Alphecca: Chris Matthews: "Terrorists Not Evil"

November 21, 2005

Chris Matthews: "Terrorists Not Evil"

Four years after 9/11 and the "crazy zeitgeist" that permeated the United States, most Americans have still not learned to know their enemies instead of just hating them, U.S. political journalist Chris Matthews says.

In a speech to political science students at the University of Toronto yesterday, the host of the CNBC current affairs show Hardball had plenty of harsh words for U.S. President George W. Bush, as well as the political climate that has characterized his country for the past few years.

"The period between 9/11 and Iraq was not a good time for America. There wasn't a robust discussion of what we were doing," Matthews said.

"If we stop trying to figure out the other side, we've given up. The person on the other side is not evil -- they just have a different perspective."

The folks who blow up embassies and fly airplanes into buildings aren't evil, "they just have a different perspective."

From my perspective, it would be nice if Matthews drove his car off a cliff.

Posted by Jeff Soyer at November 21, 2005 12:32 PM

Comments

If I here one more person in this town use the word Robust I think I am going to puke.

Its about as overused and cliched a term as Reasonable and Mainstream.

What Mathews meant to say was:

"The period between 9/11 and Iraq was not a good time for America. There was a discussion on what we were doing but no one asked me (and even if they did I wouldn't really be a legitimate expert) and so I am taking the opportunity to use all of you FOREIGN students to score a quick ratings hit."

Posted by: countertop at November 21, 2005 02:14 PM

...and this is preciselly why we can not trust democrats or the media (same thing) to fight a war against the enemies of our nation (no, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and Judge Alito dont qulify). If they can sit there with a straight face and tell us that the decapitation of Nick Berg, et al., the suicide bombing of weadings in Jordan, the extermination of school children in Beslan are nothing but cases of differing perspectives, how can we trust such moral relativism to see and act based on reality.

Firing at a speeding unidentified car comming at your checkpoint is not targeting reporters. Kidnapping and beheading one is. Dropping a chunk of concrete (dummy 500 pounder) at an enemy airplane parked besides a mosque is not targeting civilians, walking into a schoolhouse and executing the teachers is. Giving a high value target a pink belly is not torture, sawing his head off with a dull knife is. There is NO MORAL EQUIVALENCY between the actions of our country at war and the action of the fanatical Jihadists. It is not an issue of perspective. It is not a misunderstanding. It is evil. Even Mathews should recognize that.

Posted by: Rey at November 21, 2005 02:19 PM

The best line I heard in the aftermath of the attacks was along the lines of:

"Yes, I want to understand them. Like the coroner understands his patient after the autopsy."

Posted by: Ken Summers at November 21, 2005 02:40 PM

I think I'd like to see the quote in context. I doubt he was really saying what he seems to be saying.

Posted by: Jim Nelson at November 21, 2005 05:05 PM

So if all that is needed to insulate one from being evil is a different perspective, then it would be okay to actually run Matthews over with a car - so long as you had a different perspective from his?

Moral equivalence is so liberating, isn't it?

Posted by: Steve Skubinna at November 21, 2005 07:17 PM

I wonder if Matthews is planning to be consistent with this "different perspective" thing if someone refers to Bush as "evil."

Posted by: Stickwick Stapers at November 22, 2005 12:20 AM

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November 21, 2005

Chris Matthews: "Terrorists Not Evil"

By Golly, you're reading an archived post. Click Here to head to the main page and read current stuff...

Check it out:

My group sci-fi blog novel:

Colony: Alchibah