Who's Bad?

New at Reason: Who will be tonight's Axis of Evil? Vote in Reason's poll.

Comments

[E.A.Poe]

Me and my followers vote for the stinking French and their cohorts.

"'Poe Toaster' may have referred to anti-war French"

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/South/01/19/poe.visitor.ap/index.html

[Jean Bart]

I vote for the fat ass (literally) Americans. 🙂

[D Lusional]

The state of New Hampshire - can't have that Free State Project thing happening.

[Sandy]

I vote for the fat ass (literally) Americans. 🙂

Ah, good to see we're not dwelling in stereotypes. I was concerned.

[joe]

I was stunned by the "Club for Growth's" ad. I had never heard of it before. Can you imagine the uproar if a liberal advocacy group had displayed a similar level of stereotyped bigotry towards a red state?

"...sheep fucking, inbred, hillbilly, moonshine drinking, Cat-hatted, bare foot..."

And Vermont? Rural farming state with exactly two Starbucks.

[ed]

Sandy,

Jean Bart must have witnessed some of the caucus meetings on TV. The oversized butts were hard to miss.
I know television adds a few pounds, but the cookie-munching finale didn't help to refute the stereotype.

[Jean Bart]

Sandy,

They do have sarcasm on the planet that you live on, correct? In the future, note the :). 🙂

[Jean Bart]

Sandy,

BTW, my comments did not include all Americans; simply fat ass (literally) Americans. 🙂

[dlc]

Yes, that "Club for Growth" ad is pretty offensive. I wonder if they will show it during the general campaign. I imagine it would backfire when a lot of rather conservative, but city-dwelling, latte-sipping, Volkswagen-driving, sushi-eating, Hollywood-loving, Economist-reading freaks such as myself see it.

Doesn't exactly elevate the political debate much, does it? Surprised to see it from a supposedly "serious" group.

Besides, even hicks drink Lattes now.

[Andrew]

Sandy--

JB is actually right (can't believe I said that)-- getting after the national fat-ass is the new project of the nanny-state...though the Administration in the past has held aloof (and made some astonishingly rational statements), I don't feel reassured (although I'm skinny).

I hope Bush is strong on Iraq, and says something about Iran. Syria would be a good switch-hitter for the Saddam tyrrany.

[Cone]

The original Axis of Evil is still worth taking on, as we're slowly doing. It's not some made-up thing, it's real (even as everyone understands that there are other countries that must be dealt with as well). This short piece about arbitrarily creating new enemies isn't just cnyical and tiresome, it's stupid.

[Lonewacko]

Liberating the people of Brunei will become our new national obsession.

[Russ]

On the subject of hicks drinking latt?s, on my last drive through western Washington state (Port Angeles to Tacoma, definitely pick-up truck & mullet land), I was amazed to see the number of roadside drive-through espresso huts. I first figured that it must be a function of the proximity to the highly-caffeinated city of Seattle, but the sheer number of latt?-huts and a glance at the NASCAR-class clientele made it evident that specialty coffee has truly lost any social cachet it once held.

Give it time, sushi will be next. Yuppies will just have to find some other trends to maintain their air of elitist exclusivity.

[Steve in CO]

Cone,

You have to be kidding, right? Have you lost all sense and semblence of humor? Please, "we have to take on the axis... blah, blah, blah."

Unless you possess a need to know, and a top secret clearance and have actually been to briefings on the subject, I doubt your insight into our drastically stupid foreign policy would provide much more than rhetoric and wishful thinking/knee-jerk "bomb-em-all" nonsense. The USA as Globocop/Enforcer/Terminator instead of being the "shining city on the hill," will be our undoing... whether by bankruptcy or heaven forbid, much worse.

[rst]

Can I be in the axis of evil?

[rst]

It's not some made-up thing, it's real

Evil is a made-up thing.

[Jean Bart]

I'm a "new style liberal?" What is a "new style liberal?" And when did I become one? 🙂

Oh no! Someone made fun of the Americans! That will just not do!!!!

For all the jokes about Frenchmen being hypersensitive, etc., it is indeed hilarious to watch people get tied in knots over the heft of their population. *laugh*

[Jean Bart]

notJoe,

BTW, I am generally willing to look away from good natured sarcasm about France; but oh no, good natured sarcasm about the US! That cannot be tolerated! Suffice it to say, you are a wimp.

[Warren]

Jean Bart,
Put a chaussette in it.

[Jean Bart]

Warren,

Oh no! Such strong words! 🙂 We musn't have any humor at the expense of Americans here! 🙂 This is by far the most brilliant troll I have ever undertaken here; and I didn't even try to do it. Nothing like a prickly national ego to set off the fireworks. *chuckle*

[AJMB]

If this keeps up, someone will declare Jean Bart the new Axis of Evil. That's okay, though. He can always come to Canada and claim refugee status.

[AJMB]

P.S. - You fat-asses down south need to relax. 😉

[Bill]

For a serious note about adding countries to the axis of evil. How about Sudan? I would think that libertarian-minded folks would be concerned about slavery of black Africans. The people running that place think that Sharia justifies enslaving men, women, and children (and I'm sure that many good Muslims are horrified by that interpretation). Of course, all UNESCO could gripe about was the definitely horrible but 200-year-old slave trade. Barely any mention of the slave trade occuring in the 21st century!

[Jean Bart]

Bill,

Why doesn't Bush place the People's Republic of China on the "axles of evil?" 🙂

[Bill]

Jean,

I disagree that we do not have the resources. We have troops in many places that we don't really need to have. We could topple Syria's sad little military with ease. North Korea would be a nightmare because of Seoul, but if we were willing to attack with the truly devasting force we are capable of, we could smash their military flat. Iran's mullahs could be overthrown possibly by arming an internal resistance.

I'm not suggesting that we do these things, I just think we could. If we eliminated any number of federal programs that I don't support, we would have more money for the military. Personally, I only want the federal govt. to spend money on defense and protecting civil rights; the welfare state can go to hell.

I simply would like to hear the president mention the evil of slavery in Sudan. I would like to see Iran liberated in the not too distant future, though. It is the next logical step for these reasons: It lies between Afganistan and Iraq, and it's liberation would improve the chances for these two nations; it has a pseudo-democratic governing structure already in place; many of it's people are pro-American and have lived under Islamofascist rule so long that they are truly sick of it.

I will say that you are likely right that Bush won't invade these countries, but I like the fact that he points out their governments' "evilness"--it raises awareness.

[Bill]

Jean,

Placing the PRC on the "axis of evil" would be appropriate, but for the problem of nukes, 1.25 billion people, billions of $ in trade, etc. Essentially, your right, but war with China would be insane! I figure if we can help to bring liberty to all nations other than China, the Chinese might eventially get with the program. I conceed that this is a big might. Anyway, good point.

Bill

[Steve in CO]

"We could topple Syria's sad little military with ease..."

Does it occur to you this means brutal and horrible death for thousands of young conscripts? Do you even care?

[Cone]

Steve in Co claims our foreign policy is "drastically stupid." Striking at the heart of international terrorism and liberating 50 million people while doing so strike me as pretty sensible.

He apparently wants to be isolationist. Great, so we can be incredibly poor and a sitting duck at the same time.

[Tucsondon]

The Axis of Evil is; Poor Education, Government Regulations and Political Correctness the wold over.

[Jean Bart]

Bill,

Bush will do nothing about Iran, Syria or North Korea. Iran and North Korea were a smokescreen in the whole "axles of evil" statement. The U.S. has neither the resources nor the will to invade either country (or Syria). Despite all the talk about "hyperpower," America is limited in its ability like any other nation.

[Mitch Moore]

The Axis of Evil that does the most damage to us is the Democratic Party, Republican Party, and the media.

[yelowd]

"He apparently wants to be isolationist. Great, so we can be incredibly poor and a sitting duck at the same time."

Why do people equate war with trade? Just because someone doesn't support and aggressive foreign policy based on suspect evidence, doesn't mean that the US will all of a sudden be poor. Trade will not all of a sudden drop off if we don't send commandos into central asia. EX: Switzerland. Neutral and very wealthy.

[Steve]

1) The Welfare State (Social Security, Government Schools, Medicare, etc.)

2) The Warfare State (War on Terror, War in Iraq, etc.)

3) The Federal Reserve

In sum: The State.

[thoreau]

Steve-

Why would any good libertarian care about the death of conscripts? They're clearly brain-washed Islamo-fascists who hate America. Kill 'em all!

As we all know, armies of poor conscripts are 100% voluntary and ideologically driven, and are also incredibly efficient killing machines that could easily topple America if not dealt with immediate. So let's go for Syria!