[lbo-talk] Galloway and Gandall

[Seth Ackerman]

Luke Weiger wrote:

>Cox correctly noted that courage, strength, and indefatigability aren't
>necessarily praiseworthy.  And indeed, if Galloway had said something like
>"your courage, strength, and indefatigability have served you well as a
>butcher of men," I'd have no quibble.  But Galloway said, "I _salute_ your
>courage..."  Salutation isn't merely notation.
>

What's the point of this kind of textual analysis, Luke? Galloway has 
spent the last decade apologizing for this remark. He waved a sheaf of 
his anti-Saddam quotes at Norm Coleman's face and had them entered into 
the Senate record. In what sense, then, can Galloway qualify as a 
"Saddamist"?

Isn't this sort of the Matt Drudge school of political analysis - see if 
you can find a one-sentence quote to rub someone's face into and ignore 
everything else? Don't you think Galloway's indisputable record of 
actually trying to improve the lives of Iraqis under sanctions outweighs 
one boneheaded utterance 11 years ago?

FWIW, the Iraqi blogger Raed Jarrar -- about whom all I know is that 
he's a good writer and has been using his family wealth to support all 
kinds of utterly decent medical relief and Sunni-Shiite reconciliation 
projects -- had this to say about Galloway's testimony: "Iraq and Iraqis 
won't forget the noble and brave stand of George Galloway against the US 
illegal war(s) and occupation(s)."

Seth