I like Pat Buchanan. I do. He's wise, funny and charming. But every so often . . .
Like tonight. If Buchanan wants to criticize Israel's conduct of the current war, and its treatment of the Palestinians, so be it. But in doing so, is it really necessary to employ terms associated with the Nazis? Appearing on "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue," Buchanan accused Israel of carrying out a "blitzkrieg" against Gaza and turning it into a "concentration camp."
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DAVID SHUSTER: A lot of people have criticized Israel for its "disproportionate response." And yet, after 9-11, the United States went into Afghanistan and killed a lot of people--some would argue a lot more than were killed with 9-11. What's the difference?Like Shuster, Cliff May of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies had a measured response to Buchanan's provocation.
PAT BUCHANAN: Well, the difference is, in my judgment, Afghanistan, that was--al Qaeda was responsible for bringing down those towers. If the Afghans had dealt with them, given us Osama Bin Laden, then we would not have gone in. We had a justification. That was an act of war. The Israelis have been hit for six months with these little rockets that didn't kill anybody. It was outrageous, cruel and stupid, and they triggered a blitzkrieg against the Palestinians in Gaza, which in my judgment is an Israeli concentration camp, where a million-and-a-half people are locked up, cannot come out or go in. They've been controlling food, electricity, fuel. And the innocent people in Gaza are the ones suffering.
SHUSTER: Concentration camp? Doesn't that diminish the significance of the real concentration camps?
BUCHANAN: I'm not talking about a death camp. I'm talking about what the British had in concentration camps in South Africa, and what the Spanish had in Cuba, and what others have had where they bring all these people, lock 'em in there, and treat them with great cruelty, and a humanitarian disaster, despite what Tzipi Livni says.
CLIFF MAY: The people of Gaza could have peace tomorrow, and they could have an independent state the day after. All it would take would be for Hamas to do two things. One: stop the missiles. You cannot have any country, even a country like Israel, simply accept that, OK, for the rest of our lives--and this has been going on for years now--we accept that they are going to be firing missiles at us. Some of them are small, some of them are bigger, they'll get bigger. But we accept this as a fact of life; we deserve to be hit with missiles. All Hamas would have to do is say: no more missiles starting tomorrow; we understand. And by the way, we accept Israel as a state, as a neighbor. Now, Hamas cannot do that because of its religious convictions that infidels may not, anywhere in the Middle East, be in power.I can't psychoanalyze Pat. But somewhere in him, there's a nasty nerve that fires off from time to time.
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
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I can't psychoanalyze Pat.
January 8, 2009 - 21:45 ET by bigtimerI can't psychoanalyze Pat. But somewhere in him, there's a nasty nerve that fires off from time to time.
Exactly right Mark...I used to be a Pitchfork Carrier...it took me years to see a lot of things about Pat I don't like...which made me sad, but it has been years ago now, I have moved on...yet I still cringe when he speaks like he does.
May had it exactly right here.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Buchanan has always since a
January 8, 2009 - 22:03 ET by eaglewingz08Buchanan has always since a youngster been an anti semite, who beat up jews in his neighborhood. I don't care to analyze him, but he's typical of intellectuals rationalizing their jew hatred into more sanitized forms (anti Israel, false comparisons between a nation that exterminated 80 percent of European Jewry in 5 years with one that has permitted a violent pernicious enemy's population to triple in thirty years and has granted them the right to vote and hold high office in Israel.) If Gaza were a concentration camp, it was a flourishing one until the like minded jew haters of Hamass took over and decided that killing jews was the only form of governance that their constitutents desired.
Buchanan was the first
January 9, 2009 - 10:38 ET by NewsbusterbrownBuchanan was the first conservative columnist that I read as a kid growing up in the '70s. However, I haven't bothered with him in years.
“There are no easy answers' but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.” - Ronald Reagan (1964 Republican Convention)
Fireworks
January 8, 2009 - 22:45 ET by hierogrammate"The Israelis have been hit for six months with these little rockets that didn't kill anybody..."
Oh, I see it know, silly me. Hamas was just being festive, it's been fireworks all this time.
</sarcasm off >
Why?
January 8, 2009 - 22:46 ET by nim"I like Pat Buchanan. I do." - Pat Buchanan is an antisemetic freak. If you haven't figured that out by now, your the one who needs psychoanalysis.
Pat and friends sing
January 8, 2009 - 23:26 ET by gkm1959http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZEXMpqr1NQ&feature=related
Agree
January 8, 2009 - 23:12 ET by jaywlEven when he is clearly supporting a side he can say the damnedest things. In this case he and others claim Israel is controlling all border crossings into Gaza. Not so. Egypt has border crossings and they are more strict than Israel. Wonder why?
→ Buchanan
January 8, 2009 - 23:44 ET by Cool ArrowHis remark some years back "Hitler was right" may have had some explanation in theory, but it never sounded right.
But using inflammatory Nazi buzzwords to describe Israel is entirely too cavalier.
Buchanan knows words have meaning. Those words were chosen for dark reasons.
Pat
January 9, 2009 - 00:21 ET by doug1950If one of our neighboring countries were lobbing missles and mortar shells in on America for six months and if any of them were hitting Pat's house I bet he would be singing a different tune. I find it hard to believe this man used to be a serious contender for the Presidency. I think they keep him around like some tired old pathetic lion they keep in a cage at the carnival or the crazy uncle in the family everyone just tolerates. He has hated Israel forever and has said some pretty wild things over the years. Probably why he never got elected as many times as he has tried. He just scares the hell out of too many people.
Pat is and has
January 9, 2009 - 03:36 ET by Delsaalways been an anti-Semite.
Anyone listening to him over the years would or should have picked up on it.
Sad, really.
Watching Pat for a Quarter Century...
January 9, 2009 - 04:13 ET by timrfrench61and his anti-Israel streak was what I didn't like about him back in the day. I have read good stuff from him over the last year or so but I hold anti-Isreael people at arms length... or maybe further...
Buchanan hurts conservatism...
January 9, 2009 - 07:39 ET by Parker1227...but he's very popular with much of the left these days because of his anti-Bush, xenophobic isolationism.
Now he can play to his new leftist groupies even more by flexing his Jew hate muscles. But does anyone really think we can quench the blood thirst of Islamic Jihad by serving it Israel on a platter?
And what's a few thousand rockets raining down all over Israel? The Jews, after all, are supposed to just sit there and let the Holocaust replay itself, right?
As the rockets supplied by Iran get bigger and deadlier, Israel should just take it on the chin so as not to kill any "innocent" Palestinians - the same Palestinians who voted the Islamo-fascist Hamas into power, and who allow rocket launchers in their neighborhoods, and munition storage in their schools, churches and hospitals to intentionally create martyrs.
Iran is at war with Israel and the United States. We should have turned strategic areas of Iran into molten glass years ago when they took our embassy staff hostage. That was an act of war.
The world sat by and made excuses as Hitler gained the power to inflict his insanity on humanity. Millions died because of that denial and inaction. Now we sit by again as the equally rabid Ayatollahs of Iran acquire nuclear weapons.
The price of this kind of "peace at any cost" will be chaos and death.
Buchanan is not a
January 9, 2009 - 11:50 ET by jdhawkBuchanan is not a conservative, but he has proven himself a jew hater for some time now. The drive by media knows this about him and had him on to spew his lies and hate because that is how they feel about the situation. What better way to get their point of view across then to have a "conservative" say it.
So, we are analyzing the utterances of someone who long ago should have been ousted from the ranks of conservatives.
Instead we should be talking about why President Bush ordered our UN ambassador to vote "abstain" to the UN resolution to condemn Israel's actions. The UN Security Council can not pass a resolution without a unanimous vote. The exception being when one or more members of the council abstain. Thus, because we voted the way we did, the resolution passed. Now, the people of the planet know that a body purporting to represent them has passed such a resolution condemning Israel's action. This is outrageous.
What we should be doing is finding out who among our conservative lights would have voted no. Who is condemning not the Israelis, but Hamas, Egypt, and Iran for their murderous actions.
Yes, Egypt. While, with their public face, they have stated that they will tighten the border with Gaza, their private actions have permitted the arming of Hamas through tunnels between the two countries. You won't hear this from our government because Egypt is supposedly an ally and a country that we have shipped billions of dollars to each year since the Carter days.
Dumber by the year
January 9, 2009 - 12:14 ET by CobraMan"I''m talking about what the British had in concentration camps in South Africa, and what the Spanish had in Cuba, and what others have had where they bring all these people, lock 'em in there, and treat them with great cruelty, and a humanitarian disaster, despite what Tzipi Livni says."
Pat's getting dumber by the year. The Israelis didn't "bring in" those Palestinians (and Hamas terrorists) in Gaza and the West Bank, they came there on their own, after Israel surrendered those areas to them in an attempt to bring a PEACEFUL resolution to decades of Palestinian attacks.
In addition, no one is KEEPING people in Gaza and the West Bank, other than Hamas. Anyone living in those areas are free to leave any time they want, just not with explosives strapped to their bodies.
Also, Israel isn't treating people "with great cruelty" as Pat insulates. Israel accepts Palestinians into their hospitals, is treating Palestinian causalities, and even ANNOUNCES their attack ahead of time in order to MINIMIZE civilian casualties. These are not cruel actions, this are humanitarian actions. It's too bad Pat is too stupid, or too antisemitic, to understand
Obama: My job is above my pay grade
aging---
January 9, 2009 - 12:19 ET by misterbillThe past few years have been tough for me in the sense that many of the people in public life that I have respected for years have found ways to put foot in mouth and sound as bad as those I have never respected or considered completely insane.
Among many things that CW Bush has done to really make me feel guilty for voting for him both times deals with the two Border Guards and also Bush's (imagined) relationship with Mexico.
Newt Gingrich, who I hold in the highest esteem for knowledge about our republic and our history, jumped on the Gore AGW bandwagon.
John McCain who had my admiration, (years ago) for his service to our country is, in my opinion, a treasonous lizard. He is not a Republican nor a conservative.
Without names, a few extremely intelligent economists have continued to ignore the global threat, loss of jobs and financial ruin of the USA as they still write and tout "Free Trade".
Now, Pat Buchanan speaks against Israel in , what I consider to be, a fashion of betrayal. He is as old as I am and he has seen all the sleazy tricks the Arab world have executed against the free and small democracy of Israel. He, like I, was around when the state of Israel was created. He, like I, knows the attacks started the day Israel was created in 1948. He knows that this struggle has been going on even before quill was set to parchment in the bible. It has ever been thus. It is up to the Israelis to put an end to the Hamas persistent attacks. Also, to write off the attacks by claiming (incorrectly), that no one in Israel was injured, is specious logic at best.
If anyone attacked my family and then hid behind his own for protection, in spite of distaste and reluctance, I would strike back and I would put an end to it.
misterbill
January 10, 2009 - 15:11 ET by BlondeHere is what the treasonous lizard is up to:
From the most excellent milblog tcoverride:
As if I don't get enough spam in my inbox, John McCain sent me this today, BEGGING for a good fisking:
My Friend, (I am not now, nor have I ever been, your friend. I still owe you a shot in the pills for this.)
In the time since the 2008 presidential campaign ended (two months, or more precisely, on 22 January 2008 when Fred dropped out.) I have had a chance to reflect on many things. (Like how you sponsored McCain-Feingold, seeking to limit political speech, including internet blogs, and all other forms of free speech leading up to an election?) And as I said on election night, I truly cannot adequately express how indebted I am to you, my entire campaign team and my running mate, Governor Sarah Palin. (Although you not only let you campaign team openly and deliberately harass and malign her, did little to support her, and never defended her.)
The road was a difficult one from the outset. (Like when you ran out of funding early on, because all the other candidates were raking in the dollars, because they were all better choices then you? You only got the nod, if you'll recall, because you were the only one left at the primary.) Yet, your faith (I only had faith that you would be marginally less worse than Barry O,) your support (again, choice between an avowed socialist and a RINO is no choice) and friendship (again, I. Fu**ing. Loathe. You.) never wavered. Just as I have proudly served my country for more than half a century I am as committed as ever to helping see our mission through.
So to continue the movement, I have decided to launch a new grassroots organization called Country First. (A campaign started by a Politician in Washington is, by its very definition, NOT a grassroots campaign. Grass roots are at the bottom, the lowest level.)
Today, I'm asking you as a friend and supporter to renew your commitment to our common goals by becoming a Charter Member of Country First with an online contribution. (LINK REMOVED) (Renew my commitment to our common goals? Which are what, exactly? Weak immigration law? Shitty gun laws? Bailing out Wall street, Detroit, and every other shyster who shows up in a Gulfstream with his hand out? Then not doing squat to oversee the disbursement of 300 Billion dollars of the first trillion dollar giveaway of my money?)
Country First will allow us to strengthen our Party, (Our party?) better define our Republican ideals and message (which are... here's a hint. Read and listen to all of Reagan's Campaign speeches SOTU addresses. Anything you disagree with, you are wrong), recruit and back strong, dedicated candidates (Like these, strong, dedicated republicans: Mark Foley, Rick Renzi, Jack Abramoff, John Doolittle, Tom Delay, Duke Cunningham, Dusty Foggo, Bernard Kerik, Nick Smith, Candace Miller....) and continue our efforts to bring real reform to government by always putting our country and the noble ideals she stands for first. (How about putting the needs of Americans over the needs of the rest of the world. How about a congress that sees itself as overseeing the needs of the whole nation, instead of 435 different sets of constituents? How about, instead of investigating anything that has to do with pro sports, you balance the goddamn budget and figure out how to pay off, not reduce, the deficit?)
It goes on, but basically reflects all of our sentiments. But the gall of John McCain, to try to continue as the "leader" of the Republican party, is astonishing.
Retire already, John. Good riddance. And if you don't, for crying out loud, keep your damn hand in your pockets....we don't want any more reaching across the aisle, dammit!
We need conservatives...check out Fredpac and GOPac (Fred & Mike Steele).
→ LMAO Blonde
January 10, 2009 - 15:22 ET by Cool ArrowSo.
How do you feel about John McCain?
How do I really feel?
January 10, 2009 - 15:40 ET by BlondeBetrayed.
(Yeah, I know, many here told us so).
The absolute icing on that cake was McCain's refusal to say anything in Palin's defense once the election was over. That was a pretty cowardly way for a "hero" to act.
Blonde
January 10, 2009 - 16:07 ET by botgi supported the McCain campaign gagging all the way only to keep SCOTUS appointments away from BHO. Now is the time, i think to hack up that hairball and be done with him.
“The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” -- Chief Justice John Roberts
Agreed Bruce
January 10, 2009 - 16:34 ET by BlondeWe need to figure out a way to send him a big message.
STFU and sit down.
Blonde
January 11, 2009 - 14:50 ET by doug1950Now that was GOOD! Obviously I am not the only one to receive these kinds of emails but phone calls as well. Newt has some kind of scam gig going as well. They all say "We have a plan" but if you press them for any details they just repeat the nonsense. I hate politicians. If you grab em and shake all the Bullsh*t out of them there wouldn't be anything left but lips and a briefcase.
Dear Pat:
January 9, 2009 - 23:40 ET by KimberlyShut up and go away, for G-d's sake.
Hate and Hand Grenades,
The Psychoanalysis Division of NewsBusters Readers
I used to like Buchanan
January 10, 2009 - 00:25 ET by R D HelmI used to like Buchanan back in the eighties, but have soured on him since.
I am of the opinion that when people get a little hot, they tend to say things that reflect what they truly feel.
Buchanan has popped off against Jews a few times too many for my comfort.
-Dave
“Them that’s going get on the wagon. Them that ain’t get out of the way.” -While there is still time.
I liked Pat's solution to Illegal Immigrants
January 10, 2009 - 14:43 ET by Teachum...he warned the U.S. about Mexican Nationals flooding into the country, and Pat had the solutions on how to drive them out!
Now that Pat sees the liberal light, he flies closer to it with each passing day. The "light" instructs him to have an invasion of this country, as well as invasions of foreign countries by throwback extremists! Buchanan needs to be placed into rehab with a consevative straight-jacket, and watched for a very long time before he gets too close to that light zapping him out of existence.
Buchannan Lies - People did die from Hama's Rockets
January 10, 2009 - 23:57 ET by PopularTechPeople did die and many were wounded.
Rocket Attack at Israeli Kindergarten Kills Boy and Man (The New York Times, June 29, 2004)
Gaza rocket strike hurts children (BBC, July 25, 2004)
6 kids wounded in Gaza rocket attack (The Jerusalem Post, July 26, 2004)
Rocket kills two Israeli children (BBC, September 29, 2004)
Gaza Strip Mortar Attack Injures 11 Israeli Soldiers (Bloomberg, December 17, 2004)
Rocket Attack Kills An Israeli Woman (The Washington Times, July 15, 2005)
Palestinians fire rocket at Israel from Gaza, wounding Thai worker (The Jerusalem Post, July 26, 2006)
Rocket from Gaza injures Israeli children on playground (CBC News, July 28, 2006)
Man injured by Gaza rocket fire (BBC, August 2, 2006)
Palestinians in Gaza resume rocket attacks on Israel (International Herald Tribune, September 1, 2006)
Rocket Fired From Gaza Kills Israeli Woman (The New York Times, November 15, 2006)
Israeli man dies after struck by Gaza rocket (Reuters, November 21, 2006)
Palestinian Rocket Lands in Israeli Day Care Center (Reuters, December 3, 2006)
Gaza rocket injures first Israelis since truce (Reuters, December 26, 2006)
Palestinian rocket hits house next to Israeli kindergarten (International Herald Tribune, May 7, 2007)
Gaza rocket lands on house in Israel, two injured (Reuters, May 15, 2007)
Gaza Rocket Attack Kills an Israeli Woman (The Washington Post, May 22, 2007)
Hamas Rocket Kills Israeli Father (News Blaze, May 27, 2007)
Palestinian rocket kills 2 Gaza children (Reuters, August 7, 2007)
Rocket from Gaza lands in Sderot; one Israeli injured (International Herald Tribune, August 28, 2007)
Rocket fired from Gaza hits Israeli border town (International Herald Tribune, September 3, 2007)
Palestinian Rocket Lands in Israeli Day Care Center (FOX News, September 3, 2007)
Palestinian rocket hits Israeli Army base, wounding dozens (International Herald Tribune, September 11, 2007)
Rocket from Gaza wounds 40 Israeli soldiers (International Herald Tribune, December 11, 2007)
Israeli woman seriously wounded in Palestinian rocket attack (International Herald Tribune, December 13, 2007)
Rocket fired from Gaza wounds Israeli child (International Herald Tribune, December 16, 2007)
Gaza Rocket Wounds 2 Israeli Girls (ABC News, February 7, 2008)
Israeli boy and older brother seriously injured in rocket attack from Gaza (International Herald Tribune, February 9, 2008)
Israeli Killed by Palestinian Rocket (FOX News, February 27, 2008)
New rocket attack aimed at Israeli city (International Herald Tribune, March 11, 2008)
Gaza rocket squads launch barrage against Israel (International Herald Tribune, March 13, 2008)
Hamas rocket attack kills one Israeli, wounds three others (Al Bawaba, May 6, 2008)
Rocket Fired From Gaza Kills Woman in Southern Israel (The New York Times, May 13, 2008)
Gaza rocket hits Israeli mall, hurts 14 (USA Today, May 14, 2008)
Rocket hits as Bush begins Israel visit (International Herald Tribune, March 15, 2008)
Poll shows Palestinians support rocket attacks and want peace talks to end (International Herald Tribune, March 18, 2008)
Gaza rocket fire damages Israeli nursery (UPI, March 28, 2008)
Gaza missile kills one at kibbutz (BBC, June 5, 2008)
Rockets hit Israel, breaking Hamas truce (International Herald Tribune, June 25, 2008)
Gaza rocket lands in southern Israel (Reuters, July 12, 2008)
Gaza rocket firings break cease-fire (UPI, August 9, 2008)
Rocket from Gaza lands in Israel (International Herald Tribune, August 20, 2008)
Rocket from Gaza hits Israeli town (International Herald Tribune, September 14, 2008)
Rocket fired from Gaza Violating Cease-fire (International Herald Tribune, October 21, 2008)
Gaza rocket strikes Israel (International Herald Tribune, October 30, 2008)
Hamas fires long-range rockets at Israel (International Herald Tribune, November 14, 2008)
Gaza mortars wound 6 Israelis (International Herald Tribune, November 28, 2008)
Rocket fire from Gaza wounds two Israelis (Reuters, December 17, 2008)
Palestinian militants fire rockets from Gaza (International Herald Tribune, December 18, 2008)
Gaza militants hit Israeli house with rocket (International Herald Tribune, December 21, 2008)
Israel Hit by Biggest Gaza Rocket Barrage Since Cease-Fire (Bloomberg, December 24, 2008)
Palestinian rocket kills 2 Gaza girls (Reuters, December 26, 2008)
Israeli killed by Gaza rocket (AFP, December 27, 2008)
Rocket fired by Gaza militants kills Israeli woman (Reuters, December 29, 2008)
Hamas hits Israel with dozens of rockets (International Herald Tribune, December 29, 2008)
Three killed by Hamas rocket fire in the South (The Jerusalem Post, December 29, 2008)
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is Not Pollution