "have done everything possible to demonstrate their willingness - indeed, their eagerness, to seize control of their own futures and build a new kind of society in the Arab world."

In my view, Iraqi participation in elections, sometimes at great personal risk, goes a long way towards answering those who say there's something in the Iraqi (or Arab) DNA that is incompatible with the administration's democracy project. Unfortunately, though, more was required of the Iraqi peoople than just voting. The situation called on them to elect leaders who would work in good faith for national reconciliation, rather than tilting substantially in the direction of one sectarian faction. The Iraqis failed to do this when they voted in the Shia-militia-friendly Maliki government, thereby making it difficult, if not impossible, for the U.S. to work with the current government to curb sectarian violence.

The Iraqis, of course, are not the first people to make a very bad decision at the polls. The fact that they did so is not necessarily evidence of some national "genetic" flaw, much less a demonstration that democracy can't work in the Middle East. It just means that the Iraqi people did less than what a difficult situation required, and that we must face up to and deal with the consequences."


29 posted on 01/07/2007 7:06:46 AM PST by Canard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: PGalt
Balderdash. Round 1 against the greatest anti-truth, anti-freedom, anti-individual, anti-life collective in the history of civilization has been the biggest success in the history of warfare. Arafat is dead. Zarqawi is dead. Saddam is dead. Progress ON.

Please don't forget that Libya gave up its nuclear ambitions and program shortly after the fall of Saddam. And in doing so, revealed the pernicious Pakistani Kahn's peddling of nuclear secrets and material to various terrorist organizations and states around the globe. This point alone, IMHO, justifies Bush's WOT effort so far. Unfortunately, this monumental step in the right direction gets no mention and the stupid Bush Administration neglects to ever mention it as one of its chief accomplishments. Imagine the world with Muammar al-Gaddafi armed to the teeth with WMDs... Now give thanks to President Bush's WOT for preventing this.

30 posted on 01/07/2007 7:49:12 AM PST by ReleaseTheHounds
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: ReleaseTheHounds

Thanks very much for those reminders. Unintended consequences. Collateral yardage. Progress ON.


31 posted on 01/07/2007 8:06:23 AM PST by PGalt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: A. Pole
You cannot judge defense attorneys by the vices of their clients.

Even Ramsey Clark?? Some lawyers turned down the OJ criminal defense case, FYI.

32 posted on 01/07/2007 9:49:52 AM PST by veronica (http://images20.fotki.com/v360/photos/1/106521/3848737/gladysPSCP-vi.jpg)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: amchugh

The American Conservative isn't worth looking at. It's nothing but Pat Buchanan, and he hasn't made any sense for a dog's age. Totally predictable and hasn't had a new idea in at least 15 years.

Even when he's right, one time out of a hundred, he hasn't anything interesting to say about it.


33 posted on 01/07/2007 10:38:44 AM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: A. Pole
I've had a strange realization lately:

Many of the old Cold Warriors saw communism as primarily a jewish enterprise. They weren't really fighting for America, or freedom, in the Cold War, they were fighting against what they saw as Internationalist Bolshevik Jewry.

Now that we are fighting Jihadis in the middle-east, the old paleo-con Cold Warriors would just as soon see America destroyed as long as Isreal is too. The pro-arab paleo-cons seem 'OK' with Shari'a law, but I don't think they have really thought it through--they are reacting emotionally as much as the leftists are....

There is a weird nexus of interests right now between the Old Right, the New Left, the Arabists and the Jihadis. There is more common cause between Amadinejad and Pat Buchanan than there is between George Bush and Pat Buchanan.

A weird old queen like Greenwald has more common interests right now with a Palestinian rock thrower than with me.

I mean really, the ISG report was a Paleo-con wish list.

I think the Old Right is going to have to stop acting emotionally and support this war even if it tangentially benefits Israel.

34 posted on 01/07/2007 11:02:03 AM PST by Cogadh na Sith (There's an open road from the cradle to the tomb.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: amchugh
With all due respect, The American Conservative ain't conservative.

The Sorehead Populist Reactionary would be a more apt title.

35 posted on 01/07/2007 11:07:54 AM PST by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: IGNORANCE ON PARADE)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: okie01
LOL, and even the UK's "George Galloway Canard" is on the thread pretending that Saddam and Son's were innocent bystanders in the ME, and victims of the evil Bush.

Good troll bait headline!
36 posted on 01/07/2007 11:17:45 AM PST by roses of sharon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: peyton randolph

Not enough to have removed the GOP from Congress, Pat now goes after Leeden, Noonan, and Krauthammer.


37 posted on 01/07/2007 11:20:19 AM PST by Howlin (Not voting GOP was like being thirsty but not drinking since the glass is only 75% full ~~SoCalPol)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Howlin

I have been challenging Pats' brigades to run him.

To no avail.

Why, I wonder?


38 posted on 01/07/2007 11:25:02 AM PST by roses of sharon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: roses of sharon

You know why..........LOL.

But you know, roses, anger and fear sure do fill up Pat and Bay's bank accounts!


39 posted on 01/07/2007 11:26:02 AM PST by Howlin (Not voting GOP was like being thirsty but not drinking since the glass is only 75% full ~~SoCalPol)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: Cogadh na Sith
I think the Old Right is going to have to stop acting emotionally and support this war even if it tangentially benefits Israel.

This war does NOT benefit Israel, neither directly nor tangentially. The only country that benefits from this war is Iran.

40 posted on 01/07/2007 12:32:13 PM PST by A. Pole (Rumsfeld:"In politics, every day is filled with numerous opportunities for serious error. Enjoy it.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-58 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson