Plenty of loonies supported the Iraq War. Bin Laden, on the one hand, certainly wasn’t crying in his cave over the creation of a new playground, and neo-fascists like Douglas Murray on the other hand, are pretty gleeful that they are witnessing a ‘Clash of Civilisation with Barbarism’ and have the chance to spin European countries down the political pathways of radical militaristic nationalism.

Trying to claim that ALL the loonies were anti-war is, quite simply, barking. It makes you look spectacularly dumb.

Are you asking or stating? You’d be forgiven to confess to being totally flummoxed.

That essentially the Euston Manifesto is a centrist piece?

…

Stephen G I have lost you on that, but it made me laugh anyway. Sounded a bit Pythonesque.

Does this, though, tell us much about either most people who oppose our adopting that currency or about the merits or otherwise of the idea?

No, that didn’t stop many on the left as branding us all as nazis. Anyho, I have already said “I know there plenty of non-loonies aswell that opposed the war”

I can’t resist but draw this one out. So the loony list looks as follows:

Pro-Iraq-War:

Pat Robertson

Anti-Iraq-War:

Saddam Hussein, Baathist Officials, Terrorists, Islamists, George Galloway, Socialist Worker Party nutjobs, Nationalist nutjobs, Yvonne Ridley., Madeline Bunting, The French, The Daily Mail… need I go on?!

Mark Steyn and Melanie Philips, whilst both considered both right-wing, and conservative in their politcs, nobody would desribe them as extremists.

No, I’d just describe them as nutcases. I can’t remember the last time either of them wrote anything other than a hysterical rant.

Suffice to say, ALL the extremists of all pursuasions (Islamic, Lefty, Nationalist) were anti-war!
Or indeed this?

Just to remind you, you said: Those that opposed ther war were the far-left (SWP for example) and the far-right (BNP for example).

In all fairness, if you’d said “included” rather than “were”, the position you now seem to be trying to defend, I’d have been unable to disagree.

As is, you just seem to be playing dirty by first stating something which is patently untrue and then continuing to insinuate the same when challenged. It is inaccurate to suggest that all opposition to the war came from the fringes. The numbers tell their own story. The BNP and the SWP between them couldn’t put together more than a few thousands people for a demonstration as I’m sure you’re aware. Most of the 750,000+ people who marched were not extremists of left or right.

You seem determined to portray anyone who opposed the war as if they ascribed to the most outlandish views you can find. I could similarly claim that the extreme “exterminate the Koranimals” diatribes which sometimes appear in comments on LGF are representative of everyone who supported the war. It would be untrue though. And it’d be rather dishonest to pretend otherwise.

Let’s face it, the fringe of the anti-war crowd includes people who praise Chairman Mao, the Socialist Baathist Regime, and Terrorism – anything in fact that opposes the West.

Now people who support the war? Centre lefties, centrists, righties (yes that includes Steyn and Phillips). I challange anyone to name some people who are far-left or far-right that supported the Iraq war.

Suffice to say, ALL the extremists of all pursuasions (Islamic, Lefty, Nationalist) were anti-war!

j0nz – I’ve already gone on at coma-inducing length in the “Revisiting the Euston Manifesto” thread about how I’ve found pro-war progressives (especially me!) to be (usually) more nuanced in approach than most anti-war colleagues. And knee-jerk anti-Americanism is, to my mind at least, an ugly passion that’s reminiscent of the BNP. But you’re seriously exaggerating if you try to paint the whole pro-war camp as nicey-nice centrists. How about that nice liberal Mr Mark Steyn? or Melanie Phillips…?

I have read Malkin’s post. I’d never heard of her before Sunny’s piece but what I’ve just seen of her work is definitely not centrist. Nor is it accurate. Were those whining stewdents really being “seditious”? Is it “assault” when a trained combat soldier and some Uni security men are surrounded by a bunch of self-righteous girls? The student reports of their protest look laughably self important and naïve to me. But they’re just children – what’s Malkin’s excuse?

Thank goodness no reputable media outlet over here would publish someone just because they had impressive sounding qualifications, a knack for writing ill considered rhetoric that inflames their readers’ basest instincts, and were physically appealing to some “male members” of the media establishment. Take Madeleine Bunting for example. Er, hang on…

j0nz – I’ve already gone on at coma-inducing length in the “Revisiting the Euston Manifesto” thread about how I’ve found pro-war progressives (especially me!) to be (usually) more nuanced in approach than most anti-war colleagues. And knee-jerk anti-Americanism is, to my mind at least, an ugly passion that’s reminiscent of the BNP. But you’re seriously exaggerating if you try to paint the whole pro-war camp as nicey-nice centrists. How about that nice liberal Mr Mark Steyn? or Melanie Phillips…?

I have read Malkin’s post. I’d never heard of her before Sunny’s piece but what I’ve just seen of her work is definitely not centrist. Nor is it accurate. Were those whining “stewdents” really being “seditious”? Is it “assault” when a trained combat soldier and some Uni security men are surrounded by a bunch of self-righteous girls? The student reports of their protest look laughably self important and naïve to me. But they’re just children – what’s Malkin’s excuse?

Thank goodness no reputable media outlet over here would publish someone just because they had impressive sounding qualifications, a knack for writing ill considered rhetoric that inflames their readers’ basest instincts, and were physically appealing to some “male members” of the media establishment. Take Madeleine Bunting for example. Er, hang on…

I think it was al-Zawahiri who articulated that al Qaida would be able to exploit and fuel the divisions which exist in US society. With the US lacking an intelligent leadership which understands terrorist strategies and what to do about them, they seem to be succeeding.

I know any number of people who opposed the war who are neither. Let’s take the big anti-war march as an example. The police estimated that there were 750,000 there. Are you saying that all these people are supporters of the BNP and the SWP? That’s not credible surely? I’m afraid the claim that only the far-left or right opposed the war is a pretty weak strawman.

It rather looks to me as if you’ve been seduced by a particularly odious piece of “pro-war” spin. Opposition to the war came from all across the political spectrum.

I did enjoy the Blair photo though. Definitely lunatic fringe.

Lunatic fringe. How kind of your to say so Jarndyce. “Decent bloke” is obviously over-egging the pudding a bit though.

http://jonswift.blogspot.com/2006/04/dear-michelle-malkin.html