QuoteObama's fickle European fans
By Charles Lane
If Europeans could vote for U.S. president, Barack Obama would have carried that continent by a landslide in 2008. Who can forget the cheering in Berlin for the "proud citizen of the world?" Youthful, urbane, and broadly in agreement with European views of Guantanamo and "enhanced interrogation," Obama had been in office only a few months when a select group of Norwegians gave him the Nobel Peace Prize.
But now many of Obama's erstwhile Euro-fans are feeling a twinge of buyer's remorse. By ordering a covert raid on Pakistan that resulted in Osama bin Laden's death at the hands of Navy SEALs, Obama has earned the kind of condemnation Europe's cognoscenti once reserved for his predecessor, George W. Bush.
And nowhere is the chorus more moralistic than in Germany, where former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, a Social Democrat, has pronounced the action "clearly a violation of international law." The quality press is full of carping and quibbling. Handelsblatt called the raid "an act that violates both the international prohibition of force and humanitarian law." Der Spiegel, under the headline "Justice, American Style," reports an expert's view that it's "questionable whether the USA can still claim to be engaged in an armed conflict with al-Qaida." Elsewhere in the same journal, a reporter calls NewYork celebrations of bin Laden's death "reminiscent of Muslims celebrating in the Gaza Strip after the 9/11 attacks."
To be sure, the criticism is not universal. The newspaper Bild opined that "it is not only good that bin Laden is dead. It is also good that the U.S., after ten agonizing years, has finally freed itself from his terrible stranglehold." Chancellor Angela Merkel pronounced herself "glad" that the terrorist chieftain was dead.
But German clerics and politicians immediately chided Merkel for her lack of tact, claiming that she might inflame the Muslim world. And Bild is a right-wing tabloid, the less-than-respectable news source of strap-hangers consruction foremen.
The fashionable critique of Obama and the U.S. achieved its purest form on ARD Television, Germany's equivalent of the BBC, where commentator Jörg Schoenenborn pompously observed that nothing good could come from Obama's Bush-like breach of international law. "Al Qaeda will seek revenge," he asserts, "so, is the world any safer? No." Yet Americans dance in the streets, which Scheonenborn attributed to something essential, and essentially primitive, in the American character. The USA is, after all, "quite a foreign land to me. What kind of country celebrates an execution in such a way?"
It never occurs to Schoenenborn that Americans might not be celebrating bin Laden's death as such but the suddenly real chance that a long and costly struggle could end — and end in victory, no less. To be sure, optimism does not come naturally in Central Europe, for good historical reasons. And victory is not a word that comes readily to the lips of U.S. officials waging this war. But it's actually quite rational to suppose that the decapitation of al Qaeda, plus the exposure of its Pakistani safe haven and the recovery of a vast intelligence trove may, in fact, hasten the organization's end. Certainly the light at the end of the tunnel is brighter than it was before.
What kind of country celebrates? The same one that elected Obama in the first place. Perhaps Schoenenborn and Obama's other critics across the pond missed the part of the 2008 campaign in which Obama quite clearly promised that "We will kill bin Laden. We will crush al Qaeda. That has to be our biggest national security priority." He also said that "if Pakistan cannot or will not act, we will take out high-level terrorist targets like bin Laden if we have them in our sights."
It was Republican John McCain who questioned the wisdom of Obama's plan in part because it would violate Pakistan's sovereignty. All right-thinking Europeans despised him.
The only way the German TV commentator can make sense of this is to insinuate that Obama abandoned his true principles to curry favor with the unreasoning American electorate. He is "in a political campaign and has distinguished himself as a 'law and order' candidate," Schoenenborn observed. "Has he gotten closer to re-election? Yes. I'm afraid the balance is just that simple."
Schoenenborn never seems to consider that Obama took a huge political risk by ordering this operation, which could have gone wrong in a thousand ways – and would have destroyed him politically if it did. The safe course, politically, was to keep the SEALs' powder dry. Was it an "execution?" Perhaps. What little "resistance" bin Laden offered seems to have been in the nature of the inherent danger posed by a man who had made his living killing by stealth, sponsoring suicide bombings – and swearing to die with his boots on.
But would any of Europe's moralizers have been more pleased if the U.S. had blown bin Laden and his house away with a B-2 bomber or a Predator drone strike – the president's other options? More to the point, do the critics have a realistic suggestion as to how the president could have met their demand to arrest bin Laden and put him on trial — without violating the sovereignty of the double-dealing nation, Pakistan, where he had unlawfully found refuge?
Part of the reason Obama chose to send ground forces to deal with bin Laden "up close and personal" was to limit civilian casualties, which the Navy SEALs did, almost unbelievably well. They harmed none of the dozen or so children with whom bin Laden surrounded himself, even though he knew that he was subject to U.S. attack at any time.
This was the kind of choice that responsible statesman hate to face but cannot avoid. And Obama's decision was the essence of leadership – decisive, nervy, humane. If it earns him the same scorn Europe's fickle intelligentsia once heaped on his predecessor, then he, like his predecessor, should wear it like a badge of honor.
:bleeding:
I HAVE HAD IT with these castrated Germans. Bring back DER KAISER, or Bismarck, or somebody. I don't even care if France and Poland get flattened in the process. :mad:
We need a :smug: smilie. :P
Anyway will his.... Nobel Peace Prize be revoked? :wacko:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/03/hillbilly-celebrates-osama-death_n_857180.html
press release to the Europe to smooth things over.
Quotenewspaper Bild
This is where I stopped taking the article seriously.
I will go on record here that I was:
- for Gulf War I (in fact, when almost all my school demonstrated against it, I and two others refused to participate)
- for air strikes against Serbia
- for Afghanistan War
- against Gulf war II - Bush's Revenge
- for whacking Osama
I'm also for removing the semi-friendly regimes in Pakistan and Saudi-Arabia, as well as the regimes in Syria, Libya, North Korea, Myanmar. Torn about Venezuela. Let them fuck themselves pu some more, then arrive as savior in shining armor.
QuoteBut German clerics and politicians immediately chided Merkel for her lack of tact, claiming that she might inflame the Muslim world.
I do sort of love the bigoted way they just assume all Muslims love AQ and Bin Laden and are going to take their vengeance on us all.
QuoteThe USA is, after all, "quite a foreign land to me. What kind of country celebrates an execution in such a way?"
We weren't crying when your boy Hitler died either asshole.
Yeah, you sure would not want to inflame anyone who might be upset that bin Laden took a bullet.
Quote from: Valmy on May 06, 2011, 08:17:06 AM
QuoteBut German clerics and politicians immediately chided Merkel for her lack of tact, claiming that she might inflame the Muslim world.
I do sort of love the bigoted way they just assume all Muslims love AQ and Bin Laden and are going to take their vengeance on us all.
QuoteThe USA is, after all, "quite a foreign land to me. What kind of country celebrates an execution in such a way?"
We weren't crying when your boy Hitler died either asshole.
I like it when Valmy gets worked up. :)
QuoteObama's fickle European fans
This is where *I* stopped taking the article seriously. With there being several billion people in the world you can pretty much find some douchebag somewhere to serve as Anecdotal Evidence for *whatever* point that you're trying to prove, but when the point of that point is just to stir up shit then I just generally tune out & make waffles or some fucking thing. Mmm, waffles. Waffles sound good, but I don't want to dirty up dishes that I'll have to wash. But damn, waffles sound good right now...
If they had arrested him and put him on trial (which would have been a horrible mistake), they would have whined that he couldn't hope for a fair trial, his arrested violated Pakistani sovereignty, and blah blah blah.
The cadre of hardcore Eurowhiners will get up in arms about anything the US does and doesn't do, and thus it's usually better to ignore them.
Quote from: Ed Anger on May 06, 2011, 08:24:55 AM
I like it when Valmy gets worked up. :)
The bitterness of the Caps being swepts is lingering :angry:
Quote from: Valmy on May 06, 2011, 08:17:06 AM
QuoteBut German clerics and politicians immediately chided Merkel for her lack of tact, claiming that she might inflame the Muslim world.
I do sort of love the bigoted way they just assume all Muslims love AQ and Bin Laden and are going to take their vengeance on us all.
QuoteThe USA is, after all, "quite a foreign land to me. What kind of country celebrates an execution in such a way?"
We weren't crying when your boy Hitler died either asshole.
I posted an article that said how little support bin Laden and AQ had among Muslims, as they had attacked Muslim countries often enough, so were pretty much reviled. As for those who do support radicalism what ever was done with OBL wouldn't matter as he's their hero. So I don't understand what the writer is trying to say.
As for celebrating. I couldn't care much either way. It's not like they were cheering people having been through a natural disaster or something. This thug was the leader of one of the world's most heinous ideologies, a hateful, intolerant movement, totally at odds with anything civilized the rest of the world has been trying to build for centuries. He was at war with the rest of the world, committed acts of war on many nations, long before and after 9/11 NYC. It was his war that killed him. It's his doing. Many people around the world were cheering his death. We were reminded here that he was a hated, brutal thug by many other nations who had suffered grief by his followers.
Quote from: Valmy on May 06, 2011, 08:27:05 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on May 06, 2011, 08:24:55 AM
I like it when Valmy gets worked up. :)
The bitterness of the Caps being swepts is lingering :angry:
But the team is so badass in the NHL video games. :(
Would be good if you credited the article (i.e. where it was posted). It seems written in a rather smug/self-important tone which makes the criticism of the allegedly smug/self-important Europeans expressed in it that less convincing.
I also love how this article insinuates that a single German commentator = all Germans = all Central Europeans = all Europeans.
This is a pretty pathetic piece of pseudo-journalist crap, that's why I would be interested where it was published.
Quote from: Martinus on May 06, 2011, 08:59:07 AM
I also love how this article insinuates that a single German commentator = all Germans = all Central Europeans = all Europeans.
This is a pretty pathetic piece of pseudo-journalist crap, that's why I would be interested where it was published.
WaPo OpEd:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/post/obamas-fickle-european-fans/2011/03/04/AFg6O40F_blog.html
Incidentally, from what I could gather both in Poland and rest of Europe, the overwhelming take in Europe on Osama's death is this:
Q: What do you think about Osama's death?
A: It is a good thing, but the political ramifications are probably overhyped.
Q: What do you think about the view that he should have been brought to trial?
A: Would probably look better, but most likely unrealistic.
Q: What do you think about Americans cheering in the streets?
A: Somewhat tacky, but psychologically understandeable.
Also, the consensus among the talking heads seems to be that the international law basis for the operation was rather grey-ish but noone is going to make a fuss about it.
I get that it is the usual nutty anti-American douchebags. They just piss me off.
I mean the Muslim world is really going to get angry over Osama being killed? Yet this is not the first time I heard this crap.
Quote from: Martinus on May 06, 2011, 09:10:22 AM
Also, the consensus among the talking heads seems to be that the international law basis for the operation was rather grey-ish but noone is going to make a fuss about it.
Well, I think the international law about counter terrorism in general is pretty damn greyish. Which maybe is for the best.
I cannot imagine any actual international law that could be put together that would allow the US to, for example, launch missile strikes into other sovereign nations that we are not even at war with, and who is not "officially" harboring the targets, and has not even given technical permission for the US to launch said strikes.
On the other hand, I cannot really fathom the idea that the US (or any nation for that matter) would have its hands tied when it comes to acting against terrorists if they manage to get themselves into some fucked up nation like Pakistan.
Seems like the best solution (albeit not a "good" solution) is to leave it all rather murky...
Quote from: Valmy on May 06, 2011, 09:15:44 AM
I get that it is the usual nutty anti-American douchebags. They just piss me off.
I mean the Muslim world is really going to get angry over Osama being killed? Yet this is not the first time I heard this crap.
Is there any evidence that the Muslim world is, in fact, really angry about Osama's death?
Quote from: Valmy on May 06, 2011, 09:15:44 AM
I get that it is the usual nutty anti-American douchebags. They just piss me off.
Ok, but remember it next time when you guys jump on me for being pissed off at "Americans" for doing something racist or anti-gay.
Well I havent heard anyone over here kicking up any fuss over Osama being shot in the face repeatedly. Maybe a few lefties but noone listens to them these days anyway.
Nobody seems to be bothered here either, and that includes the 10% or so that are muslims.
Quote from: Martinus on May 06, 2011, 08:59:07 AM
I also love how this article insinuates that a single German commentator = all Germans
While "all Germans" is of course an unwarranted generalization, there was a considerable amount of comments like the one from Schönenborn, who by the way is a mainstream journalist, in respectable media outlets. So it is fair enough to pick him as an example of the general media echo. Caveat: I have only seen the headlines and not read those comments, so maybe I am generalizing here too.
Angela Merkel's comment was retarded. She should know that by law she is not allowed to be happy about someone being killed. In her official function she is supposed to uphold the values of our constitution, which thanks to our not so nice past, values every life, no matter what.
But it was a quite slow newsweek here so that might explain it. There were also quite a few sensationalist TV shows on the "top secret, ultra hard bla bla superlative" Navy SEALs in German TV, something not usually shown on any mainstream channels.
Quote from: Martinus on May 06, 2011, 09:23:07 AM
Ok, but remember it next time when you guys jump on me for being pissed off at "Americans" for doing something racist or anti-gay.
I never said jackshit about Euros I was talking specifically about the dude doing the saying. If you want to be pissed off at any specific Americans for doing racist things or anti-gay things be my guest.
Your temper is turning me on Val. :wub:
Quote from: Malthus on May 06, 2011, 09:19:22 AM
Is there any evidence that the Muslim world is, in fact, really angry about Osama's death?
Nope. There might have been back when his reputation was 'Hammer of the Soviets' but the world has moved on.
Valmy is good in a rage. You should see when Texas football sucks for a quarter and a half. THAT is real rage.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fartofmanliness.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2008%2F06%2Fhankhill.jpg&hash=76b39edaa46af083c020c56f7e227a39e2f946dd)
Dammit Bobby!
Quote from: Valmy on May 06, 2011, 09:48:27 AM
Quote from: Martinus on May 06, 2011, 09:23:07 AM
Ok, but remember it next time when you guys jump on me for being pissed off at "Americans" for doing something racist or anti-gay.
I never said jackshit about Euros I was talking specifically about the dude doing the saying. If you want to be pissed off at any specific Americans for doing racist things or anti-gay things be my guest.
You used the general noun "they" twice in your rants, and "you" once. You never used "he". Hence I assumed you were not talking only about the guy.
Quote from: Zanza2 on May 06, 2011, 09:47:53 AM
Angela Merkel's comment was retarded. She should know that by law she is not allowed to be happy about someone being killed.
Is this only because she is a public official, or is there a law which would prevent e.g. you from going on public record saying you are glad X is dead?
Quote from: Richard Hakluyt on May 06, 2011, 09:45:29 AM
Nobody seems to be bothered here either, and that includes the 10% or so that are muslims.
Here the chief media concern is "Will Poland be targeted as a result", which is hillarious. The President even went on record, saying that Poland is safe. :lol:
From what I can tell what was remarkable this time was that there were a lot of conservatives, not your usual America-critics, among those that mainly criticized Angela Merkel's comments that she felt joy. A lot of Christians in the Christian Democratic Union, Merkel's party, said it was unwarranted for a Christian to feel joy at the killing of a human.
The other comments often aim at how this was an extrajudicial execution and how the "War on Terror" doesn't care for international conventions and laws and also ignores a lot of the basic tenets of rule of law by just declaring enemy combatants to be outlaws that can be killed at the whim of the military or executive. As that's similar to how the Nazis declared people void of rights and then proceeded to kill them, German lawtalkers, philosophers etc. are very worried about any hint of a slippery slope.
Quote from: Martinus on May 06, 2011, 10:00:01 AM
You used the general noun "they" twice in your rants, and "you" once. You never used "he". Hence I assumed you were not talking only about the guy.
Yes becuase I am a well known Eurohater. You should just assume that is where I am going.
Quote from: PDH on May 06, 2011, 09:55:30 AM
Valmy is good in a rage. You should see when Texas football sucks for a quarter and a half. THAT is real rage.
You were lucky to get out of that stadium alive!
Quote from: Martinus on May 06, 2011, 10:01:43 AM
Quote from: Zanza2 on May 06, 2011, 09:47:53 AM
Angela Merkel's comment was retarded. She should know that by law she is not allowed to be happy about someone being killed.
Is this only because she is a public official, or is there a law which would prevent e.g. you from going on public record saying you are glad X is dead?
"By law" was wrong. It is more that her comment doesn't fit with the spirit, not the words of the constitution. Of course you can express your happiness about someone being killed (well, not in a Westboro Baptist Church way - that's actually illegal). But her being one of the highest representatives of the state means that she should also live the values of our constitution and of her Christian party and people complain she fell short there. But she didn't do anything illegal, just stupid.
Quote from: Zanza2 on May 06, 2011, 10:04:29 AM
From what I can tell what was remarkable this time was that there were a lot of conservatives, not your usual America-critics, among those that mainly criticized Angela Merkel's comments that she felt joy. A lot of Christians in the Christian Democratic Union, Merkel's party, said it was unwarranted for a Christian to feel joy at the killing of a human.
The other comments often aim at how this was an extrajudicial execution and how the "War on Terror" doesn't care for international conventions and laws and also ignores a lot of the basic tenets of rule of law by just declaring enemy combatants to be outlaws that can be killed at the whim of the military or executive. As that's similar to how the Nazis declared people void of rights and then proceeded to kill them, German lawtalkers, philosophers etc. are very worried about any hint of a slippery slope.
I gotta say I respect the "universalist legalist" stance that is so prevalent in German culture, even if it is annoying at times. German clients can be most annoying because they often want to be explained the entire principle and are not just happy with a Polish lawyer telling that that under Polish law "this works" (as opposed to French or American clients, who hardly ever want to hear the explanation and just want a two-sentence executive summary).
Yes, there is an earnest streak in German culture and I think we may have a good example here. Strictly speaking they are probably correct; it's just that most people are not so punctilious :hmm:
Dealing with Germans in business: :yuk:
Anal retentive fucks. :mad:
Quote from: Ed Anger on May 06, 2011, 10:21:21 AM
Dealing with Germans in business: :yuk:
Anal retentive fucks. :mad:
You've never had to do with the formalities around making money transfers to Russians or Ukrainians, I take it? Both countries are bureaucratic nightmares that make Germans look like laid back hippies.
Quote from: Syt on May 06, 2011, 10:33:23 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on May 06, 2011, 10:21:21 AM
Dealing with Germans in business: :yuk:
Anal retentive fucks. :mad:
You've never had to do with the formalities around making money transfers to Russians or Ukrainians, I take it? Both countries are bureaucratic nightmares that make Germans look like laid back hippies.
Never dealt with Russians. Nobody was confident of the quality of Russian built stuff.
Quote from: Ed Anger on May 06, 2011, 10:39:25 AM
Quote from: Syt on May 06, 2011, 10:33:23 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on May 06, 2011, 10:21:21 AM
Dealing with Germans in business: :yuk:
Anal retentive fucks. :mad:
You've never had to do with the formalities around making money transfers to Russians or Ukrainians, I take it? Both countries are bureaucratic nightmares that make Germans look like laid back hippies.
Never dealt with Russians. Nobody was confident of the quality of Russian built stuff.
Try to remember that next time you take medication that was tested, among others, by Russian doctors. ;)
Quote from: Syt on May 06, 2011, 10:33:23 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on May 06, 2011, 10:21:21 AM
Dealing with Germans in business: :yuk:
Anal retentive fucks. :mad:
You've never had to do with the formalities around making money transfers to Russians or Ukrainians, I take it? Both countries are bureaucratic nightmares that make Germans look like laid back hippies.
There is a difference. Russians and Ukrainians hide behind bureaucratic rules (which often do not make sense) because they are averse to decision-taking, as the culture dissuades personal responsibility (elderly Poles, especially employed by the state enterprises, still show such qualities too).
Germans stick to the rules because they genuinely believe the sun would not raise on the next morning if they stopped.
Quote from: Zanza2 on May 06, 2011, 07:12:58 AM
We need a :smug: smilie. :P
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg85.imageshack.us%2Fimg85%2F9232%2Femotsmug3126607.gif&hash=23f5e8aa28ccacd18f23a139d95b6cc661c465ec)
Quote from: Martinus on May 06, 2011, 10:57:02 AM
There is a difference. Russians and Ukrainians hide behind bureaucratic rules (which often do not make sense) because they are averse to decision-taking, as the culture dissuades personal responsibility (elderly Poles, especially employed by the state enterprises, still show such qualities too).
Germans stick to the rules because they genuinely believe the sun would not raise on the next morning if they stopped.
I cannot say I blame the Russians and Ukrainians at all. Everybody who was willing to take personal responsibility was killed long ago.
I can vouch for the anal-retentiveness of Germans. To put forth a recent example, I had to retrieve some lost software licenses from a major German company. I sent them photos of the media, scans of the licenses and billing records of the transactions as proof of ownership.
However, there was some mismatch in the version number of the software. Anyone else would have used common sense, attributed it to a clerical error during the sale and sent the damned licenses right away. Not the Germans. I spent a month dealing with them until my boss asked me to stop banging my head against the wall, give up and tell them to send us whatever they felt like.
Of course once I did that they honored one of the other things they are famous for and I had the rest of the stuff on my desk the very next morning. Anyone else would have slacked off and maybe sent them the next week if we barked loud enough. I know the guys at our sales dept would.
Quote from: C.C.R. on May 06, 2011, 08:25:03 AM
QuoteObama's fickle European fans
This is where *I* stopped taking the article seriously. With there being several billion people in the world you can pretty much find some douchebag somewhere to serve as Anecdotal Evidence for *whatever* point that you're trying to prove, but when the point of that point is just to stir up shit then I just generally tune out & make waffles or some fucking thing. Mmm, waffles. Waffles sound good, but I don't want to dirty up dishes that I'll have to wash. But damn, waffles sound good right now...
I love you man. No homo love, but still. :hug:
Yeah, if more people listened to CCR the world would be a better place :cool:
Quote from: Ed Anger on May 06, 2011, 10:21:21 AM
Dealing with Germans in business: :yuk:
Anal retentive fucks. :mad:
That would be a refreshing change. I've had to deal with a South African vendor for the past 2.5 years & find them to be devious slackers.
Quote from: derspiess on May 06, 2011, 04:10:35 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on May 06, 2011, 10:21:21 AM
Dealing with Germans in business: :yuk:
Anal retentive fucks. :mad:
That would be a refreshing change. I've had to deal with a South African vendor for the past 2.5 years & find them to be devious slackers.
You should try dealing with actual criminals and see how you like it. :mad:
Try dealing with criminals in a business setting, you fairy fuck, and you'll get a real appreciation for them.
Having the weight of the Crown behind you? PUSSY. :rolleyes:
Quote from: Ed Anger on May 06, 2011, 08:33:03 AM
Quote from: Valmy on May 06, 2011, 08:27:05 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on May 06, 2011, 08:24:55 AM
I like it when Valmy gets worked up. :)
The bitterness of the Caps being swepts is lingering :angry:
But the team is so badass in the NHL video games. :(
My thread delivers.
This makes it doubly so.
Quote from: Martinus on May 06, 2011, 10:03:52 AM
Quote from: Richard Hakluyt on May 06, 2011, 09:45:29 AM
Nobody seems to be bothered here either, and that includes the 10% or so that are muslims.
Here the chief media concern is "Will Poland be targeted as a result", which is hillarious. The President even went on record, saying that Poland is safe. :lol:
Bet if the fucker was hiding in Poland the Krauts would've found him real fucking quick.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on May 06, 2011, 05:40:38 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on May 06, 2011, 08:33:03 AM
Quote from: Valmy on May 06, 2011, 08:27:05 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on May 06, 2011, 08:24:55 AM
I like it when Valmy gets worked up. :)
The bitterness of the Caps being swepts is lingering :angry:
But the team is so badass in the NHL video games. :(
My thread delivers.
This makes it doubly so.
:)
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FcxGIl.jpg&hash=e46a320b32ecdb593d8e030f65a2b78fd8e1d3b9)
I feel like waffles all of a sudden.
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on May 06, 2011, 06:18:49 PM
I feel like waffles all of a sudden.
That was the initial plan for breakfast, but a few beers turned that into pancakes for dinner. Meh. Close enough for the Weiner Kids...
Quote from: Martinus on May 06, 2011, 08:59:07 AM
I also love how this article insinuates that a single German commentator = all Germans = all Western Europeans = all Europeans.
FYP. Remember, Central Europe died after WWI.
Just when you thought Michael Moore couldn't become more irrelevant if he tried.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/06/michael-moore-piers-morgan-bin-laden_n_858472.html
QuoteMichael Moore doubled down on his criticism of the killing of Osama bin Laden, telling CNN's Piers Morgan on Thursday that, while he is glad bin Laden is gone, America "lost something of [its] soul" in killing him without putting him on trial.
Moore first gained attention for calling the killing an "execution" in an interview on Wednesday, and he repeated that charge to Morgan. He also criticized people who went to Ground Zero to celebrate bin Laden's death.
"I hear a lot of people often say, what would Jesus do?" he said. "I don't think Jesus would go down to Ground Zero like a lot of people did...and have a party." Morgan asked him why he took issue with the way bin Laden died. Moore said that the killing deviated from the notion that everyone has a right to a trial:
"We've lost something of our soul here in this country...something that separates us from other parts, other countries where we say everybody has their day in court no matter how bad of a person, no matter what piece of scum they are, they have a right to a trial...after World War II, we just didn't go in and put a bullet to the head of all the top Nazis. We put them on trial."
He said people who did not want a trial for Bin Laden were "saying that you hate being an American. You hate what we stand for, you hate what our constitution stands for. We stand for something different than that and we're better than them."
OMG those Americans! How can they be so leftist and insane!
QuoteMichael Moore doubled down on his criticism of the killing of Osama bin Laden, telling CNN's Piers Morgan on Thursday that, while he is glad bin Laden is gone, America "lost something of [its] soul" in killing him without putting him on trial.
Meh, we lost our soul a long time ago.
QuoteMorgan asked him why he took issue with the way bin Laden died. Moore said that the killing deviated from the notion that everyone has a right to a trial.
No, not everyone has a right to trial.
Quote...after World War II, we just didn't go in and put a bullet to the head of all the top Nazis. We put them on trial."
And then we put bullets in their heads.
QuoteWe stand for something different than that and we're better than them."
Our Special Forces certainly are.
I am amused by the EDL trolling the Bin Ladenite protest in London.
QuoteAn EDL member slipped through police lines to unveil an effigy of bin Laden in the middle of the 300-strong group of extremist Muslims.
It prompted screams of "USA, burn in hell" and "Obama, burn in hell" from angry protesters.