[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]toots: I think there needs to be a distinction between liberals and left-wingers. I think the word “liberal” is a good word, and not a pejorative, but I loathe left-wingers.
As I’m sure gandalf would be the first to tell you, I am extremely conservative, in the old school Goldwater Republican camp. I would never accuse a liberal of hating their country, but would accuse a left-winger of doing so.
It is much akin to Susan Sontag opining after 9/11 that we “deserved” it. While I feel that our foreign policy in the Middle East has run between complete ignorance and ineptitude, claiming that Osama bin Laden was justified in his actions is beyond the pale and contemptible.
I don’t hold that we are above criticism. To the contrary, I believe that we need to change our approach in that part of the world and that the past 50 years have shown significant errors in our relationships and our strategies. Support for countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt are going to come back to haunt us, and we need to see that part of the world in a whole new way.
All of that being said, however, I don’t feel that either of the candidates is a good choice for that particular job. I have McCain on one hand openly advocating the bombing of Iran and Obama on the other completely missing the point as to why Iran should not have The Bomb.
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Again, irritated that you do not do these wonder posts more often.
This leads me to other questions (you are good at doing that).
1:
I consider myself a member of the liberal left. I don’t consider myself a member of the radical left nor do I consider myself particularly reactionary. But clearly, with my opinions on social programs and economics, I am generally to the left of the current government in the US. What about leftism do you find contemptible? Perhaps a better question would be, what do you see as left? It is a polysemous term.
2:
Why do you find Iran dangerous? They have a weak president, a strong legislature, and a super-strong judiciary. The only person that seems to noisily chant about the US and Israel is the weak president. Is the president the problem or are prior actions indicative of current intent or what exactly?
I don’t necessarily disagree but the silliness of my debate with Surveyor made me think about Iran and what the real danger there is. It really feels like we are just hating on a grudge (kind of like Cuba).
Sound off.
Anyone with an actual opinion, I would be interested in hearing it. If you are just a hater spouting vitriol, then not so much.
