Comments on: Recommended Reading http://zenpundit.com/?p=2684 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 05:04:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: zen http://zenpundit.com/?p=2684#comment-6730 zen Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:14:46 +0000 http://zenpundit.com/?p=2684#comment-6730 Hi Jason, . I agree with you that Ayers is both a smart man and no longer a threat, having become sort of a bourgeois academic radical in his middle age. His views remain, however, substantively much the same as he outlined in his memoir - the man is not a small "d" democrat and neither is Bernadine Dohrn who has recast her public image without recanting her views. . Some ( certainly not all) segments of the Democratic Left, and this would seem to include Obama, have an unusual tolerance for very authoritarian Left ideologues that is highly inconsistent with the values of liberalism or of the Democratic Party. Far more tolerance than they show for conservatives or Republicans who actually share the same democratic Constitutional premises as do Democrats and liberals. . As to your questions: Anti-Castro terrorism isn't ok and the proper move would be to prosecute Carriles here since a fair trial is impossible in Cuba.  Support for the Contras otoh, was justifiable given the efforts of Managua to support the FMLN in neighboring El Salvador and ally with the Soviet Union. They weren't peaceful non-interventonist Leftists but players on the other side of the Cold War. Hi Jason,
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I agree with you that Ayers is both a smart man and no longer a threat, having become sort of a bourgeois academic radical in his middle age. His views remain, however, substantively much the same as he outlined in his memoir - the man is not a small "d" democrat and neither is Bernadine Dohrn who has recast her public image without recanting her views.
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Some ( certainly not all) segments of the Democratic Left, and this would seem to include Obama, have an unusual tolerance for very authoritarian Left ideologues that is highly inconsistent with the values of liberalism or of the Democratic Party. Far more tolerance than they show for conservatives or Republicans who actually share the same democratic Constitutional premises as do Democrats and liberals.
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As to your questions: Anti-Castro terrorism isn’t ok and the proper move would be to prosecute Carriles here since a fair trial is impossible in Cuba.  Support for the Contras otoh, was justifiable given the efforts of Managua to support the FMLN in neighboring El Salvador and ally with the Soviet Union. They weren’t peaceful non-interventonist Leftists but players on the other side of the Cold War.

]]> By: Jason http://zenpundit.com/?p=2684#comment-6729 Jason Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:21:44 +0000 http://zenpundit.com/?p=2684#comment-6729 "a more appropriate question would be to ask<strong><em> why</em></strong> the Left-wing of the Democratic Party  has a “terrorist problem”?" Isn't this a bit overdramatic? According to the Wiki, Ayers turned himself in in 1981, went on to acquire several advanced degress, and has written several books and participated in many public panels and symposia. He's been active in local community and philanthropic activities. <a href="http://billayers.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow">He has an active blog</a>, for goodness sake. This man is not some public menace due to his actions 40 years ago. Maybe we should talk about Luis Posada Carriles and why the US government is protecting a known airplane bomber from extradition to face court charges of his terrorist-related actions. Or is "anti-Castro" terrorism okay for the Republican party, much like "anti-Sandinista" terrorism was okay in the 1980s? "a more appropriate question would be to ask why the Left-wing of the Democratic Party  has a “terrorist problem”?"

Isn’t this a bit overdramatic? According to the Wiki, Ayers turned himself in in 1981, went on to acquire several advanced degress, and has written several books and participated in many public panels and symposia. He’s been active in local community and philanthropic activities. He has an active blog, for goodness sake. This man is not some public menace due to his actions 40 years ago.

Maybe we should talk about Luis Posada Carriles and why the US government is protecting a known airplane bomber from extradition to face court charges of his terrorist-related actions. Or is "anti-Castro" terrorism okay for the Republican party, much like "anti-Sandinista" terrorism was okay in the 1980s?

]]> By: zen http://zenpundit.com/?p=2684#comment-6725 zen Mon, 21 Apr 2008 03:20:50 +0000 http://zenpundit.com/?p=2684#comment-6725 Hi Diodotus, Clinton criticism of Obama on this score is cynical and hypocritical, no argument. The underlying issue remains, however. Let's say, hypothetically, that John McCain has a neigbor who happens to be a former Grand Wizard in the Ku Klux Klan and that this neighbor still holds Klan-like views regarding black Americans, Jews and so on but McCain maintains the friendship and even allows the neighbor to work on his campaigns for office. Evidence of tolerance and good character or of poor judgment at best, sympathy for such views at worst ? Hi Diodotus,

Clinton criticism of Obama on this score is cynical and hypocritical, no argument. The underlying issue remains, however.

Let’s say, hypothetically, that John McCain has a neigbor who happens to be a former Grand Wizard in the Ku Klux Klan and that this neighbor still holds Klan-like views regarding black Americans, Jews and so on but McCain maintains the friendship and even allows the neighbor to work on his campaigns for office.

Evidence of tolerance and good character or of poor judgment at best, sympathy for such views at worst ?

]]> By: Diodotus http://zenpundit.com/?p=2684#comment-6724 Diodotus Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:29:02 +0000 http://zenpundit.com/?p=2684#comment-6724 You ask: What was the attraction for Obama to keep counsel with a radically anti-American nut, exactly ? The nut was his neighbor if I'm not mistaken. Could be a example of tolerance and good character, his ability to get along with others whose views he does not share. These are qualities I'd want to see in a President. (And, don't forget, Clinton's husband pardoned several Weatherman, seems a bit worse than keeping good neighbors with a local nut.) You ask: What was the attraction for Obama to keep counsel with a radically anti-American nut, exactly ?

The nut was his neighbor if I’m not mistaken. Could be a example of tolerance and good character, his ability to get along with others whose views he does not share. These are qualities I’d want to see in a President. (And, don’t forget, Clinton’s husband pardoned several Weatherman, seems a bit worse than keeping good neighbors with a local nut.)

]]> By: The Glittering Eye » Blog Archive » Selecting Non-Council Posts http://zenpundit.com/?p=2684#comment-6721 The Glittering Eye » Blog Archive » Selecting Non-Council Posts Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:53:11 +0000 http://zenpundit.com/?p=2684#comment-6721 [...] Chuck Spinney reflects on the grand strategic failures of the Bush prosecution of the War on Terror. Hat tip: Mark Safranski [...] […] Chuck Spinney reflects on the grand strategic failures of the Bush prosecution of the War on Terror. Hat tip: Mark Safranski […]

]]> By: Chirol http://zenpundit.com/?p=2684#comment-6720 Chirol Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:46:20 +0000 http://zenpundit.com/?p=2684#comment-6720 Appreciate the link. After a long pause, I'm back in the game. Appreciate the link. After a long pause, I’m back in the game.

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