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

Skip to comments.

Bad faith abounds in debate about the war
Boston Globe ^ | March 30, 2003 | Jonathan Zimmerman

Posted on 03/30/2003 2:12:50 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

Edited on 04/13/2004 2:09:23 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

A FEW DAYS AFTER the United States attacked Iraq, I traveled to Chicago to address a group of high school history teachers. I urged them to conduct debates about the war, so that students could arrive at their own views of it. Afterward, one of the teachers pulled me aside. ''Thanks so much for your talk,'' she said, smiling graciously. ''Unless we debate the war, our students won't know that it's an enormous mistake.''


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


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: education; liberals; waronterror
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-28 next last

1 posted on 03/30/2003 2:12:50 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

2 posted on 03/30/2003 2:14:21 AM PST by Spruce
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
How many conservative Johnathan Zimmermans are giving talks to High Schools today? It is on the political front that America is weakest. And no wonder. The left assiduously spreads its message, even when their positions are momentarily out of fashion, with a persistence that would make a termite look slothful.

The left learned long ago that lies are weapons. So is the truth, if we would only go out and proclaim it.
3 posted on 03/30/2003 2:19:53 AM PST by wretchard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
I would strongly suggest that Mr Zimmerman read Bill Whittle's essay entitled "History".
It can be found at ...

http://ejectejecteject.com

It is a good 'un, may be you would like to start it's own thread as I am at work at restricted in my posting ability.


Regards

alfa6 ;>}
4 posted on 03/30/2003 2:25:40 AM PST by alfa6 (GNY Highway's Rules: Improvise; Adapt; Overcome)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
I didn't see anywhere in the article where Zimmerman told the teacher that what she planned to do is not debate but coercion.
5 posted on 03/30/2003 2:25:55 AM PST by woofer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wretchard
Progressives cry alligator tears. The Iraq War is the new standard of clear thought - that there is right and wrong.

Not too far back - Elian Nation*** Once in a while, some issue in our public life - not necessarily an issue of great intrinsic importance - acts like a flare sent up over a nighttime battlefield, throwing all the contours into sharp relief and shedding light on dark places. The Clarence Thomas hearings were such an issue; the impeachment was of course another.

The affair of Elian Gonzalez has also been a flare, revealing much about our political landscape. It has, for example, shown that reflective thought and intellectual complexity are not almost exclusive to the Right, while the Left is more monolithic and thinking impaired than ever. As a conservative journalist expressed it to a colleague: "I'm torn on Elian, really torn. But burns me is that the liberals are not torn. They are bright and breezy; they know exactly what they think." It is not so much a case of Yeats - "The best lack all conviction, while the worst/Are full of passionate intensity" - as of Tolstoy: Happy liberals are all alike, while each conservative is distraught in his own way. ***

6 posted on 03/30/2003 2:26:06 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: wretchard
"It is on the political front that America is weakest. And no wonder. The left assiduously spreads its message, even when their positions are momentarily out of fashion, with a persistence that would make a termite look slothful."

This is the only reason they survive. Left to their own common-sense and experience a mega-majority of Americans would reject the left.
7 posted on 03/30/2003 2:27:09 AM PST by Texas_Jarhead
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Texas_Jarhead
Well said.
8 posted on 03/30/2003 2:39:00 AM PST by MEG33
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: alfa6
Good link!
9 posted on 03/30/2003 2:44:03 AM PST by lainde
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
Any person who would deify John Dewey is scarcely worth listening to in the first place, but I muddled through his twaddle.

As per the usual, not one single substantial reason was given for opposing the war; not one in the entire piece.

'War is bad' is the best they can do. That is only deserving of a big juicy 'DUH'.

Hard to believe that we allow these people to teach our children; have for a generation; and yet we still somehow are managing to survive.
10 posted on 03/30/2003 2:48:05 AM PST by EternalVigilance
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: alfa6
Bump!
11 posted on 03/30/2003 2:49:18 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: EternalVigilance
.....and yet we still somehow are managing to survive.

Sometimes I think it is a miracle. Way, way, too many Americans believe the government owes them something.

12 posted on 03/30/2003 2:52:47 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
I guess we are still maintaining enough of an antidote by other means; but you're right, it seems miraculous.

I guess the dead white guys who set this thing up knew how to make it durable. ;-)
13 posted on 03/30/2003 2:54:28 AM PST by EternalVigilance
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: EternalVigilance
They had a good architect. God bless America.
14 posted on 03/30/2003 2:57:58 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
Turn on so-called Christian radio, and you'll hear the nasty implications of this divine hubris: If God blesses America's war on Iraq, and God is good, then only bad people can oppose it.

1. I sincerely doubt Mr. Zimmerman has ever listened to "so-called Christian radio."

2. If he has actually listened to Christian radio, I sincerely doubt that he has heard this "God blesses America's war on Iraq" argument there.

So, while arguing the need for open, honest debate, Zimmerman lies in order to smear "so-called Christian radio."

Lies tend to poison debate, Mr. Zimmerman!

15 posted on 03/30/2003 3:03:58 AM PST by Madstrider
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Madstrider
The "agenda" always comes first for Progressives.
16 posted on 03/30/2003 3:30:59 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
Last year, a National Geographic-Roper survey found that fewer than 15 percent of young adults between 18 and 24 could locate Iraq on a map.

And who might be responsible for this outrageous fact? Liberal educators and our public education system, perhaps?

17 posted on 03/30/2003 3:38:17 AM PST by Fresh Wind (Never forget: CLINTON PARDONED TERRORISTS)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: alfa6
Thanks for a very good link to a very good article. I've emailed it to all my friends and some of my enemies.
18 posted on 03/30/2003 3:38:50 AM PST by metesky (My retirement fund is holding steady @ $.05 a can)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Fresh Wind
The irony is sooooo ironic.
19 posted on 03/30/2003 3:48:21 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Fresh Wind
And who might be responsible for this outrageous fact? Liberal educators and our public education system, perhaps?

[Sarcasm ON]
Oh, no! The fact that we as a nation do not spend enough money on the schools and have classes that are too large and etc, etc, etc. [Sarcasm OFF]
20 posted on 03/30/2003 4:00:16 AM PST by Jim Ralls
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-28 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