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acroyearUnclaimed Territory - by Glenn Greenwald: The Chamberlain/appeasement cliche:
Not that it'll change James's audience numbers at all, but it's still refreshing to watch the self-involved idiots squirm.
Screaming "appeasement" and endlessly comparing political opponents to Neville Chamberlian is not a serious, thoughtful argument, nor is it the basis for any sort of foreign policy. At best, it is an empty, cheap platitude so overused by those seeking war as to be impoverished of meaning. More often than not, though, it is worse than that; it is the disguised battlecry of those who want war for its own sake, and who want therefore to depict the attempt to resolve problems without more and more new wars as being irresponsible and weak.BTW, Chris Matthews had a beautiful exchange where he pulled out the history card and basically made right-wing pundit Keith James pretty much admit he was an idiot for not being able to actually say what Chamberlain actually did to give the word its current connotation. The sputtering and failed attempts to hold onto boilerplate catch phrases in a vain (I use that word literally) attempt to appear knowledgeable was rather refreshing to see.
This same mindset -- even, in some cases, the very same individuals -- now launching the "Chamberlain/appeasement" insult even viewed Ronald Reagan that way because he negotiated and signed treaties with the Soviets and tried to find ways to avoid constant wars. The Cold War didn't end with wars on the Soviets but with engagement of them and treaties with them, signed by the Neville Chamberlain of the 1980s, Ronald Reagan. Those who considered Reagan a Chamberlain appeaser back then were radicals and extremists (and were viewed as such). They still are extremists, but they also happen to be the ones guiding the dominant political party in our country and they don't just want to prolong the war in Iraq but want several new wars (at least). That ought to be the principal issue in this election.
Not that it'll change James's audience numbers at all, but it's still refreshing to watch the self-involved idiots squirm.
