Just as segregation in the South “blunted the force of moral outrage against the Nazis” during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Washington Post arts critic Philip Kennicott contended in a Saturday lead “Style” section piece on a new exhibit at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on the 1936 games, Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo have also undermined arguments against Chinese political repression before the Olympic games there this summer.
Deep into his May 10 treatise, “Playing With Fire: U.S. Holocaust Museum Revisits Fascist Iconography of 1936 Games and Beyond,” Kennicott asserted:
It's impossible to walk through the current exhibition without feeling a repetition syndrome. Just as Jim Crow laws blunted the force of moral outrage against the Nazis, the specter of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo has blunted the force of arguments about Chinese political repression.
Even accepting the premise for 1936, a key difference is that Jim Crow laws impacted an entire segment of American citizens while Abu Ghraib was soon-corrected misbehavior by a few soldiers and Guantanamo holds a small number of people captured in a war launched against the U.S., very few of whom may be innocent. The U.S. versus China is a particularly invidious comparison in the midst of a presidential campaign to replace the current U.S. leadership, an opportunity not allowed in China. Many Americans loudly oppose the Bush administration, yet none are imprisoned -- not even Keith Olbermann.
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Blah, blah, blah
May 11, 2008 - 18:23 ET by terrigI actually get the Post on Sundays (they have coupons and the Parade which the Times sadly does not but again I digress) and read this garbage this morning.
I guess this clown missed the story this week on how an alum from Club Gitmo blew himself and innocents up in Baghdad at some point recently? Of course these are not dangerous people to clowns like this because they wouldn't go to Baghdad and report the story to begin with and they would deign to serve themselves. If this "innocent" from Club Gitmo had blown up Kennicott maybe he'd have a different take on how "bad" it is.
The libs seem to believe that we're the worst nation on the earth. I wish they'd go spend time in China themselves and see how well journatists that write against the government make out. But I guess we all know they'd be writing the drivel that the government wants them to write because they're so "brave".
Many Americans loudly
May 11, 2008 - 20:49 ET by bigtimerMany Americans loudly oppose the Bush administration, yet none are imprisoned -- not even Keith Olbermann.
Now that is hilarious!
Btw...and to think McCain wants to close Gitmo.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill
Bias on NPR, no kidding!
May 11, 2008 - 23:32 ET by jaywlA few hours ago I was listening to Sirius radio and tuned into NPR. A program called Humankind was on with a male host, Methuselahian Helen Thomas, and another man that sounded like Sander Vanocur (no caption to read, of course, and I missed the name). Being NPR the discussion started out to be an examination of the role of the press as overseer and watchdog of government. They explained the only and real purpose of the first amendment was to establish a free press as the "Fourth Estate", the other sections of the amendment just so much filler. I wonder why the framers did not formally establish "The Watchdog" along with "The Congress", as in "shall be the dog that watcheth overeth the evil ones of the executive, but only during those years of Republican..."
Abu Ghraib came up as a prime example of how the press failed in its responsibilties after 9-11, After each example of failure; wiretaps, intrusions into library records, the Iraq invasion, etc, a snippet (!) of President Bush giving a speech was played. The sound was altered to remind me of a Hitler speech or a raving lunatic in an echo chamber. Ms Thomas said we are the only country in the world that admits to torture. Yes, Abu Ghraib. Then she made the mistake of saying just what the dumbasses did and she got all tangled up and said it was humiliation. But, God help the feebleminded, she quickly caught her error and said again it was torture.
Not once did the host or anyone mention that our Congress authorized everything done since 9-11, or that the "secret wiretaps" were not secret to the Congress or the Judiciary. It was apparent the show was another typical NPR hatchet job on our country, our values, and our protectors.
One more parting shot. Prior to that abomination, NPR aired a gameshow I caught in the middle. The only participant I know was Mo Rocca, another delusional with a fast mouth. It was supposed to be funny. However, three times they recycled a joke starting with a phoney Bush quote, attributed to the retired general Sanchez, talking about shooting the combatants in Iraq, "All of 'em". Good idea, huh? (damn right) But again they make the recording actor sound like a deranged killer/madman. They even tried to get something in there on Jenna Bush's wedding. The show asks questions on current events About half are always digs at the President or other conservatives. On that show we will never hear a question like "The Supreme Court found that anti-terrorist operations at what U.S. Naval base were perfectly constitutional?" Just won't happen. NPR, your money and mine!