I think the agenda with Steve Paikin is balanced, until Eric Margolis opens his mouth. The guy is seriously delusional. I think its because of his past that he's so proud of. His pride gets in the way of learning about changing situations.
Posted at 2007-03-04 12:14:22 [PermaLink]Defeatist Drummer-Boy Margolis' recurring tone of lament that the USAF is preventing the Taliban from reasserting their divine right of rule is particularly odious.
That portion of his "analysis" is as flawed as it is moot, anyway.
Eric Margolis is to larf. In future years when our species is more advanced, brains like his will be cured with a salt treatment.
Posted at 2007-03-04 13:06:57 [PermaLink]Margolis is for the Taliban because they are for theocracy, censoring free speech, oppressing women and murdering homosexuals.
No, those aren't supposed to be liberal values.
Yes, liberals support them all the same.
No, I don't understand it either.
Ellie - good point. Here is my stab at an answer:
I think these people conceive of the Taliban as the "far enemy", while George Bush, Stephen Harper, et al. are the "near enemy". Thus, they can countenance the "far enemy" winning, if it means the "near enemy" is defeated. Of course, the fact that 9-11 and other atrocities happened, and others thwarted (including here in Canada) is of no real interest to them. They are just matters for the FBI and the RCMP. Just a matter for investigation and "first responders."
Chiang Kai-shek also had a similar analysis of the Japanese and the communists - the Japanese were a "disease of the skin" but the communists were a "disease of the heart". To these deluded leftists in the West, their fellow citizens who oppose them are the "disease of the heart" - all else is secondary. Even the evil of terrorism.
This man Margolis never ceases to amaze me--imagine, negotiate with the Taliban, the very government that helped secure AQ's chief OBL, and the very place where the horrific 9/11 attacks were planned. The very place where people were brutalized--women mostly.
This irresponsible boor is a sad sack leftist--whenever I see his face on CTV as the "terrorism" expert, I just laugh and realize that it's a comedy segment, not news.
A few months ago, I saw Margoofolis on CNN, being interviewed by Kyra Philips. The topic was Afghanistan and terrorism in general, and at the conclusion of the segment, a fawning Philips asked the fop when we could expect his "next" book, and would he be dropping any hints about the subject matter? Obviously enjoying Philips' adulation, Margolis laughingly made some vague reference to a work in progress, minus any specifics.
If Philips had done her homework, she would have known that Margolis' "next" book would be his second, since he's written exactly one in his 30 year "career."
Margolis would negotiate the number of women allowed to be shot in the back of the head at soccer stadiums perhaps?
Posted at 2007-03-04 19:19:07 [PermaLink]I would venture that he supports the Taliban as a legitimate expression of Afghan culture, as well as a disgust with the expression of Western disaproval of any local culture. Throw in the use of western military power, and that's a leftist's standpoint. Don't mess with local cultures.
I used to think so too. The Taliban were just one reason why I changed my mind.
Margolis is muslim. Which explains a lot.
Posted at 2007-03-04 22:45:38 [PermaLink]Shortly after Sept. 11, when NATO forces were about to help the Norther Alliance in removing the Taliban, I remember Margolis on TVO's Studio 2 pontificating about how tough the Taliban and Mujahadeen were. It almost seemed he wanted them to win (which he likely did).
Posted at 2007-03-05 08:17:23 [PermaLink]More:
[External Link]
Mark
Ottawa
Some good stuff in your link Mark. I don't recall that SDA post but the old memory you know.....
My favourite Margolis:
1998: "Yasser Arafat suffers from advancing Parkinson’s disease. Like many other Arab leaders, he also has hypertension, digestive problems and nerve disorders."
2004 Arafat dies: "This writer believes Arafat may have been murdered by an untraceable toxin brought to Israel from the KGB’s Moscow labs."