Harry Belafonte sticks his head up his ass

[What_Exit]

@Clothahump

In the first place, that is not what I said. Your statement is totally incorrect. If I were a liberal, I’d be screaming about how you were lying, but I’m not, so I won’t.

In the second place, I’m not concerned in the slightest about how Belafonte came to hold any belief whatsoever. What does concern me is his actions. You claim he is an “intelligent, thoughtful person”. Why would an “intelligent, thoughtful person” have done something as stupid and shameful as he did?

Clothahump: Belafonte said something that was an overstatement (extreme overstatement) probably out of hatred of our current president.
It might be stupid but it is less shameful than many things I have heard from the Nutty side of the Right. Like Pat Robertson call for Chavez to be killed or Rush back in the Clinton years declaring Bill Clinton the worst president ever.

Rational people on both sides of the political spectrum should understand that Belafonte is not really important to US politics, is a 78 year old man who bitterly dislikes Bush and is guilty of hyperbole in making a point.

BTW: Would you consider Jon Stewart and the Daily Show to be liberal, because he slammed Belafonte, so after all this you had got your wish by 11:05 EST. He records around 6pm EST. So a major and popular Liberal in the media did slam Belafonte. He had a funny joke about Obama Bin Ladden supporters being upset by the false claim of Bush being the World’s #1 terrorist and a photo-shopped image of Osama with a coffee cup that said “World’s #1 terrorist”

Jim

[tagos]

@Clothahump

Cite? I’d really like to see your train of thought that leads you to make a statement like that.

By comparing the number of wedding parties and Canadians on training exercises bombed by each probably.

Or maybe it’s ‘numbers of unprovoked attacks on other countries’, or ‘coup attempts against those they dislike,’ or ‘number of sectarian death squads operating on their watch,’ or ‘people kidnapped and carted off to be tortured’ or ‘constitutions pissed on.’

By any reasonable measure Bush is directly responsible for the death of tens of thousands, on completely false pretences. Of course he is a terrorist, or if you want to play semantics I’ll settle for unindicted war-criminal.

[Revenant_Threshold]

@magellan01

Do you think that the masses in other countries are as clear on the distinction you make as you or most of the people on SDMB are?

Well, i’m in another country waves. And for me, Bush is closely linked to America - just as you say, he’s your No. 1 representative to the world. By himself, though, i’d say he’s lowered my personal opinion of your country - hell, you guys voted him BACK IN. Madness. (Yeah, I know, we voted our guy back too. I’m not exactly a fan of us, either).

What Belafonte’s said, again in my opinion, is a wrong accusation. I don’t consider Bush to be the world’s top terrorist - though I believe he has through his actions caused terror, I don’t believe he’s up there with the top terrorists. So, basically, I agree with Cloth on this one - he does seem to be a bit of an ass.

On the other hand, Belafonte’s actions also say to me “Hey, look, there are Americans who don’t agree with Bush”, and everytime that happens I get a little ding of added respect for America on the whole.

And finally, I’m aware how foolish it must seem to you for a non-American to lecture you on the subject of America, but how, exactly, has Belafonte “shit on” America? I was under the impression that “America” stood for democracy, freedom, can-do industrial spirit, and a will to be the best. I don’t see how Belafonte impugned any of these things - he’s simply opposing your current leader, who, while he is connected to your country, is not the embodiment of it.

Your comments in this thread have worried me somewhat - you seem to believe that, given the current situation, no Americans should express a contrary opinion to your current leaders. Is this the case?

[Debaser]

@Harry Belafonte

… the greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush …

@lissener

He only represents Clothahump’s imaginary liberal boogyman, not any real-world liberals.

@BrainGlutton

George Bush is a terrorist

We don’t need to imagine the sillyness of many liberals. It’s right here, and it’s very real.

[Scott_Plaid]

I think your irony meter is broken.

[Crotalus]

Conservative Republican Bush-voting type here. While I think that Belafonte’s statements are factually incorrect and even irrational, I’m glad that he (and we) have the freedom to make such statements. He has stated his opinions. When a political leader does things which are controversial, I think it’s a good thing that opposing views can be expressed vigorously.

[EddyTeddyFreddy]

@Hamadryad

It would appear that the article doesn’t speak for itself. It barely raises its hand and coughs for attention until a few people with severe cranial-rectal inversion start yelling and pointing at it.

Well put! May I grab that for my sig?

[Hamadryad]

@EddyTeddyFreddy

Well put! May I grab that for my sig?

If you really want to, sure.

[wring]

@tagos

I’ll settle for unindicted war-criminal.

which could lead to a kinda ‘reverse Nuremburg’ defense or “my employees gave me wrong information which led me to order wrong actions”

the buck stops waaaaaaaay back there.

[BwanaBob]

@Revenant Threshold

Your comments in this thread have worried me somewhat - you seem to believe that, given the current situation, no Americans should express a contrary opinion to your current leaders. Is this the case?

No, but I would say it is bad form if someone badmouths their own leader to outsiders (== foreigners), even if they despise that leader.

It’s like having a ne’er-do-well cousin; one never disparages him outside the family; and indeed one may even be forced to defend them (even as one holds his own nose), but within the family anything goes.

I guess there used to be a time when people would say “I didn’t vote for the jerk but he’s still our president”, but that time seems to have passed most of us by.

[ElvisL1ves]

When was that, Bob?

[CRich]

But it’s not about being polite, or tactful, or never dissing the boss to outsiders, freedom of speech means that any idiot is free to say any damn-fool thing he pleases to anybody, anywhere. I am free to think he’s an idiot, but he has the right to voice his opinion, even if he chooses not the most polite format for doing that. I find it very chilling to hear people espousing the viewpoint that we should never disagree with the Man in Charge. Were they adhering to that rule when Bill Clinton was in office? How about Jimmy Carter?

[BMax]

@Crotalus

Conservative Republican Bush-voting type here. While I think that Belafonte’s statements are factually incorrect and even irrational, I’m glad that he (and we) have the freedom to make such statements. He has stated his opinions. When a political leader does things which are controversial, I think it’s a good thing that opposing views can be expressed vigorously.

Would you look at this? We have a REAL republican here. Thank you for putting The American Way® ahead of partisan stupidity.

[BwanaBob]

@ElvisL1ves

When was that, Bob?

Well, back in the 70’s, I had lots of neighbors who hated Nixon but would still say things like “He’s still our president and we gotta wish him luck when he deals with the Chinese or the Russkies…”

Stuff like that.

[Miller]

I’m curious about this idea that one shouldn’t criticize the president while in foreign countries. I’ve never heard of it outside the dope, so maybe someone can explain a few things. First of all, what difference does it make? Most foreign countries have access to American media. If Belafonte had said this while in Des Moines, Iowa, while being interviewed by the BBC, would that also be unacceptable? What if he were interviewed by CNN, but the BBC picked it up and broadcast it in international markets? Does it really make that much difference in how much more hate he’s going to generate in his audience if he says something in their country, or if he says something in our country that people in other countrys happen to hear? What if they come here, and he says it to them in this country, and then they go back to their own country? The logistics of the whole thing are very confusing.

Also, some evidence that there was ever a time in this country where it was considered to be bad taste to badmouth the president to foreingers would be nice, too.

[Zeriel]

@Crotalus

Conservative Republican Bush-voting type here. While I think that Belafonte’s statements are factually incorrect and even irrational, I’m glad that he (and we) have the freedom to make such statements. He has stated his opinions. When a political leader does things which are controversial, I think it’s a good thing that opposing views can be expressed vigorously.

As a card-carrying Libertarian Kerry-voter who spent long hours screaming at the television when Clinton was president, I’m glad to know there’s some respect for the REAL greatness of America left in the Republican camp. I know it’s there in the real world, but damned if it’s getting rarer on these boards.

[Jackmannii]

Harry Belafonte wuz recording antiwar songs before some of yas was born:

*A lot of World leaders talkin bout war
And Im afraid they’re going too far
So its up to us you and me
To put an end to Catastrophe
We must appeal to their goodness of heart
And ask them to breech in and please do their part
Cause if this Atomic war begin
They wont even have a part to breech in

Back to back, belly to belly
I dont give a damn, I done dead already
Oho back to back, belly to belly
At the Zombie Jamboree*
(of course, Lord Intruder did it first…)

[Revtim]

@Miller

If Belafonte had said this while in Des Moines, Iowa, while being interviewed by the BBC, would that also be unacceptable? What if he were interviewed by CNN, but the BBC picked it up and broadcast it in international markets? Does it really make that much difference in how much more hate he’s going to generate in his audience if he says something in their country, or if he says something in our country that people in other countrys happen to hear? What if they come here, and he says it to them in this country, and then they go back to their own country? The logistics of the whole thing are very confusing.

Or what about criticizing the President on an internet message board, which can be read by citizens of nearly every country in the word, and even has paying posting members from other countries? My God, the horror!

Seriously, does anybody really believe these people when they say we shouldn’t criticize Bush because they are concerned about foreign opinion? The same foreign opinion we were supposed to ignore during the push to invade Iraq? It’s crystal-clear to all that it’s simply a duplicitous attempt to stifle dissent, right?

[Lord_Ashtar]

@BrainGlutton

Not in 2000 . . . not in 2004 . . . What election, exactly, are you talking about?

http://www.projectcensored.org/censored_2006/#3

And the Law of the Y2K Election strikes again.

[Revtim]

@Crotalus

Conservative Republican Bush-voting type here. While I think that Belafonte’s statements are factually incorrect and even irrational, I’m glad that he (and we) have the freedom to make such statements. He has stated his opinions. When a political leader does things which are controversial, I think it’s a good thing that opposing views can be expressed vigorously.

Let me add myself to growing list of folks very happy to see that not all Conservatives/Republicans seek to stifle opposing viewpoints. I tip my virtual hat to you, sir.