Glenn Greenwald - War-pocrite

[KonaKane]

Oh goody, another one of the blabbists who was for war before he was against it. Here, in Mr. Greenwald's own tortured words, is his admission that he supported the Iraq War.

"During the lead-up to the invasion, I was concerned that the hell-bent focus on invading Iraq was being driven by agendas and strategic objectives that had nothing to do with terrorism or the 9/11 attacks. The overt rationale for the invasion was exceedingly weak, particularly given that it would lead to an open-ended, incalculably costly, and intensely risky preemptive war. Around the same time, it was revealed that an invasion of Iraq and the removal of Saddam Hussein had been high on the agenda of various senior administration officials long before September 11. Despite these doubts, concerns, and grounds for ambivalence, I had not abandoned my trust in the Bush administration. Between the president’s performance in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the swift removal of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the fact that I wanted the president to succeed, because my loyalty is to my country and he was the leader of my country, I still gave the administration the benefit of the doubt. I believed then that the president was entitled to have his national security judgment deferred to, and to the extent that I was able to develop a definitive view, I accepted his judgment that American security really would be enhanced by the invasion of this sovereign country."

http://www.bookbrowse.com/excerpts/index...umber=1812


Sometimes I think Tom Freidman and this fool were separated at birth.

[Arkana]

(01-02-2012 01:05 PM)KonaKane Wrote:  Oh goody, another one of the blabbists who was for war before he was against it. Here, in Mr. Greenwald's own tortured words, is his admission that he supported the Iraq War.

"During the lead-up to the invasion, I was concerned that the hell-bent focus on invading Iraq was being driven by agendas and strategic objectives that had nothing to do with terrorism or the 9/11 attacks. The overt rationale for the invasion was exceedingly weak, particularly given that it would lead to an open-ended, incalculably costly, and intensely risky preemptive war. Around the same time, it was revealed that an invasion of Iraq and the removal of Saddam Hussein had been high on the agenda of various senior administration officials long before September 11. Despite these doubts, concerns, and grounds for ambivalence, I had not abandoned my trust in the Bush administration. Between the president’s performance in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the swift removal of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the fact that I wanted the president to succeed, because my loyalty is to my country and he was the leader of my country, I still gave the administration the benefit of the doubt. I believed then that the president was entitled to have his national security judgment deferred to, and to the extent that I was able to develop a definitive view, I accepted his judgment that American security really would be enhanced by the invasion of this sovereign country."

http://www.bookbrowse.com/excerpts/index...umber=1812


Sometimes I think Tom Freidman and this fool were separated at birth.

Well that tears it, then. Greenwald doesn't get to claim the high ground if he was one of the 90%.

Personally, I never supported the Iraq invasion. Not for one second.

[NanceGreggs]

The Greenwald quote that made me go WTF?:

"During the following two weeks (post 9/11), my confidence in the Bush administration grew as the president gave a series of serious, substantive, coherent, and eloquent speeches that struck the right balance between aggression and restraint."

Believing that Bush ever in his life gave a speech that was "serious, coherent, and eloquent" doesn't make me question Greenwald's writing credentials - it makes me question his sanity.

[azmouse]

(01-02-2012 01:18 PM)NanceGreggs Wrote:  The Greenwald quote that made me go WTF?:

"During the following two weeks (post 9/11), my confidence in the Bush administration grew as the president gave a series of serious, substantive, coherent, and eloquent speeches that struck the right balance between aggression and restraint."

Believing that Bush ever in his life gave a speech that was "serious, coherent, and eloquent" doesn't make me question Greenwald's writing credentials - it makes me question his sanity.

Bush could not only NOT give speeches like those described, he couldn't pronounce those words describing his so-called speeches.

Greenwald is delusional.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

(01-02-2012 01:18 PM)NanceGreggs Wrote:  The Greenwald quote that made me go WTF?:

"During the following two weeks (post 9/11), my confidence in the Bush administration grew as the president gave a series of serious, substantive, coherent, and eloquent speeches that struck the right balance between aggression and restraint."

Believing that Bush ever in his life gave a speech that was "serious, coherent, and eloquent" doesn't make me question Greenwald's writing credentials - it makes me question his sanity.

Substantive="dead r' alive"

Like I said, for a few months after 9/11 I thought "well...he's not eloquent but at least we'll get bin Laden". Lol.....ugh...

[jaxx]

I like that Greenwald supports Ron Paul....who wouldn't use a gay man's bathroom. Goes to show what a fake Greenwald is....and the PLs love him. uh huh

[KonaKane]

For the record, I got the Hitchensites (Christopher Hitchens loyalists) insanely angry at me for pointing out that he ALSO was an adamant supporter of Bush's criminal war.

It seems some folks just do not like to be directed to the truth.

[Treestar]

but this guy is not so consistent if he is one of the ones claiming President Obama didn't get us out of Iraq fast enough. If he was for it as first, he can be more patient about what it takes to get out of it.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

I was 17 on September 11 and went temporarily insane. I laid curled up in bed for weeks and although even in my state of shock I never described Bush as "coherent", he briefly would have received a thumbs up from me if a pollster called. However, by the New Year the cloud of shock had worn off and it was thumbs down again. And I never supported the Iraq invasion.

[Treestar]

felt better on account of Dubya. His flying around that day and not being the first one out there? But I can see where you come from on that, SCQ, don't mean any criticism. I was thinking more along these lines: I can only imagine how President Obama would have handled that. He'd surely be speaking immediately and calming in tone, etc.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

(01-02-2012 02:24 PM)Treestar Wrote:  felt better on account of Dubya. His flying around that day and not being the first one out there? But I can see where you come from on that, SCQ, don't mean any criticism. I was thinking more along these lines: I can only imagine how President Obama would have handled that. He'd surely be speaking immediately and calming in tone, etc.

Ahhh, I deserve criticism, but I didn't take any from your comments. I was simply saying even when I was giving Bush full benefit of the doubt, not *all* of my senses left me. I remember thinking that Blair gave a much better speech than Bush, and wincing at his dead or alive comment.

I guess I can understand being in shock and rallying around the president regarding 9/11 immediately after the fact. But there is no excuse for supporting the Iraq War as one had zero to do with the other

[NanceGreggs]

(01-02-2012 02:24 PM)Treestar Wrote:  I can only imagine how President Obama would have handled that. He'd surely be speaking immediately and calming in tone, etc.

And what I can't imagine - and I don't think any of us could even begin to conjure up this image! - is Obama sitting in that classroom, staring into space after being told of the attack in NYC ... and then sitting there until someone actually came in, took his arm, and led him out of the room.

[KonaKane]

(01-02-2012 04:01 PM)NanceGreggs Wrote:  

(01-02-2012 02:24 PM)Treestar Wrote:  I can only imagine how President Obama would have handled that. He'd surely be speaking immediately and calming in tone, etc.

And what I can't imagine - and I don't think any of us could even begin to conjure up this image! - is Obama sitting in that classroom, staring into space after being told of the attack in NYC ... and then sitting there until someone actually came in, took his arm, and led him out of the room.

Exactly. Obama doesn't do "Deer In The Headlights".

[kahuna]

Thye minute those towers came down I uttered, DAMN George Bush. I believed that because of the way he and his administration pretty much took off for the summer, they weren't on top of things. I never gave bushco one second of a benefit of the doubt.

[Drunken Irishman]

No doubt. I'm not one of those LIHOP or MIHOP people, but the way Bush handled the towers falling in the first 24 hours was just awful. I remember, I think it was Peter Jennings, who was asking where our president was.

His blank look when informed looked like a man totally overwhelmed and out of his league. I've said for years that Bush just sitting there showed how ineffective he was as president. People would respond with a dismissive, "well what the hell do you want him to do - get up and scream to the kids that we were under attack?!?"

No, idiots. No one ever said he should've ran out of the fucking classroom screaming like a maniac. But he could have stood up, looked at the kids and politely excused himself, saying, "he had presidential business to attend to..." and I think that would've been a perfectly acceptable move.

But instead, he sat there like an idiot, as the country was under attack, and did nothing for, what, five minutes? Who does that?!? What president wouldn't at least be interested in knowing WHAT THE FUCK WAS GOING ON? But no, not Bush! He was content with just awkwardly going through the reading while, potentially, MORE attacks happened.

Then what does he do? He gives a press conference, IN FRONT OF THE FUCKING CHILDREN, about the terrorist attacks. So, there goes the whole rationale that we shouldn't upset the dear children by talking about it - Bush did only an hour later.

The worst thing, though? Even though no one knew what exactly was going on, Bush was on television, at a school, with children behind him, talking about the attacks without a hint of understanding, by anyone in his administration, that he very well COULD HAVE BEEN A TARGET! If any terrorist had looked at his daily schedule, they would have known, at that moment, he was still at the fucking school.

He was there for quite a while after the initial attacks.

The whole thing was confusing and ridiculous. Then, after speaking to Americans briefly, he hops into a plane and jets around the country for hours and hours without any indication of a speech coming. We needed a leader at that moment and he didn't lead.

I don't care what anyone says.

I'll concede, after the fact, when things calmed down, Bush did about as well as anyone - but in that initial 24 hours, we were a scared country and I think, at least from my point of view as a junior high student, we were leaderless.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

(01-02-2012 04:20 PM)Drunken Irishman Wrote:  No doubt. I'm not one of those LIHOP or MIHOP people, but the way Bush handled the towers falling in the first 24 hours was just awful. I remember, I think it was Peter Jennings, who was asking where our president was.

His blank look when informed looked like a man totally overwhelmed and out of his league. I've said for years that Bush just sitting there showed how ineffective he was as president. People would respond with a dismissive, "well what the hell do you want him to do - get up and scream to the kids that we were under attack?!?"

No, idiots. No one ever said he should've ran out of the fucking classroom screaming like a maniac. But he could have stood up, looked at the kids and politely excused himself, saying, "he had presidential business to attend to..." and I think that would've been a perfectly acceptable move.

But instead, he sat there like an idiot, as the country was under attack, and did nothing for, what, five minutes? Who does that?!? What president wouldn't at least be interested in knowing WHAT THE FUCK WAS GOING ON? But no, not Bush! He was content with just awkwardly going through the reading while, potentially, MORE attacks happened.

Then what does he do? He gives a press conference, IN FRONT OF THE FUCKING CHILDREN, about the terrorist attacks. So, there goes the whole rationale that we shouldn't upset the dear children by talking about it - Bush did only an hour later.

The worst thing, though? Even though no one knew what exactly was going on, Bush was on television, at a school, with children behind him, talking about the attacks without a hint of understanding, by anyone in his administration, that he very well COULD HAVE BEEN A TARGET! If any terrorist had looked at his daily schedule, they would have known, at that moment, he was still at the fucking school.

He was there for quite a while after the initial attacks.

The whole thing was confusing and ridiculous. Then, after speaking to Americans briefly, he hops into a plane and jets around the country for hours and hours without any indication of a speech coming. We needed a leader at that moment and he didn't lead.

I don't care what anyone says.

I'll concede, after the fact, when things calmed down, Bush did about as well as anyone - but in that initial 24 hours, we were a scared country and I think, at least from my point of view as a junior high student, we were leaderless.

I was in school when it happened, and they didn't let us see the news or anything. Just made an announcement over the PA. My mom was in downtown Chicago and her company was essentially evacuating (there were rumors another plane was headed for Chicago). I guess my point is, at the time, some of us missed how...absent and utter shit he was because we didn't have access to TV or news anyway.

[Drunken Irishman]

(01-02-2012 04:29 PM)SemiCharmedQuark Wrote:  

(01-02-2012 04:20 PM)Drunken Irishman Wrote:  No doubt. I'm not one of those LIHOP or MIHOP people, but the way Bush handled the towers falling in the first 24 hours was just awful. I remember, I think it was Peter Jennings, who was asking where our president was.

His blank look when informed looked like a man totally overwhelmed and out of his league. I've said for years that Bush just sitting there showed how ineffective he was as president. People would respond with a dismissive, "well what the hell do you want him to do - get up and scream to the kids that we were under attack?!?"

No, idiots. No one ever said he should've ran out of the fucking classroom screaming like a maniac. But he could have stood up, looked at the kids and politely excused himself, saying, "he had presidential business to attend to..." and I think that would've been a perfectly acceptable move.

But instead, he sat there like an idiot, as the country was under attack, and did nothing for, what, five minutes? Who does that?!? What president wouldn't at least be interested in knowing WHAT THE FUCK WAS GOING ON? But no, not Bush! He was content with just awkwardly going through the reading while, potentially, MORE attacks happened.

Then what does he do? He gives a press conference, IN FRONT OF THE FUCKING CHILDREN, about the terrorist attacks. So, there goes the whole rationale that we shouldn't upset the dear children by talking about it - Bush did only an hour later.

The worst thing, though? Even though no one knew what exactly was going on, Bush was on television, at a school, with children behind him, talking about the attacks without a hint of understanding, by anyone in his administration, that he very well COULD HAVE BEEN A TARGET! If any terrorist had looked at his daily schedule, they would have known, at that moment, he was still at the fucking school.

He was there for quite a while after the initial attacks.

The whole thing was confusing and ridiculous. Then, after speaking to Americans briefly, he hops into a plane and jets around the country for hours and hours without any indication of a speech coming. We needed a leader at that moment and he didn't lead.

I don't care what anyone says.

I'll concede, after the fact, when things calmed down, Bush did about as well as anyone - but in that initial 24 hours, we were a scared country and I think, at least from my point of view as a junior high student, we were leaderless.

I was in school when it happened, and they didn't let us see the news or anything. Just made an announcement over the PA. My mom was in downtown Chicago and her company was essentially evacuating (there were rumors another plane was headed for Chicago). I guess my point is, at the time, some of us missed how...absent and utter shit he was because we didn't have access to TV or news anyway.

Not a surprise. I was eating my breakfast when it happened. My mom always watched The Today Show and they had been reporting on the first crash, which, at the time, looked just like a terrible, terrible accident. Then, I remember the second plane crashing and it became clear this was something far worse.

By the time I left for school, about an hour later, Bush was just getting ready to speak to the country from the school, with the kids, frightened kids, behind him.

I went to school and had a writing class first period and we actually had it on the television in the classroom and I remember seeing the first tower fall and yelling it out that it was falling, but no one noticed and didn't believe me. Then, after the smoke cleared, you could see where it once stood.

After that, the school kinda just let kids go home.

And I said I was in junior high, I wasn't. I don't know why I put junior high, I was in HS - just had started my sophomore year.

But school kinda just fizzled after that. I don't even think I went to all my classes. I remember only going to my writing (journalism class) and study hall before leaving for the day.

[SeattleGirl]

Bush's initial handling -- or rather, mishandling -- of 9/11 was absolutely shameful, and showed what a real coward and a weakling he is.

I think that other Presidents, be they Republican or Democrat, would have handled that day far better than Dubya did.

And I might even go as far as to say that they wouldn't have dismissed the person who brought him the Presidential Daily Briefing with an "Okay, you've covered your ass" remark like Dubya did when he got the warning about Bin Laden at his ranch.

I'm not MIHOP or LIHOP either, but I have always wondered if those attacks might have been prevented if Dubya had actually been a leader, rather than Cheney's puppet.

Maybe they wouldn't have been, but I don't think Dubya even tried to do anything about that warning.

[There Is No Spoon]

I don't think a laize-fair Bush administration was capable of comprehending the scope of the threat he was presented with - I consider that a basic fault of the Republican Party - which ought to make all Americans feel less safe when a (modern) Republican Administration is in office.

To be fair I had to give W a partial mulligan for 9/11 as they took advantage of the fact that we switch administrations every 4 years and this was an 8-year switchover that also included changing the party in power. It's a basic flaw in our system. Of course he still bears the preponderance of fault for not dealing at ALL with the threat that could. not. have. been. spelled. out. any. clearer. in. the. Presidential. Daily. Briefing.

All in all, it was a massive failure of intelligence and if Bush wasn't a fucking dimwit who lacked curiosity, it could have been prevented.

His response was fine. I had no issue with it and there are times when only an ass hole criticizes a President because he (or she) is from the opposite party - this was one of those times where unity trumped party to the millionth power.

But the effing buffoon blew the goodwill of Democrats and the rest of the world faster than anybody could have imagined with his mindless lies leading to the invasion of Iraq. For anybody to justify the invasion of Iraq (including that bitter troll Greenwald) based on an irrational reaction to 9/11, I have no sympathy for that. None. Nada. Zip. I'm just glad that effing nightmare is over.

I called Greenwald a self-righteous something-or-other on his site, but I would prefer to use the full definition of self-righteous here - "...a smug moral superiority derived from a sense that one's beliefs, actions, or affiliations are of greater virtue than those of the average person." Describes that asshat Greenwald to a "T".

[SemiCharmedQuark]

I was in AP Bio when it happened. We were running an experiment and all of a sudden the PA comes on and the principal tells the teachers to assemble students in the classroom and seat them. Then he says to close the doors. I remember thinking there was a shooter or something on campus. Columbine wasn't that far past and as my HS had five floors we were allowed to carry our backpacks around. There weren't any metal detectors and all doors were unguarded and unlocked.

Then the principal says that shortly before a plane crashed into the world trade center. Nobody said anything because we all figured it was an accident. Then he said another plane hit and there was a crash at the white house. That's when my teacher said "Oh my god...". He said we were to carry on with class and that we would be kept informed of what was going on.

It was awful, we didn't know what was going on and when we changed classes we were trying to get information from people who had study hall first period. No cell phones had internet then and we weren't allowed to have them anyway. In history my teacher promised if we got through the lesson he'd let us watch on the tv. He asked what we knew and a kid named Corey said he had heard it was Osama bin Laden. First time I ever heard that name.

At lunch I called my mom, but her office was closed.

Finally, I had study hall 7th period. I got to the computer lab and found out the. explosion wasn't at the WH, but at the pentagon. The actual news was as bad as the kids in my class...spreading rumors planes were headed to other cities...I remember having the page up and another history teacher reading over my shoulder. he was reading something that said "the taliban expresses its sympathy to the children of America". He scoffed and said "that's funny because we'll be invading them tomorrow".

When I got home, I had to go to work. Nobody was there but. Doc wouldn't let us listen to the radio anyway. Afterwards, my mom picked me and my cousin up and we went to get dinner. Steak n shake. I remember there were no planes in the sky. We live so close to OHare there are always planes and I remember that no planes made me feel sick.

[Ikonoklast]

I thought most people knew Greenwald was a Bush War Cheerleader...it's one reason why I always thought he was not honest in any way.

You cannot have any moral high ground on Iraq when you conceded the position years ago.


And he blames Obama for not stopping the wars he SUPPORTED.

[KonaKane]

What a schmuck. He's basically criticizing people for not fixing his bad decisions.

[cannae1]

There were no WMD in Iraq. That takes care of Greenwald.

Also:

http://www.angryblacklady.com/2012/01/03...-and-rape/

[jaxx]

(01-03-2012 04:56 PM)cannae1 Wrote:  There were no WMD in Iraq. That takes care of Greenwald.

Also:

http://www.angryblacklady.com/2012/01/03...-and-rape/

That story has been hot all weekend, since it happened. Lots written and Greenwald and his minions are livid. Joy Reid wrote a good one on this last night...if I can find it I'll post the link. ABL took Greenwald on and didn't back off.

edit: Here is the article......

On bullying: Glenn Greenwald and the ‘nun rape’ smear
January 3, 2012 ·
http://blog.reidreport.com/2012/01/on-bu...ape-smear/

[There Is No Spoon]

(01-03-2012 04:56 PM)cannae1 Wrote:  There were no WMD in Iraq. That takes care of Greenwald.

Also:

http://www.angryblacklady.com/2012/01/03...-and-rape/

I'm glad people are taking this fucking prick to task - he's a vile person with a one-track mind - he hates Barack Obama - and he'll say anything in order to stay on top of the irrational hate-brigade.

[KonaKane]

Jesus H Christ, what a disgusting asshole. Thanks for posting that story - as repulsive as it was, it's an eye opening expose on this creep.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

Glenn Greenwald's fans remind me of Ron Paul fans...it's like they comb the internet to find criticism of their respective idols.

[KonaKane]

The Paulbots are now roaming the internetz and removing all negative commentary on Ron Paul, from craigslist.

[There Is No Spoon]

(01-03-2012 09:42 PM)KonaKane Wrote:  The Paulbots are now roaming the internetz and removing all negative commentary on Ron Paul, from craigslist.

Those fucking people are whack.

[cannae1]

Greenwald is a fool; he hasn't the sense to get of a shower of rain.