| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Fred Stone" |
| Date: |
22 Jun 2007 06:16:40 AM |
| Object: |
Judging Bush By His Enemies |
http://bookwormroom.wordpress.com/2007/06/11/judging-people-by-their-friends-and-their-enemies/
Maybe it’s just my perception, but it seems to me that there’s been a
certain sneering tone to the coverage about Bush’s visit to the Albanians —
along the lines of “can you believe that those primitive yahoos admire
President Bush (guffaw!!)?” Here’s part of the WaPo story, via the SF
Chron:
Evidence of Albania’s love for the United States lined the road leading
into this capital Sunday. U.S. and Albanian flags flew from lampposts.
People wearing cardboard Uncle Sam hats milled in the streets. Oversize
billboards and banners heralded the American president’s visit.
“Albania welcomes President Bush,” some of the signs announced. Others
proclaimed he was “making history” as the first U.S. president to set foot
in the country.
Throughout much of Europe — particularly in France and Germany — a Bush
visit is frequently seen as cause for protest.
But in this former communist nation, Bush was accorded a hero’s welcome.
He was awarded the Order of the Flag medal, the nation’s highest honor. His
visage is on a new line of commemorative postage stamps, and the street in
front of the parliament building has been renamed in his honor.
“I’m pleased that George Bush has arrived here in Albania,” said Anisa
Torozi, 27, an unemployed office worker who carried a small U.S. flag in
this city’s central Skanderbeg Square. “He is the president of the United
States, which is the state of liberty and peace.”
It was the type of reception any president would like. But it must have
been especially heartening for Bush, whose vow to foster liberty around the
world has faced repeated setbacks in Iraq and elsewhere, and triggered an
anti-American backlash in many places.
Thousands of protesters shadowed Bush during the German and Italian legs
of his seven-country swing through Europe, but none of that was evident
here.
Military cannons blasted a 21-gun salute as Bush’s motorcade arrived at
the Palace of Brigades, the 1930s-era building that was once the home of
King Zog, who reigned before World War II. Later, at a news conference,
Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha hailed Bush as “the greatest and most
distinguished guest we have ever had in all times.”
Bush returned the love — or some of it. He repeated his public
endorsement of Albania’s bid to join NATO.
He also reiterated his support for the independence of Kosovo, a Serbian
province under U.N. supervision. Ethnic Albanians make up the vast majority
of Kosovo’s population.
“At some point in time, sooner rather than later, you’ve got to say:
Enough’s enough — Kosovo is independent,” Bush said.
Responding to a reporter’s question in Rome on Saturday, Bush had said a
deadline should be set for a U.N. resolution on Kosovo’s independence. “In
terms of the deadline, there needs to be one,” he said. “This needs to come
— this needs to happen.”
Asked Sunday about when he would like that deadline set, Bush seemed
flummoxed. “I don’t think I called for a deadline,” he said. Told that he
had, Bush responded, “I did? What exactly did I say? I said ‘deadline’? OK,
yes, then I meant what I said.”
I’ve actually been thinking a lot about President Bush’s supporters. Not the
old white shoe conservatives who are rather nastily spoofed in a Washington
Mutual TV commercial I saw the other day, which has herds of exceptionally
ugly old white banker types corralled all over the place, protesting all
the myriad benefits WaMu gives its checking customers, benefits touted by a
handsome, hip, young black man. You can just see the advertising minds
behind that one thinking about tapping into all of the Obama supporters out
there, by distinguishing them from their monied white oppressors.
Nope, I’m talking about some of the less expected Bush supporters: the
Czechs, the Albanians, the Angela Merkels, the Nicholas Sarkozys, the Ayaan
Hirsi Alis, and the Neocons. What all of these people have in common is
that they’ve either been complicit in or victims of Communism or Socialism
or some other statist ideology (such as Islam, which is statism decked out
in religious trappings). People who have lived in and looked into those
totalitarian abysses love Bush. They have no truck with the Soros, and
Chomskys and Ward Churchills, and even the Hillarys, Obamas and Edwards, of
this world, all of whom, in one form or another, and dressed up in pretty
language, would like to recreate a United States in which the government,
not the citizen, is dominant. And as I’ve pointed out time and time again,
governments are utterly without conscience and will invariably end up
destroying their citizenries to maintain the power of those who have risen
up inside the government bureaucracy.
Bush currently stands as the antithesis and enemy of Leftism, Islamism and
other forms of fascism (despite the fake cries of outrage about his daring
to be a committed Christian). And I say that despite the fact that, sadly,
he’s been a sort of blank check conservative, who has never met a cause at
which he hasn’t thrown taxpayer money. He may be a spendthrift, but he’s
still someone who believes in basic principles of individual and market
freedom, and who stands as a bulwark against fascism, whether it’s dressed
up as old-fashioned Communism, or medieval (or, some might say, new
fashioned) Islamism.
So, next time you meet someone who sneers as a Michael Medved or a David
Horowitz or an Albanian, ask them if they’ve ever considered why people who
have been up close and person to the Communist ideal have turned upon it
with such vehemence, and why they believe that the world’s salvation lies
with a man (Bush) and a party (Republicans), both of which, despite their
manifest frailties, nevertheless take a firm stand against dictatorships
ranging from North Korea, to Putin’s Russia, to Chavez’s Venezuela, and to
most of the governments in the Middle East.
UPDATE: After writing the above, I read FrontPage Magazine’s interview with
Angela McGlowan, whose book Bamboozled: How Americans are being Exploited
by the Lies of the Liberal Agenda, has just been published. The
introductory paragraphs of that interview are yet another reminder that
Bush/Republican supporters aren’t mindless white shoe hacks, they’re people
who have seen the other side and recoiled in disgust:
FP: What inspired you to write this book?
McGlowan: Well, like most black Americans, I grew up thinking I was
supposed to be a Democrat. It wasn’t even something you questioned or
thought twice about. Black equaled Democrat. Then after graduating from
college I moved to Washington, DC, and began meeting prominent liberals and
Democrats up close and personal. And that’s when I had an epiphany of
sorts; I realized that the values my mother and father had instilled in me
were 180 degrees removed from the policies and passions of the Democrat
Party. I came to realize that I, and the 90 percent of black Americans who
vote Democrat, had been Bamboozled.
--
Fred Stone
aa# 1369
"Five years ago, Middle Eastern extremists were killing Israelis and
Americans. Today they are killing each other. Why is it that some people
persist in claiming that Israel's and America's Middle East policy is a
failure?" -- Alan Chamberlain"
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| User: "655321" |
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| Title: Re: Judging Bush By His Enemies |
22 Jun 2007 12:19:08 PM |
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Fred Stone copied and pasted:
Maybe it’s just my perception,
It was. A selective one at that.
Next.
--
655321
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Judging Bush By His Enemies |
22 Jun 2007 06:54:07 AM |
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On 22 juin, 13:16, Fred Stone <N...@Biznez.net> wrote:
http://bookwormroom.wordpress.com/2007/06/11/judging-people-by-their-...
Maybe it's just my perception, but it seems to me that there's been a
certain sneering tone to the coverage about Bush's visit to the Albanians -
along the lines of "can you believe that those primitive yahoos admire
President Bush (guffaw!!)?" Here's part of the WaPo story, via the SF
Chron:
Care to tell us what this has to do with atheism?
Beside the fact that George Bush existence could very well be the
proof that there is no god?
Why don't you discuss this on alt.politics.usa?
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| User: "Christopher A.Lee" |
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| Title: Re: Judging Bush By His Enemies |
22 Jun 2007 07:16:54 AM |
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On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 04:54:07 -0700, wrote:
On 22 juin, 13:16, Fred Stone <N...@Biznez.net> wrote:
http://bookwormroom.wordpress.com/2007/06/11/judging-people-by-their-...
Maybe it's just my perception, but it seems to me that there's been a
certain sneering tone to the coverage about Bush's visit to the Albanians -
along the lines of "can you believe that those primitive yahoos admire
President Bush (guffaw!!)?" Here's part of the WaPo story, via the SF
Chron:
Care to tell us what this has to do with atheism?
Beside the fact that George Bush existence could very well be the
proof that there is no god?
Why don't you discuss this on alt.politics.usa?
Because he wouldn't be wanking Bush in our faces.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Judging Bush By His Enemies |
22 Jun 2007 09:06:45 AM |
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On Jun 22, 7:54 am, wrote:
On 22 juin, 13:16, Fred Stone <N...@Biznez.net> wrote:
http://bookwormroom.wordpress.com/2007/06/11/judging-people-by-their-...
Maybe it's just my perception, but it seems to me that there's been a
certain sneering tone to the coverage about Bush's visit to the Albanians -
along the lines of "can you believe that those primitive yahoos admire
President Bush (guffaw!!)?" Here's part of the WaPo story, via the SF
Chron:
Care to tell us what this has to do with atheism?
Fred's an atheist, and wants to discuss politics. He's
certainly not the only one who wants to discuss
politics here.
Why don't you discuss this on alt.politics.usa?
While I agree that an alt.politics.* forum would be
more appropriate, I'll be more supportive of your
desire for a change in venue if I see similar
protests from you against those with differing
viewpoints than Fred (such as Yang). Otherwise,
there's too much appearance of selective umbrage
on your part - you're showing that discussing
politics on alt.atheism is only wrong to you
if the person doing the discussing holds a certain
viewpoint.
--
Walt Smith
Firelock on DALNet
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| User: "Matt Silberstein" |
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| Title: Re: Judging Bush By His Enemies |
22 Jun 2007 02:41:30 PM |
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On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 07:16:40 -0400, in alt.atheism , Fred Stone
<Nunya@Biznez.net> in <467bae68$0$31427$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com>
wrote:
http://bookwormroom.wordpress.com/2007/06/11/judging-people-by-their-friends-and-their-enemies/
Maybe its just my perception, but it seems to me that theres been a
certain sneering tone to the coverage about Bushs visit to the Albanians
along the lines of can you believe that those primitive yahoos admire
President Bush (guffaw!!)? Heres part of the WaPo story, via the SF
Chron:
No, the reaction has been "wow, those Albanians sure must be cut off
from the news". And nothing in this story suggests otherwise.
[snip]
Bush returned the love or some of it. He repeated his public
endorsement of Albanias bid to join NATO.
He also reiterated his support for the independence of Kosovo, a Serbian
province under U.N. supervision. Ethnic Albanians make up the vast majority
of Kosovos population.
At some point in time, sooner rather than later, youve got to say:
Enoughs enough Kosovo is independent, Bush said.
Responding to a reporters question in Rome on Saturday, Bush had said a
deadline should be set for a U.N. resolution on Kosovos independence. In
terms of the deadline, there needs to be one, he said. This needs to come
this needs to happen.
Asked Sunday about when he would like that deadline set, Bush seemed
flummoxed. I dont think I called for a deadline, he said. Told that he
had, Bush responded, I did? What exactly did I say? I said deadline? OK,
yes, then I meant what I said.
He was for deadlines before he was against them.
Ive actually been thinking a lot about President Bushs supporters. Not the
old white shoe conservatives who are rather nastily spoofed in a Washington
Mutual TV commercial I saw the other day, which has herds of exceptionally
ugly old white banker types corralled all over the place, protesting all
the myriad benefits WaMu gives its checking customers, benefits touted by a
handsome, hip, young black man. You can just see the advertising minds
behind that one thinking about tapping into all of the Obama supporters out
there, by distinguishing them from their monied white oppressors.
Nope, Im talking about some of the less expected Bush supporters: the
Czechs, the Albanians, the Angela Merkels, the Nicholas Sarkozys, the Ayaan
Hirsi Alis, and the Neocons.
How are the Neocons unexpected supporters? They are, or were since
they seem to have started abandoning him, one of his earliest and
strongest support groups.
What all of these people have in common is
that theyve either been complicit in or victims of Communism or Socialism
or some other statist ideology (such as Islam, which is statism decked out
in religious trappings). People who have lived in and looked into those
totalitarian abysses love Bush. They have no truck with the Soros, and
Chomskys and Ward Churchills, and even the Hillarys, Obamas and Edwards, of
this world, all of whom, in one form or another, and dressed up in pretty
language, would like to recreate a United States in which the government,
not the citizen, is dominant.
ROTFLMAO. You mean a world where the U.S. government has more police
power than ever conceived, right?
And as Ive pointed out time and time again,
governments are utterly without conscience and will invariably end up
destroying their citizenries to maintain the power of those who have risen
up inside the government bureaucracy.
Bush currently stands as the antithesis and enemy of Leftism, Islamism and
other forms of fascism (despite the fake cries of outrage about his daring
to be a committed Christian).
That is not the outcry, but thanks for the straw.
And I say that despite the fact that, sadly,
hes been a sort of blank check conservative, who has never met a cause at
which he hasnt thrown taxpayer money. He may be a spendthrift, but hes
still someone who believes in basic principles of individual and market
freedom,
You mean big company freedom, not individual.
and who stands as a bulwark against fascism, whether its dressed
up as old-fashioned Communism, or medieval (or, some might say, new
fashioned) Islamism.
You mean how he was able to look into Putin's eye and know he could
trust him. Meanwhile Putin has established himself as de facto
dictator of the first nuclear kleptocracy.
So, next time you meet someone who sneers as a Michael Medved or a David
Horowitz or an Albanian, ask them if theyve ever considered why people who
have been up close and person to the Communist ideal have turned upon it
with such vehemence, and why they believe that the worlds salvation lies
with a man (Bush) and a party (Republicans), both of which, despite their
manifest frailties, nevertheless take a firm stand against dictatorships
ranging from North Korea, to Putins Russia, to Chavezs Venezuela, and to
most of the governments in the Middle East.
So somehow I am supposed to judge Shrub by how ex-communists like him
and not by my knowledge of what he has actually done. Did that make
sense to you Fred?
[snip]
--
Matt Silberstein
Do something today about the Darfur Genocide
http://www.beawitness.org
http://www.darfurgenocide.org
http://www.savedarfur.org
"Darfur: A Genocide We can Stop"
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| User: "Sasha" |
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| Title: Re: Judging Bush By His Enemies |
22 Jun 2007 07:33:29 AM |
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On Jun 22, 7:16 am, Fred Stone <N...@Biznez.net> wrote:
http://bookwormroom.wordpress.com/2007/06/11/judging-people-by-their-...
Maybe it's just my perception, but it seems to me that there's been a
certain sneering tone to the coverage about Bush's visit to the Albanians -
along the lines of "can you believe that those primitive yahoos admire
President Bush (guffaw!!)?"
In other news, we forgot about Poland.
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