George Will Calls Right-Wing Iran Attacks on Obama “Foolish”
George Will may not know much about climate change or bicycle commuting but I think he’s mostly been a voice of reason on foreign policy issues relative to most conservative pundits. Today was no exception as he called out his colleagues for “foolish criticism” of the President’s approach to Iran:
The president is being roundly criticized for insufficient, rhetorical support for what’s going on over there. It seems to me foolish criticism. The people on the streets know full well what the American attitude toward the regime is. And they don’t need that reinforced.
It’s worth keeping in mind that the people trying to loudly position themselves as the Iranian people’s greatest friends are the exact same people who wanted to drop bombs on Iranians just a couple of weeks ago.
33 Responses to “George Will Calls Right-Wing Iran Attacks on Obama “Foolish””
Register
RSSLogin
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog RollAbout Matt YglesiasContact Me
Donate
June 21st, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Y’know, if you watch the Stephanopolous show and listen to the Harry Shearer show, you can actually get a good Sunday morning rundown of the news without driving yourself insane in the process.
June 21st, 2009 at 4:38 pm
George Will is the personification of the blind pig and the acorn.
He attains status and gravitas just by being quoted. It is human nature to accord importance to that which is familiar. So why would a seeker of truth quote him?
Why does MY quote all the right wingers? Is it his intent to increase their influence?
June 21st, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Too late for you, Petey
June 21st, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Is the bit under the video Will or MY?
June 21st, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Didn’t he claim that Reagan had lost the Cold War after Reykjavik? George Will is a clown, he is sometimes right just by accident.
June 21st, 2009 at 6:17 pm
If George Will is the voice of reason within your political tent, you know that you’re pretty much screwed.
June 21st, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Я уже видел это видео уже на каком-то блоге, тоже задумался там отписаться, но отпишусь тут.
June 21st, 2009 at 6:48 pm
It’s worth keeping in mind that the people trying to loudly position themselves as the Iranian people’s greatest friends are the exact same people who wanted to drop bombs on Iranians just a couple of weeks ago.
Yeah, that’s pretty weird. It’s almost like they were just opposing whatever the administration’s policy happened to be, for the sake of sheer obstructiveness. But of course they’re mature adults and that couldn’t possibly be the case.
June 21st, 2009 at 6:56 pm
[...] Matt Yglesias: “It’s worth keeping in mind that the people trying to loudly position themselves as the Iranian people’s greatest friends are the exact same people who wanted to drop bombs on Iranians just a couple of weeks ago.” [...]
June 21st, 2009 at 6:57 pm
It is also worth noting that those yelling the loudest for President Osama to denounce the Iranian Government are the same ones who root for Amadinejad to stay in power because he makes a better foil for their desires to attack Iran.
June 21st, 2009 at 7:16 pm
SLC,
The man’s name is ‘Ahmadinejad’, not ‘Amadinejad’.
June 21st, 2009 at 8:18 pm
George Will may not know much about climate change or bicycle commuting but I think he’s mostly been a voice of reason on foreign policy issues relative to most conservative pundits.
The SOB doesn’t know squat about health care either.
June 21st, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Hector – Seriously? Leaving out the “h” is worth criticizing now?
June 21st, 2009 at 10:04 pm
If we want to Latinize Iranian names creatively, perhaps “Amadeonejad”?
My favorite piece of G.O.P. rhetoric on foreign policy is “We are all Georgians now!”. Meaning, we are all hapless loudmouth loosers like Gingrich or Saakashvili.
June 21st, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Will and Matt are of course, right. Hector, who is criticizing Matt for how he choses to transliterate a Farsi/Pharsi/Farsee/Pharsii name into the Latin alphabet is also, of course, silly. Hector, you of all people should know better. Your (Trojan, and thus, probably Bronze Age Pelasgian) name might be better rendered into Latin Characters (via the Greek) as Ektor.
Glass houses…stones….whatever.
June 22nd, 2009 at 12:02 am
Mr. Minos,
1) I was criticizing Mr. SLC, not Mr. Yglesias.
2) I reserve the right to critiize Mr. Yglesias as much as I choose. When one gets paid a nice fat salary to live in Georgetown and clog up the internet with one’s airheaded ruminations on pork chops, rainbow parties and professional basketball, then one is fair game for any sort of critiism.
3) My real name isn’t Hector, it’s a South Asian name, but it has same the number of letters.
4) If the spelling ‘Hector’ was good enough for the man who prophecied Christ in his Fourth Eclogue, then it’s good enough for me.
5) If I saw a name spelled ‘Amadinejad’ I would pronounce it differently (with a shorter duration of the initial vowel) than ‘Ahmadinejad’. I can see you’re a fan of the ‘I’m OK, You’re OK’ politically correct school of descriptivist grammar, but Ive had about enough of that nonsense.
June 22nd, 2009 at 12:15 am
6) You’re a tool.
We know you think you’re holier than the pope. Feel free to shut the fuck up about it.
7) Nobody gives a shit how many letters your real name has.
9) See #9
10) Who’s clogging up what now? I can’t get anywhere some days in these comment threads with the likes of you, Al, Myles, and the rest of the insane clown posse jabbering away and barking at the moon at some ridiculous shit.
June 22nd, 2009 at 12:16 am
I reserve the right to critiize Mr. Yglesias as much as I choose. When one gets paid a nice fat salary to live in Georgetown and clog up the internet with one’s airheaded ruminations on pork chops, rainbow parties and professional basketball, then one is fair game for any sort of critiism.
Hey! Yglesias doesn’t live in Georgetown.
(Rainbow parties?)
June 22nd, 2009 at 12:34 am
Duvall,
Mr. Yglesias has gone on record endorsing teen sex. Look it up.
June 22nd, 2009 at 1:49 am
Which has nothing do with rainbow parties. Which you might know if you’d actually read Matt’s post on rainbow parties thats points out, quite correctly, there’s no such thing as Rainbow Parties (except perhaps in the imaginination’s of deeply repressed conservative scolds.
June 22nd, 2009 at 1:52 am
It’s worth keeping in mind that the people trying to loudly position themselves as the Iranian people’s greatest friends are the exact same people who wanted to drop bombs on Iranians just a couple of weeks ago.
One should also note that they’re the same people who not too long ago were quick to criticize Obama for empty rhetoric or fancy speeches but are now upset that he’s not vocal enough during this period.
June 22nd, 2009 at 5:02 am
If you’re going to talk about SLC’s spelling, you could at least mention his look-at-me-I’m-so-clever habit of putting an “s” in the US President’s last name.
Also.
June 22nd, 2009 at 7:08 am
Couldn’t be written any better. Reading this post reminds me of my old room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thanks for sharing! I would love some feedback on my site Pennsylvania address directory when you got time.
June 22nd, 2009 at 7:15 am
MTC,
Isn’t the fact that Mr. Yglesias endorses teen sex, among legal minors, bad enough?
And I was using ‘Georgetown’ to stand for fashionable hipster districts of DC in general.
June 22nd, 2009 at 7:47 am
Hector – the correct spelling of the President of Iran’s name is محمود احمدی نژاد
Seeing as how you have had enough of that ‘the ‘I’m OK, You’re OK’ politically correct school of descriptivist grammar,’ you might as well go the extra distance, and actually spell the man’s name correctly, in the proper alphabet.
And if you are worried about correct pronunciation, then please practice saying it this way – mæhmuːd-e æhmædiː-neʒɒːd (IPA – International Phonetic Alphabet)
June 22nd, 2009 at 7:57 am
It is a measure of how ridiculous the Republicans have become when George Will cannot even support them. You know you have hit bottom when George Will abandons you.
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:29 am
4) If the spelling ‘Hector’ was good enough for the man who prophecied Christ in his Fourth Eclogue, then it’s good enough for me.
LOL. If I thought you were serious about this, I’d be worried.
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:49 am
Apparently that Zen meditation is paying off. I feel totally centered.
June 22nd, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Ahmadinejad won’t prostate himself before the Zionists or Full Spectrum Dominance crowd. That sort of makes him noble. Besides, with the twinkle, the serenity, and the casual chestnuts and eggnog wardrobe – he’s more or less the *Andy Williams of Iran. He could just as well be singing “Moon River” in Branson as threatening to “wipe Israel off the map” (sic).
June 22nd, 2009 at 1:35 pm
You’re deliberately misrepresenting the Neo-Cons (or whatever they’re called now)’s position. They are friends of The Iranian People. It’s Iran they want to bomb bomb bomb.
June 22nd, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Just when I am about ready to write George Will off as a dottering old fool who acts as if it is still 1975, he says something sensible and leaves me totally confused.
June 22nd, 2009 at 2:42 pm
LOL. If I thought you were serious about this, I’d be worried.
He is just as he’s serious in his baroque screeds about Calvin Klein jeans. Interestingly Hector always has sex on the brain – witness his concern about Oprah’s mythical Rainbow parties – just like the Iranian mullahs, the main point being you gotta keep the women in the back seat. Because we’re scared of the vagina.
June 22nd, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Baroque.
Sometimes, you see someone use precisely the right word. This is one of those times.