Bush should start by firing Rumsfeld

New York Times via Houston Chronicle | May 5, 2004, 10:31PM | By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

[L.N. Smithee]

The Houston Chronicle is no more than a Extreme Left Liberal Democratic rag. With no competition, they can get away with it. They spew their liberal agenda on the front page with sensational headlines and blatantly biased opinion laced "news".

I know how you feel. In San Fran, we have our own Chronicle.

[Real Cynic No More]

Bush needs to state his unequivocal support to Rumsfield and give him a medal for handling this issue appropriately.

[an amused spectator]

Thanks for the ping!

I have never known a time in the life of this country when the press, which is supposed to aid the American citizen in self-governance by providing fairly uncensored and accurate information, was allowed to run amok in open sedition, all the while suppressing the very information they are supposed to be delivering.

The press is getting our soldiers killed, and they are abetting the Islamofascist threat.

It's becoming quite clear that the press turned against the country in the 1960s, and has been engaged in veiled sedition up to this point. Now they have become emboldened in their treachery, and have ripped the mask from their faces.

[tm22721]

Might makes right, not the other way around.

And yes, we will write the history books.

BUMPS

[WorkingClassFilth]

"We are in danger of losing America as an instrument of moral authority and inspiration in the world. I have never known a time in my life when America and its president were more hated around the world than today."

Well too bad. Mr. Friedman.

If the world were, in fact, filled with moral nations and leaders with integrity and honor, I might cotton to your sniveling heap of lies. The trouble is that the U.S. remains nearly the only light left in the world.

Doesn't it strike you the least bit as odd that Sudan was just reappointed to the Human Rights commission in the UN and that body (so late of oil cash glazed snouts) is the centerpiece curative of most criticism of the U.S.?

In the recent damning photographs your paper and your ilk love to parade about, doesn't it strike you the least bit odd that America actually has laws against this, is incensed about this and is moving to stop it and punish the guilty? Is the UN doing this, uh, no, I don't believe they are. The UN is simply moving on to other more important business to brand America as evil such as favorite left-wing hobby-horse of global warming.

Doesn't it strike you the least bit odd that these prisoners only seem to have been HUMILIATED and not cut into chunks, burned alive, shredded inch by inch, dipped into acid or buried alive? Doesn't it strike you odd that we are in a war against these killers who lived among us, took our money and aid, were educated by us and who slaughtered thousands of innocent NON-COMBATANTS?

As Mr. Sherman remarked one time, "War is hell." When you measure the action of America against the actions of any of our foes, European "friends" or the UN, I dare say that the U.S. with all of our faults comes up smelling like a rose. Humiliation indeed. What a silly hook to hang your hatred of your nation.

As far as I am concerned, Mr, Friedman and all the rest of his conspirator allies deserve the exact same treatment that their Iraqi counterparts have recieved, and, by God, I would dearly love the opportunity to pour a small amount of the exrement they ladle daily back on their own heads.

[WorkingClassFilth]

WASN'T THERE A FLAP OVER THE UN TROOPS DOING THE SAME THINGS (i.e., humiliating prisoners) IN BOSNIA A WHILE BACK? I MEAN BESIDES THE USUAL PROBLEMS THE UN HAS HAD WITH CRIME SYNDICATES, PROSTITUTION RINGS, WHITE SLAVERY, IGNORING GENOCIDE AND WHOLESALE THEFT OF AID MONIES.

[hgro]

Friedman is just another "phony" columnist that the NYT puts forth as an opinion leader. Both the Times and Friedman have long since lost any crediblity as being truthful.

[speedy]

"I have never known a time in my life when America and its president were more hated around the world than today. I was just in Japan, and even young Japanese dislike us."

It's just you they dislike, Friedman, not Americans. I swear, I would really just like to take a swing at this punk.

[Merdoug]

Why should we care what the world thinks of us? Japan has hated us for a long time; snobbishly believing that they are "superior" to us. I say to h*ll with the rest of the world.

[handy]

How can these guys at the times be so educated and so clueless at the same time?

I don't understand them - they'll never understand me. Red State Blue state I guess.

[Grampa Dave]

Who is this general?

Is she one of the Clintoon's rapid appointments?

[proud American in Canada]

You know, over the weekend I was one of the people that thought that GW needed to personally address the Iraqi people.

Well, he did, and from the little I heard on the radio, I suspect the reaction was postive, except for the diehards who would hate us no matter what. The radio station up here carries CNN radio reports, and they said the reaction was "mixed" and they quoted a person who was positive.

But of course, anything GW does is never enough. Now people are complaining that he didn't apologize and that he didn't go on Al-Jazeera.

Well, enough already, I say. He did the right thing, the military is investigating, and people will be held accountable. It's time to stop beating ourselves up about this.

[CaptainK]

"I have never known a time in my life when America and its president were more hated around the world than today.

Friedman must have been napping during the Reagan years.

[proud American in Canada]

"By showing the western notion of justice I think the negative here can, conceivably be turned into a positive."


I agree as well. GW did the right thing yesterday and I think it will have long-lasting, positive effects.

What I find irritating is that no one in the media is talking about the historic nature of those interviews (as they would have with Bill Clinton). I may be wrong but I think it is unprecedented for a sitting American president to give a television interview with a television station in another country, and a country where we are at war, at that.

[speedy]

Yep. And probably during the Johnson and Nixon years, too.

[MinuteGal]

I suppose General George Washington should have resigned his command when Benedict Arnold was caught and convicted.

Leni

[Gritty]

I always hate to cut and paste long quotes, but this entire paragraph need to be reread by all. It is a perfect example of the attitude of our Liberal betters and self-appointed mentors of morality...

Bush needs to invite to Camp David the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, the heads of both NATO and the United Nations, and the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria. There, he needs to eat crow, apologize for his mistakes and make clear that he is turning a new page. Second, he needs to explain that we are losing in Iraq, and if we continue to lose the U.S. public will eventually demand that we quit Iraq, and it will then become Afghanistan-on-steroids, which will threaten everyone. Third, he needs to say he will be guided by the United Nations in forming the new caretaker government in Baghdad. And fourth, he needs to explain that he is ready to listen to everyone's ideas about how to expand our force in Iraq, and have it work under a new U.N. mandate, so it will have the legitimacy it needs to crush any uprisings against the interim Iraqi government and oversee elections — and then leave when appropriate. And he needs to urge them all to join in. - Thomas Friedman

This is simply outrageous! In other words, why don't we just give up and accept Islamic and UN domination over America?

Friedman never met a surrender he didn't like, nor a fatuous statement he wouldn't pen.

The problem is not with Bush, Rumsfeld or our policy. The problem is with our deficient and morally twisted Media, represented today by Mr. Friedman, who trumpet their self-righteous rage and act as a sounding board for the enemy.

Al Jazerra couldn't have said it better than Thomas Friedman!

[atomicpossum]

FRESH LIBERAL KOOLAID!

[rintense]

This is a standard play from the liberal playbook. It isn't the fault of the individual, but the top dog. It's the same thinking as blame the gun manufacturer, not the person who fired the shot. Personal resonsibililty is something they don't understand. Now, GWB has every right to be pissed at Rummy for learning of this through the media, but fire him? No way.

Screw the media and the liberals! Keep Rummy.