[Rhodes22-list] Transformation of the left

[John Tonjes]

Bill,
Me thinks you spend way to much time listening to Dennis Miller. Hell, the
guy couldn't even keep a job on Monday night football for cripes sake.

Rummy


> [Original Message]
> From: Bill Berner <bberner@optonline.net>
> To: <sanderico@earthlink.net>; The Rhodes 22 mail list
<rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
> Date: 3/25/2003 10:03:39 PM
> Subject: RE: [Rhodes22-list] Transformation of the left
>
>
> Rid -
>
> I took the day pass to Salon, but couldn't find the rest of the article.
> The first page was, as you said, quite interesting.
>
> FWIW, or not, My personal take on Lempinens' thesis, taken from personal
> experience (i.e. my arguments with my pacifist wife after 9/11), are the
> following.
>
> The lefts position goes all the way to pacifism wit hthe theory that
> violence only begets violence.  One mans liberation, is another mans
> repression, and the one he is newly repressed probably has the power and
> will to see krevenge, and also the smarts to foment even more violence.
> Maybe, at its most extreme,this becomes a justification for appeasement.
>
> The whole thing becomes further complicated in this country by our
arguably
> lousy job at picking our allies among a number of repressive regimes, and
> seems to many like a huge self serving hypocrisy when we get all righteous
> about turning yesterdays ally into todays enemy.  Both hare true with the
> Taliban and Hussein.  In Husseins case, we were more than happy to turn a
> blind eye to his atrocities when we wanted him to let Bechtel (sp?) build
an
> oil pipeline through Iraq to Jordan (he ultimately didn't let the project
> happen), or when he was fighting Iran.
>
> It gets even more complicated by our having no clear plan on what we may
> replace Saddam with, and if the reality of the outcome will be a stable
> society that promotes democracy in the Middle East (apologies to Thomas
> Friedman, but very pie in the sky), or a plunge into chaos and factional
> fighting among ethnic groups and tribes, not to mention Turkey.
>
> I don't think any liberal or lefty would say that Saddam shouldn't go, but
> their issue is the manner in which we are making it happen, and the likely
> result of our actions.
>
> But, as Dennis Miller says, blah, blah, blah.
>
>
>
> Bill Berner
> 191 South Broadway
> Hastings on Hudson, NY  10706
>  
> v 914 478 2896
> f 914 478 3856
> e BBerner@optonline.net
>  
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rhodes22-list-bounces@rhodes22.org
> [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces@rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Rik Sandberg
> Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2003 8:18 PM
> To: Rhodes 22 List
> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Transformation of the left
>
> All the group,
>
> Being Bill wants to throw out a cheap shot or two, perhaps I'll counter
with
>
> something a little more meaningful.
>
>
> Here's something, I found quite interesting, that I sent  to Alex last
> night.
>
>
> Alex,
>
> I read an article last night that I thought was very well written, about
the
>
> recent transformations of the "left" Here's a link. You don't have to 
> subscribe to this thing. Just scroll down and you'll see how you can get
a 
> free day pass. You'll have to page through a commercial for the free
visit. 
> It's short and easy though. I think you'll find it worth while. I know I
> did.
>
> http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2003/03/19/left
>
> If this doesn't get you to thinking, you've already been dead awhile.
>
> Rik
> _________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>
> _________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list