Frankenstein's back, with a resounding endorsement of Barack Obama. I refer, of course, to the reemergence in public of former Clinton Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
Albright chastized Bush and defended Obama's statement that he would be happy to talk to Iran and other enemies of the United States. Albright blasted the current approach to the Middle East and made the anodyne point that it is just as important to converse with one's adversaries as it is to converse with one's friends.
The problem, of course, is not with talking with folks like Mahmoud Ahmedinejad. The problem is: who is going to do the talking? Certainly a President McCain has the experience and resolve to sit across the table with the bad guys and not fall for their deceptions or give in to their pressures. With an unseasoned guy like Obama, whose global experience may be confined to an occasional visit to the International House of Pancakes, who knows?
With Albright too it is credibility that becomes an issue. On May 11, 1996 this woman was asked by a television interviewer for "60 Minutes" whether she was troubled by the fact that Clinton-supported sanctions had resulted in the death of 500,000 Iraqi children. "It's a hard choice," she replied, "but we think it's worth it."
Leftists should keep Albright's response in mind when they wail about civilian casualties as a consequence of Bush's war in Iraq. Iraq Body Count keeps track of these casualties, and they are less than one-fifth the number of innocent civilians (mostly children) killed in the aftermath of sanctions. Sanctions had no effect on Saddam or his henchmen, who didn't miss a meal. Rather, they hurt the most vulnerable members of Iraqi society.
These facts remind us not only of the shortcomings of sanctions, which are not likely to work better with Iran than they did with Iraq. They also remind us that bad things in the world must be measured not against utopia but against what came before. Bush's Iraq war has resulted in a steep reduction of Iraqi deaths compared to the 300,000 people Saddam deposited in the mass graves and compared to the even greater number of deaths that Clinton's policies seem to have produced.
Still, I come back to Albright's original dismissal of half a million deaths with the calm affirmation: it's worth it. Can you recall another secretary of state making a remark more shockingly callous than Albright's? How this Frankenstein became the first female secretary of state remains a mystery.
And it is this same person who would presume to lecture us on what we should now be doing with Iran. I don't think we need more advice from Albright. Rather, what we need from her is an apology, followed by an overdue withdrawal from public life.
Reader Comments ( Page 7 of 14)
91.
Is this what conservativism has become? Thinly veiled bigotry and hate, and accusations of callousness over what they themselves thinly veil?
It's interesting that Dinesh notes that Madeline Albright's assertion that sanctions "were worth it" as a mean, cruel, thing.
Yet the administration he worked for, sold weapons to both Iran AND Iraq. A few months back, he made a comment in which he announced his glee in regards to the casualties in that conflict.
So, if you sell weapons to both sides in a war, and proclaim your glee about the death and destruction of that war, you're credible.
If you impose strict sanctions against a nation in an attempt to bring it into compliance, and people die, you have no credibility.
If this is the best the conservative movement can come up with, It's no wonder you get crushed after wars - you shamelessy unleash your hatred, then proclaim your goodness. People DO have memories, DD - If you want to attack someone's credibility, you should really look at your own situation before you pick the guidelines.
ex-christian at 3:03PM on Jun 30th 2008
92. 85. Men who allow women to have abortions are not real men. They are cowards because they don't want to offend anyone. These men are brought up to be wimps in today's society. The public schools have definitely.
MEN!! ABORTION HURTS WOMEN!! PROTECT YOUR WOMEN FROM SUCH DEVASTATING RESULTS.
__________
"Men" don't "allow" women to get abortions. If a woman wants to remove something from her body, she has that right.
And on another note, women aren't property. You don't "allow or deny" them anything, and you don't need to protect them from themselves, as they are living, thinking beings.
ex-christian at 3:09PM on Jun 30th 2008
93. I do not understand why so many get upset at the truth. All that D.D. is saying is so true. People only want to look at who is the president now, and blame him for evrything.This trouble in Iraq has been going on for years. I am so tired of hearing people say that we were decieved when we went to Iraq. The problem was that they knew what we were doing in which gave the Iraq government plenty of time to move all the weapons of mass destruction to the countries around them that are helping fight against the war today. It would not surprise me if they are not using those same weapons against us today. They are only being brought back in.As far as talking to the enimies of our country, it's like when you add sugar to something that is bitter. Guess what? You still have bitter. We need to be real careful when it comes to talking to the enemies of our country.
Dail Allen at 10:51PM on Jul 7th 2008
94. It's too bad that there aren't more believers contributing to this conversation. All of the negativity from the atheists is mostly a waste of one's time.
And, a serious detraction to things good and fruitful.
Michael
______________________________________________
Actually Mikey, I learn from both sides, and yes sometimes people say things that are a little rough, but hey, people are people everywhere - even here on the blog-o-sphere. That is what makes the web and the world exciting - everyone has differing views and thoughts on many different subjects. No one is Right and no one is Wrong, we just think differently and we like to debate about our thoughts and rant and rave and agree and agree to disagree. That's life thats this wonderful - free - interesting life we are eager and glad to experience.
Peace.
TJ at 3:37PM on Jun 30th 2008
95. Reply to: "Men" don't "allow" women to get abortions. If a woman wants to remove something from her body, she has that right.
Oh, that's rich. Is that like removal of a wart or polyp? In that case, you may be right. But if we are talking about a little human being that didn't just suddenly appear without the help of a man (or sperm bank), then that is just silly. Just as it is a joint responsibility outside of the womb, it really should be in-utero. An unpopular statement, but a true one.
Shannie at 3:49PM on Jun 30th 2008
96.
Hmmmm.....
No P.S. about the atheist juvenile name calling and abuse?
Name calling isn't juvenile when a theist does it? What chapter and verse does that come from?
ex-christian at 3:56PM on Jun 30th 2008
97. Shannie; while there is obviously joint responsibility, I believe the woman has the veto card.
Ryan Anderson at 3:59PM on Jun 30th 2008
98. Oh, that's rich. Is that like removal of a wart or polyp? In that case, you may be right. But if we are talking about a little human being that didn't just suddenly appear without the help of a man (or sperm bank), then that is just silly. Just as it is a joint responsibility outside of the womb, it really should be in-utero. An unpopular statement, but a true one.
No "truth" at all. You religiofacists create definitions, and expect everyone to subscribe and bow to them. If somebody disagrees, they're liars or stupid.
When the Taliban does this, they are monsters, and we should wage war on them. When you do it, it's natural and right.
ex-christian at 4:06PM on Jun 30th 2008
99. Dail Allen @ #93
Do you fabricate your facts as you write them? Where did you get that silly notion that Saddam Hussein shipped his WMDs to other countries? Inquiring minds would like to know your sources.
Even George Bush admits that Saddam didn't have any WMDs/
cynicalismo at 4:17PM on Jun 30th 2008
100. When my girl friend told me she was pregnant, 70 years ago, I said "Let's get married." Fortunately, she was smart enough to opt for an abortion instead. She did what she thought was best for her. As it turned out, she did what was best for me as well. The only drawback was that the abortion was not performed in a satisfactorily equipped facility, nor were there backup resources at hand in the case of a medical emergency.
I never felt that I had the right to do more than offer moral and financial support. I certainly did not have the right to give or withhold permission
cynicalismo at 4:34PM on Jun 30th 2008
101. ex-christian,
Women aren't property, eh when it comes to them having abortions?
How hypocritical, men use them as property when they're fantasizing about them and f'ing them.
Only, no strings attached, eh? (no babies)
"It's either the baby or me" is the mantra of the day when it comes to men.
And, in the rising Feminism in this country, women are sure following suit.
But, that's what happens when Eve dangles the Forbidden Fruit.
And, that's just where the ape man wants his woman.
Love's traded in for Lust and Self-Control's traded in for Licentuousness
and Morals are just simply traded in for nothing.
Men have no say in it,eh?
It takes 2 to tango.
If and when a man says nothing, it in fact says so much. It shows his complicity with the crime of the murderof his own child.
And, in the cases when a woman tells the bio father his input is not wanted, it's basically her way of showing that she has SOME control over the situation, in stark contrast of having pretty much NO control of her player-boyfriend/spouse who just wants all the pleasures of sex and not the resposibilities that go along with it.
In the end, who suffers? the baby and the woman ("post-abortive stress syndrome).
More often than not, the guy's gone before ever realizing any of this.
Or, he's out playing the field, without even a care or thought of the reality of it all.
(perhaps starting the cycle over again, seeing as his new mistress MUST NOT get pregnant, at any cost, as he's not ready to leave his girlfriend/spouse?)
You can't treat women like objects or property some of the time and not expect to be called out on the carpet for it.
Chris at 4:47PM on Jun 30th 2008
102. Mr. ex.... how did I create a definition? Is it not true that when a sperm and egg unite, it will develop into a human being? How did the Taliban get woven into this? Not seeing that connection...
Bad day?
Shannie at 5:02PM on Jun 30th 2008
103. Where did you get that silly notion that Saddam Hussein shipped his WMDs to other countries? Inquiring minds would like to know your sources.
xx
that would be Sean Stimpity, the pitcher from the Stimpity and Ren show.
He gets his material from baseboard graffiti done by mutant cockroaches.
I read that next to his byline in that black and white mag at the grocery checkout with the vampire bat boy on the front.
Clif Kuplen at 5:02PM on Jun 30th 2008
104. You can't treat women like objects or property some of the time and not expect to be called out on the carpet for it.
Chris at 4:47PM on Jun 30th 2008
-----------------------------------
So if men tend to treat women like property sometimes, you're saying not that they should change that habit, but that since they already do they should feel free to extend that to treating them like property as regards to their pregnancy?
There's no logic in your words.
The father should have a say in it, if he's present. If he's not present, it's all up to the woman. And if the (present) father FORBIDS an abortion and the woman wants one, it's still the WOMAN'S call, not the man's. Sorry to so inform you christofascists. I know how much you wish that you could still treat women like chattel, but fortunately our laws aren't as backwards as your faith is.
Godless Heathen Brian at 5:05PM on Jun 30th 2008
105. "68. Michael,
Was there an actual point to your Obama Hindhu copy and paste post?
Botts "
Botts, anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear and with the wisdom to understand--understands.
Try re-reading it again. Maybe you just skimmed through it.
Chris at 5:07PM on Jun 30th 2008