Murtha: Allies Say U.S. More Dangerous than North Korea or Iran (Video)
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James Joyner | Thursday, July 6, 2006 |
Rep. John Murtha recently told a gathering in Miami that our allies think the United States is more dangerous than Iran or North Korea. While the newspaper that originally reported this has since issued a partial retraction, owing to a press release from Murtha’s office “clarifying” that he was basing it on a Pew survey, Kevin Aylward has the video and the following transcription:
Fifty six percent of the people in Spain think it’s more dangerous, the United States is more dangerous in Iraq than Iran is. Everyone of our allies think that the United States being in Iraq is more dangerous to world stability and world peace, every one of our allies; Great Britain, every single country… They think its more, uh, we’re more dangerous to world peace than North Korea or Iran.
Those words and the tone of the video certainly give the impression that Murtha shares this view rather than laments it.
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About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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Murtha wouldn't have even brached the point, unless he agreed with it.
As I said before.
Has anyone noticed that the Pew poll doesn't support Murtha's "everyone of our allies"/"every single country" claim? But of course you don't see the reporter pressing Murtha on his "lie" in his clarification.
In Murtha's defense, he didn't say he thought the US was more dangerous, just that others were saying it. I would love to see the MSM ask the follow up question what he thinks about the question so we can get him on record. Alternatively, perhaps the house can find time for another resolution so we can get all the representatives stand on the question.
"Everyone" (sic) is of course hyperbole, but Murtha's point is well-supported: the great majority of our *significant* allies (as opposed to, say, our friends in the Gambia, etc.) poll very strongly against us.
Will defer to JJ on the "tone of the video," but the quoted excerpt seems quite neutral on the screen.
Why couldn't he both share and lament the view?
If he lamented the view, do you really consider that someone who is otherwise outspoken, would not have stated such a lamatation flatly?
I don't.
Murtha's mouth is the gravest danger to world peace.
Of these so-called allies, when they are invaded, I wonder if they'll call on North Korea or Iran to save their bacon? Didn't think so.
Given that it is Germany (Iran the bigger danger) and Japan (NK the bigger danger), I would hardly not call them significant allies. Of course they have the most recent first hand experience of US soldiers who are armed and with the blood up to do harm to their nations.
The point is not what Murtha could have said, but what he said. If the left can still be crying about "Bush lied" on the sixteen words when he didn't, surely they would want to take the actual words of Murtha and hold him to the level of truth they seem to expect of politicians. But of course, the left likes Murtha's cut and run plan (complete with the mighty Okinawa base of counter attack) and just plane doesn't like W.
When are we gonna stop caring what our so called allies (or anyone else for that matter) think about the U.S.? I haven't seen them boycotting U.S. products, they still come here as tourists (granted maybe not like they used to) and they still want us to participate in the UN and NATO. Not to mention they want us to "do something" everytime some tin-pot dictator runs roughshod over his neighbor or his own people.
Quite simply I could care less what they think. Being a leader (especially a world leader) means that sometimes you make decisions and take actions that others (specifically those you lead) don't like. Too bad. None of those countries have the ability to be a world leader and until they do they should just shut up.
Murtha has one big problem besides his big mouth, He is obviously SENILE.
He's just what the Democrats need to run for President. Maybe Anderson could devote his Expert World Knowledge and Advise for his campaign. Both are like two peas in a pod.
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