Banging On the Drum
Kevin Drum
has some questions for conservative bloggers that I thought I would take a crack at:
#1. Considering how Iraq has gone so far, do you still think that American military power is a good way to promote tolerance and democracy in the Middle East? Has your position on this changed in any way over the past two years?
The American military power was not sent to Iraq to promote tolerance and democracy, it was sent to get rid of Saddam's regime. We cannot judge Iraq now. We may not even be able to judge Iraq five years from now. And no, my mind has not changed.
#2. Shortly after 9/11, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson said publicly that they thought the attacks were well-deserved retribution from God in response to moral decay — as personified by gays, feminists, the ACLU, and NOW. Do you worry that Falwell and Robertson are identified by many as the face of the Republican party? Do you think President Bush has sufficiently distanced himself from them and their followers?
Lots of people say stupid things. The leaders of the religious left wing are people like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, who've both been known to make viciously anti-Semitic comments, comments that in Sharpton's case may have incited killings. Did John Kerry distance himself sufficiently from Al Sharpton and his followers? Or did Kerry
pay him $86,000 to campaign for him?
#3. Is democracy promotion really one of your core concerns? Just how far are you willing to go to demonstrate your credibility on this subject? Note: President Bush's policy toward either Pakistan or Saudi Arabia would be excellent case studies to bring this question to life.
So what's your point here, Kevin? Bush has given 50 million people a chance at freedom and democracy. His dad (and, mostly, Ronald Reagan) helped bring about the freedom of many millions more. How many people did Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton free? No, I don't think we should go around the globe freeing people from tyranny regardless of cost, and you'd be the first ones howling with anger if we tried to topple Cuba, for example.
#4. On a related note, which do you think is more important to the Bush administration in the short term: preservation of a stable oil supply from the Middle East or spreading freedom and liberty throughout the region? Would you be interested in seeing the records of Dick Cheney's 2001 energy task force to verify this? Please be extra honest with this question.
Ah, it's all about oooooooiiiiiiiilllllll! Really, what a moron Drum is; no wonder Hugh Hewitt calls him a Peter Principle Blogger. To answer the question, short term and long term stable oil is more important because our economy runs on oil. DUH! And no, I don't need to see the records of Dick Cheney's energy task force to "verify" anything.
#5. A substantial part of the Christian right opposes any compromise with Palestinians because they believe that Jewish domination of the region west of the Jordan River is a precondition for the Second Coming. Is this a reasonable belief? Or do you think these people qualify as loons who should be purged from the Republican party?
First of all, there is no strong movement in the Christian right opposing any compromise with the Palestinians. They support Israel, yes, and they probably do so for biblical reasons, but that does not mean they oppose Israel making agreements with the Palestinians (although like all of us they may be quite suspicious of what Israel actually manages to achieve with these agreements). I support Israel too, but if they can make a peaceful settlement with the Palestinians all the better.
#6. Yes or no: do you think we should invade Iran if it becomes clear — despite our best efforts — that they are continuing to build nuclear weapons? If this requires a military draft, would you be in favor?
Invade, probably not. Bomb the crap out of their facilities? You betcha.
#7. If President Bush decides to substantially draw down our troop presence in Iraq after the January 30 elections, will you support that decision? Please answer this question prior to January 30.
If that's the decision he makes, I'll support it. He's got more information on the subject than I do, he's got lots of well-informed folks giving him their input. BTW, these questions are really amateurishly worded. When Drum says "after the January 30 elections," does he mean three years after, or, as I suspect, immediately after?
#8. Would you agree that people who accept Laurie Mylroie's crackpot theories about Saddam Hussein's involvement in 9/11 might be taking the threat of terrorism a little too seriously? What do you think should be done with them?
Excuse me? What exactly is taking the threat of terrorism a little too seriously? Another incredibly poorly worded question. As for what should be done with them, I say boiling in oil is too good for them, however poetically justified it may be.
Note the curious form of several (2,5 & 8) of the questions--ask about an extreme position a Republican has somewhere and then ask what should be done to that Republican. What does he expect, that we should drive those people from the party with pointed sticks? Are there any groups that are currently in the Democratic Party that hold crackpot theories on, oh, the JFK assassination, or 9-11, or Florida 2000 or Ohio 2004? No doubt Kevin is leading the purge as we speak.
Hat Tip:
John Hawkins
