thedrifter
01-24-06, 11:49 AM
Joel Stein:
Warriors and wusses
latimes.com : Opinion : Commentary
I DON'T SUPPORT our troops. This is a particularly difficult opinion to have, especially if you are the kind of person who likes to put bumper stickers on his car. Supporting the troops is a position that even Calvin is unwilling to urinate on.
I'm sure I'd like the troops. They seem gutsy, young and up for anything. If you're wandering into a recruiter's office and signing up for eight years of unknown danger, I want to hang with you in Vegas.
And I've got no problem with other people — the ones who were for the Iraq war — supporting the troops. If you think invading Iraq was a good idea, then by all means, support away. Load up on those patriotic magnets and bracelets and other trinkets the Chinese are making money off of.
But I'm not for the war. And being against the war and saying you support the troops is one of the wussiest positions the pacifists have ever taken — and they're wussy by definition. It's as if the one lesson they took away from Vietnam wasn't to avoid foreign conflicts with no pressing national interest but to remember to throw a parade afterward.
Blindly lending support to our soldiers, I fear, will keep them overseas longer by giving soft acquiescence to the hawks who sent them there — and who might one day want to send them somewhere else. Trust me, a guy who thought 50.7% was a mandate isn't going to pick up on the subtleties of a parade for just service in an unjust war. He's going to be looking for funnel cake.
Besides, those little yellow ribbons aren't really for the troops. They need body armor, shorter stays and a USO show by the cast of "Laguna Beach."
The real purpose of those ribbons is to ease some of the guilt we feel for voting to send them to war and then making absolutely no sacrifices other than enduring two Wolf Blitzer shows a day. Though there should be a ribbon for that.
I understand the guilt. We know we're sending recruits to do our dirty work, and we want to seem grateful.
After we've decided that we made a mistake, we don't want to blame the soldiers who were ordered to fight. Or even our representatives, who were deceived by false intelligence. And certainly not ourselves, who failed to object to a war we barely understood.
But blaming the president is a little too easy. The truth is that people who pull triggers are ultimately responsible, whether they're following orders or not. An army of people making individual moral choices may be inefficient, but an army of people ignoring their morality is horrifying. An army of people ignoring their morality, by the way, is also Jack Abramoff's pet name for the House of Representatives.
I do sympathize with people who joined up to protect our country, especially after 9/11, and were tricked into fighting in Iraq. I get mad when I'm tricked into clicking on a pop-up ad, so I can only imagine how they feel.
But when you volunteer for the U.S. military, you pretty much know you're not going to be fending off invasions from Mexico and Canada. So you're willingly signing up to be a fighting tool of American imperialism, for better or worse. Sometimes you get lucky and get to fight ethnic genocide in Kosovo, but other times it's Vietnam.
And sometimes, for reasons I don't understand, you get to just hang out in Germany.
I know this is all easy to say for a guy who grew up with money, did well in school and hasn't so much as served on jury duty for his country. But it's really not that easy to say because anyone remotely affiliated with the military could easily beat me up, and I'm listed in the phone book.
I'm not advocating that we spit on returning veterans like they did after the Vietnam War, but we shouldn't be celebrating people for doing something we don't think was a good idea. All I'm asking is that we give our returning soldiers what they need: hospitals, pensions, mental health and a safe, immediate return. But, please, no parades.
Seriously, the traffic is insufferable.
Ellie
thedrifter
01-24-06, 06:52 PM
Tuesday, January 24
Los Angeles Times columnist Joel Stein today saying he doesn't support the troops.
Here's the audio and transcript of Hugh's interview with Joel Stein. It's another glaring example of why the Times is the worst newspaper in America:
01-24stein.mp3
HH: Welcome now Joel Stein of the Los Angeles Times, columnist there. Hi, Joel. Welcome to the Hugh Hewitt Show.
JS: Hey, thanks for having me.
HH: You wrote a very controversial column today, and I want to talk about it. But first, some background. How long have you been a columnist for the L.A. Times?
JS: A little more than a year.
HH: All right. And you're a graduate of Stanford, right? What year?
JS: I graduated Stanford in '93.
HH: All right. Now who is your...this is a column about the troops that begins, "I don't support our troops." We'll get to the specifics in a second. But who is your closest family member or friend who is on active duty?
JS: That's an excellent question. I wouldn't say I have a very close friend. I would say only acquaintances. No family at all.
HH: Who are your acquaintances?
JS: There was a guy who works at Time, that's where I worked last, who quit to serve in the military.
HH: What's his name?
JS: (pause) You know, I'm blanking on his name. But your point is well taken that I don't have many people that I even know who are in the military.
HH: Do you have any, though, other than this guy at Time whose name you can't remember?
JS: Who are serving currently?
HH: Yeah.
JS: Or ever served?
HH: No, serving currently.
JS: Or only in Iraq?
HH: Active duty. Anywhere in the world.
JS: (pause) I'd say I've been pretty isolated from that. I mean, that's a point I made in the column.
HH: Now did you graduate with any of them? Did anyone from Stanford go into the military?
JS: We had some people who did ROTC off campus who went to the military, sure.
HH: Did you know any of them?
JS: I knew them at school, yeah.
HH: Do you remember their names?
JS: Yeah, there was this woman named Joanna. I went to high school with some people, obviously, Mary Ann Coo. Yeah, I know people, but like I said in the column, I have been pretty isolated. I don't have any close family...
HH: I'd love if you'd e-mail me their names, because I'd love to talk to them about your column. But let's go on. Did you support the troops when they invaded Afghanistan?
JS: I'm specifically talking about Iraq, and I don't support the troops right now.
HH: I know that. But I'm asking you, did you support them when they invaded Afghanistan?
JS: I've had really complicated emotions about Afghanistan. Obviously, I wanted to get Osama bin Laden and take out al Qaeda. I didn't know if that was the best method of doing it at the time.
HH: So, you didn't support them then?
JS: I did not support the invasion of Afghanistan, no.
HH: Did you support the troops when they were in the Pentagon on the morning of 9/11, when the terrorists hit it?
JS: Sure.
HH: And so, what's the difference between supporting them there and not supporting them in Afghanistan or Iraq?
JS: Well, I think I said it clear in the column, too. I don't have a...if you are for the war in Iraq, I think obviously, then you should support the troops. My problem is the people who are against the war and support the troops anyway, I think that's kind of an excuse. I think that's a way of making you feel better about your guilt, and I think that's kind of a lazy form of pacifism.
HH: Did you support the troops when they delivered, say, tsunami relief off of aircraft carriers and via supply ships?
JS: Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply in the column that I don't think we should have a military.
HH: I'm just wondering where you draw the line. So that mission is okay in your view?
JS: Yeah, I'm just simply saying that as a person whose against the Iraq war, I think all these I support the troop statements, I support the troops magnets, are a little hypocritical.
HH: But at the end, you said please, no parades. And so I'm wondering, would you give a parade to the people who delivered tsunami relief?
JS: Yeah, I'd support that. I would...sure.
HH: And would you give a, say, a parade to the troops that are right now delivering supplies to the 4 million Pakistanis who lost their homes in the earthquake?
JS: I guess you could throw a parade for lots of people.
HH: Would you go to that one?
JS: Sure.
HH: Do you support the troops presently deployed along the Colombian border in the battle with FARC, when FARC slaughters whole villages of people, our Special Forces down there. Do you think that's a good thing?
JS: I don't...in my opinion, I don't think the U.S. military should be a police force.
HH: So you don't want them in Colombia?
JS: I don't, no.
HH: We have troops in Yemen, Mongolia, Jabuti, all across the globe in the Global War On Terror. Do you support those troops?
JS: It really...uh, the straight up troops? Or do you mean like...it really depends on the activity, but no, I don't...I don't believe that our forces should be a police force.
HH: And so, you would withdraw from everywhere in the world?
JS: But again, I think you've had people on your show, and you've got people much smarter than me, obviously, who are against the war. I mean, just have a simple argument against the war, for the war isn't what I mean to do with that column at all. I think that's been hashed out over time, and...
HH: I want to make sure I quote it correctly. "I don't support our troops. This is a particularly difficult opinion to have, especially if you are the kind of person who likes to put bumper stickers on his car." Evidently, supporting the troops is a bumper sticker position?
JS: It's not. Supporting the troops is. I think a lot of people have bumper stickers, and really don't do anything else, and are against the war, and have the bumper sticker anyway.
HH: "And at the end, I'm not advocating that we spit on returning veterans like they did after Vietnam." That's big of you. "But we shouldn't be celebrating people for doing something we don't think was a good idea." What I'm trying to figure out is what do you think is a good idea for the military to do?
JS: Well, again, that's not what my column was about, and that's something that people talk about constantly, and people give opinions on. There's a lot of Americans who are against this war and still think we should have a military.
HH: Now wait. This is the last...well, let me give you the two last paragraphs of your column. "I'm not advocating that we spit on returning veterans like they did after the Vietnam War. But we shouldn't be celebrating people for doing something we don't think was a good idea. All I'm asking is that we give our returning soldiers what they need: hospitals, pensions, mental health, and a safe and immediate return. But please no parades. Seriously, the traffic is insufferable." So you obviously do not honor their service?
JS: I don't honor their service? The people serving in Iraq right now?
HH: Yeah.
JS: I honor them as human beings, and I want them home safe.
HH: But you don't honor their service?
JS: And honestly, I think that all these...for people who don't believe in the war and are putting up these stickers saying they support the troops anyway, my fear is that it's prolonging the war and putting them in further danger they don't need to be in.
HH: But Joel, I'm talking about you. I'm talking about what you honor, and you obviously don't honor military service.
JS: I honor police service. I honor military service. Any...I just think that...
HH: You do honor military service?
JS: Yeah. No, I'm grateful for people that serve in the military.
HH: But you don't support our troops?
JS: I don't...I don't believe in supporting the troops in an action that you don't believe in.
HH: And so, that would be everything I've named thus far. So I guess...did you support and honor the troops in the Pentagon on 9/11?
JS: Sure, yeah.
HH: All right.
JS: All the troops that are here to defend our country, I'm very, very grateful for. I'm grateful for the police...
HH: Provided they don't leave the country?
JS: Yeah, provided they don't fight in wars that I think are endangering them for no reason.
HH: And the moment they do, you stop honoring them?
JS: The moment I do, I think it's a poor idea to show support for them and prolong that engagement.
HH: All right. Now let me ask you a little bit about...have you ever been to one of the Naval...you know, one of the service academies? Annapolis, West Point, Air Force Academy?
JS: I have never been to any of the academies.
HH: And do you know anyone who went to any of them?
JS: Do I know anyone who...yes. Yeah, I have a cousin at West Point.
HH: You did. Did you think he was crazy?
JS: My cousin who went to West Point?
HH: Yeah.
JS: No, not at all.
HH: What year did he go?
JS: My cousin's like six years younger than me. He has the exact same name as me, so hopefully, he's doing okay today.
HH: Where is he?
JS: He is serving here in the U.S. right now. I'm not sure where.
HH: Has he been deployed abroad?
JS: He has been deployed to Asia.
HH: Did you support him when he was in Asia?
JS: Um, support is an interesting word. Did I support him in Asia? Sure, he wasn't on active military duty. He wasn't fighting.
HH: And so, that's okay to have someone over there hanging around?
JS: Yeah, if someone's welcomed to a country, as basically they are in South Korea and Japan, yeah. I don't have a problem with that.
HH: Let me ask you a tough question, Joel, because this is the toughest one. J.P. Blecksmith was a young Marine lieutenant, graduated from Annapolis, killed in Fallujah on November 11th, 2004. Just a tremendous human being and man. If you meet his parents on the street, what do you say to them?
JS: That I'm so, so sorry.
HH: Do you honor the service that their son did?
JS: To honor the service their son...now this is a dumb question, but what do you mean by honor? That's a word you keep using. I'm not entirely...maybe that's my problem. But I'm not entirely sure what you're...
HH: Honor usually means gratitude and esteem. Are you grateful for and esteem what he did? Honestly?
JS: Honestly? I admire the bravery. I don't...you know, I feel like he did something I could never do, so I'm kind of in awe on some level. Am I grateful, that I feel like he protected me? Um, no I don't.
HH: And so, do you think he died in vain?
JS: Yeah. I do. And that's why I'm so horrified by all this, and why I don't want empty sentiments prolonging the war.
HH: And the people who've died in Afghanistan. Have they died in vain?
JS: Well, if they haven't, what have they accomplished?
HH: I'm asking you, Joel. You wrote the column. You tell me. Have they accomplished nothing?
JS: Well, um, do I think that I, as an American, are safer because of what they did?
HH: That wasn't what I asked. I askd did they accomplish anything in going to Afghanistan.
JS: If I were an Afghani, I would probably...if I lived in Kabul, I probably would think that they accomplished something, sure.
HH: All right. Now have you read any books on the military? I mean, do you read this stuff at all, like Robert Kaplan's Imperial Grunts?
JS: No. No, I'm not an expert at this at all. I mean, I think you certainly can tell.
HH: Not asking an expert. Neither am I. I'm just a civilian like you. But I try and read, so I get some appreciation of what they do and how they live. Have you read any books about the military recently?
JS: No, I have not.
HH: Do you know how big it is?
JS: The U.S. military?
HH: Yeah.
JS: As far the amount of troops? Or as far as...what do you mean?
HH: The amount of troops.
JS: Amount of money?
HH: No, amount of troops.
JS: Um, how many active troops there are? No, I don't.
HH: And do you know what a private makes?
JS: Salary wise? No.
HH: What do you make as a columnist for the L.A. Times?
JS: You know, I would love to tell. They've asked me not to tell you, as we all get paid a different amount.
HH: But now, the military, we can find out the salary, exact salary, of every single person whose being deployed. If they want to make an argument that you sit there and you make your $100,000 dollars, and they sit there and they make their $25,000 dollars, and they resent that, how are they able to get a grip on that if you won't give them a range?
JS: I'm sure I make more...if they make $25,000, I'm sure I make more.
HH: But I mean, are you making twice as much as they are?
JS: Sure, yeah.
HH: Three times?
JS: Um, how much do they make?
HH: Let's just say $25,000 for an entry level guy. Are you making three times?
JS: Um, I make a significant amount more than them, and I don't think that's fair. But I think that most of capitalism kind of doesn't pay you by the amount of risk you take, whether you're a fireman or a cop, or a construction worker or a miner.
HH: And how many columns do you write?
JS: I am grossly overpaid, if that's your question.
HH: No, I'm not making the judgment. I'm just wondering, how...
JS: No, I'll tell you I'm grossly overpaid.
HH: How many columns do you write?
JS: For the L.A. Times? Or in general? Or...
HH: Yeah. No, for the L.A. Times.
JS: Once a week.
HH: And so, for once a week, you're making $75,000 or more dollars, right?
JS: Uh, how much do you make?
HH: I'm not being interviewed. I haven't criticized the military. But I make a lot more than $75,000.
JS: Right. And do you do a harder work than someone in the military?
HH: I try and give a lot of attention and honor and props and support to the military, like Soldiersangels.com, and other drives to bring technology and relief to people who've been wounded. Do you do anything like that?
JS: No, I don't give to the military. I give to other charities, but not directly to military-related ones.
HH: Have you been to a military hospital?
JS: I have never been to a military hospital.
HH: Have you met a wounded veteran?
JS: Have I met a wounded veteran? Um, I think that's something you'd remember, so I'm going to say no.
HH: Do you regret this column, because the world must be coming down on your head.
JS: The world is coming down on my head. Do I regret the column? No. I wish I'd been a little more clear in places, but I believe in what I said. And I'm glad people are talking about it.
HH: You don't honor the troops? I mean, you don't support the troops. That's what you said. You're sticking by that? That's your story, and you're sticking with it?
JS: I don't support the war, so I would find it very hard to support the actions of the troops in a war that I don't agree with.
HH: Now let me ask you about the benefits that the president and supporters of the war point to, which is the end of a brutal regime in Afghanistan, and a brutal regime in Iraq? Is Iraq better off today than it was in February of 2003?
JS: I don't think it's the U.S.' job to make countries better than they were, or else we'd be really busy.
HH: Joel, I understand. It's a perfectly legitimate point of view. But it's not what I asked, though. Do you think objectively, that Iraq is better off today than it was in February in 2003?
JS: Februrary...um, again, I haven't been...it's hard for me to say. It's not a great place, and I think it's better than it was under Saddam.
HH: Now, and in your piece, you wrote that, "when you volunteer for the U.S. military, you pretty much know you're not going to be fending off invasions from Mexico and Canada. So you're willingly signing up to be a fighting tool of American imperialism, for better or worse. Sometimes, you get lucky and get to fight ethnic genocide in Kosovo, but other times, it's Vietnam." Did you support the war in Kosovo?
JS: I had very mixed feelings about the war in Kosovo. Again, I don't know if the U.S. should be used as a police force.
HH: Well, mixed feelings is...you know, someone...either you've got to go or you don't. Should Clinton have sent them?
JS: At the time, I thought he shouldn't.
HH: And so, should they come home now?
JS: The troops in Kosovo?
HH: Yeah.
JS: The U.N. peacekeeping force in Kosovo? Or the U.S. part of the peacekeeping force in Kosovo?
HH: All of them. Just, you know, just U.S. Let's stay focused. Should they come home?
JS: To be honest...I'd like to know more about Kosovo before I said.
HH: Joel, do you know anything about the U.S. military? I mean, in a really serious way, the way that you know about like...
JS: No. I told you right away I don't.
HH: And don't you think that might have limited...
JS: No, I don't. I think I made a very simple statement, that I think it's hypocritical and illogical to be against the war, and yet tell people you support the troops.
HH: And so...
JS: That's the simple...I mean, I'm not...that is my argument. Whether I'm wrong about not suporting Iraq or not is a legitimate question, and maybe I can be convinced that I was wrong about not supporting Iraq. But I think if you're not going to support Iraq, you shouldn't support the troops. I think that doesn't help anything.
HH: But do you think you should investigate before writing about the reality of these people, the reality people like J.P. Blecksmith, the reality of the 2,000 plus men and women who've died in the service of their country, and do you think you ought to be more cautious when you write about the military the next time?
JS: I definitely should be more cautious.
HH: Did anyone at the L.A. Times, did any of the editors say you don't want to run this?
JS: No. You know, I obviously had some concerns, too, because I knew it was controversial, wanted to make sure I was super clear, that I didn't get off point, which I think I did at points in the column. But no, they weren't overly concerned.
HH: Did anyone say good column?
JS: No, they've never said good column to me, and maybe for good reason.
HH: Who did?
JS: I don't think anyone's ever said good column to me, and maybe for good reason.
HH: You mean no editor at the L.A. Times said we like this, or we dislike this?
JS: You know, I really only have one editor over there.
HH: Who's that? I'll call them. Who's that?
JS: His name is Andres Martinez.
HH: Did Andres like this column?
JS: Was it one of his favorites? Or did he think it was...I honestly don't know.
HH: Well, what did he say to you about it? Did he give you any feedback at all?
JS: Sure. He edited it with me.
HH: And what did he say about it?
JS: Trying to remember. It was last night. What did he say? Nothing all that out of the ordinary.
HH: So he had no opinion on this piece at all?
JS: Well, I don't think it's his job to agree with all his columnists.
HH: Not agree or disagree, just any opinion whatsoever.
JS: As far as...what do you mean?
HH: Well, did he say you know, this is a great column? Or this is a lousy column?
JS: He said neither.
HH: Did he say anything substantive about the column? I'm just trying to figure out what thought process...did anyone say stop, Joel. You're about to drive off of a cliff?
JS: No.
HH: And did you sense any disapproval on his part?
JS: No, not that I was about to drive off a cliff.
HH: Did...but any disapproval at all?
JS: I don't think he normally tells me whether he agrees with me or not.
HH: Did he ask any of the questions I've asked you about knowing anybody in the military, reading any books about the military...
JS: No.
HH: ...visiting a military hospital, meeting...he asked none of those questions?
JS: No.
HH: If you had it to do over again, would you write this column?
JS: You asked me that before?
HH: I know. I'm just going back around like a good reporter.
JS: Yes. I would. I might change some things. I might be clear. But the primary thesis of the column I still believe in, although I sound to you very convincing.
HH: Last question. If someone is so repulsed by this column, is it appropriate for them to cancel the L.A. Times?
JS: Yeah. I mean, I wouldn't cancel a subscription based on one column in an op-ed section. But if they feel like that's their only recourse, sure.
HH: Joel, I appreciate that honesty, and I look forward to talking to you again. I wish...if you'd do me a favor, send me the name of anyone you know in the military. Send me your cousin's name, and if you would as well, read Imperial Grunts by Robert Kaplan. I think you'd have a different column to write.
JS: You know what? I will. And sadly, my cousin has my own name.
HH: Tell me how to find him. I'd love to talk to him about your piece.
JS: All right. And hey, thanks for having me on. I appreciate it.
HH: Thank you, Joel. Take care.
End of interview.
If you subscribe to the L.A. Times, and this put you over the edge, here's the number to cancel your subscription.
1-888-565-2323
MillRatUSMC
01-25-06, 08:14 AM
http://www.indcjournal.com/archives/Marines.jpg
<p><b>The picture I placed above...
After reading Hugh Hewitt's letter on Lt. Josha Palmer, Bill writes;
To commemorate Veteran's Day and this story I'd like to reprint something that I wrote back in April, when I first unknowingly featured the picture of Lt. Palmer's men praying above his body:
The news from Iraq has been so relentless yet muddled that I can't even distinguish a clear narrative from the situation. But at least once a day, usually when I hear about the highly professional cordon-and-destroy operations in Fallujah, or any of the casualty reports, I get hit with a wave of emotion that cuts straight through the clutter.
First comes sadness about the loss of guys that come from this country; men that made the choice to die in the dirt in some backwater locale like Iraq. My mind tells me that these losses are acceptable and part of the bargain that we strike to build a better society, but my heart feels pain and guilt about the brutality that they face in my stead. I'm not sure that the average American even partially grasps what it must be like to defy modern weapons: high explosives, automatic gunfire, grenades, little pieces of metal shrapnel flying through the air, all of it possessing the ability to effortlessly pass through fragile human flesh to horrible effect. I can't fathom how anyone can carry themselves in such an environment. And it fills me with grief to think that these guys who were raised in the same bubble that I was, with largely the same opportunities, are getting killed and maimed by the dozens.
Which is the point at which the next emotion comes in: pride. Tremendous, jingoistic, unadulterated pride. People of my generation haven't exactly embraced unironic heroes, the type of folks worshipped for larger than life deeds - but now we should seize the opportunity. All politics aside - everyone should be amazed by Americans that choose to fight and die, and comport themselves with more compassion and efficiency than any other armed force on earth. It's so historically odd how modern America has been brainwashed out of equating patriotism with any jingoism; how we have transitioned from a society that celebrates warriors into one that doesn't quite know what to make of them. It may be different in fly-over country, but I could easily walk into any bar or office in DC and find a significant number of people that look at the actions of our war-fighters with disinterest, distaste or outright scorn. There's a Kos around every corner.
But I can't fathom any of that. I'm simply blown away by the men and women that are fighting over there. They animate cliched sentiments that hibernate in times of peace and irony; they so often give us the gift of something noble to venerate. Support them. Support their sacrifice. Support their mission by talking about them, by talking with friends about the war, by trying to reason with those that don't understand how vital their mission is and think that their sacrifices are a waste. The true test of a successful society lies in the strength of its defenders and how its citizenry rises to the challenges to its existence. The military has the first element covered; the second part of the bargain is our role in the fight. Blog, write, discuss, argue; struggle to nurture this pride in our warriors and maintain the popular support needed to finish this job. Because if we leave Iraq before the mission is done, we devalue the dead and shame ourselves.
They make us proud; let's return the favor.
Semper Fidelis
Ricardo</b></p>
thedrifter
01-26-06, 07:34 AM
Hugh Da Man! Or, Who Is Joel Stein?
Written by Gregory Borse
Thursday, January 26, 2006
I DON’T SUPP0RT JOEL STEIN. This is a particularly difficult position to have, especially if you are the kind of person who sympathizes with those whose intellectual vacuity is so acute they don’t even recognize their own stupidity. I’m actually glad that media giants like the New York Times and the L.A. Times have programs that actively recruit such people to work for them. Stanford University (from which Stein graduated in 1993) should pat itself on the back as well, as Stein’s matriculation proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Stanford is no elitist school.
Having said that, Hugh Hewitt’s interview with Joel Stein to discuss his column, “Warriors and Wusses,” was, well, painful. In fact, it bordered on cruel. Radioblogger has the transcript-- go here, scroll down.
I don’t mean “bordered on cruel” in a bad way. I’m all good with cruel—when it’s necessary. Read the transcript. It was definitely necessary.
Stein’s thesis seems to be that pacifists who insist they are against the War in Iraq but support the troops are “wusses.” Fair enough. Joel is absolutely right on this count. Where he goes wrong, however, is, well, everywhere else (Read Joel's column here).
There is nothing wrong with pointing out that people who say they support our troops but do not support the war in which they are engaged are painfully inconsistent. It’s impossible, from a logical point of view, to hold such a position—unless you are a moderate and especially if you are running for President. If you are a true pacifist, however, you cannot voice support for troops engaged in bellicose activity even as you stand against any bellicose-ness under any circumstances. Gandhi was a pacifist. His defense against aggression? Getting shot. Now that’s consistency. (I am not here making any statement about Gandhi—I’m just trying to be flippant, like Mr. Stein, and I couldn’t figure out how to work in bumper stickers . . .).
The problem with Stein’s column is not his thesis—it’s that his column neither supports nor, actually, pays much attention to the his thesis. His thesis purports to criticize those who map out logically contradictory positions on the War to make themselves feel better. He opines that such positions actually prolong a War that those who support the troops (but not the War) wish to end. Okay.
But then he bags on the troops fighting the War itself.
Given that we have an all-volunteer military, he assumes a). that volunteers must be stupid (having been “tricked” into fighting a War in Iraq not even they can support) or b). that volunteers must be so hell-bent on “breaking things and killing people” that they themselves bear primary moral responsibility for their actions.
The problem with Joel’s column, as Mr. Hewitt so ably illustrates, is that not even Joel can defend it.
But the reason Joel cannot defend his position is because it is not his position.
I don’t know whose it is, but it’s not Joel’s.
Joel’s column reads as if it is the echo of opinions he only dimly paid attention to while not taking notes in his Poli-Sci classes at Stanford. It reads like a column written by a thirty-something columnist who absorbed at the water cooler the flavor of the leftist opinions in ascendancy among those who wield real power at the L.A. Times. In fact, the column reads like a sycophantic attempt to impress editors perceived to hold opinions that represent to Stein the “mainstream” thinking of his employer.
Hewitt asked Stein very direct questions about his knowledge of the military (Stein admitted having none). Hewitt’s questions implied that lack of direct knowledge illegitimates one’s opinions. I don’t think this is quite right.
One does not need direct knowledge of anything to have an opinion on it. What one needs as a foundation for an opinion is an understanding. Sure, some understanding requires direct experience—you can’t not like broccoli unless you’ve actually tasted it. But this is not true of opinions about “just war” or the War on Terror or the War in Iraq. Some kid just spent his spring-break gathering information about the “scene on the ground” in Iraq by tripping over there without his parents’ knowledge and, after being fleeced by taxi-drivers, apparently decided it was little different than being a foreign tourist in New York City. . .Some people praised him for his initiative. I did not support him.
What did or will he have to offer about what’s really going on in Iraq based upon his experience there? Nothing. Since he knew really nothing going over, his opinions are worthless. His experience may later inform his understanding of the world and that’s great. But, a sixteen-year old’s opinions of world affairs interest me not in the least—and for good reason: he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Stein is a graduate of a “prestigious” university and, yet, Hewitt’s interview illustrates that his opinions are as uninformed as a sixteen-year-old’s.
And Hewitt did a great job pointing out that Stein’s opinions, his Stanford pedigree notwithstanding, are worthless. Stein admits he’s never read a military book. He doesn’t know how big the military is. He has no direct relationship with members of the military. Such things are not necessary to have an opinion—they’re only necessary to defend one’s opinion—something Mr. Stein was not prepared to do.
I witnessed a moment as an undergraduate once that was instructive in this regard—and I didn’t even go to Stanford. A classmate was asked by a professor, in our Chaucer class, “What did you think of The Parlement of Fowles?” She said, “I didn’t like it. I didn’t understand it.” To which the professor said (rather cruelly, I’m sure some will think), “Well, then, you have no right to have an opinion.”
Indeed.
About the Writer: Gregory Borse holds a Ph.D. from Louisiana State University, and an MA and BA from the University of Dallas. Dr. Borse, a family man with "a beautiful wife and four beautiful children," enjoys writing, current events, media, politics, and disc golf. Gregory receives e-mail at gregorbo@sbcglobal.net.
Ellie