Thomas P.M. Barnett :: Weblog

Wow, just finished listening. He obviously has a home town crown listening and commenting (like the Real Time with Bill Maher audience). Chalmers really sounded like a fool. His comments about rape pissed me off. I was in Germany for three years and I heard of one, not quite the two per month per base. I think at 75 he needs to take up golf and leave the thinking to people who are involved.

It's reflective of the audience that the radio program has. There's a swath of people out there that ardently believe that America is an evil empire and thus is up to no good. You see it largely expressed on the left - netroots/dkos types, but there's probably a spill-over to the isolationist right/Buchanan types. What Chalmers says is a confirmation of what they just *know* is true.

Sean,

Have heard no mention of Garbage in 5+ years by anyone anywhere: actually liked a couple of their songs. (Maybe not liked but at least didn't get angry when one would come on in the gym.)

Mr. Killjoy is a great name for a movie.

JR: :-)

that particular song floated through the Hype Machine the other day and to the top of my consciousness. sang it some for my kids ;-) and i own #1 Crush...

I know this thread is old and nobody will read this... but I finally got around to listening to this "debate" and was really disappointed by it. This man called the US arrogant, but he is the one that comes off as so. His only sources appear to be himself (or "experience" as he calls it) and other authors who agree with him. He and the interviewer simply accept the notion that the US is an empire and then wander around in thought about how bad that is. You could tell that Tom was a bit shocked by this. He immediately disputes, with good points, that the US is NOT an empire yet his points are never addressed or even countered. If you can't agree on some simple facts like that, how do you have a productive debate?

Oh, Sean, kudos on the Garbage! Still have a thing for Shirley Manson and #1 Crush is their best track!

i read it, Brad, because i see all!

thanks re: Garbage ;-)

The way the announcer pumps out every word, "empire," "overstretch," "nemesis," you'd think he was making love with the words - that screwball. I have a special resentment for the those particular types of lefties, because they have been complacent in the damage they have done in this world when they ally themselves with authoritarians in the name of "anti-imperialism."

Chalmers Johnson is a hyperbolic man. I cannot stand these people, which is why I gravitated towards Barnett, he doesn't pull that crap. However, there are too many naive, but well intentioned people who follow people like Chalmers.

When that hyperbolic shit about a 75 year old Iraqi man talking to his son came out of Chalmers - you see how unprofessional he is.