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« Vote for Change, Satirists and Bleak Economic Options (UPDATED) | Main | "Team America" Update (UPDATED) » October 12, 2004
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Posted by Bill * Instapundit has a great round-up of reactions to Kerry's recent comments comparing terrorism to prostitution. My verdict: the comments were politically stupid because he should know that they'd be truncated and taken out of context, but a lot of people are, in fact, taking them out of context. He was clumsily grasping for a way to describe the ominpresence of terrorism in much the same way that Bush told Matt Lauer, "'I don't think you can win" this war. Of course, the Dems spun that perceptive statement to Hell and back, so fair is fair. That being said, there's no doubt in my mind, that based on his description of a "global test," his drastic anti-war and anti-defense history and his previous description of the WOT as primarily a law-enforcement operation, that John Kerry plans on pursuing a foreign policy that devolves US strategic thinking back to an approximation of the Clinton Administration's weakness. Such a defensive posture will be more likely to steer us towards disaster. Did I just question John Kerry's patriotism? The Instapundit round-up features a James Lileks' take that I endorse: Mosquito bites are a nuisance. Cable outages are a nuisance. Someone shooting up a school in Montana or California or Maine on behalf of the brave martyrs of Fallujah isn't a nuisance. It's war. But that's not the key phrase. This matters: We have to get back to the place we were. But when we were there we were blind. When we were there we (were) losing. When we were there we died. * Stacy Tabb has started a site that's like Consumer Reports for a labrador puppy. If you've got a dog, you might want to check out "Lab-Tested." * Wretchard at the Belmont Club busts a rhetorical 2'x4' over Andrew Suillivan's head in a tug-of-war with Paul Bremer's recent remarks about troop levels in Iraq. If you're looking for very deep, very clear analysis of strategy in the WOT, grab a chair and scroll around that site for awhile. Trust me. * Dean points to a video that analyzes George Bush's speaking style, and adds a few thoughts of his own. * Jeff Goldstein's back in town! I expect madness to resume shortly. And finally ... Imagine her as the First Lady of the United States. Disturbing, right? Posted by Bill at October 12, 2004 08:29 AM | TrackBack (1) CommentsWhile Kerry's analogy of terrorism as prostitution is politically stupid, I don't think it was clumsiness. IMO, it was deliberate. Kerry is as much playing to Europe in these debates as he is to his base Left in the Democratic Party, and that means downplaying the ideology behind the terrorism. Just as Reuters refuses to call terrorists anything other than "millitants" or "activists," Kerry is showing his willingness to "reach out" to the "Islamic world." Thus, GW talks about his refusal to deal with Arafat (and Europe really hates that) and John Kerry totally sidesteps the issue. John Kerry could have easily made the analogy that the ideology of the terrorists -- Islamism -- is the modern equivalent of Nazism/facsism. It certainly would have backed up his rhetoric of "killing terrorists wherever we meet them." However, the kill-kill rhetoric is belied by the "criminal nuisance" claims. As long as Kerry believes (and with good reason) that the mainstream media is solidly working to get him elected, he also believes he can play to his Islamist-apologist supporters and have plenty of spinners to soothe or denigrate anyone who is alarmed by his statements. Posted by: Darleen at October 12, 2004 09:38 AM I have real issues with comparing acts of terrorism to prostitution and illegal gambling. For one thing, these acts are often referred to as victimless crimes, and the people involved are involved at both ends by their own consent. Terrorism is not a victimless crime. People on buses, in buildings and in buildings are not consenting to have the guy with the bomb blow them up. Would any crime fighter ever call rape, murder, assault a "nuisance?" I doubt it. Bad move on his part, I really don't see that interview garnering him a lot of support from the undecideds who are not doves. Posted by: Just Me at October 12, 2004 10:22 AM For one thing, these acts are often referred to as victimless crimes, and the people involved are involved at both ends by their own consent. But you are taking his words as a literal metaphor. To be fair, what Kerry was trying to say was that terrorism is an eternal, systemic problem, not a "victimless crime." That being said, it was a clumsy, lame, stupid metaphor, for the exact reasons that you mention. Posted by: Bill from INDC at October 12, 2004 10:49 AM Well I think Kerry would do well to stop trying to use metaphors. And the comparison doesn't sit well with me, maybe because terrorism involves murder, and I don't view murder as a nuisance. He probably should have just said what he meant, that he wanted to get to a place where people weren't overly focused or scared of a terrorist attack. No metaphor required. Posted by: Just Me at October 12, 2004 11:10 AM Bill, Posted by: Kathy at October 12, 2004 11:24 AM Kathy, Thanks and I endorse your sentiment; I just think that people are getting hung up on the prostitution angle. Either way, I'm not losing any sleep over it, especially when Kerry's wife busts out the "blood for oil" bit. Disturbing. Posted by: Bill from INDC at October 12, 2004 11:29 AM Bill, Posted by: Kathy at October 12, 2004 11:52 AM We have to get back to the place we were. The womb? Posted by: Doug at October 12, 2004 07:11 PM "...devolves US strategic thinking back to an approximation of the Clinton Administration's weakness." I was thinking more of Carter, than Clinton. Kerry's comments, the clumsy metaphor aside, amplify his previous statements about getting out of Iraq, holding summits, and preserving stability rather than promoting peace and freedom. These comments show that he wants to treat terrorism as a natural extension of the human condition that we will just have to learn to live with. I'm voting for the guy who wants to get rid of polio, instead of the guy who just wants to buy polio victims new wheelchairs (metaphorically speaking, of course). Posted by: Remy Logan at October 12, 2004 08:10 PM I've come to a slightly disturbing conclusion. (BTW, I'm a foreigner, so I've got no say in this election thing.) There's a part of me, the more cynical, sarcastic, possibly even hateful part of me, that is actually looking forward to a Kerry win. I agree that he'd be worse at almost everything than the other guy (which isn't a very ringing endorsement of Bush, I also acknowledge)yet I can't help thinking that that will be outweighed by the sheer joy, the vast amusement offered, the added cheer as 6 billion poeple watch to see what the First Lady says next. Posted by: Tim Worstall at October 13, 2004 09:36 AM 5059 http://www.totallyfreecreditreport.org Posted by: free credit report at October 24, 2004 01:22 AM 1401 http://harley-parts.owns1.com harley parts Posted by: motorcycle parts at October 24, 2004 03:31 AM 4624 http://www.slots-big.com slots Posted by: slots at October 25, 2004 12:43 AM 7560 http://www.online-casino-one.com Posted by: online casino at October 26, 2004 03:34 AM |
