Democracy Now's Goodman: U.S. Uses Cartoon Riots to Gin Up War Against Iran, Syria

February 8th, 2006 8:21 PM

Hardball's screen graphic "Global Fury" presumably referred to the rioting over the Mohammed cartoons. But it might also have been a subliminally sardonic comment about Chris Matthews' guest, Amy Goodman, host of the far-left radio show "Democracy Now."

If Hillary is angry, perhaps she's taken lessons from Goodman. This is one angry woman. Goodman's explanation by way of a justification of the rioting?

"This is about people feeling marginalized. This has to do with the war in Iraq, this has to do with 'the Occupation' , this is about hundreds being held at Guantanamo with the Koran being desecrated."


Matthews shot back: "You're eager to assign victimhood [to the rioters]." He then raised the murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh who was killed by a radical Islamist two months after his film 'Submission' - about the abuse of Muslim women - was shown on national TV in Holland.

Asked Matthews:

"What about a filmmaker in Northern Europe getting killed because some in the audience don't like the movie. Who's the victim? Those who feel agitated enough to kill a filmmaker or the guy who gets killed? That's easy for me. Somebody kills you, they're the bad guy. Who do you say is the bad guy here?"

Goodman wouldn't condemn the murderer, and quickly changed the subject, saying:

"I think that it is extremely important that we understand what it means when people are just made fun of on the cartoon pages but their voices are not heard on the front pages."

Right. And what better way to debunk the image of being hotheads and fanatics then rioting and burning embassies?

Goodman then indulged the left's penchant for conspiracy theories:

"I think the United States is opportunistically using [the riots] to now vilify countries."

When Matthews asked: "Are we ginning up a war with Iran and Syria?", Goodman didn't hesitate:

"Absolutely. Every excuse to go after these two countries [is being used]," referring to "the tremendous anger that this is generating not only in the Arab world but among 'peace-loving people' all over the world."

Peace-loving people "not only in the Arab world"? You mean, in addition to those peace activists currently sacking embassies and vowing to behead those who insult Islam?