Leftist actor Sean Penn appeared on CNN’s Larry King Live on Monday night to discuss Haiti, and he tried hard not to talk big-picture politics. He was clearly panicked about Haiti. He compared it to the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima and claimed it's on "the verge of what might be the greatest public health crisis in the history of the Western Hemisphere." [Audio available here.]
But what struck Larry King was his kind words for the military:
PENN: We work in strong collaboration with the 82nd Airborne, who have been extraordinary. To see the United States military with all its skill and discipline and most importantly the quality of human beings that there are doing this when it's a human aid effort is unparalleled.
KING: You were so praiseworthy of the military, and normally you're not a big fan of military.
PENN: That's not true. If anyone looks back at the things I've written, I've always been a supporter of the troops. I think that we have a responsibility to only deploy our troops constitutionally and responsibly.
In this case, there's no question. I think this is the most noble mission likely that the United States military has been involved in since World War II, but I support the military in right wars or unright wars.
The problem is the use of the military and the misuse of it at times. In this instance, this is the most efficient force in the country. And I would plead to our president that he keeps the United States military there for longer than I understand is currently planned.
Larry King was probably thinking of Penn's anti-war polemics like the ones here.
