Comment by loretta — February 22, 2008 @ 6:45 am

VP? I doubt it. Someone like Hagel would make a good Secretary of Defense, though, and there’s precedent of a Democratic President appointing a moderate Republican to the job.

and circle jerk each other.

As have the most REgressive times in history. Coups and assassinations and violent uprisings have been just as successful at installing corporatist dictators as they have social justice populists. And even the populists have been shown to be very corruptible. The same Revolution that overthrew the monarchy and instilled Enlightenment principles on freedom and the rights of man in France also installed the warhawk Emporer Napoleon as leader.

What strikes me is the reaction of people when it comes to “important” American people and “non-important” foreign people. Furthermore, non-important foreign people have never made something that harm those important Americans but the opposite has happened… so I guess, if justice exists, you should get what you deserve, and the vast majority of American politicians have enabled the killing of civilian, “non-important” people. There is no way around that.

Comment by Juan C. — February 21, 2008 @ 4:56 pm

It is a common human reaction to care more about those they identify with than those they don’t. It’s human nature for Americans to care more about three American politicians than three Afghan or Lebanese or Kazakhstani politicians. And on this and other progressive outlets I’ve seen a lot of concern for the assassinations or attempted assassinations of foreign leaders such as Benazir Bhutto or Rafiq al-Hariri or Jose Ramos-Horta, so I don’t think the concerns of foreign people are completely ignored.

That having been said, isolationism and U.S.-centricism is also a very common trait among the U.S. population. Perhaps because of geography or history or media bias, but there is a tendency for many of us to ignore what happens outside our borders. It’s why less than 1/4th of us have passports. It’s why so few of us speak foreign languages. It’s why so many readers of the above paragraph are right now looking up who Jose Ramos-Horta is. And it’s why 9/11 came as such a surprise to so many people.

Good luck with that one…

Spot on, Toasterhead. Well-said and well-reasoned.

mmm…I’ve seen and heard things that no jury would ever make justice for the crimes of some politicians. The most progressive times have always begin with violence. The ruling class won’t step down, won’t allow radical economc changes peacefully. THis is the historical constant in the world, and you know this far better than me.

Guillotines changed the world, ironically.

I don’t agree with Jason Baddo’s statement, but I don’t agree also with the disguised morality of some of the replies against his statement. If those were a bunch of Afghan Senators, how do you think people would have answered to Jason Baddo’s comment.

What strikes me is the reaction of people when it comes to “important” American people and “non-important” foreign people. Furthermore, non-important foreign people have never made something that harm those important Americans but the opposite has happened… so I guess, if justice exists, you should get what you deserve, and the vast majority of American politicians have enabled the killing of civilian, “non-important” people. There is no way around that.

To the Senators and those with them, God Speed.

Comment by Juan C. — February 21, 2008 @ 4:34 pm

There’s nothing progressive about calling for political assassinations, no matter who the target is.

And there is a bit of a wide gulf of morality between calling for the assassination of a hundred political leaders and authorizing the use of military action. One is a guarantee of mass murder. The other relies on the disretion and professionalism of the senior military and civilian leadership to conduct a war in a way that minimizes civilian casualties.

In a pure moral sense, sure – you’re sentencing people to death in both cases and there’s really no difference. But in reality it’s not black-or-white, it’s grey and another shade of grey.

No, he is not. Jason has been here around. I’m guessing he is from UK, far more progressive than US liberals.

And while I don’t advocate the death of people, I wonder how is despicable to call for the killing of 100 senators instead but support the actions that have killed thousands of civilians (Senators that have signed this and other allowances) is not.

Maybe because American deaths are far more important than some bunch of Afghans killed…

Comment by good_golly — February 21, 2008 @ 4:14 pm

I very rarely agree with anything that I read from you, so I have to let you know that this time I do.

Comment by jason baddo — February 21, 2008 @ 4:07 pm

Welcome back, Mr. P!

Buck Fush