Mike Bowers absurd editorial

Michael Bowers wrote an absurd editorial that I had to respond to regarding a claim that Paul Krugman was blaming Bush for Muslim hatred of Jews...

Editorial

My Response:

I read the above editorial and completely agree with you that the hate just never stops. After listening to Rush Limbaugh spew hatred for Clinton over the last 10 years, and then have Hannity, Coulter, O'Reilly, Bennett, and Savage pile on with ongoing diatribes about how the "liberals" are destroying this country with their very existence, it is clear that hatred reigns supreme.

You are a fool reciting the tired jingoistic propaganda of the right. You will undoubtedly disagree with this statement, but is simply because you are too stupid to discern how you are distorting views and statements of those that you hate, and believe that when the likes of Coulter accuse millions of Americans of being traitors, that she is speaking a loving, benevolent truth.


My Response to His response:

Maybe, but do you know any conservatives who would have been stupid enough to blame Clinton for how the Muslims hate Jews?

But per your extracted quotation from Krugman, he is blaming the administration for squandering the post 9/11 sympathy that we had, and brought (American) relations with Muslims to an all time low. That is a much different statement than your interpretation.

Conservatives blamed Clinton for 9/11, murdering 30 some people in Washington and Arkansas, Somalia, Kosovo, the Internet bubble, and a host of other sins. So yes, I do know conservatives stupid enough to make idiotic statements like the one you purport was made.

Muslims have been hating Jews for 2,000 years, and now it's Bush's fault? This is insane.

It would be insane if someone said it. But Krugman didn't.

Maybe both sides hate, but I believe the Left hates more.

Really? How many liberal radio stations and TV programs air 8-24 hours a day of "I hate conservatives" programming along the lines of Rush, Savage, Hannity, OReilly, Fox News, etc? The answer is 0, because there are no such liberal programs. Rush claims 20 million followers. What liberal voice has a similar following? Again the answer is none. There probably are not more that 5 million that even know who Krugman is, let alone consider him a spokesman for their ideas. Al Franken is probably the best known liberal "commentator", but he appears on the talking head shows about once for every 100 Coulter appearances, and is a comedian/performer, not a full time commentator.


Blaming Bush for what Mahathir said is pathetic. Aren't you just a little embarrassed to have a nut like Paul Krugman on your side? I think even you would agree I have a point.

I don't know if Krugman is a nut, I have not read enough or heard enough of him to have finalized a judgement. Again, your quotation does not back up the claim you are making..

"Thanks to its war in Iraq and its unconditional support for Ariel Sharon, Washington has squandered post-9-11 sympathy and brought relations with the Muslim world to a new low."

He says "Washington squandered" not "Bush Squandered". Last time I looked, there were Democrats in Washington that were part of the decision process to go to war in Iraq, and have been party to the support for Isreal (over the last 50 years) that so angers Muslims. It seems to me that you are reaching to blame Krugman and making him a strawman for some evil liberal you supposes exists.



Thanks for writing. -mb.

"Muslims have been hating Jews for 2,000 years, and now it's Bush's fault? This is insane."

You know what's more insane, Mikey? Your knowledge of history. Muslims cannot have been hating Jews for "2000 years", since Islam was founded about 1,400 years ago (approx. 660 AD).