Interview / Vicious circles closing in

Ha'aretz (Jerusalem) ^ | 4 October 2002 | Micha Odenheimer

[Shermy]

Thanks for the ping.

[keri]

Yes, it is encouraging.

I hope this administration has the will and courage to finish off Hussein & Co., and won't back off.

On a related note, the "no blood for oil" crowd is likely to get us all in a lot of deep, deep trouble. The longer we wait, the harder the job becomes.Time is not on our side with this one.

Thanks again, Mitchell.

[Nogbad]

In fact, it is a bit surprising that so many on the left have turned into apologists for terrorists.

When Khomeini left his exile in France and returned to Iran
the press of the left in France was ecstatic.

Somehow they can't seem to recall this
whenever I mention this to my leftist acquaintances,
one of whom also was in France at the time.

The Communist Party of Iran also supported Khomeini.

Most of them are dead now, of course.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Mitchell]

And, of course, long before that, the left in the West contained many who defended Stalin.

But the current version of leftism seems different -- more dissolute perhaps, falling apart. For one thing, the experience of history has demonstrated the failure and futility of socialism and the evil of communism. The left has no overarching themes left, just talking points.

And where are the liberals of today who are like Scoop Jackson or John Kennedy, in terms of their commitment to the defense of our civilization in argument, in public policy, and in military action? (I have fundamental political disagreements with much of those two people's politics, but nevertheless there used to be a place for liberals who believed in our civilization and supported a strong defense of it.)

[Nogbad]

In response to my pointing out that the left supported Khomeini:

And, of course, long before that, the left in the West contained many who defended Stalin.

But the current version of leftism seems different -- more dissolute perhaps, falling apart.

But there is a big difference.
Stalin was a communist, Khomeini hardly could be called a leftist.
It was the same weird mentality then that many of the left are displaying now.
I think that's where this 'dissolution' all began.
In effect they said we support anyone who attacks the USA
(or the USA via the Shah.)

I thought it was extremely weird at the time,
but what is happening now is just a continuation of this tendency.