It’s always worth taking notice whenever we find ourselves in agreement with actual Conservative, Pat Buchanan (as opposed to those fake Conservatives who make up the bulk of the Bushville Faction, the great majority of whom haven’t a clue what the word “Conservative” actually means).
Yes, he’s also a bigot. But Buchanan has been a correct and vocal critic against Bush’s War on Iraq in the past, and this week in his American Conservative magazine, he provides a smart antidote to the knee-jerk series of pro-Bush P.R. articles we’ve seen over the past week or so from the supposedly “Liberal” media. Of course, those folks couldn’t wait more than an hour after a single Anti-Syria demonstration last week in Lebanon to declare “Bush was right!” (Yes, Newsweek, we’re talking to you…you might have waited an hour or so for the even bigger Pro-Syria, Anti-America demonstrations that followed just a minute or so later before slobbering all over the Bush administration to demonstrate your we’re-not-the-Liberal-media creds in your absurd coverpage splash this week.)
Anway…Buchanan provides a Reality Check on the State of the Empire to counter-balance the administration’s effective P.R. work aided and abetted by that not-so-Liberal-after-all media over the past week. Here’s the money…and the reality which doesn’t get nearly the amount of Newsweek Cover time…
Germany, France, and Britain are negotiating a deal by which Iran, if she will submit to regular IAEA inspections, will be permitted to enrich uranium for nuclear power, be granted security guarantees, and be brought into the WTO. America opposes the three allies’ concessions, but there is no NATO support for U.S. military action. Should Bush exercise that option, America will be alone in fighting insurgents from the eastern border of Syria to the western border of Pakistan. U.S. generals are advising the president that his legions are already stretched thin.
The Iraqi elections appear to have deposed our client Allawi and empowered Shia parties with ties to Iran and Kurds who covet Kirkuk and its oil and look to ultimate independence.
This has the Turks grumbling as well as the dispossessed Sunnis, among whom the newly reignited insurgency first arose. Whatever the neocons’ vision of Iraq—as strategic base camp for World War IV or crown jewel of Middle East empire—Americans seem to be looking for an exit.
As for the Bush Doctrine—no axis-of-evil nation will be allowed to acquire weapons of mass destruction—it is being tested by Tehran and defied by Kim Jong Il, who has crossed every red line Bush has put down and now claims to have nuclear weapons. America’s response? Please come back to the six-power talks.
Russia’s Putin is consolidating power in the czarist tradition, seeking to resurrect Moscow’s old sphere of influence, and is conducting military exercises jointly with Beijing.
And openly contemptuous China lectures us on our failure to rein in our voracious appetite for imports, which is sending the dollar the way of the peso. Beijing refuses to pressure North Korea to terminate its nuclear-weapons program, permits Pyongyang to use Chinese territory to transship missiles and nuclear materiel, and spends a goodly slice of its $160 billion trade surplus with America to build up air, naval, and missile forces for the showdown with Taiwan.
Other than that…how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?
I finally cancelled my Newsweek subscription this week. They’ve ignored all my pleas for covering the real issues.
Congratulatons, Unirealist.
Action is good.
I love this part:
"Unchecked by any rival,” is how Krauthammer described the new Rome. Yet as one watches the Old Republic spend herself into bankruptcy, run up trade deficits that debauch her currency, decline to defend her own bleeding borders, permit rivals to loot her technology and cart off her manufacturing plants, America does in a way resemble Rome. But it is, unfortunately, the Rome of the late fourth century."
We ran from Time to Newsweek. Then we scurried to The New Yorker and the Atlantic Monthly. THEN we dashed to Mother Jones and the internet. The coastline is reached. If we need to flee again, we’ll be in really deep water…
Oh, Peg C… would that we were happy again and could be reading historical romances on a cruise ship in beautiful, deep blue-green water.
Being the token limey, I’m not familiar with Path Buchanan, but (in that piece at least) he certainly tells it like it is.
The fact they he is a conservative is MORE to his credit IMO – by not towing the party line, he really won’t do himself any favours with the Bushites.
Da Wookie #5 –
Buchanan is a fundamentalist preacher who ran for president lo these many years ago.
Teresa #4 –
Or a REALLY good murder mystery!
Pat Buchanan is taking care of Pat Buchanan. He criticizes one day, and embraces those he criticizes the next. If it suits him, he’ll agree with the neocons whether they are correct or not, and disagree with them, whether or not they are correct. He’s all politician, and no man of God. The fact that he speaks the truth in this article, means only that the facts speak the truth – not that Mr. Buchanan does – not when the truth is only a tool to be picked up and set down to suit Mr. Buchanan’s desires of the moment.
Pat Buchanan was on cspan a while back, hawking his book, all dressed up..I’m sure trying to appeal to everybody to buy said book. If he had a democratic nametag..the pundits would call him a wild eyed liberal. To his credit, he has always opposed the war.
Hi, Molly #8 – While you may be correct that PB has always verbally opposed the war, don’t you think he voted for GWB? For me, talk is cheap and actions speak louder than words. GWB and his administration are the pro-warmongering group. Why vote for them? Because people like PB want the Repubs. in power no matter what the cost, in lives, integrity, to taxpayers, etc. PB is not a man of honor or a man of God.
Brad
I’m assuming you called Buchanan a bigot due to his previous writings regarding unbridled immigration and the harm that it will do to American society in the long run. Or maybe he hasn’t taken a strong enough pro-Israel stance to suit you.
I’m no big fan of Pat Buchanan, especially since I live in Palm Beach county, where many of Al Gore’s votes were diverted to Buchanan, and some say may have cost Gore the presidency. The butterfly ballot wasn’t Pat’s fault, but his mocking attitude in the aftermath and his decision to shit on democracy and support Boosh, at first anyway, certainly did not endear him to anyone here.
In any event, Buchanan has done some damn fine anti-Boosh, anti-Iraq war writing of late, some alot better than so called liberal journalists, and I would hate to see those efforts sumarily dismissed by painting him with the racist brush.
Besides Brad, shooting the messager is the kind of thing the Cons do, like what they’ve done to Dan Rather. I would hope that we would be better than that.
Pat Buchanan, what ever else he is or has written in the past, has been spot on when it comes to Iraq. It almost makes me nostalgic for the days when our opponents were good old fashioned conservatives, not these nut case facist neo-cons.
But yes, having to agree with Pat Buchanan on anything does cause a bit of a flutter in my liberal heart. But this is Boosh World, where up is down and down is what Jeff Gannon does to…. well, you know.
As for that immigration thing, I’m not sure he was that off there either.
Pat Buchanon SHOULD be pissed. Now that the Republicans have power in all branches of government, the "neo-cons", who aren’t even conservatives, shit-canned true conservatives like Buchanon, instead of Buchanon being an "elder-statesman" or ambassador for the conservatives. Pat earned that right, and they stepped on him, while running past him to take over the GOP…Basically, these neo-cons ruined the Republican party. I think they are really ultra-left radical liberals, who believe in attacking foreign countries and ramming "democracy" (I use the term loosely) down their throats.
Terri #10 –
I am inclined to adopt a rather guarded approach in this Buchanan thing. It is very possible that Pat B., being a moderately intelligent bigot, has decided that the anti-establishment stance is most likely to gain him converts. He certainly is a master at playing both sides against the middle. And he’s also an opportunist who, seeing the religious right sinking under GW, would not hesitate to play a contrarian, "righteous" card to confound the confused.
At all events, his article was accurate. Do not, therefore, trust his motives in writing it.
Let me further emphasize the last point — which makes all the difference in the world — especially with this "freedom spreading" administration.
"…and spends a goodly slice of its $160 billion trade surplus with America to build up air, naval, and missile forces for the showdown with [A FREE, DEMOCRATIC AND INDEPENDENT] Taiwan."
Why do I want to emphasize this? Because I currently live here and see this reality everyday. Will the U.S. defend Taiwan from OPPRESSIVE, COMMUNIST, AND IMPERIALIST China’s imminent takeover?
Probably not. China is a far bigger marketplace.
Thanks for the PB details folks, it makes a bit more sense now.
While I can see that PB almost certainly is working in his own best interest, he does hit many nails squarely on the head, and he is more likely to be read by true republicans than we are – let him sing says I. Anything that leads real republicans (you know, those folks who might be right wing, but still believe in the right thing – democracy) to take their party back has got to be in everybodies interest apart from the neo-cons.
Aren’t Bush and Co making some strange bed fellows – the religious right defending a gay ho and us agreeing with a right wing fundamentalist! The world has indeed turned upside down.
Vive le revolution de velours, mes amis.
The title, The Stillborn Empire, gives me goosebumps.
What is so amazing about this is that it appeared in the American Conservative, along with another antiwar article. It shows rational behavior, and respect for an opinion that blatantly criticizes this administration. If there are a lot of these folks, we should consider them our staunch allies. Da Wookie is right. They can influence other Republicans.
All the excessive emotionalism from both sides has a tendency to get on my nerves sometimes. It can cheapen the political dialogue.
If we can forget political ideology, and remember that war is a serious act with many weighty consequences, we will evolve together.
We’ve got to understand the tragedy of war for fun and profit, and articles like this, drive the point home.
Hi, Teresa – A power struggle may well be rising between the neocons and the conservative Republicans. The trick for conservative Republicans is to oust the neocons without having the Republican party lose their grip on power. So their personal interests, i.e. PB, come before innocent lives, truth, and America and the world. While I agree that we would all be happy to see the neocons ousted, it would be far better for them to be ousted via Velvet Revolution power than the Republicans. Because under Republican rule, vs neocon rule, not very much will change. It’s how we got to where we are in the first place. Don’t be fooled into accepting the unacceptable because it is slightly better than the existing. If you are going to fight for change, fight for the right people, the right laws, for smart people with integrity. Use PB’s words to make him ACT accordingly and hold him accountable.
{ed note: Comment removed because Frankenbush/Atty Jim is unable to follow rules which do not allow spamming complete articles once, much less again and again. Apparently his Kindergarten teacher was not clear with him on what it means to respect such rules or play nicely with other.}
{ed note: Comment removed because Frankenbush/Atty Jim is unable to follow rules which do not allow spamming complete articles once, much less again and again. Apparently his Kindergarten teacher was not clear with him on what it means to respect such rules or play nicely with other.}
{ed note: Comment removed because Frankenbush/Atty Jim is unable to follow rules which do not allow spamming complete articles once, much less again and again. Apparently his Kindergarten teacher was not clear with him on what it means to respect such rules or play nicely with other.}
{ed note: Comment removed because Frankenbush/Atty Jim is unable to follow rules which do not allow spamming complete articles once, much less again and again. Apparently his Kindergarten teacher was not clear with him on what it means to respect such rules or play nicely with other.}
{ed note: Comment removed because Frankenbush/Atty Jim is unable to follow rules which do not allow spamming complete articles once, much less again and again. Apparently his Kindergarten teacher was not clear with him on what it means to respect such rules or play nicely with others.}
{ed note: Comment removed because Frankenbush/Atty Jim is unable to follow rules which do not allow spamming complete articles once, much less again and again. Apparently his Kindergarten teacher was not clear with him on what it means to respect such rules or play nicely with others.}
{ed note: Comment removed because Frankenbush/Atty Jim is unable to follow rules which do not allow spamming complete articles once, much less again and again. Apparently his Kindergarten teacher was not clear with him on what it means to respect such rules or play nicely with others.}
#18-#24
Just the latest desperate invention to justify Iraq invasion. What’s next month’s installment Frankenflaccid?
Btw, you’ll find few if any fans of the NYT here. Grow up little child.
Here ya go Frankenfucker, remember all this ?
Just give us some links to proof and maybe we’ll consider your point.
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"Our NATO allies, Tony Blair included, are lifting their embargo on weapons sales to China over the protests of President Bush"
LOL.. as if ‘posting’ BS wasn’t enough, he has to post it 10 times (well, I didn’t count.. but) to try and make his point.. Yeah, screaming a lie will make it true!!
Also, do you REALLY expect that in the middle of a WAR ZONE that you can just waltz up with trucks and cranes and dismantle factories?
AND, what difference does it make if ‘factories’ were there?? Um, Frankenbuggereater, those factories weren’t being USED since 1991.. That means, there STILL are NOT WMDs.. just a way to make them if they really really wanted to.. Given that there are no supplies, no actual weapons, no EVIDENCE to support that ANY programs were ACTIVE, showing ONE person’s statement that claims something (remember Chalibi? and all the "eveidence" he provided to launch us to war? that was ALL found to be LIES so he could get put in control of Iraq? .. which, amuzingly enough, didn’t work as the people of Iraq didn’t vote him enough support and the Kurds, who like Iran, are about to take over).
Anyway.. It’s pathetic little minds like yours that we are fighting against. You take some unrelated information and try to paint it as ‘proof’ of something else. YOU are the exact problem that defines "Dysfunctional American". You want soooo terribly to believe Bush and his psyco-warmongering-lootwhoring-shitbags are ‘right’ that you will say a Blue Jay flying west must be a Nuke from Iraq so the war is, in fact, justified. There is no hope for you, nor for America as long as people like you keep your head up Bush’s ass..
Peggy said #17:
"If you are going to fight for change, fight for the right people, the right laws, for smart people with integrity. Use PB’s words to make him ACT accordingly and hold him accountable."
Referring to the right people, I don’t think we are talking about the Democrats, either. In fact, I thought it was under Democratic administrations that the major wars have been waged.
It’s beyond these people. Our societies create their spokepersons. We can shoot down every last one of them, but the habits and characteristics of the country as a whole will just recreate them. If we could stop people hating, and get to the larger issues…taking RIGHT ideas where ever they come from, and stop blindly following people like pop icons, we might get somwewhere.
All the hate thrust at Republicans is a projection of our own feelings of inadequacy and powerlessness.
They are symbols. And in some ways, many of the Democrats are worse because they hide behind a false image, and are usually just as self serving.
When every last one of us takes responsibility, and recognizes our part in this failure, we will have hope. WE, the voracious consumers of commodities have created the corporate kingdom.
A tiny bit more on the subject.
In the end it is about withdrawing support. Taking our finances in our own hands.
We sit in our toasty homes in front of our computers and rage about war and injustice.Then we get into our not small fossil fuel powered, corporate produced vehicles and go the the stores to buy more, on beautifully paved fossil fuel roads brightly painted with fossil fuel colors provided by corporations. Fix ourselves a snack on our gas or electric powered stoves, and come back to our corporate manufactured computers to whine and rage some more. I include myself in this group.
How many of us our willing to risk our comfort for these principles we espouse day after day? How oppressed are we, if we can continue to enjoy ourselves, warm and well fed in multi bathroom homes on acres of water sucking lawns?
Wait till the water wars begin. You haven’t seen anything yet.
I just think it is important to be aware of where the blame is going. And I do realize that for people to rise up and act, it has to hit personally.
Hey Frankenbush (Atty Jim/Taco Tom, whatever),
You think that over 1,500 American lives, who knows how many severely injured soldiers, upward of 100,000 innocent Iraqis and over 200 billion American (taxpayer) dollars (and counting) was worth it? How easily you have forgotten the frothing at the mouth excuse of WMD’s. Have you explained to your kids why Americans are now so hated in the world and that he/she will be responsible to pay off the madman Bush’s war debts?
How far has truth fallen from the norm that the self-agrandizing leader of an exclusionary profit-from-hate-based-fake-faith be lauded for simply taking some facts and drawing his own conclusions?
I find it astounding that Pat Buck garners any praise at all. Is he right? Dunno… Is he reich? Yep…
I don’t get it. PRISP splain it to me.
You know, I agree with Pat Buchanan on this; and frankly, that scares the crap out of me.
He has been spot on correct about Iraq and has opposed our invasion from the beginning. He doubted the WMDs and he’s right that this war has in no way been in our national interest.
Buchanan is what is known as a paleo-conservative (to distinguish them from the neo-cons); and like many paleo-cons, he’s an isolationist. Not always good but this time he’s right.
As he points out, not only did we invade Iraq under false pretenses, but with the election of Shia factions, we’ve gotten not the secular, western-style democracy the neo-cons said we would, but a state that seems committed to fundamentalist Sharia law.
One thing Buchanan didn’t mention, and I haven’t seen too many people point this out, except for the blog, Baghdad Burning, women have lost a tremendous amount of freedom since the fall of Baghdad to the American forces.
When Saddam was in power, Iraq was a secular Arab state. Yes, it was a dictatorship, but it was not under fundamentalist Muslim rule. Women dressed in western clothes, worked outside the home, studied in universities and went to hairdressers. They even served in the military. The majority of them didn’t wear veils, burqas or chadors.
Since Hussein’s fall, the veils have come out in force. You don’t see women in any leadership role. And as the author of the Baghdad Burning confirms, many Sunni and moderate Shiite women are now afraid for their future.
I’m not trying to defend Saddam Hussein, but I can’t see where we’ve replaced him with anything that is going to be an improvement either for women or for our own national security.
You can be sure that PB voted for GWB – TWICE! So, what’s he complaining about? Not being elected Pres. himself! It’s all about him – not America!
Yes, PB might have voted for Bush. Actually, since everybody’s vote is secret we can’t know that for sure, unless he said so. I don’t follow Mr. B enough to know if he issued any statements to that effect.
He did, at one point, run as a third party candidate, so I’m not sure, at all, if he did vote for Bush.
The main thing, though, is that there is a real ideological food fight being waged between the neo-cons, who are internationalists, and the paleo-cons who truly are isolationists. They just want the military option to be used only if our national interest is really threatened. Not for nation building.
And nation building is what the war in Iraq was really about. The neo cons believed they could establish a western-style beach head in the Middle East that would spread their brand of democracy/free markets and perhaps make the area more secure for Israel.
I’m pro-Israel, but I think that invading Iraq actually made the whole region more unstable and therefore an even a bigger threat to Israel. Not to mention the fact that it did nothing for American security either.
Iraq is now the number one destination for terrorists who feel compelled to wage jihad in defense of militant Islam.