Ted may be pointing out that we are not too far away from the ’Wag the Dog" mentality that conservative and establishment democrats and repubbas use to maintain their power base. Both parties, Clinton, both Bushes, Obama and Teflon Ron have all gone to this mantra. What if something happens that the MSM took traction with in conjunction with the establishment conservative democrats of Biden and the Repubbas and sent everything in a frenzy? Take your pick: Taiwan, Venezuela, North Korea, Cuba, domestic terrorism, etc….. Everyone is so on edge it would be easy for the power base to holler and get the sheep to follow without too much thought and questionable legislation may follow. It is not hard, look at how easy it was for individuals as insane as Trump to get a near majority of the country to believe his BS while Hillary and Banker Joe can only say they are “better” than the nimrod, yet bring little to the table themselves except compromise or cowering to the far right. ….
It gets harder every day to be unaffiliated in a hyperpartisan era when every sentence, phrase, and word evoke different connotations and partisan barriers occlude the window of reality. The only consensus of the two conflicting political ideologies seems to be the ambiguous hypocritical morality used to designate other nations as friend or foe … with a degree of self-interest.
Rall is about half right on this one. many thousands of Americans have vigorously protested the imperialist wars waged by the US. Rall doesn’t seem to acknowledge their efforts.
A footnote: I was watching the news this morning, and there was a lot of talk, of course, about the Russian claims that the US had a chemical weapons lab in Ukraine. The commentators were outraged by this obviously false claim. But not a single one of them made any reference to the claims (solemnly repeated by Colin Powell) that Iraq was building weapons of mass destruction. I guess that information just went in the trash can. This is where Rall is right.
There’s a reason WWII was called The Great War. It was not fought over oil, over governing philosophy, over naming rights to the football stadium. It was the world defending itself from a horrible menace.
On the other hand, the First Gulf War was fought over oil. The W/Cheney Gulf War was probably also about oil. But it was also about hubris: 9/11/01 was a criminal action; criminal actors should have been sought, tried, and punished. There was no reason to invade Afghanistan; even less reason to invade Iraq. These were wars of government convenience.
The war in Ukraine is about defending democracy from a horrible menace. That type of war, although unwanted, is necessary, as the alternative is, well, horrible menace. Even pacifists will defend themselves against an attacker.
People who protest against stupid wars understand the difference.
She doesn’t. She’s at a Ukraine rally when her phone tells her there’s a new war, but this time the US started it. Then everyone goes home because Americans don’t protest their own wars of imperialist aggression.
TampaFanatic1 about 2 years ago
Ted may be pointing out that we are not too far away from the ’Wag the Dog" mentality that conservative and establishment democrats and repubbas use to maintain their power base. Both parties, Clinton, both Bushes, Obama and Teflon Ron have all gone to this mantra. What if something happens that the MSM took traction with in conjunction with the establishment conservative democrats of Biden and the Repubbas and sent everything in a frenzy? Take your pick: Taiwan, Venezuela, North Korea, Cuba, domestic terrorism, etc….. Everyone is so on edge it would be easy for the power base to holler and get the sheep to follow without too much thought and questionable legislation may follow. It is not hard, look at how easy it was for individuals as insane as Trump to get a near majority of the country to believe his BS while Hillary and Banker Joe can only say they are “better” than the nimrod, yet bring little to the table themselves except compromise or cowering to the far right. ….
1BlackLivesMatter Premium Member about 2 years ago
Great ’toon, Ted!
superposition about 2 years ago
It gets harder every day to be unaffiliated in a hyperpartisan era when every sentence, phrase, and word evoke different connotations and partisan barriers occlude the window of reality. The only consensus of the two conflicting political ideologies seems to be the ambiguous hypocritical morality used to designate other nations as friend or foe … with a degree of self-interest.
Newenglandah about 2 years ago
Not sure about that. I and many others were out protesting the unnecessary invasion of Iraq when W initiated it.
lonecat about 2 years ago
Rall is about half right on this one. many thousands of Americans have vigorously protested the imperialist wars waged by the US. Rall doesn’t seem to acknowledge their efforts.
lonecat about 2 years ago
A footnote: I was watching the news this morning, and there was a lot of talk, of course, about the Russian claims that the US had a chemical weapons lab in Ukraine. The commentators were outraged by this obviously false claim. But not a single one of them made any reference to the claims (solemnly repeated by Colin Powell) that Iraq was building weapons of mass destruction. I guess that information just went in the trash can. This is where Rall is right.
I Play One On TV about 2 years ago
There’s a reason WWII was called The Great War. It was not fought over oil, over governing philosophy, over naming rights to the football stadium. It was the world defending itself from a horrible menace.
On the other hand, the First Gulf War was fought over oil. The W/Cheney Gulf War was probably also about oil. But it was also about hubris: 9/11/01 was a criminal action; criminal actors should have been sought, tried, and punished. There was no reason to invade Afghanistan; even less reason to invade Iraq. These were wars of government convenience.
The war in Ukraine is about defending democracy from a horrible menace. That type of war, although unwanted, is necessary, as the alternative is, well, horrible menace. Even pacifists will defend themselves against an attacker.
People who protest against stupid wars understand the difference.
preacherman about 2 years ago
OK, Ted. what’s this about. And why does the redhead think the US started the war with Ukraine and Russia? It doesn’t make any sense, to me anyway.
Ted Rall creator about 2 years ago
She doesn’t. She’s at a Ukraine rally when her phone tells her there’s a new war, but this time the US started it. Then everyone goes home because Americans don’t protest their own wars of imperialist aggression.
NatureBatsLast about 2 years ago
I still remember Granada plus lots of proxy ‘stuff’ in Central and South America.
Not the Smartest Man On the Planet -- Maybe Close Premium Member about 2 years ago
Which war did the U.S. start? Tell me, and I’ll consider protesting it.
359mxn about 2 years ago
I think that’s the aftermath of WWIII.