While I believe that political leaders of all stripes have an ethical obligation to speak out against hate speech, distortions, and lies coming from their own side of the political divide, I have to respect the opposite opinion of Jack Marshall in his excellent blog, EthicsAlarms.com. Jack is often right and has often clarified the ethical issues for me. Just not this time.
An opposing opinion from EthicsAlarms: Republican leaders DON’T have a responsibility to speak out against Glenn Beck and the birthers
February 15, 2011Republican Party stands by while Glenn Beck and the birthers spread their poisonous lies
February 13, 2011
We’re responsible for what we tolerate. If I stand next to a friend who slanders you and say nothing, then I’ve accepted that slander and am responsible for it. John Boehner Told David Gregory on NBC’s Meet the Press that he believes Obama’s a Christian, born in Hawaii, but if a third of Republicans believe different, that’s apparently OK with Boehner: “It’s not my job to tell the American people what to think.”
Why not, Mr. Speaker? You’re complicit in the lies if you don’t challenge them.
And Glenn Beck says that a giant conspiracy comprising Obama, the Egyptian demonstrators, the Muslim Brotherhood, the communists, and the AFL-CIO is dedicated to creating a new caliphate that will govern all of Europe and the Middle East under Sharia law. And Americans, he beseeches, wake up before it’s too late.
We haven’t seen the polls or focus groups yet, but you can bet that a third of Republicans will swallow it, hook, line, and sinker.
The Republican Party has one adult, Bill Kristol, who publicly rejects Beck’s conspiracy rant:
Hysteria is not a sign of health. When Glenn Beck rants about the caliphate taking over the Middle East from Morocco to the Philippines, and lists (invents?) the connections between caliphate-promoters and the American left, he brings to mind no one so much as Robert Welch and the John Birch Society. Read the rest of this entry »
A Turkish-style solution for Egypt? The military shepherds transition to democracy?
February 11, 2011
What next for Egypt? Last night was a huge letdown, today’s a high. Up to now the crowds have been united–they all wanted Mubarak to go. Now comes the divisions. Turkey offers a promising model, in which a popular military takes over and shepherds the country to a civilian democracy. This ARTICLE from the Turkish paper, Hurriyet, lays out the promise and the pitfalls.
Pray for Egyptians and hope the Army protects the people, not the regime
February 10, 2011
It’s difficult to think of anything but Egypt, and the dangers that Egyptians face, tonight or tomorrow. Hundreds of thousands have gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, many having been there for a week or more. They were led to believe —by statements from a senior Army general who came to talk to them today—that “All your demands are being met.”
Their hopes were dashed by President Mubarak’s speech at 11pm Cairo time, in which he blamed the unrest on rash youth who had been stirred up by “satellite television stations” foreign provocateurs, and his favorite long-time bogeyman, the Muslim Brotherhood.
Mubarak spoke after the military high command had met, so it’s logical to assume that he has the support of the Army.
The demonstrators are angry. They’re not going to follow Mubarak’s suggestion that they return home and then to work. Tomorrow, Friday, the Egyptian weekend starts, and the biggest crowds yet will mob central Cairo. They likely won’t be docile and they might not be satisfied to stay in Tahrir, perhaps heading for the Presidential palace.
The Army has appeared to be on the side of the people up to now, but after today’s events it appears that it has decided to back the regime.
What’s an American to hope for? Read the rest of this entry »
Wake Forest baseball coach donates a kidney to a freshman player
February 8, 2011
If not me, who? If not now, when? That’s one of the ethical guides laid down by Hillel, the great Jewish scholar of the first century B.C.E. His other guide is his expression of the “Golden Rule.”
Hillel’s guidelines are aspirations of ethical people in all cultures, but they are aspired to more than adhered to.
But when Wake Forest baseball coach Tom Walter learned that freshman outfielder Kevin Jordan would likely die without a kidney transplant, and that Jordan’s family didn’t qualify as a compatible match, Walter got tested and found out last week that he was a match: his kidney might work for Jordan.
Yesterday at the Emory Transplant Center in Atlanta, Walter had one of his kidneys removed and donated to Jordan.
Both are recuperating nicely. Walter will be running in two months, and the docs have told Jordan that he could start to swing a bat in six to eight weeks.
Everybody thinks it was a big deal, but Walter demurs.
“I would do anything to help any one of my players and any one of my family members. Anything that I could do in my power that I could do Read the rest of this entry »
Americans should wholeheartedly support the Egyptian anti-Mubarak demonstrators
February 5, 2011
The videos from Cairo show happy peaceful demonstrators by the tens of thousands, interspersed with videos of Mubarak supporters battling the demonstrators in a chaotic scene. When the action dies down the TV talking heads ruminate over what outcome would be best for America. Or as Joe Scarborough put it, “Who is behind Door #2?”
Jack Marshall explains in his Ethics Alarms blog why Americans should be uncompromisingly for Egyptian freedom from the Mubarak dictatorship. Simply stated, America’s very meaning is about the rights of all men to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Declaration of Independence doesn’t assert these rights for Americans, it asserts them for all men.
So what’s best for America is an Egyptian government by the people. Whether that government follows the superficially pro-American policies of Mubarak is irrelevant. The Declaration of Independence is what’s relevant. That’s why all Americans should cheer the demonstrations.
Stephen Colbert exposes the threat to America from creeping Sharia law and flying robot drones
January 26, 2011
Thanks again to Islamophobiatoday.com for tipping us off to this expose by the Colbert Report of the threat to America from creeping Sharia, along with flying robot drones and crystal meth-laden vacuum cleaners.
Steve Cohen isn’t the only Nazi-caller; Fox News is full of them
January 25, 2011
After Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) likened Republicans to Nazis for their opposition to Obamacare, then gave an in-your-face pseudo-apology, Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly sanctimoniously slammed Cohen and tut-tutted that nobody on the right would ever compare their opponents to Nazis.
Jon Stewart skewered Kelly and Fox with this segment, titled “24 Hour Nazi Party People,” showing Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck, Karl Rove, and others calling liberals Nazis, including Bernie Goldberg who did it on her own show last March.
If “they did it first” excused such ugliness we’d have to let Cohen off the hook for his spectacular incivility. But it’s no excuse. Spewing “Nazi” is way beyond the limits, whether done once by a Democrat or over and over by the Fair and Balanced folks at Fox News.
Congressman says Jews reject American principles
January 25, 2011
Freshman Rep. Allen West (R-FL), in an interview with Shalomshow TV, calmly stated that Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), one of two Jews in congress, represents “the antithesis of the principles upon which this country was established.”
If it’s not clear why West attacked Weiner, this quote from a campaign town meeting, may help explain:
“We already have a 5th column that is already infiltrating into our colleges, into our universities, into our high schools, into our religious aspect, our cultural aspect, our financial, our political systems in this country. And that enemy represents something called Judaism, and Judaism is a totalitarian theocratic political ideology, it is not a religion. It has not been a religion since 622 AD, and we need to have individuals that stand up and say that.”
Actually, EthicsBob is pulling your leg. Obviously. It would be unacceptable to openly attack Jews like that. Rep. West was really attacking Islam: to read West’s real statements substitute Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), Muslims, and Islam for Weiner, Jews, and Judaism, respectively, and you’ll have the congressman’s exact words. Glad he wasn’t attacking Jews. That would have made people mad.
Thanks to IslamophobiaToday.com for calling this to our attention. The website does a great public service by its work exposing hatred against American Muslims.
Steve Cohen’s “apology”: I’m sorry Republicans took offense when I said they were just like the Nazis
January 21, 2011
There are lots of reports that Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) apologized for likening the Republican opponents of Obamacare to Nazis, but don’t you believe them. His regret was not for his ugly accusation, but was “that anyone in the Jewish community, my Republican colleagues or anyone else was offended by the portrayal of my comments.”
His complete statement can be found here.
Kudos to Rachel Maddow and Ed Schultz, the only people on the left who’ve been willing to say anything against Cohen’s House remarks. Maddow said, “Nothing is like the Nazis,” Schultz said “This can’t be tolerated.”
Tragically, no peep of criticism has come from Cohen’s Democratic colleagues. They remain silent; therefore they approve.
Ethics Bob 
