thedrifter
03-12-05, 07:12 AM
What is the Color of the Sky in a Liberal Ideologue’s World?
March 11, 2005
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by Frank Salvato
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It seems that when one amasses wealth into the millions or billions of dollars their acquaintance with reality becomes less about the actualities and more about ideology. After all, if you are sitting in traffic in the back of a limousine getting a manicure your perception of the traffic is much different from that of your driver’s. While the passenger may be able to sympathize with the driver there is absolutely no way of knowing the actualities of what the driver is experiencing. The same can be said about millionaire and billionaire ideologues and their less than intimate knowledge of reality.
George Soros, the Hungarian-born billionaire who finds it quite alright to be a capitalist when it’s all about amassing a fortune but a socialist where everyone else is concerned, was recently overheard on a Spanish radio station saying that the American policy toward terrorism is “dangerous” and “creating anger and resentment around the world.” He made these comments the day the International Conference on Terrorism opened in Madrid, Spain. He went on to say that Spain had a very different response to terrorism, “a healthier response.” If by ‘different response’ he meant running from the battlefield with their tails between their legs and crumbling in the face of terrorist threats, I would agree with him, Spain’s response was certainly different. But one could argue how much safer it left its people.
Soros’ comments have to leave more than a few clear-thinking people wondering just how in-touch he is with reality. It certainly leaves me wondering whether or not the guy ever reads any newspapers other than the New York Times or watches anything but al Jazeera.
In recent days the buzz around world and in the media – both mainstream-liberal and new-media-balanced – has been that President Bush’s “freedom initiative,” his policy toward terrorism, seems to be working. Events from Indonesia to Hillah, from Beirut to Bahrain and Cairo, even statements made in Washington DC lend credence to this thinking.
Although you wouldn’t have known it if you’re not in the habit of reading well into the pages of the mainstream liberal media, over 2,000 people took to the streets of Hillah, Iraq to protest terrorist actions in that town. In the face of terrorist reprisal they marched calling for an end to terrorism, Baathism and Wahabbism. It seems to me they were actually embracing their newly found freedom of speech to voice their outrage at the senseless killing of terrorists. I am hard pressed to understand how that could be construed as angry and resentful.
In Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country – and until now a country that looked upon Osama bin Laden as some sort of twisted “Robin Hood” – a new poll demonstrated a significant shift in public opinion toward the US-led War on Terrorism. For the first time a majority of Indonesians support the US-led efforts. Another significant result from the poll shows that their support for Osama bin Laden has dropped from 58% to just 23%. That’s about the same percentage as among American college professors. While this turn-around can be attributed to the American relief effort in the aftermath of the tsunami – relief that for the large part came directly from the American people – the results are what they are. Fully 71% of those who were pro-bin Laden are now pro-US with the highest percentage among people under 30 years of age. Taking a step back I am not sure if “angry” or “resentful” defines the sentiments of the Indonesia people.
Starved for freedom under the thumb of oppression, thousands of Lebanese have taken to the streets of Beirut protesting against Syrian-dominated rule and demanding democracy. If they are angry or resentful I believe it would be fair to say that they are so toward the totalitarian regime of Syrian President Bashar al Asad and Syrian occupation and not the United States.
In Saudi Arabia, people voted for the first time since 1963 when municipal elections were held this past February. And in Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak promised that the next elections for the office of president would be contested elections. I bet it would be hard to find someone in Bahrain or Cairo who was resentful that freedom was on the march.
In fact, as hard as it may be to fathom, Senator Ted Kennedy was heard saying on ABC’s ‘This Week’ that President Bush deserved credit for what seemed to be an awakening of democracy in the Middle East, not an awakening of anger and resentment. ''What's taken place in a number of those countries is enormously constructive," Kennedy said. ''It's a reflection the president has been involved."
Soros went on to say in his interview that, "There are more people wanting to kill Americans than there were before. These people didn't think like that before the Americans arrived and did what they did.” I couldn’t disagree more.
While Mr. Soros implies that the policies of the United States created terrorism I believe it was created independently. The preaching of hate to a generation by Islamo-Fascists, radical Islamists and the rest of the zealots of the Middle East, for no other reason but for power and control, has created a generation of those indoctrinated to hate the West, especially the United States. Rhetoric offered up by those of Mr. Soros and his ilk perpetuates the myth of the evil United States when in fact the US has repeatedly demonstrated it stands for freedom over oppression and democracy over totalitarian rule.
Note to Mr. Soros: There aren’t any more terrorists because of the actions of the US in the Middle East. But, because of the actions of the US in the Middle East, there will most definitely be more free people.
Related Reading:
US Terrorism Approach ‘Creates Hate’
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12489688-38200,00.html
Clintonista Admits Dems Rooting for Terrorists
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/3/5/65606.shtml
Poll: Major Change of Public Opinion in Muslim World
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050304/dcf001_1.html
2,000 Protest at Iraqi Bombing Site
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050301/D88IBT884.html
Changes in Mideast Blunt Bush’s Critics
http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2005/03/07/changes_in_mideast_blunt_bushs_critics/
Frank Salvato
Ellie
March 11, 2005
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by Frank Salvato
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It seems that when one amasses wealth into the millions or billions of dollars their acquaintance with reality becomes less about the actualities and more about ideology. After all, if you are sitting in traffic in the back of a limousine getting a manicure your perception of the traffic is much different from that of your driver’s. While the passenger may be able to sympathize with the driver there is absolutely no way of knowing the actualities of what the driver is experiencing. The same can be said about millionaire and billionaire ideologues and their less than intimate knowledge of reality.
George Soros, the Hungarian-born billionaire who finds it quite alright to be a capitalist when it’s all about amassing a fortune but a socialist where everyone else is concerned, was recently overheard on a Spanish radio station saying that the American policy toward terrorism is “dangerous” and “creating anger and resentment around the world.” He made these comments the day the International Conference on Terrorism opened in Madrid, Spain. He went on to say that Spain had a very different response to terrorism, “a healthier response.” If by ‘different response’ he meant running from the battlefield with their tails between their legs and crumbling in the face of terrorist threats, I would agree with him, Spain’s response was certainly different. But one could argue how much safer it left its people.
Soros’ comments have to leave more than a few clear-thinking people wondering just how in-touch he is with reality. It certainly leaves me wondering whether or not the guy ever reads any newspapers other than the New York Times or watches anything but al Jazeera.
In recent days the buzz around world and in the media – both mainstream-liberal and new-media-balanced – has been that President Bush’s “freedom initiative,” his policy toward terrorism, seems to be working. Events from Indonesia to Hillah, from Beirut to Bahrain and Cairo, even statements made in Washington DC lend credence to this thinking.
Although you wouldn’t have known it if you’re not in the habit of reading well into the pages of the mainstream liberal media, over 2,000 people took to the streets of Hillah, Iraq to protest terrorist actions in that town. In the face of terrorist reprisal they marched calling for an end to terrorism, Baathism and Wahabbism. It seems to me they were actually embracing their newly found freedom of speech to voice their outrage at the senseless killing of terrorists. I am hard pressed to understand how that could be construed as angry and resentful.
In Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country – and until now a country that looked upon Osama bin Laden as some sort of twisted “Robin Hood” – a new poll demonstrated a significant shift in public opinion toward the US-led War on Terrorism. For the first time a majority of Indonesians support the US-led efforts. Another significant result from the poll shows that their support for Osama bin Laden has dropped from 58% to just 23%. That’s about the same percentage as among American college professors. While this turn-around can be attributed to the American relief effort in the aftermath of the tsunami – relief that for the large part came directly from the American people – the results are what they are. Fully 71% of those who were pro-bin Laden are now pro-US with the highest percentage among people under 30 years of age. Taking a step back I am not sure if “angry” or “resentful” defines the sentiments of the Indonesia people.
Starved for freedom under the thumb of oppression, thousands of Lebanese have taken to the streets of Beirut protesting against Syrian-dominated rule and demanding democracy. If they are angry or resentful I believe it would be fair to say that they are so toward the totalitarian regime of Syrian President Bashar al Asad and Syrian occupation and not the United States.
In Saudi Arabia, people voted for the first time since 1963 when municipal elections were held this past February. And in Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak promised that the next elections for the office of president would be contested elections. I bet it would be hard to find someone in Bahrain or Cairo who was resentful that freedom was on the march.
In fact, as hard as it may be to fathom, Senator Ted Kennedy was heard saying on ABC’s ‘This Week’ that President Bush deserved credit for what seemed to be an awakening of democracy in the Middle East, not an awakening of anger and resentment. ''What's taken place in a number of those countries is enormously constructive," Kennedy said. ''It's a reflection the president has been involved."
Soros went on to say in his interview that, "There are more people wanting to kill Americans than there were before. These people didn't think like that before the Americans arrived and did what they did.” I couldn’t disagree more.
While Mr. Soros implies that the policies of the United States created terrorism I believe it was created independently. The preaching of hate to a generation by Islamo-Fascists, radical Islamists and the rest of the zealots of the Middle East, for no other reason but for power and control, has created a generation of those indoctrinated to hate the West, especially the United States. Rhetoric offered up by those of Mr. Soros and his ilk perpetuates the myth of the evil United States when in fact the US has repeatedly demonstrated it stands for freedom over oppression and democracy over totalitarian rule.
Note to Mr. Soros: There aren’t any more terrorists because of the actions of the US in the Middle East. But, because of the actions of the US in the Middle East, there will most definitely be more free people.
Related Reading:
US Terrorism Approach ‘Creates Hate’
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12489688-38200,00.html
Clintonista Admits Dems Rooting for Terrorists
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/3/5/65606.shtml
Poll: Major Change of Public Opinion in Muslim World
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050304/dcf001_1.html
2,000 Protest at Iraqi Bombing Site
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050301/D88IBT884.html
Changes in Mideast Blunt Bush’s Critics
http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2005/03/07/changes_in_mideast_blunt_bushs_critics/
Frank Salvato
Ellie