The Fashionably.....Misguided Anti-War Movement
Islam+ Socialists + Well meaning Liberals & Social Elites+ European Union vs. spread of U.S. Power & Influence =Threat to American Life, Freedom, Liberty, Security & Prosperity
As quoted on The Powerline
I woke up today to my newspaper, coffee, morning news shows. It appeared to be like just another Saturday for me except that the drums of war were building in the face of increasing opposition. A group who call themselves A.N.S.W.E.R was leading an anti-war march and demonstration on Washington. The country they spoke of sounded like like hell, a truly awful godforsaken place........until I realized that they were speaking about my country blaming it for all of the worlds ills. Speaker after speaker got up on the podium and expressed utter contempt, disdain and intolerance for everything American including our President, a war time President who shortly after coming to office was forced to deal with the singular greatest terrorist assault on our soil. How prophetic was the commentator who noted after 9/11 some Repugnant commentaries place blame on America and predicted that "soon enough it will be a chorus, and it will say This is All America's Fault."
This movement has united from within and outside this country socialists, muslims, arabs, islamofascists, palestinians, other tired old leftists who can trace their routes to old line communism and mid-east terrorism as well as the fashionable set from hollywood to the limousine liberal crowd. They preach such deep rooted contempt for America, our form of democracy and a capitalist system which they depict as some tool of imperialist aggression. Ironically enough however, they still choose to live in the United States and partake of all of the liberties, freedoms and fruits it offers including the right to openly exercise their freedom of speech without persecution. The question I must ask is if America is so awful for these people why don't they go live in a socialist or communist country..or better still in that "free and open society" that they know as Iraq or perhaps Iran? As for hollywood, my question is, who do you think would be watching your movies and listening to your music in an Islamofascist society? Better yet, who was the last socialist that gave you a job? The only one I can think of is our bloated government bureauacracy. Usually however, it is some entreprenuer, Fortune 1000 or other imperialist pig who is most involved in job creation. Maybe we can all watch REDS and recreate Lenins Utopia.
The beauty of our country is that the exercise of freedom of speech allows you to see, hear and appreciate the vapid, emotionally compelling but nevertheless intellectually inaccurate propaganda being espoused by the opposition. One the surface the organizers have put together quite a compelling emotional appeal to play upon the legitimate fears of war of the unenlightend. The movement however is self righteous, naive and belligerent in its indignation and hatred for things American. Those who naively join this movement and directly or indirectly become part of the equation are as vacuous and misguided as any short term fashion trend.
It is clear that A.N.S.W.E.R is certainly NOT "the Answer." It is a front for the Communist Workers World Party and has relationships with IFCO, and the National Coalition For Political Freedom among others. While all members of the movement are not active members of those organizations, the question they should ask themselves is whether they want to be part of an equation that has as its singular united aim the destruction of a capitalist democracy, America and Americanism.
The choice is ours, The Future is Muslim, European or American. Make no mistake, we are living amidst an Islamic or Muslim Crusade that has strategically united itself with socialists, communists, leftists, terrorists, anti-semites on a global basis......not just aimed at Jews, but Americans, Capitalism and Freedom. There is far more at stake than it may seem to the unsophisticated or casual observer. Unfortunately, as my friend Evan at Brain-Terminal ilustrated so poignantly in his infamous video interviewing anti-war demonstrators in NYC is that many of them are truly clueless on fundamental facts, issues and history. For many it is simply cool and fashionable to be in favor of "Peace." I am all for peace, but on what terms. Not on terms that call for the destruction of a free society and in its place offer a Socialist or Islamic one. My friends, this is not the 1960's and this is not woodstock.
I do not know about you but I favor American. Call me crazy but I choose to NEVER Forget my fellow New Yorkers & Americans who died for simply going to work on 9/11 and for living and working in a free and open, capitalist, democracy. The vision of my fellow citizens (mothers, fathers, brothers, friends.....Americans) burning, leaping to their death from windows a hundred stories above ground shall never be forgotten. I also choose to never forget the Holocaust and the slaughtering of Jews despite the fact that many European anti-semites and european secularists choose to forget. Anti-Americanism and Anti-Semitism is certainly alive and well. They instead prefer that you forget 9/11 or accept that America deserved this. They prefer that you forget atrocities committed against Jews and Americans worldwide but rather instead have you focus on a critique of everything American.
Why are the critics so quick to point out the failings of our imperfect democracy which nevertheless provides more freedom and democracy around the world than any other country, system or form of government? At least here you are free to express your opinions, however unenlightened and unsophisticated they may be. If you do not find me persuasive, read Brain Terminal, Town Hall, Powerline, Daniel Pipes, The Drudge Report, and Debbie Schlussel and Ann Coulter and Dennis Prager. Get the truth from some capable journalists. Watch FOX News & MSNBC as much or more than you watch CNN. Join Urban-Republicans who embrace the core conservative and libertarian values with creative and entrepreneurial approaches to governing and reviving the economy as opposed to the failed dogmatism of the DNC. The case has been made that there exists a very real threat and connection between the war on terrorism and the terror threat facing US interests from Iraq. Why shall we wait first until our enemies destroy us? Have we a Death Wish? Must the United States learn the same lesson that Europe learned in WW II? Does the the western world have to risk being toppled in the same way that Europe got raped and plundered by Hitler? There is even a plausible argument that the Clinton Administration ignored the smoldering threat
Ask yourself, where were are all these protestors on 9/11? Many of them were providing cover, justification and intellectual rationalizations for those who committed atrocities on our soil. Where was their rage and indignation then? Where are all these protestors when the US defends and liberates the victims of oppression worldwide? Where are they to commend the United States for our efforts in rebuilding Europe, Afghanistan, Japan? Where are the protestors condemning the oppression of women and other innocent people worldwide and the US defense and liberation of the the victims of oppression? America is always the target despite our deeds and being at the forefront of liberating the oppressed. Perhaps they love America like they claim that they do but much like a disturbed/obsessive/psychotic boyfriend or girlfriend there are some types of love which are irrational and detrimental towards achieving the aims so intended or even your very survival. Pounding the drum for peace and emasculating our government into impotence will only empower and embolden the global crusade of those united against Americanism. The protestors were so ignorantly rabid in their condemnation of America and our intolerance of diversity, religious and sexual freedom but ironically enough the very movement that they are supporting would undermine the very freedoms women, gays, lesbians, bisexuals and religious minorities enjoy on U.S. soil. Their lifestyles and liberties are considered an abomination and would certainly not be tolerated in an Islamic Society. I say with great confidence that those within the Anti-War movement who profess to speak for all members of minority groups are clearly mistaken in their naive assumption that they speak for everyone as they claim to.
I love America and I love this country. So before anyone reads this and prepares to discount it as another piece of writing by another "Evil white man" within the "Right Wing Conspiracy" who is himself intolerant of diversity or another "Zionist" etc, you should know that I am born and raised in New York City to American and Naturalized parents. Thus, like many I am as American as apple pie, chicken cacciatore, brisket & kasha, colombian coffee, rice and beans, milwaukee beer and california wine. Furthermore, I have spent a greater part of my voting life as a registered Democrat who has often crossed the aisle to vote for a Republican or Independent. As Ronald Reagan said the party left me, I did not leave the party. Hell, I even did fundraising for Bill Clinton's campaign in Boston in 1992.
My I only fear is that in a down economy where many are increasingly becoming disenfranchised and otherwise hurting economically the call for "community" encased in socialistic aims, tolerance for the misguided principles of Islam etc may not fall on deaf ears. The more enlightened must take it upon themselves to learn and spread the truth. Our Democratic Republic is at stake. It may be more fashionable and cool to associate yourself with the current emotionally charged movement for Peace. But to those of you who do, do so with the knowledge that you are doing so on terms which if successful would bring about a decline of our society from the preeminent position that it holds in the world today. Frankly, I am not interested in seeing the United States turn into France, a second rate country which today serves as nothing more than an aphrodisiac for necrophiliacs. No thank you, I am just not interested seeing any more of my friends and fellow Americans get blown up in office buildings or on airliners. To the peaceniks: Peace on your terms means the end of life as we know it on this planet. No thank you, I do not want to be part of your "Equation!"
Thursday, March 13, 2003
Cocktails & Dreams
I agreed to guest bartend this week on Thursday night at Bliss Bar & Lounge for friends from Party 4 Charity hosting a benefit for MVDC Program, Youth at Risk. As Doug Coughlin stated in Cocktail, “the Bartender is the aristocrat of the working class.” Being that I am a working class yuppie and that this is likely as close as I shall get to being an “Aristocrat”, I would like to help them out while also having the pleasure of serving up libations to their friends and mine. Besides since I am no P Diddy this is certainly cheaper than buying all of your friends drinks. But please do not ask me if you can have fries with that or to super size your order!!
It is hard not to see that the Times They Are A Changing. Like Jack Kerouac maybe I should go On the Road or otherwise find The Road Less Traveled. Who was it that said the more things change the more they stay the same? Have you ever been creatively inspired and then discounted the thought, only years or months later to wake up in front of your TV in front of an infomercial of some billionaire doing precisely what you passed on? Has it ever occurred to you that most of life’s answers can be found in The Godfather, The Matrix, Cocktail, (and yes sometimes even in a “cocktail”) Rocky, or even About Last Night? Yeah, the times, they are a changing.
Anyway, an interesting thing happened on my way to living my life this past month and otherwise contemplating the Survival of the Fittest concept despite not feeling so fit my self of late. Feeling rather exhausted from world events, a sluggish economy and the plight of friends going through some challenging times, it occurred to me that perhaps our “rat race” has become a little more like survival of the least exhausted. There is no doubt that the Stresses of a Violent World lead to heightened stress and anxiety levels and actually impact on your performance in every aspect of your life from athletic to intellectual endeavors. Nevertheless, I found sometime to contemplate the meaning of life or at least the meaning of what was in my cocktail glass while cavorting with the likes of the Jesters Guild, Cass World, The Networking Girl, some Urban-Republicans at Lawyer/Activist Mark Smith's fete at The Crane Club as well as a Cosmo Party. Although, it seems like all I have to spare these days is about three minutes, I certainly have not been in any HURRY to get a date but that too will pass.
There is a definitely an underlying stress to life in NYC these days, whether it is from the threat of terrorism, impending war, evaporation of your 401(k), or the never ending job search for many. In fact, one extremely accurate observation that I can make is that there is an unbelievable level of professional and entreprenuerial “talent” on the sidelines. With so many Down Out On Wall Street or otherwise jobless & downtrodden this is more of a stealth depression than a recession. Unemployment figures clearly do not tell the story because they do not account for a vast cross section of the population that does not qualify for unemployment in the first place, those who lost their benefits and those who now find themselves "underemployed"...you know the Investment Banker who is now a party promoter, personal trainer or bartender. Maybe the next reality show will be called "Who wants to be Employed."
Paul Begala quoting the Clinton Campaign Slogan from The War Room, circa 1992 ”It's the economy stupid.” Others are less diplomatic and blame our politicians and the political system itself. Or as one of my spiritual and artistic friends has stated, “Doesn’t it seem like the world has essentially been cooking the books sort of like a giant Enron and the imbalances are creating some unpredictable times?” Maybe she is right. Sometimes you do not have to have a degree in Economics (like I do) or Econometric analysis to make some accurate observations. Maybe the New Economy Index can help us better understand whether this has more to do with America's Economic Transformation and why so many Americans, particularly those in IT or "Knowledge" jobs find themselves "downsized and outsourced" by American companies who have embraced globalization with cheap foreign labor.
My pet peeve of late, however, is the ever misguided Anti-War/Peace Movement. One commentator noting that after 9//11 some Repugnant commentaries blace blame on America, predicted that "soon enough it will be a chorus, and it will say This is All America's Fault."
Shame on American Hating Liberals. As Tony Parsons, a liberal, leftward leaning English writer stated in a column recently the current “Anti Americanism” is supported by self loathing Hollywood liberals as well as European intellectuals who resent the success, wealth and independence of the United States. They have ignorantly attached themselves to an uninformed peace movement that has nothing to do with finding a non-violent way to genuinely disarm Iraq. The peacenicks have found witting accomplices in the form of support of aligned Western European Nations (and their European Union) and socialists who’s greater interest is to weaken the United States and otherwise, contain and undermine American power and influence around the world. Ironically as one writer has poignantly stated, pushing "peace" pushes war instead. It has empowered Sadam and made war more likely. Sadams Supremacy in the PR Wars Proves the Power of Evil
When have millions of Europeans ever been wrong? Frequently! They clearly have no sense of history, otherwise how do you explain that Anti-Semitism is Still Alive Around the Globe. As stated by George Will: "anti-Semitism is not directed against the behavior of the Jews but against the existence of the Jews."
Consider the view point of Dennis Prager:"Because America's and Israel's haters are ethnic and religious haters on a magnitude not seen since the Nazis. They loathe everything Israel (and its American supporter) represents -- freedom, democracy, openness, individual autonomy, freedom of religion, pluralism, women's equality and sexual freedom. They want Israel dead. Gone. Exterminated. They say so publicly, and they say so in polls. Yet, the educated fools and the Israel and America-haters of the West ignore all this and blame Israel for trying to exist and America for enabling it to do so. If America abandoned Israel, our Arab and Muslim haters would rejoice, but they would surely not stop hating us." So Which will the world's future be: Muslim, European or American? "There are now three ideologies competing to shape the future of mankind. There is no other country that claims to be Judeo-Christian and no other that has such strong support for capitalism and small government (the opposite of socialism)." --Prager Make no mistake, it is "Americanism", the values, freedom and independence we relish which is under attack. Sadly, even worse our own Democratic City Council has sponsored a bill on the Iraqi crisis in direct opposition to President Bush and Congress. The City Council's War Vote is an Embarrasment to us all.
Have they forgotten 9/11 already? As Ed Koch so aptly stated, “The response in Washington to the passage of such a resolution is likely to be “there they go again." That will not be helpful to New York City's future.” You may want to e-mail Gifford Miller and let him know that he is off his rocker and that this is not exactly the time to turn into Jimmy Carter, who while he is a nice man and a humanitarian, was a terrible President and has interests which are not always in sync with our national agenda.
Clearly these are times that test our patience and challenge us to achieve Balance in life: mens sana in corpore sano. Introspection is fine. Looking inward for solutions can be productive but these are not times to seclude or isolate your self either. We could all benefit from cross pollination and should find a way to Mix & Match. If you want to be meet up with the bar man poet, join me tomorrow night at Bliss Bar & Lounge in the Upstairs Bar and I will be sure to share some of my unsolicited thoughts and perspective about the world at large, politics, romance, sex, my quest for the ultimate truth and perhaps even lend some career or networking advice.
I agreed to guest bartend this week on Thursday night at Bliss Bar & Lounge for friends from Party 4 Charity hosting a benefit for MVDC Program, Youth at Risk. As Doug Coughlin stated in Cocktail, “the Bartender is the aristocrat of the working class.” Being that I am a working class yuppie and that this is likely as close as I shall get to being an “Aristocrat”, I would like to help them out while also having the pleasure of serving up libations to their friends and mine. Besides since I am no P Diddy this is certainly cheaper than buying all of your friends drinks. But please do not ask me if you can have fries with that or to super size your order!!
It is hard not to see that the Times They Are A Changing. Like Jack Kerouac maybe I should go On the Road or otherwise find The Road Less Traveled. Who was it that said the more things change the more they stay the same? Have you ever been creatively inspired and then discounted the thought, only years or months later to wake up in front of your TV in front of an infomercial of some billionaire doing precisely what you passed on? Has it ever occurred to you that most of life’s answers can be found in The Godfather, The Matrix, Cocktail, (and yes sometimes even in a “cocktail”) Rocky, or even About Last Night? Yeah, the times, they are a changing.
Anyway, an interesting thing happened on my way to living my life this past month and otherwise contemplating the Survival of the Fittest concept despite not feeling so fit my self of late. Feeling rather exhausted from world events, a sluggish economy and the plight of friends going through some challenging times, it occurred to me that perhaps our “rat race” has become a little more like survival of the least exhausted. There is no doubt that the Stresses of a Violent World lead to heightened stress and anxiety levels and actually impact on your performance in every aspect of your life from athletic to intellectual endeavors. Nevertheless, I found sometime to contemplate the meaning of life or at least the meaning of what was in my cocktail glass while cavorting with the likes of the Jesters Guild, Cass World, The Networking Girl, some Urban-Republicans at Lawyer/Activist Mark Smith's fete at The Crane Club as well as a Cosmo Party. Although, it seems like all I have to spare these days is about three minutes, I certainly have not been in any HURRY to get a date but that too will pass.
There is a definitely an underlying stress to life in NYC these days, whether it is from the threat of terrorism, impending war, evaporation of your 401(k), or the never ending job search for many. In fact, one extremely accurate observation that I can make is that there is an unbelievable level of professional and entreprenuerial “talent” on the sidelines. With so many Down Out On Wall Street or otherwise jobless & downtrodden this is more of a stealth depression than a recession. Unemployment figures clearly do not tell the story because they do not account for a vast cross section of the population that does not qualify for unemployment in the first place, those who lost their benefits and those who now find themselves "underemployed"...you know the Investment Banker who is now a party promoter, personal trainer or bartender. Maybe the next reality show will be called "Who wants to be Employed."
Paul Begala quoting the Clinton Campaign Slogan from The War Room, circa 1992 ”It's the economy stupid.” Others are less diplomatic and blame our politicians and the political system itself. Or as one of my spiritual and artistic friends has stated, “Doesn’t it seem like the world has essentially been cooking the books sort of like a giant Enron and the imbalances are creating some unpredictable times?” Maybe she is right. Sometimes you do not have to have a degree in Economics (like I do) or Econometric analysis to make some accurate observations. Maybe the New Economy Index can help us better understand whether this has more to do with America's Economic Transformation and why so many Americans, particularly those in IT or "Knowledge" jobs find themselves "downsized and outsourced" by American companies who have embraced globalization with cheap foreign labor.
My pet peeve of late, however, is the ever misguided Anti-War/Peace Movement. One commentator noting that after 9//11 some Repugnant commentaries blace blame on America, predicted that "soon enough it will be a chorus, and it will say This is All America's Fault."
Shame on American Hating Liberals. As Tony Parsons, a liberal, leftward leaning English writer stated in a column recently the current “Anti Americanism” is supported by self loathing Hollywood liberals as well as European intellectuals who resent the success, wealth and independence of the United States. They have ignorantly attached themselves to an uninformed peace movement that has nothing to do with finding a non-violent way to genuinely disarm Iraq. The peacenicks have found witting accomplices in the form of support of aligned Western European Nations (and their European Union) and socialists who’s greater interest is to weaken the United States and otherwise, contain and undermine American power and influence around the world. Ironically as one writer has poignantly stated, pushing "peace" pushes war instead. It has empowered Sadam and made war more likely. Sadams Supremacy in the PR Wars Proves the Power of Evil
When have millions of Europeans ever been wrong? Frequently! They clearly have no sense of history, otherwise how do you explain that Anti-Semitism is Still Alive Around the Globe. As stated by George Will: "anti-Semitism is not directed against the behavior of the Jews but against the existence of the Jews."
Consider the view point of Dennis Prager:"Because America's and Israel's haters are ethnic and religious haters on a magnitude not seen since the Nazis. They loathe everything Israel (and its American supporter) represents -- freedom, democracy, openness, individual autonomy, freedom of religion, pluralism, women's equality and sexual freedom. They want Israel dead. Gone. Exterminated. They say so publicly, and they say so in polls. Yet, the educated fools and the Israel and America-haters of the West ignore all this and blame Israel for trying to exist and America for enabling it to do so. If America abandoned Israel, our Arab and Muslim haters would rejoice, but they would surely not stop hating us." So Which will the world's future be: Muslim, European or American? "There are now three ideologies competing to shape the future of mankind. There is no other country that claims to be Judeo-Christian and no other that has such strong support for capitalism and small government (the opposite of socialism)." --Prager Make no mistake, it is "Americanism", the values, freedom and independence we relish which is under attack. Sadly, even worse our own Democratic City Council has sponsored a bill on the Iraqi crisis in direct opposition to President Bush and Congress. The City Council's War Vote is an Embarrasment to us all.
Have they forgotten 9/11 already? As Ed Koch so aptly stated, “The response in Washington to the passage of such a resolution is likely to be “there they go again." That will not be helpful to New York City's future.” You may want to e-mail Gifford Miller and let him know that he is off his rocker and that this is not exactly the time to turn into Jimmy Carter, who while he is a nice man and a humanitarian, was a terrible President and has interests which are not always in sync with our national agenda.
Clearly these are times that test our patience and challenge us to achieve Balance in life: mens sana in corpore sano. Introspection is fine. Looking inward for solutions can be productive but these are not times to seclude or isolate your self either. We could all benefit from cross pollination and should find a way to Mix & Match. If you want to be meet up with the bar man poet, join me tomorrow night at Bliss Bar & Lounge in the Upstairs Bar and I will be sure to share some of my unsolicited thoughts and perspective about the world at large, politics, romance, sex, my quest for the ultimate truth and perhaps even lend some career or networking advice.
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