Sunday, October 29, 2006

Republican Hypocrisy

About a month ago, the Staunton News Leader printed this letter from me.

George Allen and George Bush would have us believe that the Iraq war is part of the so-called War on Terror. This has always been, at best, a misrepresentation, a bending of the truth in order to falsely justify Bush’s reckless and arrogant foreign policy. But now, our own intelligence agencies have concluded that the invasion and occupation of Iraq have actually increased the threat of terrorism, creating new generations of militant radicals. Of course, this merely confirms what opponents of the war have been saying from the beginning. Far from making the world safer, the Bush administration has made things considerably worse, not just today, but for decades to come.
We must act to reverse the failed policies of George Allen and George Bush. This isn’t a question of anybody wanting to “cut and run.” This is about correcting a failed policy, about working to bring real security to this country without the distraction of occupying and subduing Iraq. This is about cleaning up the mess we have made and finally doing what is right.
The first step is to elect to the U.S. Senate leaders like Jim Webb who understand security, who understand the military and understand when the use of force is justified, leaders who are committed to a swift end to the American military occupation of Iraq in order to return stability to that region. If you want to continue the failed policies that George Bush’s own intelligence advisors tell him have been a complete disaster, then vote for Allen. If you want to make a change, and get it right this time, if want real leadership in the Senate, vote in November for Jim Webb.

It seems to me, this is an unassailable argument, and the letter-writing Republicans must have agreed because no one responded in the newspaper. But one local blogger, a right-wing extremist who hides behind her nom de blog (SWAC Girl), was willing to stick her neck out (oh, that’s right, if you do it anonymously, there’s no risk) and attack me on her blog, by name. When I left a comment in reply, true to her hypocritical form, she refused to allow my response to appear.

Here’s what she had to say, typos and all:

From SWAC: Jim Webb has been accussed by women at the Naval Academy of indiscretions and name-calling. Where are the stories and follow-up stories? Where's the outrage by the lib readers of Webb's mistreatment of women? Where are their letters to the newspaper?
Now, today, letter-writer Clifford Garstang who is a frequent contributor to the newspaper writes, "A vote for Webb is a vote for stability." Talk about being in la-la land! What part of not being attacked by Muslim terrorists for five years is not stable?
I think I'll stay with the present plan, thank you very much. We've tried the democrat/lib way and we were attacked over and over.
I prefer the battle be over there ... and not here.
I'll continue to work hard to get my guy elected because he has helped keep us safe ... and Mr. Garstang can work to get his guy elected, the one who will go back to the old worn-out playbook of the liberal Democrats which means do nothing, cut back, down-size, smile, and hope for the best.
And here’s the response I left on her blog as a comment, which she refused to post.

La-La Land? That’s the best you can do? I guess that would be, then, a place where people are educated and know something about how the world works, and aren’t mired in reactionary, bigoted, arrogant politics; where people look forward, to the well-being of future generations; where people understand that all people have rights, even people who weren’t born in America; where other cultures and religions are deserving of respect; where Christianity means love and tolerance, not hate and mistrust. Give me La-La Land over your self-centered, egotistical, hate-filled Fascist-land any day. Can’t you see that it doesn’t matter that we haven’t suffered an attack in America in five years? How can you ignore the attacks in Spain, England, Indonesia and elsewhere? I guess those lives don’t matter to you, since there were no Americans involved. How can you ignore the thousands of American lives lost in Iraq and Afghanistan, or the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives lost? How can you not realize that millions of people hate us for what we have done, and that their hatred will survive for a thousand years? Are you so ignorant that you can’t see that? Or are you so selfish that you just don’t care what happens to anyone other than yourself? Because that’s the conclusion that anyone with any sense draws about the bile that you spread and the ignorance you preach. Open your eyes, if you can.

The fact is, I know a hell of a lot more about the world than SWAC Girl does (despite her attempts to hide, her identity is known). It is clear that she doesn't think for herself and only spews the same old Republican garbage that she is fed from the fascist sewers. But it is kind of fun to read her blog, just for a laugh.

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