Kevin Drum of Mother Jones has some fatherly advice for all you idiots:
Bottom line: Ron Paul is not merely a “flawed messenger” for these views. He’s an absolutely toxic, far-right, crackpot messenger for these views. This is, granted, not Mussolini-made-the-trains-run-on-time levels of toxic, but still: if you truly support civil liberties at home and non-interventionism abroad, you should run, not walk, as fast as you can to keep your distance from Ron Paul. … In fact, to the extent that his foreign policy views aren’t simply being ignored, I’d guess that the only thing he’s accomplishing is to make non-interventionism even more of a fringe view in American politics than it already is. Crackpots don’t make good messengers.
Well, one thing you can definitely say about Kevin Drum is that he’s no crackpot. No sirree. He knows that in dissent lurks crankery. When he catches the first whiff of deviation from the D.C. consensus, he hightails it back to Broderville. For example:
Aside from the fact that Barack Obama did not, in fact, send troops to Uganda in order to “kill Christians,” what should we think about the fact that he sent troops to Uganda in the first place? Needless to say, I’m far more hesitant about sending U.S. troops anywhere than I was a decade ago….
… I’m pretty much OK with this operation.
So what should I think about this? If it had been my call, I wouldn’t have gone into Libya. But the reason I voted for Obama in 2008 is because I trust his judgment. And not in any merely abstract way, either: I mean that if he and I were in a room and disagreed about some issue on which I had any doubt at all, I’d literally trust his judgment over my own. I think he’s smarter than me, better informed, better able to understand the consequences of his actions, and more farsighted. I voted for him because I trust his judgment, and I still do.
As much as I’m unhappy about how the Bush administration has mishandled everything, backing out now could have disastrous consequences. And so we liberal hawks hold our noses and hope for the best.
I’ve gotten a lot of email critical of my post on Thursday suggesting that Colin Powell had indeed made a strong case in his UN speech. This administration has lied about everything, they ask, so how can you be so credulous as to believe their latest dog and pony show? …
… I am sympathetic to the idea that George Bush has shown himself to be so hamhanded in foreign affairs that there’s little likelihood of success as long as he’s in power. And yet, what’s the alternative? We need to try, and I’m inclined — barely — to give him a chance. Something has to kick start the Middle East into the 21st century, and I don’t see anyone else willing or able to do it. …
So that’s it. I have tremendous misgivings about this war….
I am sympathetic to the notion that administrations lie a lot on the subject of war, and I’m certainly sympathetic to the idea that this particular administration routinely lies about anything they think they can get away with. And yet….that leaves us with a problem, doesn’t it? If, a priori, nothing the administration says is believable, then opposition to war simply becomes a religious doctrine. After all, no one else is going to try and make the case.
Now I found all of that in about half an hour several months ago, so those who care to look should be able to find plenty of additional confirmation that Kevin Drum is no crackpot.
If I'm an idiot then Kevin Drum is brain dead. I think the truth is that he realizes that Ron Paul's beliefs are catching on. He must also know that the behavior of himself and the establishment is a major reason behind the reemergence of their most hated foe: the Old Right. It is a immune response to their hubris. All the establishment has to counter Ron Paul's message is psychological manipulation via political hacks.
Seems to me, the idiotic motif at work here is paying any attention to Mother Jones and/or Kevin Drum.
Mother Jones fell off the planet just about the time Zap Comix did.
"…all you idiots:"??? Really?
Did you read the whole thing? Does it make me sound like a Drum fan?
Hi Matt:I did read the whole thing. Start to finish. I fully realize you were not celebrating Drum. However, the use of “idiots” seemed a poor choice of words to use for Antiwar.com readers. I know that you and me don't always see eye to eye. I am not trying to start up another dust up. Not with you. But please understand, I can get that “idiot” crack from any number of sources and have in the past. I resent it and the implication.
", I’d guess that the only thing he’s accomplishing is to make non-interventionism even more of a fringe view in American politics than it already is."
Well the thing is non-interventionism isn't realy a fringe view among Americans. Ok most Americans may not be non-interventionist on principle and are way too easily sold wars initially, but most Americans do want out of Afghanistan, like they wanted out of Iraq. What is fringe is to find any voice for these beliefs among most American politicians.
Was Mr. Drum smoking ‘Crack’ while he wrote the article about Ron Paul? Perhaps he was sipping on some sort of hybrid ‘Crack – KoolAid’ cocktail from the inside of his rectum where his head is located. If Mr. Drum ever finds his way out, I would suggest the first thing he do is “fact checking”, as his article seems to include “Crackpot” misstatements of fact / flat out lies, such as:
“…you can layer on top of this Paul’s now infamous newsletters, in which he condoned a political strategy consciously designed to appeal to the worst strains of American homophobia, racial paranoia, militia hucksterism, and new-world-order fear-mongering. And on top of that, you can layer on the fact that Paul is plainly lying about these newsletters and his role in them.”
Was Mr. Drum smoking 'Crack' while he wrote the article about Ron Paul? Perhaps he was sipping on some sort of hybrid 'Crack – KoolAid' cocktail from the inside of his rectum where his head is located. If Mr. Drum's head ever finds its way out, I would suggest the first order of business for Mr. Drum be "fact checking", as his article seems to include “Crackpot” misstatements of fact / flat out lies, such as:
"…you can layer on top of this Paul's now infamous newsletters, in which he condoned a political strategy consciously designed to appeal to the worst strains of American homophobia, racial paranoia, militia hucksterism, and new-world-order fear-mongering. And on top of that, you can layer on the fact that Paul is plainly lying about these newsletters and his role in them."
This may not be good for his journalistic credibility.
Every time Kevin Drum denies that he molested those little boys, he is plainly lying.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Anti-Chickenhawk… Chickenhawks are the ultimate purveyors of hypocrisy.
Lost quote:
"I mean that if he and I were in a room and…[he] needed it…I wouldn't hesitate to get down on my knees and…while humming 'Hail to the Chief.'"
Thanks for this research. Mother Jones has completely discredited itself in its jeremiads against Paul. Sure you can disagree with him like they do in the Nation that has been far more balanced, but the full throated campaign has been something else. The fact that Kevin Drum is such a liberal hawk establishment player now makes complete sense. As Greenwald argued convincingly, it is these types of Ochsian "Love Me, I'm a Liberal" types who are most incensed by the temerity of Ron Paul types to outflank them from the left.
Ron Paul is somewhat of a crackpot_
He's terrible on economics, sorry libertarians but the gold standard is nonsesne and flat taxes are idiotic_
And he's totally dispicable on social issues. He is a homophobe, and opposes equal rights for homosexuals. He certainly seems to be flirting with racism with his opposition to the civil rights and voting rights acts.. You can say no he's just standing up for state's rights (the state's right to overrule federal civil rights law which violates the constitution)….but it doesn't seem to be a coincidence that the poeple who say that come from states where it would be an issue like Texas and Kentucky.__
The only stuff I ever agree with him on is the war stuff, but even there he comes at it from a very different angle.
He also has some some pretty contradoctory votes in his record like for instance he is a supporter of the infamous school of the americas. To me this is a very telling vote for him because it is the intersection of his foreign and economic policy . Will his non interventionist side win out or will his desire to influence south america towards right wing governments? Well, his desire for right wing s. american governments won out
Joe, could you fit more fallacies into one post? He did not “flirt with racism” when he opposed facets of those acts. He does not oppose equal rights for gays. Your bias against the south really isn’t germane, and the fact that you disagree with his economic policy doesn’t make him a crank. Frankly, the tone of your post makes you sound like the crank. What’s your real agenda, Joe? You claim to find “flirting” with “racism” deplorable, yet Ron Paul is the only candidate who opposes our president’s foreign policy of racist mass murder.
Joe…
Ron Paul is not a "Crackpot". He is not a 'racist' or 'homophobe' either. Perhaps if you actually listened to what he says you would know that. I don't know much, if anything, about Kevin Drum but he seems like a cartoon like figure and is obviously not a serious person. From the few excerpts I've read from him, particularly how he holds Obama as some sort of God Like figure, I find it somewhat hard to believe he even believes even half of crap he writes himself; and is instead writing as a caricature of what he "thinks" others 'think'…the 'slobs', in his mind, that lap up his drivel.
PS. I not entirely sure why you are so concerned about the "Civil Rights Act" of 1964 seeing as the US is precipitously moving towards a "democracy" where votes mean absolutely nothing–except at the margins where different sets of special interests get 'bigger' payouts during election cycles–if we are not already there. I think you may want to evaluate your priorities. Just a friendly suggestion…
He clearly is a homophobe. And officially opposes equal rights for homosexual couples
The racism stuff….its always hard to say. Nobody every admits it. Even the KKK wear sheets.
But he certainly flirts with it, and like I said. It doesn't seem to be a coincidence that the people who are hardline about state control over civil rights laws (which is unconstitutional since the civil war ammendments) all come from states and districts where it would be a problem. There would be towns in Texas and Kentucky who are going to try to deprive voting rights for blacks and many stores who would deny them entry.
The civil rights and voting rights acts were unquestionably successful. They didn't destroy liberty they created it. If he is basing his ideology around the concept of liberty and doesn't get this then there is something wrong.
I notice you didn't address the school of the americas….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDsdZMk4m5Q&fe…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDkCApj9_bo
I think this 'crackpot' label was inevitable when RP didn't cower after Ben Stein called him an antisemite; I'd (sorta) predicted that'd be next: http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2009/12/29/ben-stein-calls-r... I'd be surprised if Drum's record didn't also contain plattitudes to Israel.
It is absurd to suggest that Ron Paul doesn’t support every person’s right to vote. He also supports a woman’s right to open a women-only health club or a black man’s right to rent his coach house to a black person only. Are you seriously going after Ron Paul on civil rights? You realize, of course, that our current president will go down as the president who took away more of our rights than any other president in history. This man is mass murdering innocents and you’re focusing on whether or not Paul is at all homophobic? Name any serious candidate who is even close to being the genuine civil libertarian Paul is. Your priorities and focus amaze me.
Joe is convinced–without any evidence–that Ron Paul “flirt” with racism. He admits that he doesn’t know if Paul is actually racist, yet this issue concerns him more than our undeniably racist foreign policy of mass murder. A policy that Paul alone opposes among serious candidates.
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