VDH Too Nuanced For Bruce (updated)

Bruce's latest contribution to The Blue Voice is a rather weak attempt to discredit Victor Davis Hanson, a piece that is strong on leftist "translation" but is essentially void of an argument that VDH is somehow wrong. For readers looking to access Bruce's link to the VDH column in question you won't find it there. Bruce's "link" to the column takes readers to Blogger's home page.

Perhaps it is simply easier to blast VDH in such amateurish fashion when readers do not have access to the actual piece, but only Bruce's excerpts. But Bruce's responses to those excerpts leave essentially everything to be desired as responses go, or as arguments that VDH is somehow mistaken. In fact, The Blue Voice's self-proclaimed VDH expert, is apparently not even aware that VDH is a Democrat, not a "Republican right-winger."

Here are some example of the "arguments" Bruce makes against VDH:

VDH: So to recap: The real enemy is an Islamic fascist ideology that is promulgated by a few thousand. They wear no uniforms and are deeply embedded within and protected by Muslim society.

BRUCE: Muslims bad. Muslims are kinda like Hitler. Real Amurcans don't like Muslims. I get the drift, I think.

Apparently Bruce does not get the drift. Does VDH make any such argument? Of course not. One must ask themselves, how does totally misinterpreting an argument at all point out a fallacy?

VDH:Consequently, the United States has not been able to bring its full arsenal of military assets to the fray. It is nearly impossible to extract the killers from the midst of civilian society. Too much force causes collateral damage and incites religious and nationalist anti-American fervor. Too little power emboldens the fascists and suggests America (e.g., Nixon's "pitiful, helpless giant") cannot or will not win the war.
This passive-aggressive sense of inferiority explains why millions of Muslims flock to Europe to enjoy its freedom and prosperity, even as they recreate there an Islamist identity to reconcile their longing and desire for what they profess to hate.

BRUCE: Follow that? That peculiar feeling around your temples as you ponder it could be mistaken for the feeling of one's mind expanding. And if you just let it go at that, you can probably avoid the impending headache that it really is warning you about. If you want to turn it into a migrane, start pondering it next to the thought, "But I thought they hated us for our freedoms."

It is clear here that VDH is far too nuanced for Bruce, who gets a headache when so much information is thrown his way. I thought the left was supposed to appreciate nuance. Clearly, Bruce does not. Nevertheless, he still fails to discredit VDH in any way, shape, or form.

VDH: Like a parent with a naughty child, a maddening forbearance is the order of the day: They burn American flags, behead, murder, and promise death and ruin to Americans; we ignore it and instead find new ways of displaying our sensitivity to Islam.

BRUCE: You tell 'em, Vic! Spare the rod and spoil the fascist child, I always say.

Actually, I think Bruce actually got it on this one. He and his apologist cohorts are indeed spoiling the fascist children. And why not, the religious right is a far more dangerous enemy than people who promise "death and ruin" to all Americans. Just ask Marcia Ellen.

Still, he has made no case that VDH is wrong. He is simply being a simple-minded smart ass.

Bruce sums up by explaining to the entire echo-chamber what VDH "meant" by his column, which of course he must do since the actual column would be too much for intellectually challenged liberals to handle.

1. Americans shouldn't worry about civilian casualities in Iraq or any other country the US invades. Why worry about Muslim mommas and their Muslim babies being killed if they are only going to raise those Muslim babies to be anti-American jihad-lovers?...

2. Invading pretty much any Muslim country we choose is okay, because they're all to blame for the 9/11 attacks.

3. Why fret about overt American attempts to control other countries' oil resources? The Muslims are too primitive and backward to manage them responsibly anyway.

4. The "war against terrorism" is a matter of invading and conquering Muslim countries of our choice.

5. When everyone is more-or-less forced to face the fact that the US has lost the Iraq War, don't blame staunch Republican rightwingers like VDH: look, he was saying we need to be tougher! It's those wimpy Democrats and whoever that undercut our grand crusade there.

Read the real column here, and see for yourself if VDH makes any of these arguments. While you are at it, check VDH's credentials, and ask yourself: do you want your war analysis from VDH, or a hippie "financial analyst" (whatever that means) from San Fransisco?

Never fear Team America, Bruce is promising to debase himself in the presence of VDH on a regular basis. There will be many opportunities to point and laugh. And, although Bruce is engaged in an admirable exercise, it is one in which he is clearly well out of his league.

But then, when have any of you ever known a liberal to recognize when it is time to cut their losses?

UPDATE: As of 10 p.m. eastern, three of the enlightened writers of The Blue Voice have checked in with Bruce to tell him what a wonderful job he has done.

Marcia Ellen says: You're one of a kind, Bruce, and I love it!!

Marigold says: thanks, Bruce. This actually explains a lot of pervasive attitudes and "thinking" in general society to me. VDH is either speaking to or for (or both) quite a few Americans right now. Extremely distressing.

Buddahboy says: When I take the time to read garbage like this it makes it clear that the nuts on the Right don't have a clue as to what fascism is. Fascism is just a term for bad guys. And Islamo-Fascism is a term for the really bad guys. I understand Hugo Chavez is passing out classics like Don Quixote to the Venezuelan people to get them to remember the classics. Maybe we should start handing out dictionaries.

None seem to have noticed that the link to VDH's column is bogus. Apparently they are too lazy to "click" or they simply would rather accept Bruce's weak hatchet job than read for themselves. Either way, isn't that just so typically liberal?