tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264937.post115285828812836080..comments2024-03-26T12:23:29.784-04:00Comments on Philosoraptor: Winston Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08780746334199630779noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264937.post-1153423390873786752006-07-20T15:23:00.000-04:002006-07-20T15:23:00.000-04:00Not sure what you're getting at here, Tom. You se...Not sure what you're getting at here, Tom. You seem to be saying something like this:<BR/><BR/>Since Bush isn't running for re-election, it isn't rational to assess his performance in office.<BR/><BR/>Well, if there were anything else for those of us in the blogosphere to do, then we should be doing it. But as it is, what we do is evaluate. So unless you want to say that it's irrational for Winston Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08780746334199630779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264937.post-1153417383197653772006-07-20T13:43:00.000-04:002006-07-20T13:43:00.000-04:00Nothing is obvious, and history doesn't reveal its...Nothing is obvious, and history doesn't reveal its alternatives. Saddam could still be in power and be free of sanctions, merrily developing WMDs and happily rewarding the killers of Israelis, we could still have troops in the Saudi Holy Land keeping an eye on him, attracting more Islamist anger, and bin Laden could have slipped over the Pakistan border regardless of how many troops we sent to Tom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264937.post-1153415295291045562006-07-20T13:08:00.000-04:002006-07-20T13:08:00.000-04:00Yup, Kennedy alright. It didn't hit me. But beli...Yup, Kennedy alright. It didn't hit me. But believable out of his mouth...absurd out of Bush's.<BR/><BR/>Jeez, Tom, it's liberal centrists who recognize that the times are serious. We're the ones who wanted, for example, to take out al Qaeda instead of doing a half-assed job in Afghanistan, then putting it on hold in order to do a half-assed job in Iraq.<BR/><BR/>Bush has been the biggest Winston Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08780746334199630779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264937.post-1153365014266080402006-07-19T23:10:00.000-04:002006-07-19T23:10:00.000-04:00"Let every nation know whether it wishes us well o...<I>"Let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty."</I><BR/><BR/>The student of history will recognize these words as actually originating with John F. Kennedy.<BR/><BR/>The student of politcs will admit that such notions would be ludicrousTom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264937.post-1153357704287846802006-07-19T21:08:00.000-04:002006-07-19T21:08:00.000-04:00Tom, you're not really, actually, breathlessly quo...Tom, you're not really, actually, breathlessly quoting Bush upthread are you?<BR/><BR/>My god, man, what's it gonna take?Winston Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08780746334199630779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264937.post-1153245036544822362006-07-18T13:50:00.000-04:002006-07-18T13:50:00.000-04:00No, I was actually quoting a different moron. ;-)...No, I was actually quoting a different moron. ;-)<BR/><BR/>Gotcha.Tom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264937.post-1153183057203648582006-07-17T20:37:00.000-04:002006-07-17T20:37:00.000-04:00Jeez, Tom, some pretty crappy analysis in that Ugl...Jeez, Tom, some pretty crappy analysis in that Ugly American post. Some looks like it might be good, though. Will scrutinize when I get back to NC.Winston Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08780746334199630779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264937.post-1153182928696610102006-07-17T20:35:00.000-04:002006-07-17T20:35:00.000-04:00God, Tom, you're not really quoting that moron, se...God, Tom, you're not really quoting that moron, seemingly with a tear in your eye, are you? <BR/><BR/>Seriously, man. You need a reality check here.<BR/><BR/>Still at my folks'. More upon my return.Winston Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08780746334199630779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264937.post-1153061812628505312006-07-16T10:56:00.000-04:002006-07-16T10:56:00.000-04:00Tom,Iran doesn't need to be Sunni to play a signif...Tom,<BR/><BR/>Iran doesn't need to be Sunni to play a significant role in radicalizing a large fraction of the Muslim world. That's a nice quote from President Bush, but I'm not very confident that he knows how to assure the survival of liberty.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264937.post-1153029635476033142006-07-16T02:00:00.000-04:002006-07-16T02:00:00.000-04:00Kevin Drum (who is a good guy), drummed. Like the...Kevin Drum (who is a good guy), <A HREF="http://therealuglyamerican.com/2006/07/15/why-the-left-is-ignoring-the-war/" REL="nofollow">drummed.</A> Like the left and so far the Democratic Party, MIA. Again.<BR/><BR/>"Let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and Tom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264937.post-1153027202748973572006-07-16T01:20:00.000-04:002006-07-16T01:20:00.000-04:00When it comes to the actions of other nations, you...<I>When it comes to the actions of other nations, you always have to judge them first as rational actors in their own self-interest...</I><BR/><BR/>Aha, Mr. X.<BR/><BR/>The cheap thing would be to call them irrational, of course. Or one might even compare the mullahcracy to Saddam, who was incapable of discerning his own best interest, as when he pretended to have WMDs when he didn't.<BR/><BR/>Tom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264937.post-1152981306504879532006-07-15T12:35:00.000-04:002006-07-15T12:35:00.000-04:00There may not be direct evidence, but I would be s...There may not be direct evidence, but I would be surprised if Iran wan't behind Hezbollah's recent actions. Iran founded Hezbollah, provides almost all of its funding, and therefore probably directs its leadership on actions like this. But Iran's desire to provoke Israel into creating chaos in Lebanon seems to be in its interest, not contrary to it. Iran and Islamists in the Middle East want to Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264937.post-1152926746380269572006-07-14T21:25:00.000-04:002006-07-14T21:25:00.000-04:00I question that talk as well. For one thing, it's ...I question that talk as well. For one thing, it's all too easy to make completely baseless assumptions about Iran's involvement, while having no evidence whatsoever. Of course Iran has ties to the groups, but what of it in this particular instance? I don't think anybody knows, including the Bush administration, so it's irresponsible not only to make baseless accusations, but to make those Alexander Wolfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03041808057755360625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264937.post-1152919678621407642006-07-14T19:27:00.000-04:002006-07-14T19:27:00.000-04:00This is the problem of the current press. No credi...<I>This is the problem of the current press. No credibility really leads to a damned if you do damned if you don't situation. </I><BR/><BR/>It's not all about you, mate, and even less about the press. Nobody's gonna put it on a silver platter for you. One would think you believe in some god who will judge you on your ability and accuracy in discerning moral matters.<BR/><BR/>A damned if you do Tom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264937.post-1152918867675762852006-07-14T19:14:00.000-04:002006-07-14T19:14:00.000-04:00Actually another indictment of the bankruptcy of t...Actually another indictment of the bankruptcy of taking political rhetoric seriously in the first place. <BR/><BR/>There's a whole non-governmental world of information out there for the serious consumer of democracy.<BR/><BR/>Looking for it is every citizen's duty, not to mention every congressmember's. If you don't, then shut up, and for godsakes, don't vote.<BR/><BR/>And if the Democratic Tom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264937.post-1152859495827943962006-07-14T02:44:00.000-04:002006-07-14T02:44:00.000-04:00I don't think so, but I think your post highlights...I don't think so, but I think your post highlights the reason why this is the case.<BR/><BR/>We don't trust the people we are supposed to trust. There is ample reason for this, but it is still a very sad commentary on where we are.<BR/><BR/>Even if it proves to be true, there is no reason to think that the people reporting it had any idea if it actually was or not, or if the people offering it Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com