# Robertson: "Will no one rid me of this turbulent king?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 24, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476 "2005-08-24T19:45:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/21 "2005-08-25T00:39:45Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Hunh. There and I thought it was just the horizon moving down. Hey, that’s dangerous talk, suggesting the Earth was moving. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/22 "2005-08-25T01:21:43Z")
Well, if the Earth is moving, then it’s most likely trying to distance itself from Robertson! ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/23 "2005-08-25T01:34:07Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Why does he call Chavez a “strong-arm dictator”? I’m guessing it’s because Chavez hasn’t cut him in on anything profitable like a diamond mine. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/24 "2005-08-25T01:37:11Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > I would think that one could easily (?) pass a law allowing for a delay on the release of information about wartime assassination attempts. I’m pretty sure we’re not _technically_ required to put our military movements on the 7-oclock news either, after all. Were assasination attempts carried out as military operations (as opposed to, say, hiring ninjas) I should think that it would be relatively straightforward to find a large enough pall of secrecy to hide the operation under. Except for that pesky law banning assassination of world leaders. Now, it IS by executive order, and the president could just nix it, but that would be a really, really bad move. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/25 "2005-08-25T02:45:09Z")
Interestingly, in Pat Robertson’s statement, he refers to “the out-of-control dictator of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez.” And he refers to “Col. Chavez” to suggest that Chavez is a dictator and to obscure the fact that he suggested the assassination of the _democratically elected_ president of a free country. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/26 "2005-08-25T03:14:05Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > I’m not sure there’s a need for a detailed examination of exactly what Robertson thought he was doing. All your questions can be answered fairly simply: Robertson is an idiot who spouted off about things he doesn’t understand. You wouldn’t expend much energy figuring out what the local blowhard 3 barstools down thinks about Chavez and Venezuela, would you? > > “Pat, shut the fuck up already” is about as far as this can be taken. Actually, I think it can be taken further. Pat’s got some influence. He’s not just some blowhard who no one listens to; he’s been able to afford his broadcast for a generation. I think this, while in line with Pat’s line of political thinking, is one case where I can really see someone supposedly “on the _Christian_ Right” acting as a propagandist for the _Capitalist_ Right. Then again, didn’t Pat found the Christian Coalition? Those of you who didn’t have them influencing churches you went to may not realize how much they were about indoctrinating churchgoers to be GOP, rather than making the GOP more Christian. So this is right in line. Anyway, I think Chavez is hated by “First World” business interests because he stands up for his own country. The hard opinion-making, culture-steering core of “the Right” is “First World” business interests, & has been for literal ages. Pat’s obviously under the influence of somebody who thinks that way (whether or not it’s he himself). And assassinating a popular leader would not _solve_ a problem for the USA so much as make one. (But hey, I encourage the CIA to do it. I want to see the USA defend itself against an allied world in WWIII. I could sell tickets in other _galaxies._ (Oh, wait, this isn’t the Marvel Universe. No thriving trade in alien “observation” of amusingly mad planets for me. Sorry, I was reading a comic book today. With Skrulls. Mmm, Skrulls.) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/27 "2005-08-25T03:15:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Robertson accused Chavez, a left-wing populist with close ties to Cuban President Fidel Castro, of trying to make Venezuela “a launching pad for Communist infiltration and Muslim extremism all over the continent.” Anyone else surprised that Robertson didn’t go for the trifecta and say Chavez was performing gay marriages? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/28 "2005-08-25T03:18:51Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > But then again, a lot of these people feel that “Democrats=Liberalism=Socialism=Communism”(I actually saw someone say that, being serious as well). Dude, there was a period in my teens when I really believed that. Of course, now I’m pretty leftist on economic issues, so there you go. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/29 "2005-08-25T03:21:00Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > You wouldn’t expend much energy figuring out what the local blowhard 3 barstools down thinks about Chavez and Venezuela, would you? I would if the blowhard had a national religious/political following and his own TV show. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/30 "2005-08-25T03:26:07Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Question 8 is: pretty much never, IMHO, unless one wants to give other countries _de facto_ license to use similar tactics against the US. I dunno, didn’t think the Borgias were a governmental model to emulate. But the issue (as posed in the OP) is not whether the government is ever justified/wise in arranging a foreign leader’s assassination, but whether it is ethical, wise and/or lawful for a political commentator to call publicly for such action. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/31 "2005-08-25T06:00:37Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Except for that pesky law banning assassination of world leaders. Now, it IS by executive order, and the president could just nix it, but that would be a really, really bad move. I thought that order got yanked? Either under Clinton or GWB, can’t remember which one… In any event, IMO overtly calling for the assassination of a foreign leader (_especially_ a democratically-elected one) seems both un-American and un-Christian. But hey, I didn’t blame gays for the 9/11 attacks… ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/32 "2005-08-25T13:19:02Z")
> [@](#): > > But the issue (as posed in the OP) is not whether the government is ever justified/wise in arranging a foreign leader’s assassination, but whether it is ethical, wise and/or lawful for a political commentator to call publicly for such action. Ethically probably no as it verges on incitement, wise no, lawful probably. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/33 "2005-08-25T13:28:22Z")
Basically the only truth Pat said is that its cheaper to assassinate rather than go for war… all the rest is just hypocritical or plain out lies. I’d like to see other right wing conservative ministers calling out fatwas against this extremist mullah. If we demand this of muslim clerics against terrorism… it should follow that we should demand this of American “Clerics”. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/34 "2005-08-25T13:44:16Z")
> [@Baldwin](#): > > Suddenly Pat Robertson’s a political commentator, instead of just a nutbag? Does _everybody_ get to go on the radio as a political commentator these days? And when is my turn? As soon as you have a million people voluntarily tuning into your show on a nightly basis. Nutjob? Maybe. But he’s got a following. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/35 "2005-08-25T13:47:45Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I think what really scares the righteous shit out of Robertson and his ilk is that Chavez represents an undeniably **democratic** wave of leftist politics sweeping Latin America, and you can’t fight that on the old Cold-War terms. Yep, that’s why [Lula](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luiz_In%C3%A1cio_Lula_da_Silva) is probably next on Robertson’s list. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/36 "2005-08-25T13:49:51Z")
> [@Mycroft Holmes](#): > > Yep, that’s why [Lula](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luiz_In%C3%A1cio_Lula_da_Silva) is probably next on Robertson’s list. Shooting down an airplane that is already about to crash is a waste of ammo… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/37 "2005-08-26T04:20:23Z")
> [@furt](#): > > No matter which portion of the show it’s in, Pat Robertson does not, did not, and will never speak for the “Evangelical Community.” If he doesn’t, who does? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/38 "2005-08-26T04:37:02Z")
I guess I missed the part of Scripture where Jesus said to his disciples, “Uh, guys, you know the whole ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ shtick I told you about? One exception: You may kill the king of a foreign land when he might someday, possibly, become dangerous to his neighbors, or to you.” Time for somebody to smack the Rev. Pat upside the head… ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/39 "2005-08-26T12:22:41Z")
> [@William V.](#): > > I guess I missed the part of Scripture where Jesus said to his disciples, “Uh, guys, you know the whole ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ shtick I told you about? One exception: You may kill the king of a foreign land when he might someday, possibly, become dangerous to his neighbors, or to you.” As one commentator put it WWJW (Who Would Jesus Whack?). ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476/40 "2005-08-26T12:47:54Z")
> [@Rashak Mani](#): > > Shooting down an airplane that is already about to crash is a waste of ammo… ☹ Yeah, no kidding, but Robertson doesn’t know that. I would be surprised if he knows much about politics in the MERCOSUL/MERCOSUR countries anyway. He might not even know who Luiz Inácio da Silva is (at least if you use that name). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robertson-will-no-one-rid-me-of-this-turbulent-king/318476.md?page=3)