Spengler at the Asian Times doesn’t like Obama, I guess:
Radical anti-Americanism, rather than Islam, was the reigning faith in the Dunham household. In the Muslim world of the 1960s, nationalism rather than radical Islam was the ideology of choice among the enraged. Radical Islam did not emerge as a major political force until the nationalism of a Gamal Abdel Nasser or a Sukarno failed.      ÂÂ
Well, that article might be a bit overheated. But it’s worrisome that Obama’s foreign policy advisors don’t seem to recall what they meant when they said some pretty radical things:
She came to New York to launch her book, fresh off the press, about Sergio Vieira de Mello, a Brazilian diplomat with the United Nations who spent years tackling various humanitarian crises, until he was killed in Iraq in 2003. She opens the conversation with a reference to this book, which her critics now quote. De Mello was in Lebanon in 1982 when Israel started the Lebanon War, and didn’t like what he saw. She quotes him, among other things, calling the Israelis “bastards.” She says the book depicts its subject’s thoughts, not her own. But “the book is now used to attack me.” For example, because of the following paragraph: “The Security Council were not prepared to deal with the gnarly issues that had sparked the Israelis’ invasion in the first place: dispossessed Palestinians and Israeli insecurity.” Power would like to go through like this, item by item, and repel every attack. There isn’t enough space to cover all of these attacks, and all the defenses. In recent weeks, a young and talented writer named Noah Pollack, who writes for the right-wing magazine Commentary, has delved deeply into Power’s statements on record. Among other things, he found the following things she said, in a 2002 interview, about what should be done to stop the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: “[It will] mean sacrificing – or investing, I think, more than sacrificing – billions of dollars, not in servicing Israel’s military, but actually investing in the new state of Palestine, in investing the billions of dollars it would probably take, also, to support what will have to be a mammoth protection force, not of the old Rwanda kind, but a meaningful military presence.”
In that same interview, Power said that the situation will “require external intervention.” Pollack very reasonably interpreted this as an expression of support for a “ground invasion of Israel and the Palestinian territories.” Otherwise, he wrote, what did she mean when she spoke of “a mammoth protection force”?
Power herself recognizes that the statement is problematic. “Even I don’t understand it,” she says. And also: “This makes no sense to me.” And furthermore: “The quote seems so weird.” She thinks that she made this statement in the context of discussing the deployment of international peacekeepers. But this was a very long time ago, circumstances were different, and it’s hard for her to reconstruct exactly what she meant. Anyway, what she she said five years ago is less important that what she wants to say now: She absolutely does not believe in “imposing a settlement.” Israelis and Arabs “will negotiate their own peace.” [emphasis mine]  ÂÂ
Silly! can YOU remember what you meant when YOU said such things? Just amazing how people will unfairly attack you with your words!
And then I was all, like, RRRRRRR! And she was all, like, WHATEVER!
On a chilly spring Sunday, Power heatedly recaps that morning’s Meet the Press, pantomiming Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. She is a confident multitasker, shifting the gears of her red PT Cruiser as she discourses on China’s superpower ambitions, the most recent Vladimir Putin provocation of Washington, and her favorite dive bar, as we pass it. Her car spins around the slick Cambridge streets (where young show-offs are jogging on the Charles River banks in whipping winds) and then climbs the hills of Tufts University (where a more laid-back contingent heads to the library with down coats over their pajamas). At Tufts, she frets over parking before hurtling toward an auditorium in suede high-heeled boots and a fuzzy overcoat. Nearly 200 people have gathered to hear perspectives on the topic of “The Militarization of Humanitarian Space.”
Power is not the only woman on the dais; the expert on military contractors in war zones is also female. Nor is Power the youngest; a military officer, who wears a sort of cape and speaks in surprisingly New Agey terms, looks to be her contemporary. But she commands a presence all her own. If academics tend to pull their chins in heady contemplation, her gesture is to smooth the auburn ponytail she brings across her shoulder as she pores over some notes. The afternoon’s messages are a global wake-up call, insisting that helping refugees can no longer mean sending rice and footballs, but as the long second hour stretches into a drowsy third, she sends me my own wake-up call by text message.
That’s really craptense.
Spengler has the tone right, anyway. Obama is getting on my nerves too. Hey. That Samantha Power hoochie was on NPR yesterday. She hates America bad. I don’t remember them saying anything about a relationship to the Obama campaign, but for real, she really fucking hates this country.
Thanks for the summary Hapster. I tried to read that link and my eyes simply wouldn’t let me. My vision went black way-way before I was able to draw any conclusion.
She looks sort’a effable. Hey, my vision is back. Enough of the long speeches and the big rallies, back to feeding the basic needs of my boner. More pics, Dan, more pics.
“That Samantha Power hoochie was on NPR yesterday. She hates America bad. I don’t remember them saying anything about a relationship to the Obama campaign, but for real, she really fucking hates this country.”
Samantha “Austin” Power obviously hasn’t figured out that, soon enough, this country will really hate her, the red PT cruiser she rode in on, and her confident multitasking text messages.
“The Militarization of Humanitarian Space.â€Â
If only.
Obama is getting on my nerves too.
Only nine months left! More or less.
Hopefully…
Or maybe America is ready for a Socialist President.
I’m not.
And the ears.
Am I being anti-achievement to wonder about qualification-laden people like powers? They spend all their time telling other people what to do. Am I wrong to detest it? Tell me.
thor:
Much better, nude Marion Coutillard
http://thesuperficial.com/2008/02/marion_cotillard_nude_scene.php
Alcyoneus, you’re mostly right. It’s just that she’s being dishonest by wishing to extend her sphere of influence to democratic institutions like, you know, America. She’s more of a UN kinda girl, and it would be way better if she just accepted that.
First of all, I see these articles, especially the Men’s Vogue (ugh), as simply a get-to-know one of the members of the new Obama administration. Probably Sec’y of State. Nothing too heavy, too revealing, softballs dressed up as oh-so deep questions… and wow, our new sec’y of state is hawt.
The Haaretz article has that take especially since Israelis (& the Jooz) need to feel better about Power’s purported antisemitism.
That said, I saw nothing acknowledging that the Palestinians are a bunch of murderous knuckleheaded gangsters who would prefer to initiate any so-called peace discussions by killing all the Jooz.
Danny, so sweet, look at how the river runs to it.
I think once elected Obambam is going to shock people with the goodness of his crunchy right-wingedness. I think he’s going to have a very good cabinet with John McCain as Sec of Def. Wishful me, I knows.
“Comment by Alcyoneus on 2/25 @ 7:47 pm #
Am I being anti-achievement to wonder about qualification-laden people like powers? They spend all their time telling other people what to do. Am I wrong to detest it? Tell me.”
Of course you are wrong. The great unwashed (us) are not capable of thinking clearly without the Chosen’s intervention. Your question is proof positive. Don’t you know anything? Do you really think that us “masses” are capable of making our own choices in this world?
“No, you can’t buy those sneakers because they cost a lot of money, and WE know how to spend it better than you do, you stupid morons. So gimme, gimme, gimme”.
And, as an aside, who is this Marion bim, and why does she have a nipple on her right shoulder? And even more importantly, where did she get those great star tattoos on her boobs?
I first heard about the Spengler article on Limbaugh; “Ha”, I thought,”listen to Rush. All he seems to know about Spengler is that he’s a regular columnist who publishes under a pseudonym in the Asian Times. I’ve been reading his stuff for years. Heck anybody knows that Spengler… publishes under a pseudonym in …”
I really need to dig a bit deeper.
I watched the video of Michelle Obama’s “first time” speech, and truth be told I was so taken aback by the the words I didn’t look twice at the presentation.
Yah. That’s not acting. That’s Teh Hate. Oven doors cracked open wide enough to see the flames hate.
Nine months. Wow. We’ve got ourselves a field of winners, don’t we boys and girls?
Time for a ginger ale.
That’s low, dude. I Googled the chesty lass searching for pics of boob tatts only to later figure out you’re goofing on the nipple coverups. I’m just paranoid to suspect you did that on purpose knowing I dig nasty boob tatts on chicks that I don’t have to live with. Man, you’re good. I wasted 20 minutes.
Completely tangental, of course, but Humanitarian Space is only Militarized in two differnt kinds of cases; 1) the regular Humanitarians couldn’t survive in the space in question or 2) The Humanitarinas either abandon or won’t enter the space pleading an inability to survive.
Then we’re what’s left.
Eh, I’d rather fuck that antique box with the big black hole that she is sitting upon in the picture.
Anyone who has a “favorite dive bar” needs to be hit in the teeth with a shovel. “Dive bar” is effete asshole-speak for “some patrons did not attend college” and implies that s/he is condescending to be in the company of the plainfolk. I fucking hate that shit. Like Lanky McFreckles really belongs in the model lineup in circa 1978 Studio 54.
Also, PT Cruisers are not nearly as quirky and ironic as their owners intend. Mostly, they’re just conspicuously in my path, along with the Prius, New Beetle, and Crysler Seebring, and get my one finger salute with increasing frequency.
Since when is shifting and talking at the same time “multitasking”?
I’d hit it….with an axe handle.
#10
Detest.
Detest away with vigor. Because it is only through detesting the truly detestable that we truly become free.
“Since when is shifting and talking at the same time “multitaskingâ€Â?
The earnest hope was that the phrase didn’t immediately recall “walk and chew gum” as being something just assumed… which, truth be told, is what happened here.
I want a president who multi-tasks like this:
(POTUS, talking on red phone)
Pres: Thanks, General. That’s excellent performance on the part of the Navy and Air Force. Please extend my warmest congratulations for getting that many missiles up and on the way on such short notice, especially since the target set was just delivered this morning. I, and the country, really appreciate it. Now – you said time to target for first impact is less than twenty minutes? I’ve got to see the networks in fifteen, and would like a first cut on your BDA … forty five minutes from now. Again, we’re grateful and proud of your service, all of you. Thank you, and I look forward to chatting again within the hour.”
(hangs up, turns to the Ambassador from Syria)
“Mr. Achmed, I’m so glad you could make time in your schedule for us, especially on such short notice. As you are aware, Ms. Rice as Secretary of State has repeatedly contacted you, and by extension your government, about the flow of undocumented travelers and materials that both end seem to end up as terrorists and their tools across your borders with Iraq.
Now, we’ve had the same point of contention with Iran, but our posture is undergoing a … strategic … change as we speak. I’d like to hear from you that concrete progress on Syria establishing reasonable frontier controls is not only possible, but imminent. Without such assurance, given to me personally during the joint press conference we are about to conduct, I am sad to say our nations’ relationships are going to undergo radical change.”
“Have one of these pork skins. We make ’em right here in the White House”.