|
Comment on this article |
View comments |
Email this Article
|
|
News :: |
|
DEAN: Reborn as a Neo-Conservative (english) |
|
by RWF
(No verified email address) |
27 Aug 2003
Modified: 02:50:01 PM |
|
The DLC speaks and the candidates follow! Dean adopts the hawkish, AIPAC view towards Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East. |
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40299-2003Aug24.html
Defining Dean
By Fred Hiatt
Monday, August 25, 2003; Page A17
Howard Dean seemed to be having a grand time, and who could blame him? As he jogged to the podium Saturday evening, a roar rose out of the large (the campaign claimed 4,000) and spirited crowd. Music thumped, navy-blue Dean placards pumped skyward, partisan spirits and late-summer sunshine suffused the Falls Church park. As the former Vermont governor brought his presidential campaign to the Washington suburbs, any rivals for the Democratic nomination hoping that he would soon implode -- through inexperience, or overconfidence or the weight of his supposed liberalism -- wouldn't have found much encouragement.
That last charge -- that he can't win because he's too liberal or dovish -- is obviously one he's giving thought to. "I don't even consider myself a dove," he told me and my colleague Ruth Marcus during a conversation before the rally. It's "not possible" to fix him on the liberal-conservative scale, he said. "Where I am on the political spectrum is a convenient way to avoid talking about issues."
It's true that he opposed the war in Iraq, he says, but he supported the 1991 Gulf War and the Bush campaign against the Taliban in Afghanistan. More interesting, at a time when many politicians are shuddering at President Bush's ambitions to remake the Middle East -- conservatives, because they are skeptical of such grand reshaping ambitions; liberals, because they see resources being diverted from social causes at home -- Dean sounds if anything more committed than Condoleezza Rice to bringing democracy to Iraq.
"Now that we're there, we're stuck," he said. Bush took an "enormous risk" that through war the United States could replace Saddam Hussein and the "small danger" he presented to the United States with something better and safer. The gamble was "foolish" and "wrong." But whoever will be elected in 2004 has to live with it. "We have no choice. It's a matter of national security. If we leave and we don't get a democracy in Iraq, the result is very significant danger to the United States."
And "bringing democracy to Iraq is not a two-year proposition. Having elections alone doesn't guarantee democracy. You've got to have institutions and the rule of law, and in a country that hasn't had that in 3,000 years, it's unlikely to suddenly develop by having elections and getting the heck out." Dean would impose a "hybrid" constitution, "American with Iraqi, Arab characteristics. Iraqis have to play a major role in drafting this, but the Americans have to have the final say." Women's rights must be guaranteed at all levels.
Dean is almost as sweeping about Afghanistan, where "losing the peace is not an option" and "pulling out early would be a disaster." Five times the current level of troops are needed, he said. "Imagine making deals with warlords to promote democracy. What are these people thinking?"
If all this sounds like a recipe for a larger, even more imperial military, Dean says no; it's a recipe for better involving NATO and the United Nations. He would rebuild American diplomacy and recommit to multilateralism; in a nice bit of jujitsu on a Bush campaign 2000 theme, Dean says he would "restore honor and dignity to the United States' reputation around the world." |
Please Don't Feed the Trolls
Wikipedia defines an Internet Troll as: "An Internet troll is either a person who sends messages on the Internet hoping to entice other users into angry or fruitless responses, or a message sent by such a person." Boston IMC strives to provide both a grassroots media resource as well as a forum for people to contribute to a meaningful discussion about local issues. Please, when posting comments, be respectful of others and ignore those trying to interrupt or discourage meaningful discourse. Thank you.
-- Boston Indymedia volunteers
Due to on going anti spam work quick comments are currently broken please use the full comment form. We do hope to have quick comments back on line soon.
|
Vote AGAINST Dubya! (english) |
by I VOTE
(No verified email address) |
27 Aug 2003
|
Why bash Dean? Bash Bush!
Is it the crapola about Iraq? Remember, many Democrats voted with Republicans to go to war. AND, they also voted with Republicans to take OUR freedom away.
Where is the WMM?
How come the economy is in the shitter?
Let's not forget the BIG tax break for the wealthy!
Bush is being let off too easy. Why?
Guess cum stains are more important than human lives.
All those dumbass Republicans should be voted OUT next election. THEY are the TRUE criminals. THEY aren't abiding to OUR Constitution. Which they are held accountable to...
Impeach Dubya Dumbass. Arrest Ashcroft and Cheney for many overlooked illegal activities that BOTH, were involved with...And start the World Court crimes against all who participated in the illegal war in Iraq.
Had enough?
I have... |
|
why replace one gang . . . . (english) |
by RWF
(No verified email address) |
27 Aug 2003
|
with another?
There's a reason why the Democrats are putting out this tabloid, personalized attack on Bush.
It's because, as you recognize, the Democrats support his policies. Hence the need for hysterical, non-substantive attacks upon the President.
For example, the Democratic candidates for President, with the exceptions of Kucinich, Braun and Sharpton, all support his Iraq policy.
Yes, the Democrats are somewhat better on domestic policy. But, how people are you willing to have killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere to have it?
Here's the 2004 election in a nutshell: vote Democrat, so you can have a job while we kill Iraqis and Afghans; vote Republican, so Wall Street investors can get rich while we kill Iraqis and Afghans . .
not much of a choice |
|
Dean is an idiot and a liar (english) |
by Fred
(No verified email address) |
27 Aug 2003
|
See the many many reasons why in my other postings on Dean.
And remember, Dean is to the RIGHT of Bush on several issues, and those ones you thought he was with the left on, take another look. It's scary to look closely.
The Bush Empire, or the Dean Empire. How to Decide?
http://publish.portland.indymedia.org/en/2003/08/270574.shtml
The Problems with Howard Dean
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2003/06/266577.shtml
More on Howard Dean – "I was against the war, but I wasn't a protester."
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2003/07/267969.shtml
'Progressive' Media Sell Out - Fear of the Right Wing Means Silencing Left Voices
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2003/08/269663.shtml |
