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Will we have allies when we need them?; Oren M. Spiegler (OMS); Beaver County Times; December 26, 2017.
Mr. Spiegler is such a prolific letter writer the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review gave him a little tribute back in 2003. Google “Oren M. Spiegler” and you’ll get more hits than you know what to do with. Unfortunately, prolific is not a synonym for competent. Mr. Spiegler claims to be a Republican. In my critique of “Breathing more freely,” I cited reasons why I was “beginning to believe Mr. Spiegler is simply another Republican impersonator,” but he sealed the deal with “Greatest foreign policy debacle.” Subsequent letters provided more confirmation. The group of local Republican impersonators also includes Messrs. William A. Alexander, Arthur Brown, Edward J. Hum, Bill Ralston, and George Reese, all claiming to be disgruntled Republicans. While he has previously claimed to be a Republican, this appears to be the first time Mr. Spiegler claimed to be a registered Republican in a BCT letter. If true, Mr. Spiegler joins Mr. Hum in going the extra mile to further his impersonation of a Republican.
ALERT! Though I missed it by several months, Mr. Spiegler finally did the honorable thing and ended his charade and deregistered as a Republican.
You can find links to previous critiques of Spiegler letters I critiqued here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
The BCT has or had a limit of 12 letters per writer per year. In 2014, the BCT either ditched that limit or made a huge exception for Mr. Spiegler. By my count, the BCT published at least 25 Spiegler letters in 2014. Mr. Spiegler and/or the BCT dialed things back a bit in 2015; the BCT published only 15 Spiegler letters in 2015 and 10 in 2016. This letter appears to be OMS’ 20th and final 2017 letter.
Below is a review of the subject letter.
“George W. Bush was roundly and rightfully criticized when he arrogantly said in reference to the fabled war on terror, ‘You’re either with us or against us,’ throwing down the gauntlet.”
[RWC] Here’s an excerpt from a CNN story.
“‘A coalition partner must do more than just express sympathy; a coalition partner must perform,’ Bush said. ‘That means different things for different nations. Some nations don’t want to contribute troops and we understand that. Other nations can contribute intelligence sharing. … But all nations, if they want to fight terror, must do something.’
“Bush said he would not point out any specific countries when he speaks to the UN.
“‘Over time it’s going to be important for nations to know they will be held accountable for inactivity,’ he said. ‘You’re either with us or against us in the fight against terror.’”
Who specifically “roundly and rightfully criticized” GWB for this position?
“A modern version of that statement now emanates from Donald Trump, who is threatening with a loss of aid any nation which opposes his foolish, provocative and ill-timed recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.”
[RWC] OMS’ complaint is about 22 years late. Like it or not, “recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital” began in 1995. According to the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-45), it is “An Act To provide for the relocation of the United States Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, and for other purposes.” Section 3(a) says,
“Statement of the Policy of the United States.
“(1) Jerusalem should remain an undivided city in which the rights of every ethnic and religious group are protected;
“(2) Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel; and
“(3) the United States Embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem no later than May 31, 1999.”
“Trump has made our once coalition-building nation an outlier. This is demonstrated most recently as the United Nations General Assembly voted by an overwhelming and humiliating margin of 128-9 against Trump’s Jerusalem declaration and urging it be revoked. Where we once sought cooperation and understanding, we now say to the nations of the world, ‘We are always right. You are wrong. Fall in line or else.’”
[RWC] “Mos Eisley spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.” – Obi-Wan Kenobi, “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.”
The UN is the equivalent of Mos Eisley spaceport on a good day. How do countries like Cuba become members of UN human rights committees?
“The bull-in-the-china-shop president strikes again. He may find someday that he needs allies and that we have few if any left.”
[RWC] Blah, blah, blah.
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