Barack Chamberlain?
So, Dubya goes before the Israel Knesset for their 60th Anniversary and criticizes appeasement:"Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along," the President said to the country's legislative body, "We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: 'Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.' We have an obligation to call this what it is –- the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history."A common sense statement, right? Prior to WWII, Neville Chamberlain got Hitler to sign a piece of paper, then announced that he had achieved "peace in our time." History 101 showed all of us, regardless if we have a D or an R after our name, that appeasement doesn't work.
Unsurprisingly, Barack Obama freaked out.
"It is sad that President Bush would use a speech to the Knesset on the 60th anniversary of Israel's independence to launch a false political attack. It is time to turn the page on eight years of policies that have strengthened Iran and failed to secure America or our ally Israel. Instead of tough talk and no action, we need to do what Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan did and use all elements of American power — including tough, principled, and direct diplomacy - to pressure countries like Iran and Syria. George Bush knows that I have never supported engagement with terrorists, and the President's extraordinary politicization of foreign policy and the politics of fear do nothing to secure the American people or our stalwart ally Israel."Uh, dude? If you are not an appeaser, why on earth do you take it personally when Bush criticizes appeasers?
I've done plenty of PR work in my time, senator. Although you shouldn't have released a statement at all, here's how you should have handled a press question about Bush's comments:
"One thing all Americans agree on is that appeasement doesn't work. As president, I will engage in tough, principled, and direct diplomacy just like Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan before me. And of course, no American president will engage with terrorists, least of all those who seek to destroy our stalwart ally, Israel. I look forward to celebrating the 65th anniversary of Israel's independence."That was easy, wasn't it? If Bush gave a speech about drug dealers, would you release a statement saying, "how DARE you insult me!"? Of course not; you're aren't a drug dealer. So if you really aren't an appeaser, you shouldn't have willingly identified yourself with that group.
You'll be headed for McGovern territory if you keep this up, kid.
UPDATE: A large-hearted welcome to visitors from The Corner, Infinite Monkeys, Conservative Grapevine, Weekly Standard and other purveyors of fine hypertext products! You won't want to leave before seeing this.
Trackbacks
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6/19/2008 9:50 AM
Infinite Monkeys wrote:
This California blogger has heard Obama's "doth might protest too much" reaction to Bush's excellent speech in Israel today. And there's more to be said about it later. But it's hard not to note, and enjoy, Exurban League's take on... -
5/16/2008 8:26 AM
Because I'm Right wrote:
If George W. Bush were setting a trap then Barack Obama went for the bait like a starving shark after chum. In a speech before Israel's Knesset today Bush said the following: "We have heard this foolish delusion before," Bush said. "As Nazi tan... -
5/16/2008 3:15 AM
Fresh Green Beast wrote:
An excellent point from Jon over at Exurban League, via Mark Hemmingway at The Corner:
While Chamberlain was a bit foolish to sign away Sudentenland to Grosser Deutschland (the Reich), he had good reasons to do so from a military perspective. If one looks at the British military circa 1938, they were in NO shape to fight anybody. The Royal Navy was dominant but the Kreigsmarine mostly had U-boats. The army was a colonial one, not ready (yet) to fight combined-arms warfare. The RAF had barely accepted the Spitfire into its inventory and was just a couple years into the Hurricane's service life.
Most importantly, the Chain Home system of radar systems was still being built!
Had Britain gone to war in 1938 over territory deep in Central Europe, the results would have been the Battle of France x3. There would not have been a Battle of Britain, the UK would be out of the war within a few weeks.
Czec was doomed based on geography and ethic composition. Britain was not ready to fight, much less win. Chamberlain was making a virtue of necessity and buying time. This does not let him off the hook, Britain was not ready under his (Tory) watch. As the UK has a parliamentary system, the citizens bear responsibility for this too.
Sun Tzu wrote that the best general never has to fight a battle. This is true because the Nazi's out-maneuvered and out-prepared Britain, France, Poland, and the rest. The good news is that when war came, Britain was in a better position to fight. They hung on by a narrow margin (The Few) in 1940...a margin they did not have two years beforehand.
It sucks but in Power Politics, sometimes you gotta do these things for the bigger battles ahead.
Chamberlain was preparing for war and bought the UK at least a year of time, which made all the difference in the end.
That said, negotiating with terrorists and madmen, is not in America's national interests. Obama has a lot to learn, as the Junior Senator from Illinois
Look, the current administration has spoken to people we considered "Madmen." We "negotiated" with both Khaddafi and Kim Jong Il. Talking is hardly akin to appeasing. Why are you assuming that if he talks with Iran he will want to give them anything? It's just as likely (at this point) that Obama would come away from a meeting with Iran and say, "They're all F---ing crazy. We can't negotiate with them."
I'd like to know about the process he goes through in order to release such a statement. What are his staff saying to him? Surely they must see the danger of this kind of territory.
It reminds me of a line in 'Lucky Number Slevin': "The first time someone calls you a horse you punch him on the nose, the second time someone calls you a horse you call him a jerk, but the third time someone calls you a horse, well, then perhaps it's time to go shopping for a saddle."
If (May God Forbid) Obama wins, I plan to print up a bumper sticker that says:
"Democrats: "Hate the Iraq War? Then you'll REALLY hate the war Obama gets us into."
I'm not an a--hole, so why on earth do I take it personally when someone calls me one?
Moron. Bush didn't address it to Obama directly. If he had said "Obama is an appeaser" then your attempt at irony would be appropriate.
How do you "head" towards a position you are already on?
Bad people do not care if you are right or wrong. They do not even care if they are right or wrong. They do not care about your values, and they certainly do not share them, nor are they interested in compromises that do not get them what they want, which is either your wealth or your life or both.
The only alternative explanation is that they do not believe that bad people exist, or that we are any better than they are, and thus that we have now special right to exist.
Any person who does not understand these things is not really a good person, they are a dangerously stupid person who is not qualified for any leadership role in this country.
I don't really care which type of delusion Obama and many other Democrats suffer from. I just want to keep them
from getting me and my family killed through their vacuous stupidity.
Let's try that again!
Bad people do not care if you are right or wrong. They do not even care if they are right or wrong. They do not care about your values, and they certainly do not share them, nor are they interested in compromises that do not get them what they want, which is either your wealth or your life or both.
Obama and many other democrats do not understand these realties, or they do not believe that bad people actually exist, or that we are any better than they are, and thus that we have now special right to exist.
Any person who suffers from these delusions is not really a good person, they are a dangerously stupid person who is not qualified for any leadership role in this country.
I don't really care which exact delusion Obama and many other Democrats suffer from. I just want to keep them
from getting me and my family killed through their vacuous stupidity.
.
The terrorist monkey can not be negotiated with. The only reason to maybe talk to Ahmadamadmonkey in say maybe Switzerland is to provoke him by debating his ideology and criticizing the hatred. Force him to say lots of stupid and insane things which would be widely publicized thus educating more people to his ideology's insanity. This, I am quite sure, Obama would never do.
Ouch, Obama and the poor little Dems were hit a little too close to home by what GW said. It's one of the best things Bush has ever said. Bravo! And he didn't even have to mention the Dhimmicrats or any body's name.
So sure, then he folded in Saudi Arabia, but what he said in Israel almost makes that OK.
.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
appease the appeasers
don't embarrass them
by calling them appeasers
.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe said
have a sit down with Hitler
he should have been sweet-talked
he had goodness within
.
">http://absurdthoughtsaboutgod.blogspot.com/2008/05/pols-prone-to-appeasement-peeved-at.html"> Appeasement Talk Bothers Appeasers
Help">http://haltterrorism.com">Help Halt Terrorism Now!
USpace">http://lulu.com/uspace">USpace
.
No, Barack is a man who doesn't suit this name at all.
It is the best article I've read today. You know everybody writes about Barack Obama only from the view of medical reform or green resources or racist cases and you touched another field and in a such a nice way. I'm also very fond of PR ( I found a lot of useful books at the files search engine and learn to use the tips in real life) and I liked how you paraphrased it very much.
It is the best article I've read today. You know everybody writes about Barack Obama only from the view of medical reform or green resources or racist cases and you touched another field and in a such a nice way. I'm also very fond of PR ( I found a lot of useful books at the files search engine http://rapid4me.com and learn to use the tips in real life) and I liked how you paraphrased it very much
Obama is the opiate for the thinking classes. Meanwhile the same machinations that have gone on in the background continue to do so. How easily the people are fooled.
Well now he's won the Nobel Peace Prize....I guess he's already been judged before he's done anything!