In 1917, Sen. Hiram Johnson (R-Ca.) warned a restless nation, “The first casualty when war comes is truth.” Johnson saw the risk posed by trigger-happy reporters and presidents mistaking passion for facts while dispatching others to march in enemy crosshairs. He noted that Americans are ready to dig trenches and take casualties for a battle we believe in. Yet our… return to article
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Reader Comments (16)Page 1 of 1 pagesI’m now completely frustrated with Bush and his cronies.
Posted by cyberella2002 on Sep 20, 2004 at 12:06 PM God save our country. I can only hope and pray that finally all Amercians will wake up and vote this November. The times for allowing less than 27% of the voting population decide who will be our president must come to an end.
America as we think of ourselves may not survive another four years of bush. If bush is elected there will be millions of Americans who will be crying for what they have allowed.
Who will come and save us?
Posted by JIMBOY on Sep 20, 2004 at 12:57 PM Maybe four more years of Bush is exactly what we need. Americans have grown increasingly indifferent to politics over the last couple decades, perhaps another Bush term is what is needed to get people interested again. There’s nothing better to get your attention than the FBI kicking in your door at 3AM because you are now considered a threat to Father.....pardon me, HOMEland security. I tell you what though, if dear old Dubya does get elected again, I’m going to do some research on real estate prices in Canada.
Posted by Josh on Sep 21, 2004 at 9:14 AM The reason Bush has such great support and will likely win the election is demonstrated by one-sided articles such as Mr.Johnson’s. Mr.Bush will probably thank him personally. This type of rhetoric is so slanted, it only appeals to the smallest percentage of voters who are anti-Republican, and anti-Bush to the core. Certainly, Kerry has the dishonest Michael Moore’s vote, but most of the voters are offended by this bias as we’ll witness in November. The swing voters, which are needed for Kerry to win, are completely turned off by the exagerrations of left wing journalists. The obvious case in point is Dan Rather. Voters are fleeing from Kerry in droves as the Rather fraud becomes the final straw: bashing your country’s sitting President in a time of war, with no apology to the President. A disgraceful act from the Democratic anchor man. Like him or not, this is our President, and you have to back him up, while not limiting constructive criticisms while campaigning.(I mean, c’mon - if I listen to the Lefties, there is not one single good thing to have occurred in this country since Clinton fessed up to the BJ.We know it ain’t that bad out there, though improvements are clearly needed.)
The Democratic party has many fine members whose voices are gagged by the insidious small percentage who are out to ruin this country. Where are Joe Lieberman, Evan Bayt, Chris Dodd, etc, when the party needs them to stand up and lead the people? Why can’t they be heard? Go visit the next protest march, and watch the people trampling the American Flag, while the Communist Party has a sign-up booth on hand. These people all want Bush out of office, making me want him in office all the more! Most Democrats don’t support this crap, as its continuation only leads to more Republican victories. The Democratic Party needs to change its philosophy, sending a message of a clear solution to today’s problems, and a clear, specific plan. Being the party of criticism against your country wins no friends. The mantra needs to change soon - it is too late for Kerry. How about Evan Bayt or Dodd in ‘08? McAuliffe and Daschle and their negativity need to go, or the party is doomed. The proof lies in who’s in charge now - it speaks for itself. Democrats need to separate themselves from the extreme side of their party to have any hope - the rest of us are tired of this crap (gay marriage, anti-gun, anti-God, anti-War, anti-Bush, anti-Pledge of Allegiance, anti-Everything, anti-recount,anti-etc, etc etc, etc , but pro-abortion. Great platform.)
Posted by David Bono on Sep 21, 2004 at 2:14 PM I’m sorry David Bono, but your protestations typify the herd mindset of regressives ("[l]ike him or not...you have to back him up...") who have a mind-numbing obedience to authority figures and the inability or unwillingness to engage in a little self-criticism.
The person elected President is just that: A person just like you and I. They are elected to serve the people, not the other way around, which is a fact that many don’t seem to comprehend (unless the President is non-Republican that is).
Unlike you, I failed to find this article “slanted”, but then regressives can’t bear to hear that not all of us are privy to the fruits of the American Dream. Also, this is not a “time of war” because Congress has not declared war on anyone or anything; this is only a Republican ruse to dismiss any criticism as unpatriotic.
In your opinion, is there anything in this world Bush could do to turn regressive sentiment against him? My vote is no, so surprise me.
Posted by C. Shawn Freeman on Sep 22, 2004 at 2:35 AM David Bono,
Do you not think it frightening that when it came down to the 2000 election, your party won by a very slim lead and that the election only represented 50% of the total American population? And we have not even started on the legitimacy of that election. What makes you think that the republicans are so plentiful or even represent a greater number then what voted.
Maybe there are far more republicans out there that did not vote. So what would a leader like Bush do to make sure that come the next election they do vote? What plans does Bush have to ensure that he gets an overwhelming majority and not just that very slim lead?
My guess is that he would do anything possible. Bush is a business man. He wants cash brother, and allot of it. That’s his only goal and to spend as little time making it.
If you think that the democrat ranting and raving is all just hot air and too far to the left then put your common sense before your party or ego. Is it not true that Bush has spent 40% plus of his time away from the office? I saw F9/11 and when he was asked the question about spending so much time out of the office, he replied that he has a fax and a phone.
The country you live in is in deep shit and the man in charge is out playing golf. Do you find that appropriate?
His country is at war for whatever reason. His soldiers are dying for whatever reason. Should he not be in the office all the time deciding on how to protect his people? Apparently the majority of the soldiers are republican. These are his number one boys and girls, so where is he for them? Or is it all just about a plastic turkey at thanks giving.
You know why the democrats are flying so far left? Its a trick. They have not even moved. They are still in the same place. Moderate citizens just like you.
If you were on a ship next to another ship and one of the ships started moving away from the stationary ship. How would you know which ship was moving away? You cant tell can you?
The idea behind this analogy is that Bush is deviating so far from the middle of the road that any comment made by a democrat is going to look so far to the left you will need the Hubble telescope to locate them.
The democrats are right where they have always. Its Bush that is deviating so far towards the right that he is going to pull everybody down with him.
Maybe this is all just everybody’s imagination. Maybe Bush has honourable intentions and he is really one of the best presidents you have ever seen. Maybe he needs another four more years to show the rest of America and world that he is doing this for everybody’s good.
Vote for your man, but do so with the conviction that he will do good by all of us American or not. However if it all goes down the tubes remember that your hands will carry the blood along with all others that kept him in power.
This life asks us to make small choices, but man do they carry implications far greater then what our imagination can handle.
Posted by Watson on Sep 22, 2004 at 8:46 AM Hey all you out there!
It really isn’t important if the candidate calls him- or herself a Democrat or a Republican, it’s what they do when they’re in office.
If they do the job right, reelect them. If not, let someone else have a shot.
Don’t just elect someone who is of the party you best allign yourself with and then put your brain to sleep. Don’t back them or trash them because of their party affiliation. Democrats screw up, Republicans screw up. Don’t point the finger only at those you don’t like because you think it makes the other party look bad. We all need to monitor our elected officials’ actions and decisions and speak out all the time about all the issues that are on the table. Why? Because that is what a democracy is. Participation is required. Real democracy like real life is hard, it’s something to work at every day.
Posted by nora on Sep 22, 2004 at 12:14 PM A couple of points:
-I see a common thread connecting all of the aforementioned Bush Administration policies. Mr. Johnson touched on it, and other authors have pointed it out. It is an idea that Bush and a portion of his supporters and administration hold - that political power in Bush’s case was divinely granted (I must say that this idea tempts me as well because of the difficulty I have seeing what made this man eligible for the presidency in the first place). This belief in divine mandate is downright archaic, yet it inhabits our executive branch today. This belief gives one who holds it and holds political power, the ability to do anything without conscience or guilt or even rational thought there to impede action. How else to explain the fact that Bush would do nothing different, that he has no regrets at all about what his administration has done while he has been in power? This kind of thing has been around since the beginning of civilization - it is well known that some of the most heinous acts, and the most foolish, have been committed by those who believed god was on their side.
As well, judging by the religious people who hold sway in this administration and the few facts that have come out regarding Bush’s personal religious beliefs, it is highly likely that Bush himself beleives that we are living on the edge of the apocalypse. This is not unusual considering that a small group of people have thought this since at least Zoraster. But it is unusual, and extremely frightening, that one of these people is in the White House and is furthmore acting upon his beliefs. Just about all of Bush’s policies make sense only if one believes that subsequent generations will have no need for an inhabitable earth or functioning government (evidence: staggering debt, total disregard for the environment, abandonment of disarmament treaties, development of new nuclear weapons, and on and on the list could go). The prospect that Bush and at least some of his administration holds these beliefs is incredibly scary and easily dissmissible as some sort of conspiracy theory. But look into it just a little bit and it becomes quite obvious that Bush’s outlook is a Manchian one wholly conducive to belief in an end of times and final battle between good and evil where good will overcome only with force.
I think I have run out of space if I expect people to actually glance at this. Something even more worrisome to me is that a good portion of Americans support Bush precisely because he shares this view with them. Good god we are in serious trouble.
P.S. in response to David Bono - it is highly likely that Republican forces were behind this recent forged memo drama. Karl Rove has a history of exactly this kind of thing - in 1986 he bugged his office in order to discredit the opponent of his employer. These memos have distracted people from real issues - an area where Bush lags severely - and from the issue of Bush’s actual National Guard service. In other words they have only helped the Bush and only hurt Kerry. Furthmore, typograpic analyses started appearing on blogs hours after the documents were shown briefly on TV. How a person can do typographic analysis on documents that have only appeared on TV I don’t know.
Posted by A. Kullar on Sep 22, 2004 at 4:56 PM (First of all, let me say that Bush has not been perfect. I have family and friends presently fighting in Iraq, and they are telling me very different positive stories than the press is feeding us.)
Great reponse everyone. I’m glad I started some intellectual banter. Shawn, you have some extremely insightful points of view. I’m hardly regressive, though I enjoy the moniker as I haven’t lost my sense of humor. Shawn, if Rove was behind the Rather memo, I would have a hard time voting Bush. Though, speculating (as per A.Kullar) is premature if you’re watching the news today. Now, if it’s found linked to Kerry, would you be as open-minded and vote Bush? I think not.
Kerry is a patriot, and I believe a hero. Even if you were to accept that he exagerrated his service record, it was 30+ years ago, and the man volunteered, seeing live action as he faced combat up those horrifying river banks.
What I was trying to convey is what I believe Nora’s reply conveys she understood: we need to stick together more, and not draw such lines in the sand. My point is that the Kerry campaign has been lacked dignity by certain inactions, and “no-commments”. It’s not the Republicans who have redefined the democrats - its the dems themselves. When you think about guys like JFK, FDR, Truman, Lyndon Johnson, etc, my dear Watson, surely you can’t maintain the party has not metamorphasized? Watson, outside of that comment, I really liked your reply - you have many valid points.
Look, I’m the vote you liberals and dems need. The point is, you’ve turned off many people like me, and I feel you don’t identify with the majority of Americans. November will tell us if I’m right.
Reintroducing a little more civility would go a long way - I noticed no one addressed my comments regarding the protestors. In 2008, I’d love to see Chris Dodd or Evan Bayt run - sorry if that makes me “regressive”.
Posted by David Bono on Sep 23, 2004 at 1:11 PM David,
I am not American. In fact up and till very recently I despised Americans. The way Americans portray themselves to the rest if the world is that they are so patriotic. There is an advert on In These Times for W Ketchup. You will never get world sympathy when that’s the message you send people. Patriotism kills. It’s the equivalent of telling a black man that he is not welcome in town because the town is for whites only. How are foreigners expected to feel when they are treated to that?
That’s however not the point of my message. I have read quite a bit on In These Times and other sites (including Mr Moore’s). He is a good man if you think he is too far to the left or a raving lunatic or not. The point is that you Americans are good people. What I am trying to say is that only if the countries where you have shed blood can see this. We are all the same and killing each other is actually killing ourselves. You are a great people and that should be what makes you famous and not infamous which is what Bush is up to.
You are all being sold short by Bushes actions. And it is very sad. Its proof that this world and we its people are inherently bad when we become so strong a presence as you are now.
Maybe its just me, but I believe that Bush has still got the ace up his sleeve. I do not even think you will see an election in November. He will derail the process by doing what he has done all along, by namely diverting your attention elsewhere. This man has made very bold moves in that last four years. So bold that criticism from the democrats looks like, well look at Moore. Bushes actions are incredulous and he has got his country men and woman running around willy nilly like headless chickens.
If ever I have felt close to a people, now is the time and you are that people. You have probably the hardest choices to make in your lives at the moment and I hope that you all will do what you sincerely believe is the best thing to do. And admittedly, Kerry is not the best choice out there. I think he lacks conviction, backbone and simple honesty, but your current predicament is along time in the making and the choices that face you now are the result.
On the morning before the horrific event that called the two trade towers to their demise an American sent out a poem to all of us in the office because he though it applicable. Little did he know that just a short while later the world was going to change.
“If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And - which is more - you’ll be a Man my son! “
Rudyard Kipling, IfMy the gods we choose to believe in bless America and all of us.
Posted by Watson on Sep 24, 2004 at 2:43 AM Good Lord, to have Kipling quoted to us at a time like this is intolerable. Very magnanimous of you to feel close to “our people”, and your PC invocation of the “gods” to bless us all, but you might spare us the illucidation of the obvious. Frankly you Brits would have done alot better to have subjected Bush to the censure and alienation that France and Germany have; when Blair became Bush’s lapdog, were the people behind him? You’re just as divided as we are. However a united Europe would go much further towards true solidarity with the miserable U.S. than dreaming about “walking with kings” and “be[ing] a Man, my son!” Not to mention how destructive that whole capital M notion of being “a Man” has been to the world.
Posted by niki lambros on Sep 27, 2004 at 10:06 AM Watson,
That’s a great poem, and I think given with the best of intentions.
I’m not sure what country you’re from and what kind of news reports they are sending to you, but clearly, if you feel our patriotism is intended to menace foreigners, our culture is not being conveyed properly.
We are all your countries.
Very few of us are so-called blue-bloods, off the Mayflower. My grandfather came from Sicily, and other grandparents from Ireland. An inventory of my friends shows German, Polish, Russian, English, French, African, Hispanic,Indian, Chinese, etc, etc, heritage. We embrace other countries and their cultures. Our cities are unlike that of any other countries. Our ethnic communities thrive and abound - particularly, but not limited to New York. There are as many ethnic groups and religions in this city as there are in the entire world. All are welcome to practice their faith - including the Muslim Community. (I wonder how many Catholic/Protestant/Jewish facilities are in those same Muslim countries?)
We’re very proud of our patriotism because it is a way to convey how proud we are of the people who made us what we are today. From my grandfather who came here not speaking a word of english, with little money to survive - he fought in WWI like many others with no questions asked in return for the opportunity of this land. Like my father, and his peers - they fought in WWII, some who gave their lives on the beach of Normandy for the sake of freedom. We had close personal ties to Europe 60 years ago, making it a no-brainer to help defend it against a Nazi oppressor - and we would still do the same today. And if you are European, this might make you feel good about us if, God forbid, a major terrorist attack hits your country. I think you might find our patriotism and friendship pretty inspiring.
We don’t forget the acts of courage of our fathers and grandfathers and uncles and brothers. When you burn our flag or step on it, you have desecrated the threads that link us to the sacrifices of our forefathers, and you will bring out our patriotism of the highest magnitude. We will bond together to this day as fiercely as ever when attacked - which is what started this whole mess if you recall: we were attacked.
Despite the obvious problems of our world, our borders are actually still very open. While I disagree with this during these times, if you watched President Bush with O’Reilly last night, you’d see he has limited interest in controlling our borders. Compared to other nations, it appears all peoples are still very welcome here - though excuse us if we happen to scrutinize Muslim males between the ages of 18-40 a little more - we aren’t complete idiots.
We also respect and encourage the patriotism of other countries, especially that of our allies.
Watson, you seem like a very well-intentioned individual with true concerns - however I do dispute how you might categorize a “good” man. Michael Moore’s movies are produced,advertised, and directed at people as if it is valid news reporting with a humorous twist. Even the most liberal members of the press (the NYT’s) have condemned the inaccuracies, falsehoods, and outright lies. If you are a person who uses these vehicles to get your point across to change public opinion, I would submit to you that you are not a “good” man. I do think that Moore wants the best for and loves this country, but that he subscribes to the philosophy that the “means will justify the ends”. Moore is not a good man in my opinion - he has the wherewithal to bring people together, but has wasted this advantage by dividing people. Because of this penchant to divide, history will not find him a memorable man. (And don’t reply that Bush is doing the same things - he’s been vindicated by more independant non-partisan committees than I can to name!)
PS Niki, I think you may be over reacting. Watson’s attempt is to be constructive. He said he likes us.
Posted by David Bono on Sep 28, 2004 at 11:41 AM Niki,
Ok. When I read again what I wrote over a week ago, it does look a little stupid or corny. “My goodness Watson has graced us with his words and he loves us. Lets celebrate!”
I apologise. I guess what I wrote was more for myself. If you have reached a significant turning point in the road, the least you can do is note the fact. That was all I was attempting.
My parents were born in Kenya and moved to South Africa and that’s where I come from. I am a white South African male with apparently a hint of Bushman blood running in the family from my Moms side. I have been living in Europe for over ten years watching history on fold with the merging of countries to form a single currency. I am no big fan of the English government. They must have invented the term two faced. Just look at history and their conviction in joining their neighbour’s.
South Africans I hear are xenophobic, speaking for myself I guess that would have been true when I left SA. Hated the Americans, but the Brit Government still hold number one spot though.
If you had read the poem and understood each sentence you would have noticed that it certainly is not the poem that’s important or even Kipling. Forget about Kipling and read those words. Like good art in music or a painting, those words are timeless. Its speaks about the good thats in our hearts. That good that we choose to ignore.
Anything that man touches turns to shit. Any horrific deed that we are capable of imagining has already played itself out or will one day. But it is stuff like Kipling’s poem which gives hope. Lets us know that we are not rotten to the core
Posted by Watson on Oct 4, 2004 at 6:27 AM David,
Thanks for seeing what it is I tried to say.
I have often though what I would have done if in the second world war I was your average German citizen going about life pretty much as would Mr Smith in the UK or Jack Brown in the States.
The scariest thing about all this is that, what would I have done. Would I have taken arms against Hitler and the Nazi’s or just shut up and hope it all goes away.
I am not sure what choice I would have made if I was caught in such a situation. If afforded first hand knowledge of what the Nazi’s where up to I believe that I would have done the right thing, but life never makes it that easy.Life does not give it to us in black and white. It comes in shades of every other colour except black and white.
What are you going to choose in November and can you do so knowing that who you choose is going to live up to what your grandfathers believed in.
Posted by Watson on Oct 4, 2004 at 7:37 AM David Bono, could you provide time/place information for the protest(s) where you’ve seen flag trampling and Communist Party booths? Both are perfectly legal, but I’ve yet to witness either—and I’ve attended protests and live in a college town, for heaven’s sake. In fact, the only flags I recall in the last 5 years at least have been (1) small flags on sticks waved by protestors, much like those waved by crowds at parades, and (2) big old flags held at the top and corners by several folks, right at the front of the demonstration/action—not waved, just held, but absolutely not trampled either, unless someone stumbled over one and I just missed it.
I’m reminded of the claims of bra-burning by 60s feminists, or of protestors spitting on returning troops: if either happened, they don’t appear in the contemporary news accounts, but they’re such useful lies they’ve been swallowed whole and regurgitated at ever right political discussion since.
Posted by K. O'Brien on Oct 18, 2004 at 12:04 PM K.OBrien-
You might not see this but:
Flag trampling was rampant during the Republican convention. I saw it - took pictures. Some jack asses duct taped a flag to the street to make it unavoidable to walk on it.
Check out the website which I think it is protestwarrior dot org or dot com - from the sounds of your e-mail I think you’ll be surprised.
Kerry certainly was not a Communist - he just got bad political advice. Too many people witnessed the anti-American tactics of the very smallest % of his constituents. It’s a shame in some ways, though my stocks are doing well - they may have done better with a democrat.
Anyway, I hope everyone will support our President - including the guy who blamed Carl Rove for the Rather mess. It’s time for the democrats to be accountable and responsible for something and to begin to stand for something and give a new perception that they put our people first.
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