Month: June 2007

On Wednesday, Jim Henley, in a post titled “All Is Forgiven,” noted an important admission by Andrew Sullivan: “what marks conservatism is extreme prudence in initiating conflict, a principle I foolishly rushed past in the wake of 9/11.” That’s certainly all true, and it was mighty nice of Sully to link approvingly to an essay right here on Antiwar.com. (Call me a dick, but I like to think that Tom Palmer wept a little bit when he saw that.) Moreover, I agree with Jim that “We have too much of the handiwork of the Unitary Executive Years to undo for anyone to be too persnickety about entrance requirements for the team.” That doesn’t amount to much more than “when people agree with you, let them,” but it’s sound counsel all the same.

But while forgiveness is a wonderful thing, it’s beside the point here. Forgive Sullivan all you want – it’s good for the soul – but for God’s sake, don’t forget his horrendous record. Jim’s soft heart has led him astray if he thinks one remorseful sentence means we should heap credibility on Sullivan, especially now. Here’s the great convert to noninterventionism today on the gas riots in Iran:

I’d say it means we need to tighten the sanctions, especially on gasoline. If we can economically strangle the theo-fascists, it’s far preferable to war.

Do you see where this is heading, Jim? Among other places, to a post titled “Hope In Iran” consisting entirely of the wisdom of Victor Davis Hanson. I don’t know how long it will take to unfold – six months, a year, two – but mark my words: this sanctions are preferable to war mantra will gradually shift shape into we tried everything else, all that’s left is war. I have no doubt that Andrew will draw on his vast reserve of fake pathos and shake his head sadly when he pronounces the words, but pronounce the words he will. Is it really a good idea to boost Sullivan’s stock right now, just in time for him to help launch another war? Shouldn’t there be some sort of probationary period before we let him “join the team” – say, five years without advocating an indefensible, catastrophic war of aggression?

The House of Representatives just narrowly defeated an amendment to deny funds to operate Vice President Dick Cheney’s office. Cheney had insisted that his office is exempt from Executive Department oversight by arguing that he is not part of that department. Rep. Rahm Emanuel proposed the amendment as a counter to that incredible claim.

The measure was defeated 209-217, with most Republicans and 24 Democrats siding with Cheney. GOP Presidential candidate Ron Paul of Texas and Walter Jones of North Carolina voted in favor of defunding Cheney’s office.

Emanuel tried to attach the amendment to a bill funding the Treasury Department and other agencies that could have faced a veto by President Bush. The overall bill includes a salary increase for House members that would bring their annual pay to nearly $170,000 next year.

The attempt to kill funds for Cheney’s vice presidential office and the government-owned mansion he lives in came on the same day Bush said he would not provide documents being subpoenaed by Democrats in Congress related to the firings of federal prosecutors.

[audio:http://dissentradio.com/radio/07_06_27_greenwald.mp3]

Former civil rights attorney, blogger and author, Glenn Greenwald, discusses the ideas in his new book A Tragic Legacy: How a Good Versus Evil Mentality Destroyed the Bush Presidency.

MP3 here.

Glenn Greenwald was previously a constitutional law and civil rights litigator in New York. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling book How Would a Patriot Act?, a critique of the Bush administration’s use of executive power, released in May 2006. His brand new book, Tragic Legacy, was released this week.

Michael Rubin, formerly of the Coalition Provisional Authority, writes a regular feature for National Review Online, a summary with links of the Iran-related news of the day. A hardcore neocon whose journalistic and other credentials have often been in conflict, today Rubin notes the following:

“Hardline, state-controlled press reprinting articles from U.S.-based Antiwar.com.”

If you follow the link you find a piece by Charley Reese (although the Iranians don’t give him a byline), a King Features columnist, which did indeed appear on Antiwar.com — as it did in several newspapers across the country, as well as online on several sites.

This is the neocon smear method, which they tried — with very limited success — on professors John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt when their Harvard University study of the Israel lobby came out. David Duke, they averred, had endorsed the Mearsheimer-Walt thesis — and what else do we need to know? A great way to divert attention from the real issue, which the neocons don’t want discussed: Look! Over here! No — over there! This way, they never have to discuss any actual issues, or make any real arguments — just the argument from intimidation.

The clear implication is that we are agents of a foreign power, and/or that we support the Iranian government: after all, why would they reprint something that we posted on Antiwar.com? If the Iranians say the sky is blue, is it really blue — or some other color?

In an effort to get to the bottom of this whole Whole Foods matter, I urge you to contact the company through this form and ask why they’re such a bunch of fascists. Be sure to include the fact that you heard they are fascists from Jonah Goldberg, whose forthcoming (?) book is titled Liberal Fascism: The Totalitarian Temptation from Hegel to Whole Foods. Remind them that the “obsession with organic food and environmentalism” is German, i.e., Nazi, in origin.

Via David Weigel, I see that Jonah Goldberg’s hotly anticipated (and anticipated… and anticipated) tome Liberal Fascism has a new working subtitle. Instead of The Totalitarian Temptation from Mussolini to Hillary Clinton, it’s now The Totalitarian Temptation from Hegel to Whole Foods. Now the Hegel part is clearly a case of a flyweight thinking he’s a, well, featherweight. But Jonah may be onto something with Whole Foods. Why, just yesterday I noticed how the local Whole Foods had invaded a Piggly Wiggly over in the ghetto. There was carnage in the produce section as the Granola Gestapo mowed down everyone who refused to buy organic. They were tearing through the meat department, turning the cleavers and meat-slicers on the butchers, screaming, “Live free range or die, you backward f*cks!” I could hear the wails of tortured confessions coming from those caught with Mad Dog 20/20 in the booze aisle…

But seriously, folks, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey really is a fascist. He’s always denying people their habeas corpus rights, waterboarding suspected resisters in foreign countries he illegally occupies, claiming that his office exists outside the bounds of the Constitution, threatening to nuke people who haven’t done anything to him, and much, much more. Somebody should impeach that asshole.