Crocker and Bigots
Last night, I went to go see former abassador Ryan Crocker give a talk at Whitman College (his alma mater) on US Middle East policy. It was really interesting in some regards, particularly his brief history lessons, but it was also maddening to listen to as someone who was against the war in Iraq from the first hints that it was going to happen.
Basically, his bottom line was that history shows us that the people of the Middle East, who have dealt with foreign military occupations basically constantly for 400 years, have learned that if they can cause the foreign power enough grief through insurgency, then the foreign power will lose its patience and go home. Therefor, we must not leave the region, ever, because that's just what they'd expect us to do. Our allies in the region fear that we will follow the usual pattern and give up on the region, and our enemies hope we will. If you're going to get involved militarily in that region, he said, you have to expect that it will be for the long run, that there's no leaving, and you have to have patience.
I don't know that Mr. Crocker is wrong. What bothers me, though, is that I don't believe that this was some secret knowledge that only Mr. Crocker, in all of Washingon DC, was privy to. I think Dick Cheney is evil, but he's clearly not stupid.
So, that brings us back to the basic point. If everyone who knows anything knew that military engagement in the Middle East was not going to be a cheap and easy cakewalk, why was it sold to us that way? Oh, maybe it's because, as Mr. Crocker also noted, most Americans are geographically illiterate, mono-linguistic, ahistorial morons. People were for the war in Iraq because they didn't know enough to see that we were being fed a crock of shit. Some people, though also largely ignorant about the same things as our fellow citizens, were able to smell something fishy about the case for war, but were shouted down as anti-American terrorist lovers. Sorry to offend my female friends, but the case for the war was like the wife on a 50s sitcom asking her husband for his wallet, but promising that she was only going to the grocery store (not Macy's!), would only be gone for 45 seconds, and would get a week's worth of groceries for a nickel. And the husband buys it enthusiastically.
So, we're there now. Crocker doesn't think we should ever leave. So here at home, we have citizens who call the president Hitler because he wants to provide health insurance coverage to more people (and reduce the deficit at the same time!), who wet their pants with joy at the prospect of endless war financed by our gargantuan, and growing debt to the Chinese government.
Crocker's right. We really are a bunch of fucking idiots. We probably should just stay in Iraq and Afghanistan for the rest of time (or until our nation ceases to exist in its current form). We probably deserve it as a country. And all too many people would think it's a good thing.
Speaking of fucking idiots: Kathryn Jean Lopez, neanderthalette of the National Review, wets her (modest and sensible!) panties over Maggie Gallagher's electoral victory over same sex families here. And of course, since she states that she is not a bigot, that is so, and the end of that question. And this poor asshole writes to Kathryn, bemoaning how hard it is to face the "brutal tactics employed against defenders of traditional marriage". Serously, read the whole thing, and marvel at the power of projection. We gays are EVIL because we treat treat homophobes "appalling"ly! And why do we treat them thus? Because we have dehumanized them!!! Gosh, it really must be hard to be the underdog of the vast, crushing majority.
From K-Lo's hate screed:
"Why has gay marriage consistently lost when put in the hands of voters? Because what’s true is true. “Most people know in their own heart that marriage is between a man and a woman,” Brown says."
Right, and you what else most people are? Straight. Their vote against gay people is like that new Cameron Diaz movie coming out, The Box. Why not push the fucking button that will kill a stranger/vote against gay families? It's not going to affect me. What these votes most reveal is that humanity is what my grandfather would call "Fallen", and I would call inherently sadistic.
Happy Tuesday!
Basically, his bottom line was that history shows us that the people of the Middle East, who have dealt with foreign military occupations basically constantly for 400 years, have learned that if they can cause the foreign power enough grief through insurgency, then the foreign power will lose its patience and go home. Therefor, we must not leave the region, ever, because that's just what they'd expect us to do. Our allies in the region fear that we will follow the usual pattern and give up on the region, and our enemies hope we will. If you're going to get involved militarily in that region, he said, you have to expect that it will be for the long run, that there's no leaving, and you have to have patience.
I don't know that Mr. Crocker is wrong. What bothers me, though, is that I don't believe that this was some secret knowledge that only Mr. Crocker, in all of Washingon DC, was privy to. I think Dick Cheney is evil, but he's clearly not stupid.
So, that brings us back to the basic point. If everyone who knows anything knew that military engagement in the Middle East was not going to be a cheap and easy cakewalk, why was it sold to us that way? Oh, maybe it's because, as Mr. Crocker also noted, most Americans are geographically illiterate, mono-linguistic, ahistorial morons. People were for the war in Iraq because they didn't know enough to see that we were being fed a crock of shit. Some people, though also largely ignorant about the same things as our fellow citizens, were able to smell something fishy about the case for war, but were shouted down as anti-American terrorist lovers. Sorry to offend my female friends, but the case for the war was like the wife on a 50s sitcom asking her husband for his wallet, but promising that she was only going to the grocery store (not Macy's!), would only be gone for 45 seconds, and would get a week's worth of groceries for a nickel. And the husband buys it enthusiastically.
So, we're there now. Crocker doesn't think we should ever leave. So here at home, we have citizens who call the president Hitler because he wants to provide health insurance coverage to more people (and reduce the deficit at the same time!), who wet their pants with joy at the prospect of endless war financed by our gargantuan, and growing debt to the Chinese government.
Crocker's right. We really are a bunch of fucking idiots. We probably should just stay in Iraq and Afghanistan for the rest of time (or until our nation ceases to exist in its current form). We probably deserve it as a country. And all too many people would think it's a good thing.
Speaking of fucking idiots: Kathryn Jean Lopez, neanderthalette of the National Review, wets her (modest and sensible!) panties over Maggie Gallagher's electoral victory over same sex families here. And of course, since she states that she is not a bigot, that is so, and the end of that question. And this poor asshole writes to Kathryn, bemoaning how hard it is to face the "brutal tactics employed against defenders of traditional marriage". Serously, read the whole thing, and marvel at the power of projection. We gays are EVIL because we treat treat homophobes "appalling"ly! And why do we treat them thus? Because we have dehumanized them!!! Gosh, it really must be hard to be the underdog of the vast, crushing majority.
From K-Lo's hate screed:
"Why has gay marriage consistently lost when put in the hands of voters? Because what’s true is true. “Most people know in their own heart that marriage is between a man and a woman,” Brown says."
Right, and you what else most people are? Straight. Their vote against gay people is like that new Cameron Diaz movie coming out, The Box. Why not push the fucking button that will kill a stranger/vote against gay families? It's not going to affect me. What these votes most reveal is that humanity is what my grandfather would call "Fallen", and I would call inherently sadistic.
Happy Tuesday!
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