Lynne Cheney on the Daily Show (blunder)?

What's the booboo? She accurately reflects a prevalent attitude. Not the attitude of Stewart's audience, or yours or mine, but I can name at least three prolific posters here in Fred's who would applaud her belief and position and claim she made no gaffe at all. Look how often, for example, the phrase "loss of life" is expressed as "loss of American lives", the unspoken implication being that non-American lives are irrelevant. No, she didn't goof. We did.

Mark Baird
Alameda CA

 

I didn't see the clip, but it sounds like the comments some of our Democratic friends in Congress are making, and the argument that our Libertarian friends are making in terms of foreign policy.

Why should we go to war to prevent terrorists from bombing Spain? That's not an American interest. Why are we worried about Iran developing nuclear weapons, when France, England and Israel are more likely to be hit by it (considering the delivery systems the Iranians have).

Ron Paul argues that we should never use our military on foreign soil except to protect American interests, and that doesn't include global initiatives set by international bodies.

It sounds like the opposite of what the current Administration has been doing.

 

So then is Iran wanting to wipe off Israel off the face of the earth the same thing as wanting to wipe America off the face of the earth? Or no?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fshagan @ Oct 26 2007, 08:56 PM) [snapback]531009[/snapback]</div>

Four. Tsk.

MB

 

Stewart and Cheney were both playing a little at semantics.

Cheney and the people who share her point of view seem to suggest that "American Interests" means American property or other significant financial investments around the world.

Stewart didn't "catch" her in anything, he was just challenging the semantic game she was playing with one of his own. "Aren't we interested in..." is the giveaway. Of course on a human level some of us are interested in peace and security around the world, but keeping the peace in Spain is not strictly an "American Interest" unless it involves protecting American money. Peace is not necessarily even an American interest, in the eyes of those who make a boat-load of money from the war machine.

I think it has become an American interest to stop terrorism globally though, because of the huge marketing of our "War On Terror." So a bombing in Spain does hurt our investment in the swaggering-cowboy-out-for-revenge image. I don't think it should be an American interest in quite that way, but Bush has made it so by his tough talk. Now every attack on our friends and neighbors amounts to a battle lost in the un-winnable War On Terror.

 

I saw the show and thought Ms. Cheney did just fine. She showed humor throughout the show beginning by making Jon a gift of a Darth Vader doll. She seemed intelligent, approachable, and likable. Stuart started making a few gaffes by trying to get her to defend her husband's politics, but then he came out and said he recognized she was not her husband and it was unfair of him to place her in that position. The woman showed courage to come on his show knowing she'd have to face the music. I'd invite her to a cocktail party anytime (if she left Darth Dick at home).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(F8L @ Oct 27 2007, 09:27 AM) [snapback]531227[/snapback]</div>

Now, if you want to talk about her politics...they stink. It is only a select few who hold American interests (read corporate interests/profits) in higher regard than lives of citizens of other countries. Unfortunately, those few are rich, powerful people who are a-moral to the extent of eliminating everything/everyone, in their quest to retain/grow their power.

 

I don't particularly like her either, however this was out of context i think, she was referring to the subject of their conversation not whether or not American interests were limited to American soil. Out of context=good tv

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(F8L @ Oct 27 2007, 01:33 PM) [snapback]531288[/snapback]</div>

she was referring to a reference to bombings on american soil, I think it was a poor choice of words, but she's smart enough to know who our allies are. As I said I don't care for her, however i don't think she's stupid either.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(airportkid @ Oct 27 2007, 04:59 AM) [snapback]531126[/snapback]</div>

For the record, I do not accept that belief. I was paraphrasing what others say.

Not that it matters to those who see the world through their own prism, and will never see the other side of an argument. But I did want to make the clarification for those who do read my posts, and dialog with me.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MarinJohn @ Oct 27 2007, 01:22 PM) [snapback]531224[/snapback]</div>

Hitler and Stalin also had the capacity to be personally quite charming but I'm not sure I'd want them at a cocktail party. This is why Lynne Cheney is, in many ways, worse than her husband. Just a cursory review of the organizations that she either heads or belongs makes it quite clear that her ideology is as far right (if not further right) than her husband's. She could quite easily be considered the most direct Bush administration liasion to the most radical of the neocon elements.

It's quite easy to see the lunatic right-wing when they're noisy radicals like Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Coulter, et al. It's much more difficult to do it when they're as outwardly charming as Lynne Cheney. My suspicion is she is to Dick Cheney what Karl Rove (another who also quite charming in person) was to Duh-bya.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rudiger @ Oct 28 2007, 09:00 AM) [snapback]531567[/snapback]</div>

I think you get demerits for mentioning Hitler and Stalin in this context, but you are right about Lynne Cheney being more conservative than Dick Cheney. She is much more of a social conservative.

She is a nice person, and I would love to have lunch with her, just as I would someone like Irwin Chemerinsky on the left. Its a good thing to be in contact with different types of people, and be able to disagree with someone without noting mass murderers in the same sentence.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fshagan @ Oct 28 2007, 10:53 AM) [snapback]531607[/snapback]</div>

finally someone else with a dual perspective, i love it,

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fshagan @ Oct 28 2007, 01:53 PM) [snapback]531607[/snapback]</div>

I'm certain many of the neocon rabble to which Ms. Cheney consorts are just lovely. Paul Wolfowitz and Douglas Feith are probably great to enjoy beer and skittles with at the local pub.

However, their theories and philosophies, heavily influenced by the likes of Binyamin Netanyahu and Israel's hard-line Likud party, have directly led to the United States being drawn into what will ultimately be determined to be one of the greatest foreign policy failures in the country's history, far eclipsing the Vietnam incursion. In that context, comparisons to how charming psychotic mass-murderers can be are appropriate.

I, personally, would not love to have lunch with any of them, regardless of how nice and charming they are, either on the Stewart show or elsewhere.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rudiger @ Oct 28 2007, 02:42 PM) [snapback]531673[/snapback]</div>

Ah, you forgot the Elders of Zion, of course.