“In the 19 months since 9-11, we have seen our democracy compromised by fear and hatred. Basic inalienable rights, due process, the sanctity of the home have been quickly compromised in a climate of fear. A unified American public has grown bitterly divided, and a world population that had profound sympathy and support for us has grown contemptuous and distrustful, viewing us as we once viewed the Soviet Union, as a rogue state.“A chill wind is blowing in this nation. […] If you oppose this administration, there can and will be ramifications. Every day, the air waves are filled with warnings, veiled and unveiled threats, spewed invective and hatred directed at any voice of dissent. And the public, like so many relatives and friends that I saw this weekend, sit in mute opposition and fear. […] And in the midst of all this madness, where is the political opposition? Where have all the Democrats gone? Long time passing, long time ago. […] We need leaders who can understand the Constitution, congressman who don’t in a moment of fear abdicate their most important power, the right to declare war to the executive branch. And, please, can we please stop the congressional sing-a-longs?”
— Tim Robbins, taken from his address last night to the National Press Club.
I saw the same press conference, reminded me of a high school production of King Lear the acting was so lame. I quickly changed the channel to something meaningful.
When will these actors realize that their uneducated views on world events do not mean anything to the American Public at large, only to their own inflated egos.
Lets take a look at the educational backgrounds of these outspoken actors as opposed to the actual people running this great country of ours, shall we?
(**Note: I will have to break this up into a few replies due to the maximum number of characters allowed for responses)
Here is a nice article I found which many here might find enlightening:
Who’s Smarter?
by Cindy Osborne
The Hollywood group is at it again. Holding anti-war rallies, screaming about the Bush Administration, running ads in major newspapers, defaming the President and his Cabinet every chance they get, to anyone and everyone who will listen. They publicly defile them and call them names like “stupid,” “morons,” and “idiots.” Jessica Lange went so far as to tell a crowd in Spain that she hates President Bush and is embarrassed to be an American.
So, just how ignorant are these people who are running the country? Let’s look at the biographies of these “stupid,” “ignorant,” “moronic” leaders, and then at the celebrities who are castigating them:
President George W. Bush:
Received a Bachelors Degree from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He served as an F-102 pilot for the Texas Air National Guard. He began his career in the oil and gas business in Midland in 1975 and worked in the energy industry until 1986. He was elected Governor on November 8, 1994, with 53.5 percent of the vote. In a historic re-election victory, he became the first Texas Governor to be elected to consecutive four-year terms on November 3, 1998 winning 68.6 percent of the vote. In 1998 Governor Bush won 49 percent of the Hispanic vote, 27 percent of the African-American vote, 27 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of women. He won more Texas counties, 240 of 254, than any modern Republican other than Richard Nixon in 1972 and is the first Republican gubernatorial candidate to win the heavily Hispanic and Democratic border counties of El Paso, Cameron and Hidalgo. (Someone began circulating a false story about his I.Q. being lower than any other President. If you believed it, you might want to go to URBANLEGENDS.COM and see the truth.)
Continued…
Vice President Dick Cheney:
Earned a B.A. in 1965 and a M.A. in 1966, both in political science. Two years later, he won an American Political Science Association congressional fellowship. One of Vice President Cheney’s primary duties is to share with individuals, members of Congress and foreign leaders, President Bush’s vision to strengthen our economy, secure our homeland and win the War on Terrorism. In his official role as President of the Senate, Vice President Cheney regularly goes to Capital Hill to meet with Senators and members of the House of Representatives to work on the Administration’s legislative goals. In his travels as Vice President, he has seen first hand the great demands the war on terrorism is placing on the men and women of our military, and he is proud of the tremendous job they are doing for the United States of America.
Secretary of State Colin Powell:
Educated in the New York City public schools, graduating from the City College of New York (CCNY), where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in geology. He also participated in ROTC at CCNY and received a commission as an Army second lieutenant upon graduation in June 1958. His further academic achievements include a Master of Business Administration Degree from George Washington University. Secretary Powell is the recipient of numerous U.S. and foreign military awards and decorations. Secretary Powell’s civilian awards include two Presidential Medals of Freedom, the President’s Citizens Medal, the Congressional Gold Medal, the Secretary of State Distinguished Service Medal, and the Secretary of Energy Distinguished Service Medal. Several schools and other institutions have been named in his honor and he holds honorary degrees from universities and colleges across the country. (Note: He retired as Four Star General in the United States Army)
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld:
Attended Princeton University on Scholarship (AB, 1954) and served in the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as a Naval aviator; Congressional Assistant to Rep. Robert Griffin (R-MI), 1957-59; U.S. Representative, Illinois, 1962-69; Assistant to the President, Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, Director of the Cost of Living Council, 1969-74; U.S. Ambassador to NATO, 1973-74; head of Presidential Transition Team, 1974; Assistant to the President, Director of White House Office of Operations, White House Chief of Staff, 1974-77; Secretary of Defense, 1975-77.
Continued…
Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge:
Raised in a working class family in veterans’ public housing in Erie. He earned a scholarship to Harvard, graduating with honors in 1967. After his first year at The Dickinson School of Law, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served as an infantry staff sergeant in Vietnam, earning the Bronze Star for Valor. After returning to Pennsylvania, he earned his Law Degree and was in private practice before becoming Assistant District Attorney in Erie County. He was elected to Congress in 1982. He was the first enlisted Vietnam combat veteran elected to the U.S. House, and was overwhelmingly re-elected six times.
Continued…
National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice:
Earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Denver in 1974; her Master’s from the University of Notre Dame in 1975; and her Ph.D. from the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver in 1981. (Note: Rice enrolled at the University of Denver at the age of 15, graduating at 19 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science (Cum Laude). She earned a Master’s Degree at the University of Notre Dame and a Doctorate from the University of Denver’s Graduate School of International Studies. Both of her advanced degrees are also in Political Science.) She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from Morehouse College in 1991, the University of Alabama in 1994, and the University of Notre Dame in 1995. At Stanford, she has been a member of the Center for International Security and Arms Control, a Senior Fellow of the Institute for International Studies, and a Fellow (by courtesy) of the Hoover Institution. Her books include Germany Unified and Europe Transformed (1995) with Philip Zelikow, The Gorbachev Era (1986) with Alexander Dallin, and Uncertain Allegiance: The Soviet Union and the Czechoslovak Army (1984). She also has written numerous articles on Soviet and East European foreign and defense policy, and has addressed audiences in settings ranging from the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence in Moscow to the Commonwealth Club to the 1992 and 2000 Republican National Conventions. From 1989 through March 1991, the period of German reunification and the final days of the Soviet Union, she served in the Bush Administration as Director, and then Senior Director, of Soviet and East European Affairs in the National Security Council, and a Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.
National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice Credentials Continued…
National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice Credentials Continued…
In 1986, while an international affairs fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations, she served as Special Assistant to the Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1997, she served on the Federal Advisory Committee on Gender — Integrated Training in the Military. She was a member of the boards of directors for the Chevron Corporation, the Charles Schwab Corporation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the University of Notre Dame, the International Advisory Council of J.P. Morgan and the San Francisco Symphony Board of Governors. She was a Founding Board member of the Center for a New Generation, an educational support fund for schools in East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park, California and was Vice President of the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula. In addition, her past board service has encompassed such organizations as Transamerica Corporation, Hewlett Packard, the Carnegie Corporation, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Rand Corporation, the National Council for Soviet and East European Studies, the Mid-Peninsula Urban Coalition and KQED, public broadcasting for San Francisco. Born November 14, 1954 in Birmingham, Alabama, she resides in Washington, D.C.
Continued…
So who are these celebrities? What is their education? What is their experience in affairs of State or in National Security? While I will defend to the death their right to express their opinions, I think that if they are going to call into question the intelligence of our leaders, we should also have all the facts on their educations and background:
Barbra Streisand : Completed high school. Career: Singing and acting
Cher: Dropped out of school in 9th grade. Career: Singing and acting
Martin Sheen: Flunked exam to enter University of Dayton. Career: Acting
Jessica Lange: Dropped out college mid-freshman year. Career: Acting
Alec Baldwin: Dropped out of George Washington U. after scandal. Career: Acting
Julia Roberts: Completed high school. Career: Acting
Sean Penn: Completed High school. Career: Acting
Susan Sarandon: Degree in Drama from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Career: Acting
Ed Asner; Completed High school. Career: Acting
George Clooney: Dropped out of University of Kentucky. Career: Acting
Michael Moore: Dropped out first year University of Michigan. Career: Movie Director
Sarah Jessica Parker: Completed High School. Career: Acting
Jennifer Anniston: Completed High School. Career: Acting
Mike Farrell: Completed High school. Career: Acting
Janeane Garofelo: Dropped out of College. Career: Stand up comedienne
Larry Hagman: Attended Bard College for one year. Career: Acting
Continued…
While comparing the education and experience of these two groups, we should also remember that President Bush and his cabinet are briefed daily, even hourly, on the War on Terror and threats to our security. They are privy to information gathered around the world concerning the Middle East, the threats to America, the intentions of terrorists and terrorist-supporting governments. They are in constant communication with the CIA, the FBI, Interpol, NATO, The United Nations, our own military, and that of our allies around the world. We cannot simply believe that we have full knowledge of the threats because we watch CNN!! We cannot believe that we are in any way as informed as our leaders.
These celebrities have no intelligence-gathering agents, no fact-finding groups, no insight into the minds of those who would destroy our country. They only have a deep-seated hatred for all things Republican. By nature, and no one knows quite why, the Hollywood elitists detest Conservative views and anything that supports or uplifts the United States of America. The silence was deafening from the Left when Bill Clinton bombed a pharmaceutical factory outside of Khartoum, or when he attacked the Bosnian Serbs in 1995 and 1999. He bombed Serbia itself to get Slobodan Milosevic out of Kosovo, and not a single peace rally was held. When our Rangers were ambushed in Somalia and 18 young American lives were lost, not a peep was heard from Hollywood. Yet now, after our nation has been attacked on its own soil, after 3,000 Americans were killed, by freedom-hating terrorists, while going about their routine lives, they want to hold rallies against the war.
Why the change? Because an honest, God-fearing Republican sits in the White House.
Another irony is that in 1987, when Ronald Reagan was in office, the Hollywood group aligned themselves with disarmament groups like SANE, FREEZE and PEACE ACTION, urging our own government to disarm and freeze the manufacturing of any further nuclear weapons, in order to promote world peace. It is curious that now, even after we have heard all the evidence that Saddam Hussein has chemical, biological and is very close to obtaining nuclear weapons, their is no cry from this group for HIM to disarm. They believe we should leave him alone in his quest for these weapons of mass destruction, even though it is certain that these deadly weapons will eventually be used against us in our own cities.
Continued…
So why the hype out of Hollywood? Could these celebrities believe that since they draw such astronomical salaries, they are entitled to also determine the course of our Nation? That they can make viable decisions concerning war and peace? Did Michael Moore have the backing of the Nation when he recently thanked France, on our behalf, for being a “good enough friend to tell us we were wrong”? I know for certain he was not speaking for me. Does Sean Penn fancy himself a Diplomat, in going to Iraq when we are just weeks away from war? Does he believe that his High School Diploma gives him the knowledge (and the right) to go to a country that is controlled by a maniacal dictator, and speak on behalf of the American people? Or is it the fact that he pulls in more money per year than the average American worker will see in a lifetime? Does his bank account give him clout?
The ultimate irony is that many of these celebrities have made a shambles of their own lives, with drug abuse, alcoholism, numerous marriages and divorces, scrapes with the law, publicized temper tantrums, etc. How dare they pretend to know what is best for an entire nation! What is even more bizarre is how many people in this country will listen and accept their views, simply because they liked them in a certain movie, or have fond memories of an old television sitcom! It is time for us, as citizens of the United States, to educate ourselves about the world around us. If future generations are going to enjoy the freedoms that our forefathers bequeathed us, if they are ever to know peace in their own country and their world, to live without fear of terrorism striking in their own cities, we must assure that this nation remains strong. We must make certain that those who would destroy us are made aware of the severe consequences that will befall them.
Yes, it is a wonderful dream to sit down with dictators and terrorists and join hands, singing “Cumbaya” and talking of world peace. But it is not real. We did not stop Adolf Hitler from taking over the entire continent of Europe by simply talking to him. We sent our best and brightest, with the strength and determination that this Country is known for, and defeated the Nazi regime. President John F. Kennedy did not stop the Soviet ships from unloading their nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962 with mere words. He stopped them with action, and threat of immediate war if the ships did not turn around. We did not end the Cold War with conferences. It ended with the strong belief of President Ronald Reagan… PEACE through STRENGTH.
******************
Points to ponder when you make your main post from an uneducated actor on a soapbox, absorbed with his own self-importance.
Thank you for your comments. I’m not sure what they have to do with Tim Robbins’s speech however. He was not talking about The War, he was talking about civil liberties.
Do you base all your political opinions on chain letter e-mails?
(I base all mine off Fark, Catch.com, and [i]The Daily Show[/i].)
Ok Funny Guy 🙂
You have caught a big fish with me on this 🙂
No part in my post was the war ever mentioned.
My post was meant to enlighten people to the educational status of these people — “Stars”, if you wish to call them that. Those that use their fame and wealth to push their views upon American Citizens. Many of whom take their word for oath.
They have no other reason than their fame to be asked or otherwise be a member of any press conferance. Had they not been successful in their given profession I’m sure they would be asking you “Do you want fries with that?” at your local McDonalds. And to be honest, I would take the opinion of an actual McDonalds employee more seriously than that of an actor or comediane.
So, with that said, you are promoting the opinion of people that are abusing their station in this world. People that are paid to say other\’s words, without any repercussions of their actions.
Giving them validity is a fault of yours. Having a website gives you a responsibility to the public, use that wisely.
Welcome to America, the land of free speech. It is too bad that people abuse that right with our American soldier’s life on the line.
This is the true shame.
Educating yourself before paying for pop-ads would be a good start.
Hi, I don’t know you or anyone associated with your site, but I’m enjoying it so far. I was actually searching for articles on how the Democratic Party has moved further and further to the right, googling ‘where have all the democrats gone’, a phrase used by Tim Robbins in his speech to the National Press Club. Your weblog was one of the first websites google named. I went on to read the posts by Riasah, which I strongly disagree with. And here’s why:
1. Every conservative you mention is highly educated, and every liberal you list does not have the credentials the conservatives have. This does not necessarily mean the conservatives are right. Try listening to what the actors are saying. Yes, there are some highly uninformed hippie liberals out protesting because it’s ‘the cool thing to do’. But there are also highly informed liberals who disagree with Bush and his administration for legitimate reasons. Before you say these actors have ‘uneducated views on world events’, actually read Tim Robbin’s transcript and see the points he is making. And with an OPEN MIND, evaluate those points.
2. Freedom of speech. Everyone has the right to say what they want when they want. You can disagree with people, but you must also know they have the right to say what they want. Celebrities included.
3. In your posts, you belittle and mock the celebrities for their wealth, ‘Could these celebrities believe that since they draw such astronomical salaries, they are entitled to also determine the course of our Nation?’ I find that funny, because it’s usually us liberals that resent you conservatives for your wealth. It’s us liberals that were so quick to describe Bush’s use of his wealth in his life. In your description of Bush, you don’t mention his family’s wealth and influence getting him into Yale, paying for Yale (where he was a C average student), paying for the MBA degree, and getting him that first business that failed, getting him elected as Governor and President. Those with money have opportunities the rest of us don’t. In Bush’s case, his money got him where he is today. Good for him. And money has given celebrities the opportunity to say what’s on their minds. Go ahead, Tim, it’s your constitutional right.
continued…
4. You imply that Saddam Hussein and Iraq were connected with 9/11. ‘Yet now, after our nation has been attacked on its own soil, after 3,000 Americans were killed, by freedom-hating terrorists, while going about their routine lives, they want to hold rallies against the war.’ The tragedies of September 11th were not in any way, shape, or form due to Iraq. Look it up. Even the administration will admit that. However, 55% of the American people believe that Iraq was responsible for what happened on 9/11. This is just my opinion, but I have the impression that the administration has evoked (quite successfully) people’s emotions from that day to justify this war. Saddam and Osama were not friends and never were. Saddam was a secular leader, and Osama bin Laden hated him for that.
5. You attack the left for supporting Clinton during the Kosovo campaign. Iraq and Kosovo is like apples and oranges. During Kosovo we were witnessing the Serbian troops systematically slaughtering thousands of ethnic Albanians. The international community in one voice, decided that something had to be done to stop it. And we did. With Iraq, it was much more of a belief that Saddam could one day use his weapons of mass destruction against us or another country. A preemptive strike, punishing a country for something it had not yet done. This– the international community did not agree with. And yes, Saddam did a similar act to the Kurds. No one likes him for it, and the people of Iraq are better off without him. However, many question the timing of the action if Iraqi liberation is the main motivation. Why did we not invade Iraq 15 years ago when the atrocities were happening?
6. This one isn’t a disagreement. You say the left didn’t attack Clinton for bombing the pharmaceutical factory. And yes, you are right. He should not have made such a decision based on faulty intelligence. There, point for you.
continued again…
7. ‘They are in constant communication with the CIA, the FBI, Interpol, NATO, The United Nations, our own military, and that of our allies around the world… We cannot believe that we are in any way as informed as our leaders.’ Again, just because our leaders have access to a lot of information, does not mean that they will make the right decisions. The CIA told the administration that it would not be a good idea to invade Iraq. They believed that it would divert intelligence resources from the war on terror, it would create more hostility towards the United States (creating a hundred more Osama bin Ladens), and alienate our allies that have been providing us with intelligence. Bush while being in ‘constant communication’ with the CIA, the United Nations, our allies, went ahead with the operation.
8. Back to the idea of preemptive strikes, you liked JFK (unusual for a conservative) for standing up to the Russians for putting missiles on Cuba. Yes, I love JFK and he was right to do this. Why? Because a hostile Cuba and Russia putting ballistic missiles on our doorstep is an IMMANENT threat. As far as Reagan ending communism, I disagree, but that is a whole other issue and paper to write.
9. ‘Welcome to America, the land of free speech. It is too bad that people abuse that right with our American soldier’s life on the line.’ I am more against this point of yours than any other. Soldiers are doing their job. They are honorable, respectable, and we should all admire them for their courage to fight to defend our freedoms. One of those freedoms is the freedom of speech, and they should be happy that short fat guy, Tim Robbins, and I are using that freedom. To promote censorship with the excuse of ‘dissent will kill our soldiers’ is wrong. The soldier is not the one setting policy. The administration is. I oppose this war and the administration’s actions without being anti-American or anti-soldier.
yet again continued…
10. Throughout your posts, you tell the readers to educate themselves. ‘Educating yourself before paying for pop-ads would be a good start.’, etc. I enjoyed your posting and believe that you, Riasah, are a very educated person. You make your points, and back them up in one way or another. However, I get the impression that you are very educated in only conservative ideas, propaganda, and arguments. Might I suggest you attempt to read what the other side has to say, dialogue with some educated liberals, and above all, keep an open mind and admit that you might be wrong about certain subjects or haven’t thought about certain subjects in a certain light. Believe it or not, I used to see all conservatives as money grubbing, lacking compassion, racist, and immoral. I had the same passionate hatred of conservatives that you seem to have towards liberals. As I got older, read more, and debated more with conservatives, I began to see that they were just like me, but saw issues in a slightly different light. Liberals and Conservatives have more in common than you would like to believe. In describing liberal celebrities you say, ‘They only have a deep-seated hatred for all things Republican. By nature, and no one knows quite why, the Hollywood elitists detest Conservative views and anything that supports or uplifts the United States of America.’ I do not hate all things Republican, but I do tend to disagree with many of them. And even though I disagree with many conservative views, this does not mean that I hate anything that ‘supports or uplifts the United States of America’. So summing up, keep listening to Rush Limbaugh and keep watching Fox News, but when you see Tim Robbins or a war protest on C-SPAN, leave it on for a few minutes, and LISTEN to what the other side has to say.
Here’s some places to start:
http://www.commondreams.org
http://www.alternet.org
And don’t bother sending me links to drudgereport or national review, I already read em.
I think you might be French Andrew, check your body hair and report back to us.
better yet, go to fuckfrance.com, is a great site
and since I’m at it …get a fucking clue.
Whew!! Verbal attacks!! I was afraid you’d make some REAL arguments to counter mine and make me have to research more. This is much easier to respond to! So here you go:
People like you, Riasah, post to these sites without any real knowledge; they just parrot what they hear from talk radio and post it on every site they can find. But when someone stands up to you, thinks differently from you, challenges your ideas, you don’t step up… you call me French and tell me to get a fucking clue! Haha, GREAT reply. You gave 11 long posts about what you thought of anti-war celebrities and general liberal thought with some semi-legitimate points, so I assumed you were an educated guy looking for a friendly little debate. But, it turns out you were screaming hateful bullshit from your bully pulpit, and you were actually shocked that someone stood up to you. Guess I was wrong about you kiddo. Let me know when you’re ready to have a political debate with the big boys.