For those of you who don't get Newsweek; George F. Will on Bush
As a public service to those who do not get Newsweek, I would like to quote George F. Will's column in this week's edition where he discusses Bush's performance this past year. This is important for all my Bush/Republican apologist readers out there - for George F. Will is one of the country's leading conservative intellectuals and writers. I quote:
"At home, the president's and the nation's disagreeable year can be summarized by three female names: Terri Schiavo, Harriet Miers and Katrina. The first (Schiavo) involved grotesque overreaching by the federal government, undertaken by self-described conservatives whose action refuted their description. The second (Miers) involved indifference to competence. The third (Katrina) displayed the consequences of incompetence. Abroad, Iraq illustrated one, two and three."
Period, end of story.
Frum Jews - stop being apologists for Bush. Be thankful for his support for Sharon, but don't follow him blindly, as our grandparents did FDR. Keep your eyes and minds open and watch your back, as "Ein Lonu LeHishaen Elah al Avinu SheBashamaim"
"At home, the president's and the nation's disagreeable year can be summarized by three female names: Terri Schiavo, Harriet Miers and Katrina. The first (Schiavo) involved grotesque overreaching by the federal government, undertaken by self-described conservatives whose action refuted their description. The second (Miers) involved indifference to competence. The third (Katrina) displayed the consequences of incompetence. Abroad, Iraq illustrated one, two and three."
Period, end of story.
Frum Jews - stop being apologists for Bush. Be thankful for his support for Sharon, but don't follow him blindly, as our grandparents did FDR. Keep your eyes and minds open and watch your back, as "Ein Lonu LeHishaen Elah al Avinu SheBashamaim"
posted by J @ 12:32 AM
7 Comments:
At 12/19/2005 10:55 PM,
J said…
CM:
My I don't doubt that there are many sides to an issue. But u must admit that there are lots of Repub loyalist ditto heads who buy into the war because a Republican started it. And had Clinton started it, they would oppose it (as they did all of Clinton's moral crusade/nation building wars.)
I am fighting a war against what I used to be - a ditto head mindless sheep follower of a party - who was always right and just and moral - and 'they' (the libs) where always wrong, immoral and corrupt. I remember even defending REagan for his trip to Bitburg (are u old enough to remember that?) Why did I defend it? Because he was 'on my team'.
Boruch Hashem, I have been cured. Does that mean that I am right about my opinions regarding Iraq? Of course not. But at least they are my opinions - and I have the ability to have an open mind about it - something the Limbaugh/Hannities/Levin and their brainwashed minions do not have. As they must defend their 'teamate'.
So, Mr. CM, I hope that you are NOT one of the strawmen that I put up in my post just to knock down. I sincerely do hope so (and have no reason not to believe so!:)
KT
At 12/19/2005 10:59 PM,
J said…
Your first post was very interesting and proves what I hoped in my last post - that you have an open mind and are not a mindless Republican 'team player'. Boruch Hashem!
As for apologist - my understanding of the word is "one who has to explain and defend a position - regardless of the circumstances or merits of the case." e.g. Avi Shafran and until recently Yonasan Rosenblum (who has lately started shedding some of his rose colored glasses, b'h) will always be required to defend the Chareidi position on each and every issue. They are apologists.
At 12/20/2005 10:38 AM,
J said…
You are correct when arguing an issue (e.g. should we leave Iraq now). But my polemic is against an emotional mindset prevelant in red-state America of viewing the Republicans/Conservatives as 'our team' and defending them and identifying with them emotionally. No amount of 'logic' will change this emotion. By pointing out the bias and poitning out the symptoms of this malady, those infected (as I was) might come to see the error of their ways - and THEN can make logical arguments for or against the war in Iraq, tax cuts for the rich, etc. , etc.
Since you are clearly not in this camp, we can have logical give and take on these any many other issues. I would encourage you to join my crusade against the 'ditto-heads' who are poisening the political climate in America, by making every single issue and event into an 'us vs them' (e.g. Jim Wright was a crook! Bill Clinton was guily, But Tom DeLay is a victim of a liberal activist prosecutor! - {but Ken Starr was an unbiased truth seeking prosecutor :)
KT, J
At 12/20/2005 10:39 AM,
J said…
One more question for you, Mr. CM, how did you find this blog and any ideas on how to get more people to post here?
J
At 12/20/2005 11:59 PM,
J said…
1. I turned off the monitoring. As of today I started linking my posts on other blogs back to here and takeh some new people have posted. Thanks!
2. You make a valid point about how people will take such arguments. i will try not to make it sound like i think that everyone else is an idiot. :)
3. What caused me to chang? Great question. I will be posting shortly on Talk Radio addiction in our community. I will address this question there stay tuned.
4. yes you can. just type in the a href syntax in the place where you want the hyperlinks as if you where creating a web page. It works! PrideComethBeforeTheFall
At 12/22/2005 1:12 AM,
Anonymous said…
Another thought re talk radio and the frum - we are told not to listen to the regular music on the radio (kol isha, problematic lyrics, tunes, etc.), so what is left if you want to listen to something ? Either talk or all news, I guess. I guess the talk is thought of as more relaxing and/or more entertaining than the all news format, so some people tend to it as the least problematic choice (though it may not actually be so). Then some of them get hooked. But there is also the general dynamic of the talk format, and why it's so popular in general. People feel part of it more than with other formats, there's a chance for audience participation, it's somwhat unpredictable, there is a give and take. Frum people feel those human reactions as well, even if it's only subsconsiously.
Also, the fact is that some of the hosts have been speakers and honorees at Jewish functions, so I guess that sort of 'kashered them' in the eyes of some people. Additionally, some of the NYC area ones backed us at times like the Crown Heights pogrom and in other things before the big drop in crime, and people were and are grateful about that. So it's more than just an on-air reltionship - it has extended to off-the-air at times as well. I reckon that some frum think of them as honorary Yidden of sorts.
At 12/24/2005 9:21 PM,
J said…
Once again, right on the money on all your points.
All that being said, the influence from talk show hosts who seem very similar to us can be even more insidious then dangers which are more obvious - that have been condemned by our Religious Leaders. One could argue that the damage done to a Jew's sensitivity, caring and loving kindness by listening to talk radio thinking that it is kosher is greater then seeing 'prust' pictures or being exposed to things on the internet that they no to be wrong.
I am not saying that I agree with this line of thinking, but one could make such an argument.
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