Top House Dem Calls Iraq War As Bad As Holocaust

[RedFanAlways1966]

Rangel - Bush's Iraq 'Fraud' As Bad As The Holocaust

Top House Democrat Charles Rangel complained on Monday that the Bush administration's decision to concoct a "fraudulent" war in Iraq was as bad as "the Holocaust."

"It's the biggest fraud ever committed on the people of this country," Rangel told WWRL Radio's Steve Malzberg and Karen Hunter. "This is just as bad as six million Jews being killed. The whole world knew it and they were quiet about it, because it wasn't their ox that was being gored."

The Harlem Democrat charged that top Bush officials "made up [their] mind to go into Iraq long before 9/11. And every one of the players who made this decision - they were part of this plan to do it. From Rumsfeld to Cheney, Wolfowitz, Bolton, every one of them - Perle - [they were part of the] plan to put our kids in harm's way long before 9/11."

Rangel insisted that American blacks and poor whites are dying in Iraq, while those who supported the war aren't paying any price.

Asked to clarify his Holocaust comparison, Rangel told Malzberg:

"I am saying that people's silence when they know terrible things are happening is the same thing as the Holocaust, where everyone would have me believe that no one knew those Jews were killed over there."

[registerthis]

OK, I don't agree with the Iraq War, I think we were intentionally deceived into it, I see no end in sight...

But it's NOT the Holocaust. The Holocaust is an event that is-thankfully-unparalleled in human history. It's not a term that should be bandied about lightly. As much as I disagree with this war, it's not at all comparable to the attempted extermination of an entire race, regardless of how this Senator tries to justify it.

[ochre]

I am opposed to the war in Iraq.

The only real reason to be in Iraq is because Hussein was guilty of holocaustic actions in the last couple decades.

The terrible things going on over there, from what I've heard, are not even close to the magnitude required to even hint at the holocaust comparison.

This person may have some valid points in that some things are going on that should be discussed in public forums, but whatever impact those points might have is ruined by this terrible comparison.

[traderumor]

Rangel must have watched Fahrenheit 911 for the first time recently

[RFS62]

Pretty shameful comparison.

[MWM]

What was Rangel's position on the war before it started? I honestly don't know, but I'm tired of all these people showing up now telling us what a huge mistake it was and pointing the finger at everyone else. I hated the idea of the war long before the first bomb was dropped. It NEVER made sense to me, but we had next to NO resistance from virtually anyone in our government prior to the war. And I don't buy the "it was too politically risky to not support the war" nonsense. Have some balls. If that's your approach to the office you were elected to then you're pretty much worthless. The war was never challeneged prior to its beginning and that's ALWAYS a huge mistake. My biggest beef with the Democratic Party (even above not giving us anything better than John Kerry) is that they ran and hid before the war and didn't have the guts to make a loud argument against it. A few did, but not near enough. So if Rangel was adamantly opposed before the war, then I might listen to what he says (although this comparison is beyond ludicrous but not surprising considering the source). But if wasn't a vocal critic BEFORE the war, then he's as much to blame as anyone.

I'm sick to death of career politicians (35 years and counting for Rangel, 21 years for Delay) who know there's little to no chance they won't be re-elected. It's easily the largest racket known to man. I'm for smallball when it comes to politics. Get 'em in, get 'em to work, and get 'em out.

[Johnny Footstool]

"I am saying that people's silence when they know terrible things are happening is the same thing as the Holocaust, where everyone would have me believe that no one knew those Jews were killed over there."

His meaning is pretty clear. He's not saying the war in Iraq in and of itself is comparable to the Holocaust in any way. He's making a comparison between the lack of public outrage at both of these horrible events. Clearly, the Holocaust was on a totally different scale, but the comparison he's making is valid.

It's a shame that people stop listening whenever someone mentions Nazis or the Holocaust.

But a good politician should know that and shouldn't ever mention those things. Rangel is showing an astonishing lack of political savvy.

[Johnny Footstool]

My biggest beef with the Democratic Party (even above not giving us anything better than John Kerry) is that they ran and hid before the war and didn't have the guts to make a loud argument against it. A few did, but not near enough.

Those who did (Dem and Repub alike) were quickly drowned out by jingoistic claptrap, accusations of being "Un-American," and urgings to "get out of the country if you don't like it."

My biggest beef is that people let patriotism and fear blind their judgement, and then they bully anyone who disagrees.

[MWM]

Those who did were quickly drowned out by jingoistic claptrap, accusations of being "Un-American," and urgings to "get out of the country if you don't like it."

Then they should have screemed louder. They ran and hid at the first sign that the public generally supported the war. That's what you get with career politicians who are more worried about the next election than they are doing the right thing. And you'll get no support of the Republican Party from me.

[registerthis]

It's a shame that people stop listening whenever someone mentions Nazis or the Holocaust.

No, I understodd what he was trying to convey, I'm saying the comparison witht he Holocaust shouldn't have been made. Is there no other event in human history which he coul dhave used to make that point?

I agree with his sentiments--which are, the true cost and toll of this war is getting lost on a majority of the population. Unfortunately, there are plenty of examples where that has been the case. He should have used better judgment, and a different example.

[ochre]

But a good politician should know that and shouldn't ever mention those things. Rangel is showing an astonishing lack of political savvy.

that's just it though. Whatever his intentions, he did compare it to the holocaust. Semantically speaking it wasn't comparing the atrocities, but when you go to that scale in a comparison you lose a lot of rhetorical impact because people turn off to what you are saying.

Not all that different from PETA throwing red paint on fur wearers.

[RBA]

LOL- Scream Louder? If they did they may of ended up in GITMO with the feverous and hawkish rhetoric coming from the current administration. I have no doubt that we weren't too far from Marshall Law during the period after 9/11 to the Iraqi War. People were called Unpatriotic, Traitors, and Al Qaeda sympthizers; to name a few. A few Anti-War congress persons lost their house seat and a Georgia Senator was labeled a coward, despite having two legs blown off during Vietnam and he lost his job to another Republican chickenHawk. This is politics today, it's cutthroat.

But I somehow agree, the Democrats and the Main Stream Media were and still afraid to speak out. It's disturbing what has become of some of our greatest checks and balances we use to have.

[TC81190]

So the Iraq War never happened? :

[Rojo]

Then they should have screemed louder.

Howard Dean says "hi".

We were screaming pretty damn loud here in San Francisco......and New York and Chicago and LA and pretty much every major urban center. Nobody gives a damn. The Op-Ed, Sunday Morning idiots control the agenda of the rest of the country and they're all hawks.

[Falls City Beer]

The Holocaust is an event that is-thankfully-unparalleled in human history.

The genocide committed against Native Americans?

Stalin and the death of 15 million of his own countrymen/women in his effort to turn his country into a military superpower?

Mao?

The Holocaust is merely one name in a long list, IMO. Sadly.