tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11363027.post2868812180775035733..comments2024-03-28T00:02:35.850-05:00Comments on driftglass: The Hated Us Yesterday. They Hate Us Today.driftglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09379167083253389153noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11363027.post-37025822569120292042013-03-24T15:34:12.724-05:002013-03-24T15:34:12.724-05:00Well, depends where you're sitting. As someon...Well, depends where you're sitting. As someone from the far left, for me "Al Gore would have attacked Iraq" is shorthand for "Republican politicos are vicious, crazed goons and Democrat politicos are bloodless technocrats but they both believe in war and empire for contractors and oil companies--just Repugs do it with glee and Dems do it while uttering platitudes of regret."<br /><br />"They're all horrible" isn't a justification for war.<br />That said I'm not certain Gore would have attacked Iraq. But at best he would have continued the sanctions and killed another few hundred thousand "the price is worth it" children, and then attacked someone else instead. Libya, Syria, someplace in Africa.Purple library guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01930984683714519212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11363027.post-41771332759669420222013-03-24T10:15:39.335-05:002013-03-24T10:15:39.335-05:00Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. "Al Gore would have ...Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. "Al Gore would have launched a war against Iraq" is an unfalsifiable way of saying "there was a legitimate reason for a war against Iraq" which is an unsustainable falsehood.Yastreblyanskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08335868257729063363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11363027.post-87871325426080646322013-03-24T08:31:58.801-05:002013-03-24T08:31:58.801-05:00This clip turned up as "recommended" aft...This clip turned up as "recommended" after the one you posted. It catches the style of the Iraq War hawk perfectly:<br /><br />http://youtu.be/iRsXdTuBaBgUnsalted Sinnernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11363027.post-75544126424011710442013-03-23T17:28:29.574-05:002013-03-23T17:28:29.574-05:00Unless the assumption is that the neocons who ran ...Unless the assumption is that the neocons who ran Bushs show would also have run Gore's, which is absurd, then the notion that Gore would also have invaded Iraq is based on absolutely nothing. It's a non sequitur. In fact, I find it easy to argue that Gore might have actually read the occasional PDB, might have actually listened to Richard Clarke, & might have stopped something before it started.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11363027.post-33641457991331026872013-03-23T13:58:57.343-05:002013-03-23T13:58:57.343-05:00Can only echo Anon and Batocchio - Gore would not...Can only echo Anon and Batocchio - Gore would not have invaded Iraq. It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Thought my eyeballs were going to hit the monitor when I read that ridiculous statement. marindenvernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11363027.post-19426527210631021882013-03-23T03:33:19.265-05:002013-03-23T03:33:19.265-05:00What cannot be defended or forgiven was the rush b...<br /><i>What cannot be defended or forgiven was the rush by the Professional Right to seize on the Iraq War as the Best Hippie-Bashing Sledgehammer Ever.</i><br /><br />Exactly. I can forgive being wrong. I can't forgive someone eagerly joining a lynch mob, or seeing a group of bullies beating up a kid, and joining the bullies. Being wrong is one thing. Gleeful hatred is another. <br /><br /><i>(and I still think Gore would have launched the Iraq War as well).</i><br /><br />Like Anon, this one really pisses me off as well. Sullivan offers absolutely no support whatsoever for this statement. A Gore administration would have been competent at counterterrorism, and might have prevented 9/11. Maybe not, but the Gore team undoubtedly would have done better than the Bushies. And with no 9/11, neither the Afghanistan or Iraq war would have occurred. Regardless, Gore would have no reason for attacking Iraq and didn't have a public, decades-long desire to do so; he gave a big speech opposing going to war with Iraq on common sense grounds.<br /><br />(Also, Gore wouldn't have launched a war against Iraq because, had 9/11 occurred, rabid rightwingers would have tried to impeach him.)<br /><br />As I wrote in a earlier thread, Sullivan's been more abject in his apologies this time around, but he's still falling far short. Sullivan quoting Ted Rall, and his bullshit slur against Gore, is just another way of saying "both sides do it" and "it's not my fault." What a gutless turd. <br />Batocchiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11363027.post-81409792681874027732013-03-22T23:43:38.732-05:002013-03-22T23:43:38.732-05:00You actually cannot yell "Liar!" at thes...You actually cannot yell "Liar!" at these thugs enough.<br /><br />Ever.<br /><br />Thanks!Cirzehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07070125217972397204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11363027.post-42104452782386911222013-03-22T22:22:05.829-05:002013-03-22T22:22:05.829-05:00Just as an aside, I was present at the 2008 debate...Just as an aside, I was present at the 2008 debates between Peter and Christopher Hitchens. Despite occurring in a (non-denominational) church, on the topic of the existence of any gods, Christopher cleanly swept the choir loft with the rags of Peter's theology. The second topic of the night was Iraq, and though not nearly as eloquent or funny as his pro-war brother, Peter crushed Christopher, both morally and with the crowd. Both outcomes I expected and enjoyed.<br /><br /><br />I do miss the Hitch though; I wonder what toe-spins he would have performed on this sad retrospective anniversary.<br />John K. Fitzpatrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03692341185350052350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11363027.post-82418676975545407932013-03-22T16:58:01.245-05:002013-03-22T16:58:01.245-05:00Excellent.
And Sullivan and whoever else can cram...Excellent.<br /><br />And Sullivan and whoever else can cram it up their cramhole with the "but Gore would have done it too!" bullshit. No, Al Gore fucking wouldn't have invaded Iraq. Because he wouldn't have had Rummy as his SecDef, Condi as security advisor, and an entire putrid nest of bloodthirsty neocon bastards with an open invitation to spew their foolishness in the Oval Office. <br />Sure, I can see VP Holy Joe Lieberman advocating for a good old fashioned Muslim beatdown. But no, Al Gore fucking wouldn't have invaded Iraq. Because he's not a goddamn moron. And because the "zomg let's invade Iraq!" train never would have left the station without all those bloodthirsty neocon bastards there to nudge it along. Their warmongering assholery would have stayed limited to the pages of the Weekly Standard where it fucking belonged, and liberals with some sense could have used it as emergency toilet paper.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com