Mark Steyn: Durbin slanders his own country

Chicago Sun Times ^ | June 19, 2005 | MARK STEYN

[mal]

Throughout the last campaign season, senior Democrats had a standard line in their speeches, usually delivered with righteous anger, about how "nobody has a right to question my patriotism!" Given that nobody was questioning their patriotism, it seemed an odd thing to harp on about. But, aware of their touchiness on the subject, I hasten to add that in what follows I am not questioning Dick Durbin's patriotism, at least not for the first couple of paragraphs. Instead, I'll begin by questioning his sanity.

Last Tuesday, Senator Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, quoted a report of U.S. "atrocities" at Guantanamo and then added:

"If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime -- Pol Pot or others -- that had no concern for human beings."

Er, well, your average low-wattage senator might. But I wouldn't. The "atrocities" he enumerated -- "Not only was the temperature unbearably hot, but extremely loud rap music was being played in the room" -- are not characteristic of the Nazis, the Soviets or Pol Pot, and, at the end, the body count in Gitmo was a lot lower. That's to say, it was zero, which would have been counted a poor day's work in Auschwitz or Siberia or the killing fields of Cambodia.

[baseballmom]

It is so obvious what is going on here. Durbin and his ilk are trying to do to our military, and our country, what was done to us during the Vietnam war.

They are slandering our troops, just as they did in Vietnam.

Remember our baby killing murderous troops (reminiscent of Ghengis Khan) slashing and burning those peaceful North Vietnamese in the quaint little villages?

Remember our war criminal presidents, Johnson and Nixon, oh, yes, those war mongerers, hell bent on an imperialistic American foreign policy? It must have been for rice in those days, not oil.

Remember the daily drum beat of American losses and the daily death toll from Uncle Walter Cronkite? The quagmire lasted forever, until Uncle Walter declared that Vietnam was unwinnable, and we needed to get the hell out of there, and bring our baby killing troops home (to be shamed and spat upon.)

Remember newspaper editorial after editorial demanding an end to the war, and fat head senators and congresscritters, cutting off the funding?

Remember the scenes at the embassy in Saigon, desperate people trying to get aboard our helicopters to freedom?

Remember the millions who were killed in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos when we left?

This is what the democRATS want - AGAIN!! They will do anything and say anything to tear our country apart, again, and they don't give a damn. Political power is everything to them.

Don't let this happen. We owe our precious troops, past, present and future, so much more. We owe our children some semblence of this country that was left to us by our brave parents.

God have mercy on our troops,and our country,

[Vaduz]

America has not changed it's been infected by the 60's scum that now hold office(democrats).

[RightWingMama]

Brilliant analysis! Will he be censored by his fellow Senators? Even if he is, that doesn't seem enough.

[mylife]

One measure of a civilized society is that words mean something: "Soviet" and "Nazi" and "Pol Pot" cannot equate to Guantanamo unless you've become utterly unmoored from reality. Spot the odd one out: 1) mass starvation; 2) gas chambers; 3) mountains of skulls; 4) lousy infidel pop music turned up to full volume. One of these is not the same as the others, and Durbin doesn't have the excuse that he's some airhead celeb or an Ivy League professor. He's the second-ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Don't they have an insanity clause?

"Insanity clause"? Im sure the dems never thought to include one, heck...everyone knows there aint no "sanity clause"

[goldstategop]

Birdbrain Durbin's inept comparison epitomizes the extent to which the Left's kooks have become the mainstream of the Democratic Party. Once upon a time, the Nazi-USA comparison would have been confined to the fever swamps inhabited by fringe crackpots. Today it finds its expression in the outrageous slander of his own country from a U.S Senator who happens to be the No. 2 man in his Senate party's leadership.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[BibChr]

...in what follows I am not questioning Dick Durbin's patriotism, at least not for the first couple of paragraphs. Instead, I'll begin by questioning his sanity

LOL

This whole essay is excellent. Something needs to happen to Durbin for this, politically or socially. He has to lose his position or his office, or both. Illinois needs to rally against him. The Senate needs to censure him.

But I do have two contrary thoughts, both very serious:

1. I do not see how Durbin can rationally be punished, when Ted Kennedy got away with his appalling and outrageous remarks earlier. And

2. Being a Democrat means never experiencing consequences for your own actions.

So I greatly fear nothing will happen.

Dan
Biblical Christianity BLOG

[MEG33]

I just posted this on a board ruled by left wing liberals..I loved it..and wanted to interrupt their regular programming..

.

[meema]

Amen! from Disgusted in Illinois!

[Tripleplay]

Don't feel bad.......I'm from Michigan, levin or stabenow would probably say the same thing.

[Piquaboy]

IMHO the people of Chicago sent this idiot to the senate and not the rest of the state.

[JasonC]

That is a fine question. Now extend it to the entire left.

[niteowl77]

Will he be censored by his fellow Senators?

So far, he hasn't even had his hand slapped by the one sitting Senator who was actually in a totalitarian prison system. The Millionaires' Club takes care of its own- even unto treason.

[Jim_Curtis]

"nobody has a right to question my patriotism!" Given that nobody was questioning their patriotism...

Wrong. I was questioning the Democrats' patriotism, still am.

If you can't question a Democrat's patriotism, what can you question?

[TheGeezer]

It was Pat Dewine, and no one deserved to be buried more than goofy, whiney Pat Dewine. Inconsistent, hypocritical even for a politician...what a goofball, worse than his old man.

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

"Not only was the temperature unbearably hot, but extremely loud rap music was being played in the room"

Sounds like an apartment that I lived in once upon a time.

[savedbygrace]

Mark Steyn is one of the greatest wordsmiths of our time.

[maica]

Victor Davis Hanson has a piece, posted on FR linked to Jewish World Review
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1423948/posts
and also linked on Real Clear Politics to the Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0506170274jun17,0,4330914.story?coll=chi-newsopinioncommentary-hed

ALLIES WHO TURN WARM, THEN COOL

He puts in perspective America's position in the world so clearly.

I recommend reading it as a companion piece to today's Mark Steyn - to get the memory of Durbin's words in true perspective.

[PGalt]

To the 99 enablers in The United States Senate, you have the right to remain silent.

[Rummyfan]

Shame on him, and shame on those fellow senators and Democrats who by their refusal to condemn him endorse his slander.

Keep the heat on Dickie Durbin! Censure or resignation!

[mabelkitty]

You know, all those solders know exactly what is going on over here. They are well aware what is being said and by whom.
I wonder if the Democrats are delusional enough to think information isn't traveling to their ears and eyes in far-away lands?
Or do they not mind pissing off people who volunteer to kill evil-doers?
Just random thinking....