| Submit your comments on this article |
| Fifth Column |
| Bush Takes Shot at Iraq War ’Revisionists’ |
| 2003-06-17 |
| (Edited) President Bush, visiting a frozen pasta business in New Jersey on Monday to tout the tax cut passed last month, also took the opportunity to express his impatience with nagging criticism over the war against Iraq. "This nation acted to a threat from the dictator of Iraq. Now, there are some who would like to rewrite history — 'revisionist historians' is what I like to call them," Bush said I just call them Democrats myself Members of the Senate Intelligence Committee announced this weekend that it will investigate charges of exaggerated intelligence. The House Intelligence panel has already announced its own inquiry. Hearings, probably behind closed doors, will include questioning of intelligence analysts about their work. While they are at it they can question the UN's inspectors, the French, the Germans, the Russians, and the Chinese. They all thought he had them too. People have short memories, especially when there is an election around the corner.... Though the aide said the president does not resent the idea of a congressional investigation, Bush asserted that the United States went to war to respond to a very real threat. "Saddam Hussein was a threat to America and the free world in '91, in '98, in 2003. He continually ignored the demands of the free world, so the United States and friends and allies acted," Bush said. "And this is for certain: Saddam Hussein is no longer a threat to the United States and our friends and allies." |
| Posted by:Secret Master |
| #18 And this is for certain: Saddam Hussein is no longer a threat to the United States and our friends and allies Very Interesting! Despite his reputation, GW rarely says what he can't back up. I wonder if Sadaam's brain waves have finally flat-lined? |
| Posted by: Becky 2003-06-18 00:48:05 |
| #17 TGA - I truly sympathize with you for your past experiences. I spent 10 years of my life riding submarines to help bring the Sov's down. But maybe you should be less concerned about OUR Presidents word usage and more about the faceless drones trying to put you back in chains: http://www.coe.int/t/e/human_rights/media/7_links/right_of_reply_hearing.asp |
| Posted by: Hodadenon 2003-06-17 22:55:53 |
| #16 TGA - revisionist is used in leninist circles to indicate "revisions" to marxism (usually social democrats) It is widely used in non-Marxist circles in english to refer to advocates of revisionist history - anyone who wants to revise "establishment" history. There are marxist and radical revisionist historians, but also libertarians, etc. Unlike crusade its not a metaphor, but a literal application of the word, and makes as much sense in English as the Marxist sense. BTW - to the extent that there the word DOES mean social democrats and Anti-stalinist leftists - some of the true "revisionists' in the US are IN the Bush admin, and in the neo-con wing at that - the intellectual founders of the neo-con movement were generally former social democrats, of the Shachtmanite persuasion, a group of ex-Trotskyites who went further than Trotsky in their condemnation of Stalinism. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2003-06-17 21:38:23 |
| #15 Nobody has ever been thrown into jail for being "arrogant" or "snotty" I think. But thousands died in Siberian labor camps for being "revisionists". I know that Bush didn't mean it that way. But I think he dropped the word "crusade" as well like a hot potato. For good reasons. The connotations are just too heavy. Words kill, too. |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2003-06-17 19:10:14 |
| #14 TGA has a point. For example, look at the way "arrogant" has been tossed around in the last 8 months. It came from the Left to describe Bush and Co. Now bloggers are using it to describe the New York Times. I think it's an accurate description of the Raines regime (oops, another overused word), however. Let's say snotty, stuck up, and liars while describing the Times. So, I guess what the pro-war crowd should do is not use the vocabulary of the left. How about saying the Left is changing its tune, is being hypocritical, etc? "Revisionism"? Just like the word "progressive" Jeez, all the Leftist literature I sift through at work is just full of it. Why can't the non-Left be progressive, as in wanting to make progress? Why has this word been stolen from my 1982 vocabulary? Damn progressives! |
| Posted by: Michael 2003-06-17 18:43:57 |
| #13 Labeling somebody a "revisionist" in Stalinist times meant this person was in for 25 years in the finest Glawnoje Uprawlenije Lagerej, better known as GULag. Somebody should consult the president on his wording. Btw today is June 17th. 50 years ago the first rebellion against Soviet domination was crushed with tanks... in East Germany. The brave East German workers longing for freedom were called "revisionists" too. Chose another word, Mr. Bush. |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2003-06-17 15:42:00 |
| #12 Two things: 1) Iraq did have WMDs and they NEVER accounted for them. 2) Under the cease fire agreement in 1992 the UN (read U.S) has the right/obligation to force the surrendering party (Iraq) into compliance. All you need to know about WMDs and 'justification.' Dems kiss it: (_|_) |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge (VRWC California Chapter) 2003-06-17 15:28:48 |
| #11 Hiryu, The only people with a credibility problem are the leftists who were screaming WMD for Bubba and are now trying to call our President a liar. On another topic, as a 10 year, second generation Navy vet (and my Dad was there) I recommend you recall what happened to your namesake, as well as Soryu, Kaga, Akagi and Mikuma. |
| Posted by: Hodadenon 2003-06-17 15:21:19 |
| #10 RE: WMD. If the will, means, and motive are there, then the threat is there. It would irresponsible of our govt to ignore the threat. The WMD is another dagger probe by the left to stick it to our govt and esp the Bush administration to bring us down. The implications of WMD are so serious that preemption is ugly but necessary. I do not see any volunteers on the left willing to have their community nuked, contaminated with NBC, etc, so they can be the one sacrifical lamb to end the problem (in their perception). |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-06-17 14:12:08 |
| #9 Flogging the WMD angle and then not finding much of anything could wind up being Dubya's "read my lips." While I was resigned to this war and don't miss Sammy one iota, the administration crying out that there was a clear and present danger just falls in line with their yanking of people's collective chains. They're now paying the price in credibility. |
| Posted by: Hiryu 2003-06-17 14:05:03 |
| #8 Intelligence indicated the Third Reich was trying to develop an atomic bomb during WWII. After we defeated the Nazi's, we discovered they weren't as far along as we thought. I suppose today's Dem's would have to question FDR and Truman's ability to tell the truth about WMD. Frankly I wish there was more intelligence to be found sitting on these congressional committees. |
| Posted by: G-Man in Chicago 2003-06-17 13:32:42 |
| #7 I hope that last comment doesn't come back and bite the President, and us, in the ass. |
| Posted by: ColoradoConservative 2003-06-17 12:04:58 |
| #6 I tried to explain what a deeply discredited word this is. Take it from a "revisionist" who learned it the hard way. |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2003-06-17 17:43:28 |
| #5 TGA...and the reason the Stalinists accused their victims of "revisionism" was that all time favorite of the left PROJECTION! Accuse tour enemy of the crime YOU are commiting. The left has gotten as far as it has in the States EXACTLY by revising (or attempting to revise) History. You see it in textbooks, on the History Channel, in the Smithsonian. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, TGA, and I will not amend my vocabulary because a criminal happened to misuse a word as a smokescreen. |
| Posted by: Hodadenon 2003-06-17 17:19:50 |
| #4 Revisionists? More like Trotskyite Deviationist Wreckers! _________borgboy |
| Posted by: borgboy 2003-06-17 16:34:22 |
| #3 I tried to explain what a deeply discredited word this is. Take it from a "revisionist" who learned it the hard way. |
| Posted by: True German Ally 6/17/2003 5:43:28 PM |
| #2 Intelligence indicated the Third Reich was trying to develop an atomic bomb during WWII. After we defeated the Nazi's, we discovered they weren't as far along as we thought. I suppose today's Dem's would have to question FDR and Truman's ability to tell the truth about WMD. Frankly I wish there was more intelligence to be found sitting on these congressional committees. |
| Posted by: G-Man in Chicago 6/17/2003 1:32:42 PM |
| #1 I hope that last comment doesn't come back and bite the President, and us, in the ass. |
| Posted by: ColoradoConservative 6/17/2003 12:04:58 PM |