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A Challenge to the Media
Replace Bill Kristol with Everyday Americans
   by Mary MacElveen      January 22, 2007
 

Earlier this month, I wrote Pundits No, Everyday Citizens Yes  which was published by 
the Consortium News.  Within this piece I pushed back against the media in interviewing 
the same old pundits on their various talk shows instead of ‘John and Jane Q. Public’

With that said, I was outraged when Bill Kristol (a student of Leo Strauss and a writer for 
the Weekly Standard) had this to say of those within congress who are opposed to the 
escalation of troops within Iraq that they are, “leap-frogging each other in the degrees of 
irresponsibility they’re willing to advocate.” Kristol said, “It’s just unbelievable. … It’s so 
irresponsible that they can’t be quiet for six or nine months,” adding, “You really wonder, 
do they want it to work or not? I really wonder that.”

In this past election, Americans did not go to the polls and elect any congress member to 
be quiet as Kristol says that they should.  I would suggest that he read my past editorial in 
which I wrote, “At times, it leaves the viewer frustrated that these pundits just do not get it. 
They do not get what life is really like out here in America.”

At this time, I would suggest that folks like Kristol be quiet and listen to what the American 
people are saying.  I would suggest that Kristol be quiet since on Saturday we lost 25 soldiers.  
Does he even know what it is like to be in their boots?  As many who are opposed to this 
escalation have voiced their concerns to the Bush administration, they include Congressman 
Jack Murtha who did serve.  They include Senator Chuck Hagel who also served.  Those 
like Senator Ted Kennedy who also served have questioned this troop increase while those 
like Kristol decided not to serve in any branch of the military.

Besides, folks like Kristol were NOT elected by any American to have a say in which 
direction our country goes in.

This is the problem that I have with various think-tanks such as PNAC (Project for a New 
American Century) in which many of the founders of it were students of Leo Strauss.  These are 
men turned pundits like Bill Kristol.  Many of these men have not served in any branch of our military, 
yet will use them for their ill gotten gains.  They live within a vacuum in which they are not hearing 
ordinary Americans.  They are simply there to promote their own agendas instead of what is best for America.

Those like Kristol should visit the VA (Veterans Administration) hospitals to see the affects that
these wars have on our soldiers.  Many come home without limbs; faces burnt off and will live with 
that pain and suffering for the rest of their lives. What do men like Kristol do?  He continues to go 
on talk show after talk show spewing his garbage.

He (Kristol) should listen to men such as Senator Jim Webb who has actually served and has a son 
serving in Iraq.  Then perhaps by some grace of God he will finally get what why so many have 
opposed this war.

What I find irresponsible is that the man he supports namely President Bush was the one who 
did not act in any responsible manner.  He chose to send our troops into harms way by invading 
and attacking Iraq.  Note to Bill Kristol, Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.

When Kristol said of those who oppose this troop escalation, “You really wonder, do they want it 
to work or not? I really wonder that.” As one looks at the sectarian violence that has thrown Iraq 
into a civil war and a war that has lasted longer than World War Two, the United States government 
must come to the realization, it did not work at all.

How much time should we give these people who support this wave of military action within Iraq?  
Do we give them one month, on year or as the San Francisco Gate reported on October 5, 2005, 
"The United States must be prepared to fight the war on terror for decades to bring peace to Iraq 
and the rest of the Middle East, Vice President Dick Cheney said Wednesday."

At this point, I do not see Americans having the resolve to confront this for decades to come.  
It is not up to us to bring freedom and democracy to Iraq and any other Middle East nation, 
but to restore what freedoms have been lost to us all during these past six years.  It should be 
about restoring our own democracy in which ordinary Americans are indeed given a voice in 
the direction of this country.

While I do not pay much attention to polls since only a fraction of the American people are polled 
the AP has reported, that most think that our country is on the wrong track. Here is what they reported, 
"Americans seem sour on the state of the union in advance of President Bush's address on the subject. 
A poll finds most believe the country is on the wrong track — a complete flip from five years ago." 
This article also reports, "Most people also are not confident that Bush and the Democrats who now 
control Congress and share responsibility with him for running the country can work together to solve
its problems,” Something is broken within our country, yet we want to repair what we see as being 
broken in another country?  Both elected officials and pundits alike are not seeing this disconnect.

Perhaps President Bush, this congress and Bill Kristol should start asking Americans what their concerns
are instead of telling us what we should be concerned about.  A country’s direction should never come 
from a think-tank that exists within a vacuum, but from the American people. I again challenge the media 
itself to invite ordinary Americans on their respective talk shows and ask what the best course for this nation is.ee
 
 
 

 

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