Chelsea in Oxford--Special Report

The Nation ^ | 12/04/2001 | Daniel Swift

[CommiesOut]

Special Report

Chelsea in Oxford

by Daniel Swift

In his Oxford days, Bill Clinton was famously antiwar. Since her arrival at the university to study international relations, his daughter, Chelsea, has been waging war from behind the newly reinforced bullet-proof glass windows of her Oxford dorm room. She and her Secret Service guards disrupted an antiwar rally in the town hall, heckling the speakers and waving American flags. And then there's the piece in Talk magazine.

In the most recent issue of the glossy New York mag--the cover is dominated by Gwyneth Paltrow's shiny décolletage--Chelsea complains that "every day I encounter some sort of anti-American feeling. Sometimes it's from other students, sometimes it's from a newspaper columnist, sometimes it's from 'peace' demonstrators only a few blocks from where I live." This anti-Americanism has led her to avoid English students and spend her time with other Americans in Oxford.

The inverted commas around "peace" suggest that Chelsea has little time for the antiwar movement. She goes on to explain exactly what she thinks of these demonstrators:

"Many question whether the evidence pointing to Osama bin Laden is accurate and conclusive. Others wonder whether America has any genuine concern for the plight of the Afghan people. I bristle at these suggestions. The idea that anyone believes America would enter into this conflict capriciously boggles my mind, and the notion that the United States is acting without regard to the Afghan people is offensive. Finally, the suggestion that America was too quick to respond, or that the United States should for some reason not employ its right to self-defense, is an assault in itself."

At the risk of bristling Ms. Clinton, there are many who doubt America's new war on terror. She suggests that questioning the bombing, or even debating the merits of US policy, is the same as an attack on the United States. But the debate is already open. More than a month ago, the Britain-based charities Oxfam and Christian Aid called for a pause in the bombing so that humanitarian supplies could get through. The UN has estimated that there are seven and a half million Afghan refugees dependent on aid to survive. The New York Times has reported at length on how the bombing has disrupted critical relief effort. Chelsea's tortured scheme of moral equivalency doesn't seem to recognize these factors.

The English school of IR theory is more skeptical however. It's typified by Hedley Bull's famous statement in The Anarchical Society, which has become a textbook for English IR: "I believe that inquiry has its own morality and is necessarily subversive of political institutions of all kinds, good as well as bad." This doubting voice underpins the classical model of IR taught at Oxford.

Chelsea is going to have a tough time at Oxford if she bristles at skepticism toward US policy. According to the syllabus, in her first year she is required to take a course on "the origins and course of the Cold War" and "the place of law, of rules generally, and of moral concepts, in international relations"; in her second year, she will choose an optional subject from a list that includes "The International Relations of the Middle East," "The United States in International Relations since 1945" and "The International Relations of Latin America." These courses won't make much sense without mention of Nicaragua or El Salvador, of America's special relationship with Israel, of America's disregard for the UN or even of America's support of the Taliban.

Ms. Clinton has been widely feted in Britain. Tatler magazine named her as one of England's ten most eligible women. But the anti-Americanism she has found in Oxford is not simply snobbery. There have been antiwar demonstrations throughout England in the last month, including one in Hyde Park on October 13 which drew more than 20,000 people. The bombing of Afghanistan has been regularly attacked in the English media. Oxford may be anti-American, but no more than the rest of world: like Paris, perhaps? Or Teheran? If, as has been widely suggested, this is the first step of a run for office, we should watch her words.

[CommiesOut]

She and her Secret Service guards disrupted an antiwar rally in the town hall

but

In his Oxford days, Bill Clinton was famously antiwar.

Bubba should blame the government. They didn't give him SS guards to Oxford.

[NC Conservative]

every day I encounter some sort of anti-American feeling. Sometimes it's from other students, sometimes it's from a newspaper columnist, sometimes it's from 'peace' demonstrators only a few blocks from where I live."

Sometimes it is from your own damn parents, Chelsea!!!

[Publius]

Sounds like Chelsea is a closet FReeper.

[Numbers Guy]

But the anti-Americanism she has found in Oxford is not simply snobbery.

Yeah, it's not just snobbery; it's also stupidity.

[Stand Watch Listen]

. She and her Secret Service guards ...

Does she STILL have SS protection? Her parents are multi-millionaires, yet they ' need' to steal from the government taxpayers.

I know that Clinton signed an EO that allowed Chelsea to have an extra 6 months protection. But that ended Jul 2001. Or is the article wrong and that Chelsea has either Scotland Yard or private protection?

[surrey]

This is probably "all show" to help Mommy Dearest with her future presidential bid.

[Stand Watch Listen]

There have been antiwar demonstrations throughout England in the last month, including one in Hyde Park on October 13 which drew more than 20,000 people.

And the large Moslim, Pakistani, Arab population in Great Britain is....?

[Grampa Dave]

Is she still blaming GW's tax cut for the mass murders on 9/11?

When I read these articles about the new Chelsea, I feel like I'm reading a fairy tale with elaborate fiction created to hide the reality! Kinda like the articles on how Hanoi Jane Fonda became such a caring Christian. Then we find out she still supported abortion and all of her previous left wing anti Christian stands!

It would be nice to be proven wrong about Chelsea. Someone let me know in about 8 years what she is really like!

[camle]

. Tatler magazine named her as one of England's ten most eligible women.

You gota be kidding. Are british women THAT BAD???

[CT]

Anybody else see this behavior as coming on orders from mommy dearest not to derail her presidential bid?

I mean its not like Hillary has any skeletons in her closet
.

[DoughtyOne]

Finally, the suggestion that America was too quick to respond, or that the United States should for some reason not employ its right to self-defense, is an assault in itself.

I have a word for you dear.  Israel

You and others seem to understand this concept just fine until Israel asserts it's right to live by the same policy.

It might interest you to know that if you had been attending Oxford when your dad went to school there, he would be a person you would wish to avoid.

We still do.

Imagine some of these anti-US individuals taking trips to Afghanistan to meet with Osama Bin Laden.  Then think if your dad going to Russia during the darkest days of the cold war, and at the precise time our men were dying in Vietnam.  Sortof gives you warm fuzzies hugh babe.

[gfactor]

She suggests that questioning the bombing, or even debating the merits of US policy, is the same as an attack on the United States.

welcome to FR....

[The Kitten]

What a nice little girl Chelsea has turned out to be! How wonderful that neither Hillary nor Bill had much influence on her!

[Doctor Stochastic]

Perhaps she was misinformed.

[Askel5]

Man o man ... she's giving Lynne "You're Not Showing ENOUGH Patriotism" Cheney a run for her money.

Interesting, no, how it's the Democrats who actually can turn on a dime where bugaboos like "war and peace" are concerned.

Sorta takes the wind out of the sails of the "I'm personally opposed, BUT ... " party. This is the conviction, the backbone against which they had no recourse but to compromise Objective Truth?