So I’m flipping through the channels when I come across news coverage of the anti-war protest (at least that's what I thought it was) that was held at the Capitol over the weekend, boy that was an interesting mix of people wasn’t it? Pot-smoking college students looking for a reason to cut class and washed up hippies who’ve been looking for something to protest for the past 40 years. It was strange. There was a guy with a guitar, wearing John Lennon sunglasses and a tie-dyed T-shirt, singing some folkish anti-Bush, they-shot-people-at-Kent State song. At any moment I was waiting for the obligatory "Give Peace a Chance" to breakout, and I’m sure it did at some point. All that was missing was Yoko, John Kerry, burning bras and a few dozen mud people and they would have had an all-star cast of lemming kool-aid drinkers.
Tim Robbins was there, and he said something like "America is the problem in Iraq." Susan Sarandon was there holding his leash, of course (I thought I saw her give him a treat after that comment), and I seem to remember her saying that "we gave nuclear power to India for a box of mangos". What?
I swear if Bush had walked out at that moment, someone would have jumped up and yelled (with an Old English accent) "SORCERER!". It's a good thing the Secret Service kept him away or he may have been the first president ever burned at the stake.
Of course, Sean Penn was there: "I was in Iraq, man. I was there. I know those people." Yeah, we remember, Sean. Before the first American troops moved in you were hanging out with Saddam’s cronies - I guess for moral support. No need to remind me of that one.
Speaking of traitors, Comrade Jane Fonda was there. Of course she was. North Vietnam’s favorite daughter wouldn’t dream of missing an opportunity to bash the United States. There she was, all wrinkled and old, reminded me instantly of the Rolling Stones and how they just refuse to give it up. What is with this Baby Boomer Generation? What, did you guys not screw things up enough in the ‘60s that you have to keep it up into the 21st century? We’re gonna be cleaning up your mess for the next 50 years, enough already. Come on, get over it. Yes, your parents saved the world from the Nazis with incredible personal sacrifice. Yes, they were model American patriots. No, you can’t live up to that. But it’s O-K-A-Y. You don’t have to compensate with belligerence and hate for your country. You don’t have to take it out on America and the rest of us because you feel inadequate. You’ll never reach their level, deal with it.
So I’m watching Comrade Jane walking from the protest, and a reporter from Bill O’Reilly’s show is there shoving a microphone in her face. She’s spewing the usual "we’re evil, we’re mean, we should be punished, Bush is the devil" crap, when he asks about Cambodia, and how 3 million people died there after the US vacated Indochina and if she was concerned the same would happen in Iraq. No answer. Actually, she put her finger to her mouth and said "shhhhh…I’m trying to listen." I guess she was looking for guidance from Tom Cruise. He repeated the question several dozen more times and still no answer – reiterating my prior point that those who oppose the war should provide a plan for dealing with the aftermath, namely the mass genocide that would follow our retreat. Comrade Jane clearly doesn’t have the answer.
For that matter, neither did Penn, Robbins or Sarandon. They didn’t have an answer for the situation in Iran either. So I’m wondering, what do these people want? They just want us to leave Iraq? Then what? They don’t know, they’ll just shrug their shoulders and go looking for something to ease their munchies and wait for the next war or the next anti-American cause du jour. They’ll probably make a few really bad movies in the interim. It’s really quite pathetic.
What’s interesting is that for a split second, I swear I saw Osama Bin Laden there. He was wearing a tie-dyed turban and a hemp necklace, eating a granola bar and chanting "2-4-6-8 who do we incarcerate – Bush!" before breaking into song with "War, huh, what is it good for." Really weird.
4 comments:
It is interesting to me that the majority of the American people oppose the ongoings in Iraq, and you still insist on classifying those against the war as hippies and America-haters. Really? 70% of the U.S. is stoned and full of hate? There may be activists out there who look like they're living in the 60's, but that is not, by ANY means, an accurate interpretation of the American public.
Also, no one is responsible for coming up with a plan of action but the commander in chief and his officials. Protesters are not encouraging mass genocide, they are encouraging those in charge of the plans to change them.
If you take a position and echo that position in a public forum then, in my book, you should be prepared to answer to it. If you advocate a cut and run policy, then you absolutely have the responsibility to answer questions about what consequences that policy would have. Anything less is simply irresponsible.
Remember, Bush does have a plan, a plan that the military endorses as potentially successful, but that's still not acceptable to these people. So they openly criticize and condemn without offering a plan of their own. That will not fly here and I will ALWAYS call people out for it.
I'm not characterizing everyone who opposes the war in the way you suggest. I was discussing these people in particular, these self-absorbed celebrities rooting in their own transparent shallowness. They have no alternate plan, but they want to openly criticize those who do for the purpose of advancing their own celebrity (at least that's how it looks) at our country's expense. That will always draw fire from me.
Oppose the war, fine. I have no problem with that, but you had better have your own solution to this mess. Otherwise, your just part of the problem.
"So they openly criticize and condemn without offering a plan of their own."
John, many people have offered alternative plans, so this would be a mischaracterization of reality. Now, it is possible that you may have mentioned the many proposed plans by the many folk and entities opposed to Bush, and so, here's a sampling:
Some Peacemaking and Christian organization's plans:
http://www.fcnl.org/ppdc/
http://www.fuller.edu/sot/faculty/stassen/Just_Peacemaking/just_peacemaking.html
www.ucc.org/911/mailing14.pdf
Additionally, I know for a fact that Congressman Dennis Kucinich has a proposed plan and that many other representatives have offered other proposals. You can look them up if you wish.
Just know that it's inaccurate to suggest that those opposed to this war have not offered alternatives.
Additionally, it is sometimes appropriate to just say No. Even if you don't offer an alternative.
As the late, great Molly Ivins said (something to the effect of), if you're digging yourself into a hole, the first step is to stop digging.
Sometimes, it is appropriate to say simply, "Stop!"
You know, this started as a satirical piece on the hollywood phonies and their bogus "high-road" attitude, and yet you feel the need to come to their defense. You guys need to lighten up a bit.
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