Whopper: Arnold Schwarzenegger What were Soviet tanks doing in Austria's British-occupied sector?

Slate ^ | 9-3-04 | Slate

[Jeff Blogworthy]

ByTimothy Noah Posted Friday, Sept. 3, 2004, at 3:56 PM PT

When I was a boy, the Soviets occupied part of Austria. I saw their tanks in the streets. I saw communism with my own eyes. I remember the fear we had when we had to cross into the Soviet sector. Growing up, we were told, "Don't look the soldiers in the eye. Look straight ahead." It was a common belief that Soviet soldiers could take a man out of his own car and ship him off to the Soviet Union as slave labor.

My family didn't have a car -- but one day we were in my uncle's car. It was near dark as we came to a Soviet checkpoint. I was a little boy, I wasn't an action hero back then, and I remember how scared I was that the soldiers would pull my father or my uncle out of the car, and I'd never see him again. My family and so many others lived in fear of the Soviet boot. Today, the world no longer fears the Soviet Union and it is because of the United States of America!

As a kid I saw the socialist country that Austria became after the Soviets left. I love Austria and I love the Austrian people - but I always knew America was the place for me.

--Arnold Schwarzenegger, Aug. 31, 2004.

"It's a fact -- as a child he could not have seen a Soviet tank in Styria," the southeastern province where Schwarzenegger was born and raised, historian Stefan Karner told the Vienna newspaper Kurier.

[Captain Peter Blood]

Yes but he also appeared on Saturday Night live in a Hans & Franz skit one time so he knows about the word.

[TigersEye]

Here's something else from the "Whopper archive" ...

My job tonight is an easy one: to present to you one of this nation's authentic heroes, one of this party's best-known and greatest leaders—and a good friend. ... John has worked to strengthen our military. ...
—Sen. Zell Miller, D-Ga., March 1, 2001

Zell explained this seeming contradiction handily on the Sean Hannity radio show. He made the statement above when he was a brand new Senator. He was handed a set of talking points to read from. There's the whopper for you. The DNC talking points.

WHAT'S YOUR RECORD ON Fn MILITARY SPENDING, KERRY?

[TheCrusader]

"It's a fact -- as a child he could not have seen a Soviet tank in Styria," the southeastern province where Schwarzenegger was born and raised, historian Stefan Karner told the Vienna newspaper Kurier."

Where in the statement did Arnold say he saw a tank in Styria? At least your liberal 'historian' friend isn't a revisionist, he's just your average everday moron.

[Mark17]

Well now you know....;-)

LOL, yes, thanks to you and all the other great people on FR.

Regards to you and yours.

[devolve]

Disruptor

Distractor



Stealth Leftie Troll

or

Someone who cannot read and comprehend



The result is exactly the same



Another inane egotistical vanity thread

[texasbluebell]

I haven't read the entire thread yet, but certainly hope that someone has sent the information about Austria's sectors to the author of the slate article!

Once again, the lying media is tripped up.

[AmericanMade1776]

Poor Slate.msn.com....a load of propaganda by desperate leftist liberal lying loony tunes, the best that Soros money can buy.

[rmgatto]

Your explanation: READ THE FREAKING ARTICLE YOU POSTED AND COMPARE IT WITH THE SPEECH. Nothing is more pathetic than a lazy psuedo-intellectual. You are nowhere near the end of your FREEProbation period and you post this drek?

[AmericanMade1776]

You are Welcome Mark...Pass the Truth on!

[Jeff Blogworthy]

Thanks to all who posted constructive criticism of the article and not the poster. Some of you people need to get a grip; your defensiveness is not helpful to the conservative cause. I can only aspire to one day be half as intelligent as some of you think you are.

[Cacique]

There were checkpoints betweenbthe different sectors. It was not uncommon for people to travel in between them. If you read carefully what Arnold said he probably was traveling from the English sector where he was living to the Soviet sector. Much ado about nothing.

Austria is BTW, the only country in occupied postwar Europe that the Soviets ever left. The condition for their withdrawal was that Austria would have to become a neutral state and could not join NATO.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Why don't you lighten up?

Happy to answer. Because the answers to your question were right there in what you posted. This means either you didn't read what you posted, you just wanted to post something/anything to see your name in print, or you didn't comprehend what you read.

I'm sick of the right wing going out of their way to make us look as stupid as those on the left.

Get off the computer and go to your local Republican HQ and do some work.

As to "lighten up" I've listen to that crap, from losers for years. The lighten up crowd includes draft dodgers, people in their 10th year of college, those who don't vote, dope smokers, and those who think the quality of the local pizza is more important than world affairs.

BTW I apologize for this post if you are under 14 years old or have an IQ less than 95.

[rmgatto]

It called "irony", Herr Hallmark Philosopher. Here's another quotation for your "library': "Stupid is as Stupid Does"-- Forrest Gump.

[TigersEye]

Just so's you know; my first post with this "Doubt all you want, lefty..." was directed at the author, not you.

CAN WE PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE EXAMINE YOUR SENATE RECORD, SENATOR?

[SoCal Pubbie]

"How Could Nixon Send Kerry to Cambodia Before He was President?"

Why do you think they called him Tricky Dick?

[WashingtonSource]

What a boat load of slime. Someone can live in our part of Austria and travel to another -- into the Soviet section That's exactly what happened. These people are desperate beyond belief.

[devolve]

unlikely



JFK + 68 points

[Leisler]

"..Helen Thomas waxing .."

Not a pretty thought. Watch your language.

[rmgatto]

To summarize, "the constructive criticism" is that you either: 1) did not read the article and compare it to the speech or 2) you thought this little exercise would create consternation. However, since it falls so far short of being a legitimate argument, and because it sounds like a wannabe democrat talking point, your post including your comment provides a nice opportunity for an exercise in how many ways there might be speak the truth to a typical journalistic lie.

The foregoing assumes that there is no way you would fail to apprehend the truth of the situation almost immediately had you given the article even cursory attention.

[Forgiven_Sinner]

"I once told someone to "make my day." Didn't know it was copyrighted. "

That's ok for speaking. First Amendment rights trump copyright law. You'd be on shakier ground if you wrote that in an original work. Then I think the movie company can come after you. BTW, the copyright is probably owned by the movie company, not Clint Eastwood.