Patriot Games
James Joyner
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Monday, April 26, 2004
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3 comments
Steven Taylor passes on word that the Patriot Act is suddenly turning into a major political plus for the Bush Administration. I’ve got some misgivings about parts of the act, but this stands to reason. One can’t–honestly, anyway–simultaneously complain that Bush and Co. didn’t do enough with the disparate intelligence information they had prior to 9/11 and fault the legislation that aims at solving the most serious problem that we’ve identified.
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Campaign 2004
PATRIOT GAMES
James Joyner
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Wednesday, November 12, 2003
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10 comments
Matthew Yglesias calls out Glenn Reynolds for a recent post update:
Somebody just sent me a “but Bush said the war was over!” bit of snarkmail. Uh, no, he didn’t. Bush actually said that major combat was over in Iraq. The war on terror — really the war on fundamentalist Islamic terrorists, and those who back them — is nowhere near over. Bush knows that, and he’s said it repeatedly.
I actually got several variations on this theme, from antiwar types who always seem glad when people die in Iraq, so long as they’re Americans or our allies. They’re usually the same people who puff up if you “question their patriotism.”
I don’t question it. They’ve put its existence beyond question by wishing for America to lose.
Says Matthew:
Ah yes, those antiwar “types” who “seem” glad when Americans die in Iraq.
Is there a significant faction among the anti-war Left that takes joy in American casualties and other setbacks in Iraq, because they prove that the war was wrong and weaken Bush’s chances for re-election? Sadly, yes. We certainly have more than enough examples of such extremism.
If Glenn’s point is simply that the type of people who send him e-mails with gleeful “aha!” quips whenever there is a setback fall into that camp, then he’s quite likely right. If he’s suggesting that most–or even a large plurality–of opponents of the war fall into that camp, then he’s certainly wrong.
(more…)
Oh, hell yes we can complain! If my doctor misdiagnoses my hernia, that’s bad. If he tries to fix it by amputating my foot, that’s worse.
Perhaps James should have said one can not “honestly and intelligently” complain…
I see. So before any debate even begins, disagreeing with your basic assumptions makes me either dishonest or stupid. Feh.
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