Politics
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Islamophobia II
What he said: For conservatives, liberals, and everyone in between, Iran is really the crucial touchstone. It’s one thing to say, in retrospect, that the Iraq war was wrong, and then to suggest that you’ve learned your lesson and now believe that there are more effective ways of fighting jihadism than bluster and invasion. But
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Islamophobia
"Seriousness" has become the word of the day for the Islamophobic set. According to some of our more serious hawks, anyone who doesn’t buy that the liberal democracies of the West are engaged in a death-match with hordes of dusky Muslim fanatics is "unserious" about America’s security and can’t be trusted. It’s the latest in
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Militarism Rots the American Soul
Today as never before in their history Americans are enthralled with military power. The global military supremacy that the United States presently enjoys–and is bent on perpetuating–has become central to our national identity. More than America’s matchless material abundance or even the effusions of its pop culture, the nation’s arsenal of high-tech weaponry and the
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War We Didn’t Choose?
Some people have accused me of thinking that the American people are stupid. I don’t believe that, but I do believe they have been fooled by people who are very skillful at it. However, I think that Americans once they have been made aware of the con, will not stand for it. And that’s my
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Rumsfeld’s American Legion Speech
Rumsfeld thinks he’s Winston Churchill, but he’s really Captain Ahab, and the "Islamo-fascists" are his Moby Dick. He wants us to believe that we’re in a titanic Manichean struggle with the forces of evil embodied by people like Ahmadinejad. His American Legion speech the other night is nutty on so many levels, I don’t even
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Some Questions for Moderates/Independents
Is it just a matter of voting for the moderate no matter which party he or she is in? Is it then a matter of indifference to you which party controls the House or the Senate? Can Moderates have any moderating effect whatsoever if the Republicans continue to control all three branches of the government?
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More on Robust Opposition
Arianna Huffington gets this right: Republicans realize that Lamont represents a re-energized opposition, a reinvigorated Democratic Party fueled by progressive ideals, a willingness to stand up to the GOP smear machine, and a motivated netroots. This scares the hell out of Bush and company, which is why they are throwing their support behind Lieberman. They
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Outfoxed, Outmaneuvered, and Outclassed
It was pretty clear in May 2004 when the Chalabi/Iran connection came into clearer view: the neocons had been played by the Iranians. Chalabi, a Shi’ite with ties to extremists in Tehran, seduced the neocons with visions of happy, liberated Iraqis flooding the streets waving American flags. And Perle, Kristol, and their boy in the
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Robust Oppposition Postscript
I had already started this postscript to yesterday’s "Robust Opposition" post when I came across this piece at Hullaballoo. I think it captures well what I am trying to get at. Please read the whole thing, but here’s the gist: Those of moderate political temperament are naturally resistant to the rather radical belief that politics
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Healthy Politics Needs a Robust Opposition
I am concerned that this November too many center-right independents and moderate Republicans who have come to disapprove Bush’s policies will nevertheless vote for Republican candidates because they like them as individuals. But it’s not about the individual. The individual candidate by him or herself is powerless. The individual candidate cannot be considered in isolation