Here's the link to the full article. LINK
Here's the excerpt. I'll make specific comments on five issues below.
When asked how his involvement began, Gere stated, "Well, I'll tell you where it started with me was in Central America. In the early 1980s I went to Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. In El Salvador this dirty war was still going on heavily. I went there with a doctor who had treated 'campesinos.' And I ended up in refugee camps across the border in Honduras where these kids were telling the most horrific stories of what had happened to their families, and to them. Some of them couldn't even speak: so traumatised that they couldn't relate the stories. Their therapy was to tell the story in the communities, and keep telling it; not to bury it, to get it out through drawings, paintings. We'd bring crayons and paper and they'd immediately start drawing these horrific things."
He also spoke about the ethical subtleties of international politics; that it's never a simple black and white/good vs. bad issue. Ultimately, and most illuminating, is that he himself personally is taking responsibility:
"You know, the thought from my side was that the U.S. was providing the expertise for this kind of horror and human rights abuse. And if it isn't the U.S., it's Argentina, or it's Britain, or it's the Israelis. It's not just the 'bad guys' who do this kind of thing. We are the bad guys too! And it made me feel a tremendous responsibility to do something about this. In fact, these are my tax dollars, as it were, funding these horrors. It reminded me of a concept the Quakers started, called 'witness to truth.' It is very important to all of us who have access to the truth, to speak about it, and mainly in defence of people who don't have access to a voice, who don't have access to a judicial system where they can take their grievances. It's really our responsibility to hold the hands of our younger brothers, you know, our less well-off brothers and sisters."
You stated that Gere isn't as bad as Streisand, Sarandon et al. I stated that I find him just as problematic. This is why.
Gere is diefied by the media. Just go do a Google search on the internet. You'll find site after site developed by fans who have created a shrine to him. Nothing this man says is measured by a criticle mind. These people have set their minds on vacuum with no filter. That makes people like him very dangerous. Their views affect the world-view of millions of Americans.
I have no problem with Gere being a touchy feely bleeding heart. Go to South America. Use your influence to help people. Defend the indiginous peoples of the region if you like. That doesn't give you carte blanche to vilify the United States on the world stated.
By now you've read the excerpt. The lead in to it described Gere in glowing terms. Fine. Some of his qualities on their own are honorable. The problem with guys like Gere, is that they don't stop there. They don't have the critical skills necessary to engage in political speak, but that doesn't stop them.
Gere went to these nations. He found problems there. As far as that goes, he's right. There were problems. Let's move on. No, things are never black and white. But guess what? Directly after telling us it's not black and white, a black and white issue rises. Guess who's the nation who get's blamed in these instances. In black and white no uncertain terms, it's the United States. And of course if it wasn't the United States it was the United States' allies. Note the inclusion of Israel here. We're discussing a American Hemisphere problem, but Gere can't help himself but to insert a slam at Israel, and let's make this clear, Jews.
Nowhere in this presentation did the words, "U.S.S.R", "Cuba", "Marxist Insurgents", "repressive Marxist Government" or any other pertinant words appear that would show why the United States was involved in the area. Note that today there is peace in El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. Why? Even before the U.S.S.R., fell it withdrew funding of Cuba's Marxist insurgency into Central and South America, and the African Continent. US efforts to defeat Marxist insurgencies and repressive governments were a complete success. Gere mentions none of this in his haste to damn the United States as the single force that created the problems he saw in Central America.
Gere speaks of "witness to truth". Gere wouldn't know truth if it rose up and bit him on the arse.
As evidenced by his comments here, Gere is perfectly willing to be a tool for Marxism. While it may seem innocent, it isn't really. Marxism gets a free ride. The US is framed as being the bad guy. Hence the impression given is that US foreign policy is bad. Look at the poor children. When people hear other bits of information they piece it together to forumulate a global view of US policy. It's a disinformation tactic. Today Central America's children live in peace and freedom. Do you think Gere goes back to remark about what US policy provided for them? Do you think he goes back to remark about what Israeli policy brought them? As if!
Gere is a card carrying Marxist visionary. To hell with him. Yes that's the same hell Susan Sarandan will one day inhabit.
Gere's inclusion of Israel in the list of nations who are damnable should haunt you. It should haunt him too, but he's beyond help.
You are in good company in criticising Richard Gere: see this posting:
Senator Dodd: RICHARD GERE IS A JERK for his comments on Bill Clinton and AIDS
I tend to look at the PRICE someone pays for their opinion, and Richard Gere has the character to buck both the Left, with which he agrees part (or even most) of the time, and the right, with which he agrees part of the time, resulting in both sides attacking him.
I do not by any means agree with Richard Gere on most things but none-the-less admire him more than knee-jerk LIBERALS, or KNEE-JERK CONSERVATIVES.