Tweet
I don’t know about you, but I thoroughly enjoyed the Republican debate Saturday. Seeing Willard get smacked around for being an opportunistic phony by the phony St. McCain and opportunistic Huck was priceless. And I really loved it when each candidate (save Ron Paul) was forced — on national television — to genuflect to the Great Leader and praise his Glorious War in Iraq, thus alienating 70% of the people watching. So good.
But I sat up and took notice when Grandpa Fred said:
After the Cold War, we had one big enemy and one big weapon against us. When we kind of took a holiday from history in the ’90s and let our military slide and our intelligence capabilities slide, the world was changing.
Now where do you think Grandpa got the phrase, "holiday from history"? Turns out this little ditty goes back to a 2003 article by the war-mongering neocon Charles Krauthammer. It’s since become a right-wing favorite, and Thompson knows who he’s talking to by putting it out there.
Let’s take a look at the United States’ "holiday from history" in the 1990s, when we stuck our heads in the sand as the world changed around us.
1991 Operation Desert Storm: Invaded Kuwait, Iraq
1992-1993 Somalia
1994 US invades Haiti
1995 US, with NATO, begins campaign in Bosnia, Kosovo (largest US military operations in Europe since WWII)
1998 Operation Desert Fox (massive bombing campaign in Iraq)
1998 Airstrikes in Afghanistan and Sudan
1999 Kosovo
And this is just a short list. For a more extensive detailing of our decade long foreign policy coma, see here.
There is no country in the world that invaded or bombed more countries in the 1990s than the United States. There is no country in the world that spent more on or had a larger military in the 1990s than the United States. There is no country that threw its weight around and exterted a greater influence on world affairs than the United States in the 1990s. By any objective measure.
But to the neocons, we were taking a "holiday." A Republican presidential candidate just parroted this radical movement’s talking points in a nationally-televised debate, leaving little doubt that the neocons’ views have become the GOP’s party line. That should give rational Americans pause and make the choice in November all that easier.
99 Comments
Support this site!
Subscribe to the newsletter
Advertise on Firedoglake
Send
us your tips
Make us your homepage
About Firedoglake
zed?
Not sure about this graphic. Fred looks awake, even alert.
LOL
Yes. And then there was all that work that was done intentionally to get countries to buy/develop nuclear weapons and other arms in order to bring profit to the American military-industrial complex. There was also a concerted effort to do away with nuclear non-proliferation pacts and inspectors – and the whole Valery Plame situation also was framed in these terms.
Did we invade Mars? No but we would have if we had not been on holiday.
One big holiday!
He was acting.
Morning Blue Texan. Morning all.
OT in William Crystol’s “debut” NYT op ed, not only does he bring up the disaster of a candidate who would wrest troops from a Iraq on the brink of victory, and threaten Dems and Rethugs alike with a Bloomberg (hence neocon) candidacy if the Rethugs (& presumably the Democrats) do not tow the line on the M.E. war, but he, in a first I think, cites as his key named source on things related to candidate issues, Conservative “writer” Michelle Malkin. Writer? hmmmm. And, are the conservatives so desperate for “thinkers” to cite that they can only come up with a over emotive, uneloquent hyperventilating gadfly?
Hmmm, Holiday from History. Looks like Fred has taken a Vacation from Reality. I love the fact that the GOP base has become so radicalized and extreme. It will not be hard to defeat a candidate that has publicly declared policies only supported by less than a 1/3 of the voting public.
“Holiday From History”
o/` Workin’ overtime, workout… o/`
At the Democratic convention this summer I recommentd that instead of forcing the nation to watch a bunch of bloviating speeches that we
telecast Saturday’s Republican debate.
That was brutal.
This is what happens whenever Jeri makes him take tow Viagra the night before.
Na gonna read Kristolnacht’s column. Sorry. Never gonna go there. A big buzz campaign afoot for Bloombucks third-party candidacy. Not gonna go there either…. more and better Democrats!
OT–has WGA had a statement on the Daily Show/Colbert Show returns? Inquiring minds are making evening viewing decisions. Although there is something about Letterman’s beard that may trump any other choices….
Fuck – two, not “tow”
We “new” what you meant!
She probably handed them to him with her freshly polished toes.
WASHINGTON – Iranian Revolutionary Guard gunboats harassed three U.S. Navy warships in the Strait of Hormuz Sunday, in what the U.S. military considers a “significant provocative act.”
Military officials told NBC News that two U.S. Navy destroyers and one frigate were heading into the Persian Gulf through the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz when five armed “fast boats” of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard approached a high speed, darting in and out of the formation.
At one point a radio message from one of the Iranian boats warned, “You are going to blow up within minutes.”
A TOW is a wire guided missle.
Fred is speaking to country club goopers. Facts are not important.
Nothing the double Gitmo Repubs say on the campaign really matters. The physician I work for, formerly a Republican, told me this AM he is not even paying attention to the R’s this time around. After the turnout for the Dems in Iowa & the anticipated Indies in NH probably going Dem, I really believe the Bush/Cheney Republican party has collapsed, they will not matter in November.
so that Impeachment of Bill Clinton by freddy and friends ???
that was a “Holiday” ???
there are a lot of holes in thompson’s head, and they’re where the brains are supposed to go
I love the graphic.
Methinks the phrase holiday from history in the 90s is a none-too-subtle way of blaming the Clenis for all our currrent foreign policy problems. Coming from a credible conservative candidate, it might’ve gotten some traction, but from Hollywood Frederick? C’mon, who takes him seriously?
Yes. If it weren’t for Clenis distracting the GOP terra warriors, they could’ve focused on the terrarists that were running rampant all over the world and none of this would’ve happened.
I think we’re out of those
they’re on back order, with the unicorns, Chimeras, and griffins
The physician I work for, formerly a Republican, told me this AM he is not even paying attention to the R’s this time around.
I was really expecting my father to go with McCain, but he told me this weekend “he had his chance” and is now supporting Obama.
MSNBC just released a new Marist poll that was conducted between January 5-6th with an error margin of +-4.5%.
The poll showed…
Obama 36%
Clinton 28%
Edwards 22%
Sorry for going so far off topic but has anyone else read the Sunday Times article about Sibel Edmonds? It’s pretty explosive and I’d hate to see the horse race keep it from getting the attention it deserves.
How can people be choosing between Obama and McCain
their positions are opposite
i gnu that :)
LOL
Someone brought it up yesterday and then linked to it so all could read. It is very interesting. But don’t know what is to be done with our Congress the way it is.
Bill Kristol…
Botox has failed Fred. His mind is still wrinkled.
This is the same Rip Van Winkle who said last fall that the Soviet Union was a threat to the US.
My father is retired military and always votes rethug, but somehow he’s gotten inspired by Obama. Totally shocked the hell out of me too.
I don’t know when Conservatism ever represented what it is purported to be. All the Conservative Presidents in recent history have spent the country into recession. Reagan, GHWB, and Dim Son have all bankrupted the treasury. Ironically, Bill Clinton is the only recent president who has any conservative bona fides. Conservatives are completely full of sh*t.
Man. I just went and listened to the late, late night blues that Suzanne had put up for us. Wow – Stevie Ray Vaughn, Albert King, Paul Butterfield and BB King from 20 years ago. It went really well with my first cup of coffee, just in case you need some cobwebs removed.
I think people see them as “authentic”.
OT (and not). Someone over in the comments of Think Progress noted that the Iranian “incident” today (or claims there to) may be linked not only to the ongoing neocon push to bomb Iran, but also to the need now to press fear & war vis-a-vis the Republican (and Dem) selection of candidates – i.e. an attempt to give McCain and Guilliani (and Romney?) more support, vis-a-vis Huckabee. Interesting!
I also am curious as to whether the US ships stationed in that tight area had themselves sent out agents via smaller boats which brought them to shore for what ever spying or stirring up danger they were charged with doing.
Yes it is very interesting. Alas, if true it points back to the V.P.’s office, and we know how well investigations of that group are going!!
Fred took a holiday from himself…
I don’t think it OT at all, that’s why I posted the story.
Yup another sign of dyslexia. K – like Knife sharpener.
His mind is on vacation, his mouth is working overtime?
A new situation in Iran? Now foreign policy is partisan service for elections? Oh, I bet our uniforms gonna like that idea.
I wonder if Ghouliani is an authentic Vampire or a Sears Vampire?
Everybody’s cryin for mercy
But they don’t know the meaning of tthe word
Ha, love them Zappa’s refs.
I wonder if Obama wins and starts doing what he said he would
what is your Dad going to think? And the one area McCain and Obama agree (to some extent) is immigration -the issue most Republicans disagree with him. I find this fascinating.
Honestly, I’m not sure what he’ll think, KGC. I’m still reeling. ;) But in a good way.
Interestingly everything I know (well mostly) about this stuff I read in a series of fast paced and largely well written recent spy novels by the clearly over-the-top neocon, Vince Flynn. In the same way that the neocon are using the MSM to get their issues out there (not only Fox and Time but also the NYT – hence Miller, Gordon, Bobo Brooks, 6 months Friedman and William Krystol (thanks Biodun) but also fiction – 24 and books. There is one these trash novels that begin with a similar incident (although the Arabs do not go back to harrass the boat that dropped them off). No doubt there is someone (maybe several) in the “service” who are serving as informants to Flynn, and in turn, his books are probably being used to as the basis (historical validation, successes “facts”) for new engagements. I know it is tinfoil hat stuff, but in OZ, the guy with the tinfoil hat, as I recall was the one without a brain.
Speaking of which the rethug choices seem to me rather similar to the Oz folks – one without a heart (Romney), another without a brain (McCain), the other without courage (Guilliani). Huckabee, seems to me like one of the ever happy munchkins.
I look forward to hearing your Dad’s reaction to President Obama
(And his substantial Democratic majorities)
OT–
Heartbreak Hill for Mama:
I just saw (Via Raw Story) that our good friend Drudge has the inside scoop that Hillary is going to drop out! So obviously it is not true, but there was another poll that showed Obama with only a one point lead rather than the huge lead the Marist poll had. (Are these priests that have found a new niche? Growing up in New England the Marists were a priestly order.)
You know we have Black Ops there. . .
Time will tell if there will be (if WE can bring about) a change in the number of Dems in the Senate. That should be a KEY worry (and focus of ours – and the Dems) at this point. And again I think that with Obama pulling so much money and support, the DCC will use its funds principally to support those “moderates” on the war issue who conform with their agenda.
Our lead audiologist in the office, who has never voted for a Democrat in his life, swore me to secrecy around this place and told me that he simply couldn’t bring himself to vote for any of the current batch of Republican candidates, and if one of them gets the nod he’ll simply have to vote for a Democrat. He’s living in hope that Michael Bloomberg will ride into town and rescue him…
Color me cynical, but it appears (with the exception of Somalia) that the reason we “took a holiday from history” is that we were largely successful in our military objectives, and pretty damn successful in policy.
Asshat.
William (Bill) Kristol…*G*
I hope all the laughing and mocking of Ron Paul comes back to haunt them and he goes Indy-pendant on their butts.
Also the point on who filters the presidents info and what their causes are – that is a main reason for boosting Edwards…I see him in the right fights and I see he going to the data and pulling tial lawyer 200 hour weeks in his efforts. Jeez we had what 8 years give or take some mental blackouts of Raygun and 8 years of the Chimp… so can we please have someone in the drivers seat (as we finish our plunge from the cliff :()
Of course! That is why I am wondering about their connection with the so-called boat incident.
You’ve got that moron King down there don’t you. And Barrow, that’s enough to make you vote Bolshy!
Jeez, I will have to add yet another thanks and apology. K like knife and I like idiot. Satisfied….yet? :-)
Oh, he thoroughly supports the local Republicans…
If you have a President that could talk the spots off a leopard, as I think we did in the nineties, it seems to me that you don’t have to employ the tactics of hegemony as much. The world loved Bill Clinton; they still do. OTOH, when you’ve elected leaders who exude childishness, petulance, and arrogance, one who swaggers and employs cowboy diplomacy, you better be prepared to use many weapons of mass destruction. That’s just the way of the world.
“William (Bill) Kristol…*G*”
aka “Bloody Bill”
Kingston, my bad.
Yup. Well put!
MSM has more less written off Hillary at this point. They’ve been writing her obituaries all weekend. But I say: Watch out for the phoenix! She and hubby will not let the Clinton Dynasty fade that easily. She’s got tons of money to keep her campaign afloat, even if and when she loses the argument for that campaign….
…more or less written off…
It will be interesting to see how the national vs. local politics plays out, especially here in Texas. On the very local level, we will still have an R state rep, but the fight is in the R primary. We will still probably be stuck with Lamar Smith in Congress because of the successful gerrymandering of the district. That leaves us with the Senate as our only hope to get rid of the Box Turtle.
OT
Mrs. Gore & Mrs. Clinton will not be happy about the recent economists’ foray into studying the influence of violence in flims/TV on violence in reality. Economists find, by looking at the evidence (imagine that; what a novel idea), that violence in media reduces violence in reality, by keeping perps off the street while they’re sublimating.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01…..ref=slogin
So, will anyone in the DC establishment take McGovern’s suggestion to impeach Bush/Cheney seriously?
Yeah, I thought not. Our Democratic Congress seems to be taking a “holiday from history.”
Studies related to Japan (where violence in film is huge) reinforce this. There murder rate is close to nil.
eCAHN:
You back fom skiing in Utah already? Or are you taking a break between runs?
Their not there -but you know that!
The administration is taking a holiday from geography too: attacked by one group of people, declare war on another. Ooops.
Just gettin ready to go out. Lifts open in 10 min. Yesterday 14″ of new powder; today brilliant sunshine. See ya later.
nbc is running a special interview with obama on the nightly news the night before NH
shouldn’t that be an inkind contribution
What are the gun laws like in Japan?
And the man is weary:
no more than when NBC and ABC and Fox do interviews with Condi and others in the admin every week-end. This probably would be viewed as “newsworthy.”
very VERY tough, as in there are no guns. – But then they do not have the NRA!
First debate question: taxes.
Fred’s first debate answer: how to save social security.
It’s important to get outta the gate well in these debates, huh?
Please no! He can’t be reelected! I promised Lamar & his staff a long vacation at home in this Year’s Christmas card…
And this:
(Same link as my 82.)
Clusterfuck says that Iranian ships did threatening things to american ships- taunted them with insulting messages? Israel is lecturing Clusterfuck on his bombing options in Iran—-with a probably “if you don’t do it we will” message.
Not a good time to have a cretin in the White House
Keep spending your money buddy, the economy thanks you.
OT. New Rasmussen poll has Obama’s reach extending nationally. Clinton is now ahead of him 33-29; In the lat pole it was Hillary beating him 41-24. (you want the source? [alas, it is cited via Drudge).
I can just see the little Iranian gunboats circling the U.S. warships with the Iranians shouting things like, “I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster! You feelthy Americans!”
I wonder what sort of ROI they are operating under. You know that people out are gonna be a bit on the proddy side.
Earlier I noted, that someone at Think Progress thinks the timing also might be linked the Rethug campaign (pro guiliani or McCain, anti-Huckabee). And, of course, as I noted earlier, William Cristol (right finally Biodun?) is threatening with a Bloomberg entry for the Neocons if the Rethugs pick Huckabee. My sense is that they are VERY despirate. The amount of pressure they must have put on the NYT for Cristol must have been considerable. And Bobo Brooks is clearly pissed. He called Cristol something like a pseudo-Conservative.
Richmond-
The story line is that Hillary and Romney are both on the ropes- a couple more defeats away from elimination.
Of course there have been no “closed” primary which may favor them.
I was thinkin more like “get the fuck out of our territorial waters”
This is off topic, but I think I saw something here by a blogger after her death. I know that no one here likes Time Magazine, but I would like to draw your attention to a viewpoint piece by William Dalrymple on page 46 titled Martyr Without a Cause, about Benazir Bhutto. His column is the only one that I have seen anywhere that tells the truth about Banazir Bhutto. She was very corrupt when she was PM. Her husband was charged with many crimes, her own brother-a political rival-was gunned down by her police when she was PM. IOW, the US backed(once again)someone who never was in favor of democracy. Someone whose reign as PM was a study in corruption, whose secret service-ISI-under her watch helped arm the Taliban and facilitate its rise to power in Afghanistan. She did nothing to stop the ISI from training Islamist jihadis to do the ISI’s dirty work elsewhare in the region. Above all she was a fudal landowner, and while she talked a good game about helping the poor and uneducated, she did nothing to back it up. I have no idea why rice pushed so hard to get Bhutto put back in charge, she never was any kind of a friend to the US(she favored $$$ only) either when she was PM or when she was in exile. And she was arrogant, her final act, in her will, was to hand her party to her husband and son, as if it were her personal family fief. My guess would be that rice bought into her retoric, and never bothered to read anything that was reported to foggy bottom when she was PM. Her entire family is crooked and corrupt, her husband could never be elected to anything, he still has many charges of theft and corruption hanging over his head(the investigation was started while she was still PM, so Musharraf had noting to do with it) Amnesty International accused her govt of having one of the worlds worst records of custodial deaths, abductions, killings, and torture.
Re: the genuflecting to junior:
Some polls are showing Obama surging 10 points ahead of Clinton in New Hampshire. If that’s true in “safe for her” New Hampshire, it will be a DAGGER to her campaign.
And it will have far-reaching implications in this election.
Barring another 9-11, Hillary is the GOP’s last chance to salvage something from 8 years of george bush’s bloody, miserable, “leadership”.
Without her to run against, they’re done for. She’s their lifeboat, and if she sinks, there will be a lot of gooper rats facing a LONNNNNG swim to shore.
McCain seems willing to go down with the ship, but look for Willard and Giuliani and Huck to start distancing themselves from bush’s clusterfuck. In the general, without Hillary for them to talk about as THE issue, Iraq moves front and center.
Obama may be mumbling “bipartisanship”, but he’s a politician, and he knows where the jugular is, and if he runs the table (All those black voters in South Carolina! :o) )I believe he’ll go for it, knowing what’s at stake, in the general. I sure hope so.
TimR; good post!
She, and her family were not saints; far from it. Read Steve Coll’s “Ghost Wars”, if you want the skinny on her tenure as PM.
But, I certainly would have preferred her, to Musharraf, to lead there, and she undoubtedly had a lot more popular support than he does.
Lastly; her personal courage is undeniable.
Pakistan and the world, are the worse, for her death.
This “blame Clinton for Al-Qaeda” meme is now essential for their belief system. It’s so easy to claim that we were asleep during the 90s. It allows them to pretend that Al Gore and his terrorism task force weren’t hitting every panic button, and that the entire Clinton administration wasn’t warning BushCo of the imminent danger.
What a short step for Rudy to claim that Ike promised a man on the moon and Nixon delivered. Either Rudy doesn’t remember (a bad sign) or we don’t (worse).