General Dean's Hollow Army
By Stephen Pizzo, AlterNet
Governor
Dean told us we have the power… it's time we reflect that power back
to him! This is a call to action! Contact Biden, Pelosi, Reid, Clinton,
and any other Beltway Democrat and tell them Howard Dean speaks for US!
Unleash the Krakken!
Howard Dean will need help to shore up Washington Democrats' will to fight.
If
General Eisenhower had the kind of troops on D-Day Howard Dean is stuck
with today we'd all be wearing lederhosen. Every time Dean says
anything even remotely true about the mess Republicans have made –
domestically, fiscally or internationally – his own party leaders feel
compelled to rush out and apologize. They remind me of an abused spouse
who, after every beating from her abuser, refuses to press charges
blaming herself for saying the wrong thing.
Dean
sent Democratic Party mice running for cover again last weekend when he
(correctly) stated that if Iraqis adopt a constitution based on
traditional Islam's rules for (mis)treating women, Iraqi women would be
worse off than they were under Saddam.
Now,
that statement is demonstrably true. A high school freshman on her
first day in debating class could win that side of the debate without
cracking a book. Just look at Iran, Saudi Arabia or even “liberated”
Afghanistan, where traditional Islamic law (sharia) calls the tune. In
those countries women are treated in ways that would send Sen. Barbara
Boxer into orbit if it were happening anywhere in the US. And
rightfully so.
Iraqi
Shiites are demanding just those kinds of laws in the newly liberated
Iraq. Nevertheless, top Dems elbowed their weaselly way to the nearest
CNN microphone to denounce Dean's (completely correct and defensible)
observation. Leading the Democrat[ic] damage control squad was the dapper
senator from Delaware, Joe Biden, who wants to run for President in
'08. He was the first to find an open mic and once again denounced
Dean's statement.
It was
the second time Biden cut the ground out from under Dean. The first was
last June when Dean described Republicans as “evil,” and that House
Majority Leader Tom DeLay “belongs in jail.” (Which in fact may come to
pass since he is under criminal investigation in Texas.) Biden was sent
right out to hoist a white flag before GOP snipers took offense….
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“Dean sent Democratic Party mice running for cover again last weekend when he (correctly) stated that if Iraqis adopt a constitution based on traditional Islam's rules for (mis)treating women, Iraqi women would be worse off than they were under Saddam.
Now, that statement is demonstrably true. A high school freshman on her first day in debating class could win that side of the debate without cracking a book. ”
I have to strongly disagree with the above statement made by author Stephen Pizzo. That high-school freshman who didn't bother to crack a book would be getting all her/his information about “traditional Islam” filtered through the U.S. news media – and if they don't have an agenda, I don't know who does.
I question what Pizzo means by “traditional Islam.” Is he talking about the way women were treated in Afghanistan under Taliban rule? If so, there is nothing “traditional” or even much Islamic about the way that situation manifested.
In fact, true Islam is very respectful of women and their rights. I lived and worked in a Moslem country for three years and had occasion to actually look behind the media filter – and yeah, I learned a lot by cracking a few books on the subject and then following up by talking to kind and peaceful people who practiced the Moslem faith. We only have ourselves to blame if we remain ignorant about “traditional Islam.”
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Very good point Linda – I agree with you whole-heartily and I do recognize the need for clarification. I actually understood Dean's initial comment refering to “traditional” Islam to mean fundamentalism, but you are right, it is ambiguous and potentially misleading. Having worked in close association with many Muslims in my last administrative position, I experienced many personal accounts which exemplified the deep love and respect for women within their family unit. From my perspective, there was never any doubt.
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