"Chickenhawks: the other right meat" & "Children of chickenhawks" - Salon

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

Two great Salon War Room pieces today by Aaron Kinney.

Chickenhawks: The other right meat

-snip-

Fresh-faced pundit Ben Shapiro and Jonah Goldberg of the National Review are among the conservative commentators who have pecked angrily at the "chickenhawk" assertion, arguing that just because they're not fighting in the war doesn't mean they can't support it. Goldberg clucked last week that "arguments must stand on their own merits, regardless of who delivers them," while in a two-part series titled, "Why the 'chickenhawk' argument is un-American," Shapiro squawked that for liberals to mock supporters of the war who haven't served in the military "undermines fundamental values of representative democracy."

It looks like Shapiro and Goldberg need some context. Contrary to what Shapiro says, we don't disagree with the principle that "those who do not serve in the military have just as much of a right to speak out about foreign policy as those who do." The problem is that we have a "chickenhawk" epidemic on our hands, beginning with an administration that's top-heavy with people who lust for war but haven't served in any themselves.


The children of the chickenhawks

-snip-

As E&P notes, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- a potential Republican presidential contender in 2008 and a staunch supporter of the president's "stay the course" policy in Iraq -- got the question from a Boston Herald reporter last week. He didn't much like it.

Romney has five sons, age 24 to 35, and the Massachusetts National Guard will take 'em up to 39. Asked whether he had encouraged his sons to sign up, Romney said: "No, I have not urged my own children to enlist. I don't know the status of my childrens' potentially enlisting in the Guard and Reserve." As he answered, the Herald says, his voice became "tinged with anger."


More at
http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/index.html?blog=/politics/war_room/2005/08/26/chickenhawk/index.html

[bryant69]

1. I wrote about both of Shapiro's Chickenhawk stories

I think it's hilarious that he argues that calling him a chicken hawk (which he is) is somehow going to shut him out of the discussion of politics when he calls leftists every name in the book - in his very article he throws around the word pacifist pretty freely.

At any rate, like many idealogues, Shapiro is in favor of free speech for those who agree with him and not so in favor of it for the rest of us.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[madmom]

2. must have hit a nerve...n/t

[stepnw1f]

3. "Chickenhawk" really does define Ro-War Right Wingers

They are very sensitive to the term. I use it now all the time.

[Generic Other]

4. Wow! I am speechless

Put this in the "don't put your money where your mouth is" file.

[merbex]

5. Put up or shut up Mitt

Every time you open your mouth Mitt you're creating that landslide allright - - for whoever runs against you (for Gov)