THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, U.S.A.
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume V, Issue # 132, May 8, 2003
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
LEFTIST DRIVEL ABOUT THE IRAQ WAR:
BEING LIBERAL MEANS NEVER HAVING TO SAY YOU'RE SORRY
By Paul Walfield
Celebrated Liberal columnist and pundit Nicholas Kristof decided it was only fair to be held accountable for what he said prior to the hostilities in Iraq. Writing from the heart, Nicholas wrote an article entitled "I Said That?" for the April 22, 2003, edition of the New York Times.
It was touching the way Nicholas implied that a small cabal of persons within the Bush administration are the "ones who really blew it" by statements they allegedly made in 1998. According to Nicholas, Richard Perle wrote a paper five years ago saying that U.S. ground troops may not be needed in a war with Iraq, if Iraqi exiles were used in- stead with American air cover. For Nicky, who vehemently opposed the war and, like Chicken Little, saw the sky falling if America invaded Iraq, it was a stroke of luck that America didn't follow the Neo-Conservatives' first plan. "Fortunately, Tommy Franks and Colin Powell demanded more." America used ground troops, and pretty much won the war in Iraq in three weeks. We'll never know if it could have been done otherwise, but Nicky doesn't wait for questions, he just moves on to his next "apology."
Nicholas also pointed out that weapons of mass destruction were not used by Iraq, nor have they found in Iraq by the U.S.A. and Coalition forces, as of yet. Colin Powell and, in particular, President Bush have "plenty of explaining to do to the children of the Americans and the Iraqis who died in the war."
Nicky also explained and apologized for how the Liberals were, in fact, correct when they said the Iraqi people would not greet the American GIs with open arms. "I grew a mus- tache to look more like an Iraqi so hostile locals wouldn't throw rocks at my car." For the political Left, for Nicky, the Iraqis who greeted the Americans with open arms were not indicative of the Iraqis' true feelings.
For Nicky, 25 million Iraqis free from the oppression of Saddam Hussein were not grateful to the Americans. Nicky doesn't see Middle Easterners accepting freedom, democracy, and liberation the way Westerners do, his perception being that instigators and religious fanatics are the true Iraqis. Nicky just doesn't see the mass of Iraqis flocking towards liberty, seeing them, instead, as headed to the dark side. He sees the sky falling: "Figures who inspire mass support in postwar Iraq are Shiite clerics like Ali al-Sistani (moderate, but tainted by being soft on Saddam), Moqtadah al-Sadr (radical son of a martyr) and Muhammad Bakr al-Hakim (Iran's candidate), all of whom criticize the United States."
Nicky also explained how the folks in the Bush administration and Conservatives in gen- eral were foolish to believe that Arabs could ever embrace freedom and constitutional democracy, "The hawks also look increasingly naive in their expectations that Iraq will soon blossom into a pro-American democracy."
While Nick did admit that he might have been wrong in declaring that there would be a rise in the Arab and Muslim street, which would follow an American invasion of Iraq and would lead to Armageddon. "True, radicals came to power in parts of Pakistan, but on the whole the Muslim Street has not been as scary as we expected. Maybe it's time to retire that bogeyman." Nick did not sound too sure.
On the other hand, when it came to his prediction that Americans would be slaughtered all over Iraq, and that, at the very least, fighting would be fierce, he may have been a little bit wrong, as he and other "doves," had "correctly foresaw that the war would not be a cakewalk, but for all our hand-wringing, there was never prolonged street-to-street fighting in Baghdad."
Talk about contrition. Nick is absolutely beside himself in repenting his imprudent ways. He is sure that the Bush administration was more wrong than he was, that "doves" may have been a little headstrong and not exactly, perfectly, correct in their predictions but, the sky is still falling and Nick warns us all: "I'm afraid we infidels had better look out."
That was Nick's apology. That was a Liberal's way of saying he is unafraid to be held accountable for all the thoughtless, irrational drivel that comes out of the mouths of mindless Leftwing "journalists" and pundits who so hate a Republican administration that they will throw everything, including the kitchen sink, against the wall and hope something will stick.
That is the way the political Left does everything. The Leftists want you to believe a sound bite, "I said that?" But they also want you to understand something entirely dif- ferent and something consistent with their agenda. As is the case with Nicholas, apolo- gizing and looking like a fool are not part of the Left's agenda and not part of Nicholas Kristof's "apology."
Instead, Nicky uses the pretense of an apology to mount an attack. The Left has no shame and no sense of the American people's ability to actually read the writing beyond the headline.
The Left has taken a beating in talk radio and on cable news. The reason is simple. If a Liberal's notion or argument is held up to scrutiny, if someone asks for an explanation, the Left's ideas and arguments fall apart. The Left's last stronghold is the printed me- dia. A Leftwing writer has no one standing next to him asking questions and waiting for answers, and he can write what he wants and move on to the next.
It is time for Americans to start asking questions and wait for answers.
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
Liberals, Statists, Socialists, & Other Leftists
The News Media & Political Bias
The Middle East & the Problem of Iraq
Page Two
Page One
The Problem of Rogue States:
Iraq as a Case History
The Middle East & the Arabs
Islamism & Jihadism -- The Threat of Radical Islam
Page Three
Page Two
Page One
War & Peace in the Real World
Page Two
Page One
Islamist Terrorist Attacks on the U.S.A.
Osama bin Laden & the Islamist Declaration of War
Against the U.S.A. & Western Civilization
Islamist International Terrorism &
U.S. Intelligence Agencies
U.S. National Security Strategy
Paul Walfield is a freelance writer and member of the State Bar of California, with an undergraduate degree in Psychology
and post-graduate study in behavioral and analytical psychology. He resided for a number of years in the small town of
Houlton, Maine, and is now a California attorney. His articles appear in numerous periodicals and on numerous websites. He
has been the featured guest on KTSA News Talk Radio. CONTACT INFORMATION: Email:
paul.walfield@cox.net
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THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
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Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
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