One of the interesting developments of appearing in the LA Times regularly is that I've activated a whole new constituency of people who don't like me. For example, I don't really know who Marc Cooper is. But a couple readers say he's normally a fairly open-minded liberal. Maybe. But not judging from this typical lefty yelling. Apparently Cooper thinks it's self-evident that I'm illiterate and historically ignorant -- and that I'm a "shout show clown."
Since Cooper's snideness is representative of a vast amount of blowback in recent weeks, let me just respond in brief. A) I haven't been on a "shout show" in years and I turn them down all the time. B) Illiterate? Try harder. C) Perhaps Cooper could try to explain why my argument was "ahistorical drivel"? Is he saying that the views of three of the 20th century's most esteemed liberal historians amounts to nothing? Does he believe it is so self-evident that I'm wrong it doesn't merit a thoughtful rebuttal? Was FDR completely honest in the run-up to World War II? About Lend-lease? Are his dittoing readers content with such substance free high-chair pounding?
I'm not exactly in a great position to throw stones about name-calling, but I do it less than I used to and I always try to do it in the context of an argument. Cooper should give that a try.
Posted at 10:13 AM
16 hours ago
17 comments:
You do realize that that whole post was just an excuse for him to make sure people know he's regularly in the LA Times. Not a very good cover.
Hey kwawk:
"faught"?
Thanks for the early signal to completely ignore your post.
I'm with the first "anonymous"; he mainly wants you to know his new neighborhood:
"So I'm like living in Beverly Hills in like the richest part and these people are like totally insufferable like their poop doesn't stink and I'm thinking like dude give it a rest you put your money in Microsoft by accident like thinking it was a soft drink company so like come back down to earth dude."
Anon. 1 and JDH are on to something, but note also that Jonah would like you to know that he turns down TV gigs "all the time." That's what happens when you're a LAT superstar, baby!
Best part, of course, is that all of this is in response to a freakin' blogger. Pretty thin reed on which to hang all this naked self-promotion.
Hey man, he's not just a blogger. He's a legend, with a really amazing dog. He's Lucianne's son, man. Show some RESPECT!
Hey kwawk, you wrote:
When WWII was over, had FDR still been alive, he would have been able to point at the concentration camps and all the dead jews and say "This is why we faught this war!"
All Bush can say is "Ooops, sorry about that. Musta been some bad intel man."
Using your logic, Bush should be able to point to all the Saddam's concentration camps where Kurds, Shittes and others were killed. Shouldn't he?
kwak wrote:
When WWII was over, had FDR still been alive, he would have been able to point at the concentration camps and all the dead jews and say "This is why we faught this war!"
So FDR knew that the Nazis were operating death camps back in 1940 and 1941?
Do you just make this stuff up on the fly or do you think about it for awhile?
So this was the justification for getting into WWII? That is an interesting interpretation.
We got into WWII because the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor, right?
If kwawk's brain were still alive, he would have pointed to this and said, "This is why we faught this waurgh".
All the shots at Jonah just show me that there are a lot of jealous mo fo's that read this blog.
When all is said and done, Jonah is writing for NRO and LAT and most of you guys are publishing under pseudonyms on blogs you don't even run.
Jonah did not post to Galley Slaves. He posted to NRO and Last felt compelled to call our attention to it. Well, you can't be jealous without showing it, Last.
Now, Jonah is no "On Line Editor of The Weekly Standard", but give him some time, he is still young and might yet attain the lofty journalistic heights of Jonathan V. Last.
Now, Last - get back to slagging the Instapundit. You're out of your league with Jonah and NRO.
But of course:
"CALL ME CRAZY [Jonah Goldberg]
But I thought the Corner was pretty strong today.
Posted at 06:45 PM"
A day without self-puffery is like a day without sunshine and puppies, my friends. Now if only we could get him to open up a bit more about himself.
Thank God for the new media!
Japan started the USA's combat participation in WWII by attacking Pearl Harbor and the Phillipines. Japan also brought England and the other Europeans into the Pacific war. Hitler then declared war on the USA.
If Hitler had not declared war, there is a possibility that the USA would have concentrated on Japan (At least until victory in the Pacific was clear.). That certainly would have been a logical decision. If so, the course of the European war may have been different.
FDR did put us in a position where Japan was inclined to start a fight, but FDR, and surely England and the Europeans would have preferred to fight only Hitler and Mussolini.
As for W, he has done the right thing in Afghanistan and Iraq. History will show he is a great President. We are lucky to have him as our President. What is underappreciated is his continuing civility in spite of the very nasty attacks he is subjected to. He is a very good man.
Hey kwawk, Lend Lease predated Operation Barbarossa (war with the Soviets).
Regarding Saddam, the Kurds were subjected to something called the "Anfal" campaign by Saddam. Human Rights Watch (that puppet group of Chimpy McHilter et al) estimated that over 50,000 Kurds were killed. What a way to keep people under his thumb?
It isn't a justification for this war and it wasn't the difinitive reason given for going into this war.
Seems it was. Take a look at the resolution passed by Congress authorizing war with Iraq (Public Law No. 107-243). It was passed by the House 296-133 and the Senate 77-23. It states that Weapons of Mass Destructions (including Iraq's failure to allow inspectors access), terrorism, violation of the 1991 international cease-fire that ended Gulf War I, "brutal repression of its own citizens", willingness to use WMD's on its own citizens, etc...
Am I missing something? What's wrong with Goldberg's post? And why are people slamming Last for being jealous? This whole thread reads like non sequitor.
I don't get it either. Mr. Last didn't even say anything. It seems like he was just highlighting an item of interest. Why are people worked up?
kwAk's ignorance is exceeded only by his...actually, nothing exceeds his ignorance. Germany declared war on the U.S., not the other way around. It is commonly considered Hitler's greatest strategic blunder. Had Hitler not declared war, there is little doubt that any war against Germany would have been deferred until we had achieved victory in the Pacific.
But even more incredible is KwAk's assertion that FDR was somehow spoiling for a fight with the Nazis to protect the Jews. Gosh guy (or gal), learn some history.
kwawk,
(1) It has been proven that you really don't have a grasp of WWII history.
(2) Read the authorization to use force with Iraq and you will see the justifications, those are the reasons (plural) as to why Congress authorized the President to use force against Iraq. If you want to know what the reasons were, read the statute.
Mr. kwawk, stick with the head cold defense and call it a day.
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