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Politics

John Kerry Blasts Washington's "messianic enterprise"; says "moralism can be very defeating for the United States"

Matt Welch | 9.5.2013 9:04 PM

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The man who today is attempting to convince the United States to go war based on the principle of moralistic intervention, was in November 1971 telling a hilarious William F. Buckley (sample line: "He is, as you will note, from Boston") that moralistic intervention is the root of America's foreign policy rot:

Well I don't think that the United States—and I think this is the biggest problem aboiut Vietnam—can necessarily apply moral, uh, moralisms to its commitments around the world, and I think this is one of the great fallacies of our foreign policy at the present moment. Interventionism, as well as globalism, both stem from the same kind of moralism. And in a certain sense I think that moralism can be very defeating for the United States and its undertakings. It gets us into a sort of messianic enterprise, whereby we have this impression that somehow we can go out and touch these other countries and change them, and I think this is what in a sense led us into Vietnam.

Watch the whole clip, which will make native Californians wonder what language is being spoken, below:

Link via the Twitter feed of Chris Fountain.

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NEXT: Pelosi's Closest Allies Yet To Be Convinced on Syria Intervention

Matt Welch is an editor at large at Reason.

PoliticsJohn KerryWorldPolicySyriaVietnamForeign PolicyWar
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  1. Agammamon   12 years ago

    So . . . anyway, my roommate is watching an old episode of 'Two And A Half Men' and I've come to realize why I don't like the vast majority of American 'primetime' sitcoms.

    Its that fucking laugh-track that is cued to go off everytime one of these fethers opens their mouth.

    I think without that most of these shows would be watchable (if only mediocre at best) but *with* it I just get repulsed.

    1. Francisco d Anconia   12 years ago

      HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

    2. The DerpRider   12 years ago

      I actually exchanged emails with Rob Long asking about laugh tracks. He said most shows don't actually use them. They get a comedian to warm up the crowd and let things rip from there.

    3. The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc   12 years ago

      Too lazy to look for it, but some person posted a video on YouTube of The Big Bang Theory with the laugh track removed.

      The awkward pauses where the canned laughter would be makes the clip a lot funnier.

      1. Archduke Trousersenthusiast   12 years ago

        The show sucks, but they don't use a laugh track.

        1. A Secret Band of Robbers   12 years ago

          They most certainly do. Watch the minus laugh track clips. It would be a watchable, better than average sitcom (but still dumb) sitcom without it.

          1. Archduke Trousersenthusiast   12 years ago

            Then why can you get audience tickets?

            They may edit in laughter after, but there's most certainly an audience.

            1. A Secret Band of Robbers   12 years ago

              Ah, I misunderstood.

            2. The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc   12 years ago

              That's what I meant. I'm sure the audiences does laugh, but not on cue and not for every punch line. There's definitely canned laughter they edit in if the reaction from the studio audience is inadequate.

        2. Rufus J. Firefly   12 years ago

          Yeah, I don't get why it's so popular. My friends - shit, my wife - just love it.

          1. A Secret Band of Robbers   12 years ago

            I don't get why some people hate it with such passion, since it's not even the worst sitcom on the air right now. It's no Arrested Development, but it's still better than most stuff in the 90's was.

            Every couple of decades, comedy finds minority that people feel slightly uncomfortable interacting with, then exploits that discomfort for comedic purposes. After a while, they're not so alien, and they have to find a new one. For Big Bang Theory, it's nerds. We're the new Jews. We control all the money and secretly orchestrate everything behind the scenes, we have our own culture that no one else really understands, we have an oversized influence on the culture at large, we control academia, and the country club crowd tries to politely ignore us when possible.

            It is, however, nerd blackface, written to amuse the normals. They're not fooling us.

          2. Corning   12 years ago

            It was good before the main character started boning his neighbor.

            But like moonlighting when they hooked up the show fell apart.

          3. mad libertarian guy   12 years ago

            Because women want to be Kaley Cuoco, and men want to fuck her. Add that she can act reasonably well to the mix and you have a winner.

            1. Tulpa (LAOL-VA)   12 years ago

              Dude, you totally ruined the wordplay on that line... it's "bed", not "fuck".

        3. Emmerson Biggins   12 years ago

          I like Bing Bang Theory. Then again a like Lazy Boys, Budweiser and Papa Johns pizza.

          1. Corning   12 years ago

            I like McDonald food and the only jeans I ever wear are 501 shrink to fit.

            Also Shogun is a fucking GREAT book.

          2. Tulpa (LAOL-VA)   12 years ago

            The first thing I do when visiting a big and diverse city is find where the Olive Garden is.

    4. Death Rock and Skull   12 years ago

      Another thing is that the dialogue in most network and cable shows sounds too forced and unnatural.

    5. Almanian!   12 years ago

      So you're saying this video of John F. Kerry, reporting for duty would be even WORSE with a laugh track.

      I accept that premise...

    6. Apatheist ?_??   12 years ago

      Two and a Half Men doesn't actually use a laugh track. It's just awful.

      1. Apatheist ?_??   12 years ago

        I got that from wiki but I'm not sure it's true now that I think about it. It's probably a semantics game over the definition of laugh track.

        1. SIV   12 years ago

          The studio audience provides a laugh track. It is always enhanced, edited and filled to boot.

      2. Archduke Trousersenthusiast   12 years ago

        The Flintstones had a laugh track!

        1. Rufus J. Firefly   12 years ago

          Gobbie and the Gruesomes. /pounds fist on desk repeatedly laughing.

          1. Archduke Trousersenthusiast   12 years ago

            They hated the bug music.

        2. Cdr Lytton   12 years ago

          And Scooby!

      3. Adam330   12 years ago

        Unless its filmed live, which I highly doubt, then laughing must be a laugh track.

  2. Francisco d Anconia   12 years ago

    Priceless!

  3. The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc   12 years ago

    That dude has got some crazy hair and is talking all kinds of smack! Lol
    http://www.anonsgreatesthits.com

  4. Eduard van Haalen   12 years ago

    Kerry was trying to out-Yale WFB, and almost succeeded! In the end, though Buckley stayed ahead.

    1. Corning   12 years ago

      Are you sure about that?

      Kerry is the Secretary of Defense and losing a congressional/public debate about going to war...

      Hard to out-Yale that.

      1. Tulpa (LAOL-VA)   12 years ago

        Are he and Hagel department-swapping?

      2. Jake W   12 years ago

        Secretary of DEFENSE? Glad you caught that one, we'll have it changed to secretary of war before the weeks end. Keep up the budget-bloating work.

  5. The Immaculate Trouser   12 years ago

    Well, of course Kerry would oppose "moralism" in Vietnam. Communism was -- at worst -- a regrettable but idealistic attempt to improve the poor and their condition. More importantly, it was a movement to eliminate rule by unenlightened ruling classes and un-intellectual bourgeois. How could anyone even talk someone out of an idealistic attempt to oust such people and help the poor, much less get militarily involved? Ngo Dinh Diem probably didn't even know anyone from Yale!

    To be sure, there were several moral ambiguities and complexities in the pursuit of Marxist-Leninism that can be commented on -- never in a critical tone, but with an air of regret usually reserved for Greek tragic epics. Only then can we find healthy dialogue between the aspirants of a better society, and the servants of oppression who let them down at every turn.

    That is to say, there is no similarity at all between these complex scenarios and the Ba'athist thugs who we confront today. No contradiction at all, provided that you use the words "complex" and "nuance" in a sufficiently solemn tone.

    1. Sy   12 years ago

      "Communism was -- at worst at best -- a regrettable but idealistic attempt to improve the poor and their condition..."

    2. Dweebston   12 years ago

      You're being facetious, but it illustrates exactly what I find so droll about these discussions. Introducing enough complexity, mitigating circumstances, and vitiating evidence provides cover for whatever is being promoted. Nothing redounds to principle and consistency is pass?. Nothing is ever analogous to anything, thus we never have to learn from mistakes and nothing is ever taken off the table. I heard somewhere the expression "swordfighting a fart," and that's exactly what Kerry makes me think of.

      1. Almanian!   12 years ago

        "Mistakes were made, but not by me."

      2. The Immaculate Trouser   12 years ago

        "Swordfighting a fart" -- that's a great phrase, and I completely agree with your assessment. As a tertiary element of my distaste for these sorts of discussions, I despise the way that one side will pretend to have a moral high ground when what they have is a difference in style. The above satire, as contrasted with some hillbilly saying "Jesus thinks we should kill Ba'athists and save Communists", is not terribly distinguished by substance (though the latter is mercifully more brief). Nevertheless, with a few modifications I could submit my satire as an enlightened opinion among today's tastemakers, while the latter is jejune and unenlightened.

        Howard Zinn used to say that "history is a weapon", for use against your ideological enemies. I can't help but think that language and argumentation are in the same category to people of his ilk.

        1. Tulpa (LAOL-VA)   12 years ago

          I'm not sure there's much ideology left on the Left. All the partisan smoke and mirrors is basically "rooting for laundry" at this point, to use Seinfeld terminology.

  6. Sy   12 years ago

    I read that entire paragraph in the voice of Mayor Quimby.

    1. Archduke Trousersenthusiast   12 years ago

      http://i.qkme.me/3qfxdf.jpg

    2. Rufus J. Firefly   12 years ago

      I always read everything in the voice of Mayor Quimby. And Apu. And Kent Brockman. And Hans. And Willy. And Principal Skinner. And Ralph and Chief Wiggum. And Krusty. And Otto. And Uter. And Side Show Bob.

  7. Death Rock and Skull   12 years ago

    Its god damn depressing how many decades back career politicians turn up.

  8. Its Billy!   12 years ago

    A very good animation on the logic of liberalism.

    1. Sevo   12 years ago

      Naah, it's murkin!

      1. Apatheist ?_??   12 years ago

        Looked like British racism to me, with a bunch of Poles in the comments for some reason.

    2. Apatheist ?_??   12 years ago

      The fuck is that.

    3. Rufus J. Firefly   12 years ago

      That was some creepy ending.

    4. Irish   12 years ago

      Hey, American! Back to post horribly racist stuff again?

    5. Nori   12 years ago

      Crude, but still a very good take-down of liberalism. Liberalism is all about exempting people from responsibility from their own actions.

    6. A Secret Band of Robbers   12 years ago

      I need to see this sort of thing every now and again. It helps me cement the difference between meaningful criticism of African-American culture and actual racism. If I don't see the real thing, I lose perspective and start to get too many false positives. Thanks for being a racist dickhole, American!

      1. The Immaculate Trouser   12 years ago

        American's always there for you, man.

        When you've broken up with your girlfriend, he'll always be there to tell you how you were too good for her, anyways (1/64th of a percent too good for her, in fact).

        When it's time to move a couch to your new place, he's right there beside you -- muttering under his breath about how you recruited him to do "nigger's work", but still.

        1. Lydia   12 years ago

          Just because you've managed to delude yourself into thinking your policies will help the Blacks, doesn't mean you can say the n-word.

          1. The Immaculate Trouser   12 years ago

            ...so you're "offended" by a naughty word that is clearly being used in a satirical sense here. I feel sorry for anyone that stupid and PC; at least now we know who was on board for banning Huckleberry Finn from public libraries.

            1. Lydia   12 years ago

              in a satirical sense here

              Oh shut up. You don't care about Black people, you don't have an ounce of sympathy for Black people.

              1. The Immaculate Trouser   12 years ago

                You'll make someone a fine ex-wife one day, Lydia.

              2. Francisco d Anconia   12 years ago

                Oh shut up. You don't care about Black people, you don't have an ounce of sympathy for Black people.

                Now that's funny. TIT denounces a known racist and you attack him? Who doesn't care about black people?

                1. A Secret Band of Robbers   12 years ago

                  What?! Some of Lydia's best friends on Facebook are black!

                  Sarcasm, of course. Hell, I don't know. Lydia may be black. This is the Internet, after all. All I can tell about her from here is that she doesn't respect them.

                  1. A Secret Band of Robbers   12 years ago

                    She respects non-progressive non-blacks even less than blacks, and mistakes that difference a beneficial trait.

                    1. The Immaculate Trouser   12 years ago

                      That's just slanderous, Robbers. I have it from several white Democrats of repute that they are committed to making their plantation the nicest you ever did see.

                      Any runaway who tells you different is just an ungrateful, goodfornothing lout.

        2. Sum Ting Wong   12 years ago

          Anyone know the racial stats on The Immaculate Trouser's neighborhood? I'd bet since he loves minorities so much he lives around a lot of them. But if he doesn't, it's totally a coincidence, because he's *not racist.*

          1. The Immaculate Trouser   12 years ago

            Uh, I'm Puerto Rican and until six months ago lived in a majority-Hispanic neighborhood in Tucson.

            Amazingly, yet another of the internet Thought Police fails to discern barbed humor directed at a racist.

            1. Corning   12 years ago

              I'm Puerto Rican

              So a white Hispanic!!!

              Those are the most racist kind of white people.

          2. Francisco d Anconia   12 years ago

            I see Muriken is logged on with his usual 4 or 5 monikers again.

        3. A Secret Band of Robbers   12 years ago

          American's always there for you, man.

          Way to spin that into a positive.

  9. Almanian!   12 years ago

    I'm looking forward to John F. Kerry reporting for duty...as my pallbearer.

    1. The Immaculate Trouser   12 years ago

      I think we're gonna need that Big Bang Theory laugh track right about now...

      As my pallbearer, that is. Laugh, minions!

    2. PapayaSF   12 years ago

      So he can let you down one last time....

  10. Eduard van Haalen   12 years ago

    Another irrelevant moralism -

    The UK has laws against sex-selective abortion, but only in the sense that the USA has laws against undeclared wars.

    "Doctors who agreed to arrange illegal abortions based on the sex of an unborn baby have been told they will not face criminal charges, despite prosecutors admitting that there is enough evidence to take them to court, it emerged on Wednesday night.

    "...The [Crown Prosecution Service] acknowledged, following a 19-month inquiry, that there was sufficient evidence to warrant a prosecution with a "realistic prospect of conviction". But it told police that a "public interest test" had not been met.

    "...So-called sex-selection abortion is banned in the UK and has repeatedly been condemned as "morally wrong" by ministers....But a recent Government analysis of birth records provided the first clear indications that it is be taking place within some communities in the UK."

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new.....s-CPS.html

    1. Ted S.   12 years ago

      But a recent Government analysis of birth records provided the first clear indications that it is be taking place within some communities in the UK.

      Anybody want to guess which communities?

    2. Dweebston   12 years ago

      Is a public interest test exactly what it sounds like? If so, can we get some of those here?

  11. Ted S.   12 years ago

    Dear H&R:

    When I hit the Escape key on my keyboard, it means I want the browser to STOP LOADING THE PAGE. I don't want to to try to continue pushing some antisocial networking shit from Google User Content at me.

    1. Apatheist ?_??   12 years ago

      Dear Tod get Ghostery or NoScript or something.

      1. Ted S.   12 years ago

        I'm using Opera.

        1. Jordan   12 years ago

          Here.Now please spare us your curmudgeon schtick.

  12. Not a Libertarian   12 years ago

    Just wtf is going on with the face of our present day Secretary of John "Odo" Kerry?

    http://images1.wikia.nocookie......efense.jpg

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....e_982w.jpg

    1. Drake   12 years ago

      He looks like a Muppet.

      1. Francisco d Anconia   12 years ago

        Sam.

        1. Drake   12 years ago

          I was thinking of the guy on the right.

          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14njUwJUg1I

  13. Drake   12 years ago

    All I get from that video is an urge to give them both atomic wedgies.

  14. Archduke Trousersenthusiast   12 years ago

    look at some lazy pups

    1. Rock Action   12 years ago

      There are some epically lazy pups in that clip.

  15. Archduke Trousersenthusiast   12 years ago

    I normally hate these but...

    1. Corning   12 years ago

      In Washington and Oregon a steam is called a creek...and it is pronounced like crick.

      In Scotland Bros are called Cunts.

  16. setTHEline   12 years ago

    It's completely different now though, becauese John Kerry doesn't have to get his hands dirty this time.

  17. VG Zaytsev   12 years ago

    They talk like fags.

    1. Heroic Mulatto   12 years ago

      Buckley is currently clawing his way out of his grave just to kick your ass for that. Then he'll dig up and kick Gore Vidal's corpse's ass just for good measure.

      1. VG Zaytsev   12 years ago

        And risk messing up his manicure?-No way.

    2. Long Range Boredom   12 years ago

      And their shit's all retarded.

  18. Jon Lester   12 years ago

    Before I got back on the site tonight, it occurred to me that just because Jerome Corsi is an unscrupulous, fast-buck conspiracist swindler, it doesn't mean Sec. Kerry is "fit for command."

  19. JeremyR   12 years ago

    Well, in that case, the US was fighting against communism.

    In this case, the US is helping Al-Qaeda take over a country to kill Christians.

  20. mad libertarian guy   12 years ago

    He was against America's moralism until it was his morals that were being projected.

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