World traveller Rick Steves has an (unintentionally) hilarious op-ed in yesterday's Seattle Times: "The real threat to U.S. security". Steves argues that the biggest threat to our security is our own military. He suggests in earnest that we accept Osama Bin-Laden's offer of a "truce", which would include, among other things, taking "Christian armies out of sacred Muslim territory" (Steves may or may not realize that Bin-Laden still thinks of Spain as Muslim territory). The funniest part of the column is Steves' argument that Europeans would start liking Americans more if we stopped deploying our military overseas:
I have many friends in Europe named "Frankie" or "Johnny" who were born in the late 1940s. Every time I see them, I'm reminded that there was a time when our allies in Europe gave their children Yankee names in gratitude for what America meant to them. This can happen once again across the world: America can become a superpower in a positive sense — so appreciated that other nations would fund their militaries to protect us.One has to wonder whether Rick Steves even knows why Europeans born in the 1940s are grateful to America in the first place. Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at March 03, 2006 12:21 PM | Email This
Wow. That is the single most insane column I've ever read in a major newspaper. I love that to him, "defense" means only preventing the armed takeover of the US, not preventing planes flying into buildings or nukes floating into harbors, let alone terrorism against or the takeover of our allies. As you note, it's that kind of isolationism that would have prevented us from doing anything for the Europeans of the 1940's.
Posted by: Timothy on March 3, 2006 12:46 PMso appreciated that other nations would fund their militaries to protect us.
Maybe the first commenter supplied the answer. Either that, or the man has an innately feeble grasp of reality.
Posted by: Micajah on March 3, 2006 12:51 PMBTW, wanderer, I agree with you on the marijuanna issue. It's time to come to some accomodations on this recreational drug. Sure, some people are going to disagree, but it's time to de-criminalisz marijuanna.
Posted by: Libertarian on March 3, 2006 01:03 PMFirst off, this nation will always have enemies as long as the rest of the world does not get how we became the worlds best superpower.
Second off, we tried the "peace in our time" thing before. It only lead to a greater and more deadly end than anything that has happened before.
Legalize marijuanna? Look at the effects on this moron.
Posted by: Mike P on March 3, 2006 01:14 PMThe most important lesson to take from this is to make sure that the people who have a similar world view as Mr. Steve continue to write harmless little op-ed pieces in newspapers with declining circulations.
It makes a guy all the more thankful that the grownups have been in charge of the country for the past five and a half years. It should also galvanize all of us to make sure that it stays that way in November of 2006.
FYI - marijuana HAS been decriminalized, at least in most major cities (Seattle and Chicago, to name two). It's the LAST thing the cops are supposed to enforce, and they always have bigger fish to fry.
You pretty much have to be a complete and total F-up, or be committing other crimes (public intoxication, public disturbance, etc) to be charged for possessing marijuana. That's why I'm against taking decriminalization any further.
As for Rick Steves, I saw his episode on Poland (Krakow & Warsaw), including his trips to Auschwitz and Birkenau. He must be thick as a brick not to understand the connection between the world he envisions and the gas chambers that would result. Idiot.
Posted by: Larry on March 3, 2006 01:22 PM"All that is needed for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing"
~I don't know who wrote this~
Thankfully, there are plenty of people out there that recognize evil for what it is, and thankfully they are currently in political power in the US.
"There are times in everyman's life when you must spit on your hands, hoist the black flag and begin slitting throats"
~HL Menken~
I would ask Mr. Steves these questions:
If we are such an Imperialistic threat why are we buying Iraq oil? After all we're there we could just take it.
Never in history has a nation held such a disproportionate balance of power. That being the case why haven't taken the Kuwait, Saudi and Iranian oil?
If we are such a threat why is the discussion not how to establish our authority in Iraq, instead the argument is about how and when we leave. If we are such a threat why are we planning our departure from Iraq?
The population of India has a 70% positive opinion of the US. Given the chance a significant portion of people living in the 3rd world come to the US in a heartbeat. If we are so hated why do so many dream of being American?
Our recent military history:
Liberation of;
Iraq
Afghanistan
Panama
Grenada
The establishment of democracies in:
Honduras
Nicaragua
and other Central American Nations.
The Freeing of the former Soviet bloc Nations.
The defense of:
S. Korean and Europe
The liberation of Europe and much of Asian from Fascism:
And notable the effects of our Vietnam failure.
1.5 to 3 million dead under the Communist boot.
Trillions in dollars and hundreds of thousands of dead young American Men spent in this effort in the last century.
Which of these Nations pay us tribute?
Which Nations is vassal State of the US?
Which Nation did we plunder?
Who are a we a threat to Mr. Steves?
I'll tell you:
We are a threat to totalitarian regimes, and those who have ambitions in that direction.
Let's cut military spending he says. Then we can funnel all that money into legitimate causes. You know, fighting against global warming, financing affordable housing, and spending even more money on health care and education. If Steve wants to live in a country where these services are provided by the government (and paid for with taxes), let him move north to Canada or even better, east to Old Europe. He does seem to know Europe raher well, as that is his livlihood.
Steves also seems to think that if we were just nicer and not so intent on protecting our nation, then other nations would like us more and support us in the UN. Screw the UN. It is a worthless, corrupt, ineffective organization that continually rips on the United States and Israel.
Steves should stick to what he knows - traveling in Europe, and leave solving real problems to the adults.
Posted by: Gary on March 3, 2006 01:27 PMBased on his statements about politics, perhaps he should consider sticking to just the travel guides.
Posted by: H Moul on March 3, 2006 01:33 PMWatch any episode of his "travel tips" shows and it's obvious he's a lefty from the get-go. I always found them a bit too effete and too short on substance for anyone better educated (educated, not schooled) than a college sophomore.
BTW, is he a Canadian or did that lisp come to him naturally?
Posted by: Cartman on March 3, 2006 01:47 PMTHC isn't an hallucinatory agent
"Legalize marijuanna? Look at the effects on this moron."
OK..What's your excuse?
Over time, imperialists like Steves have been able to water down European culture simply by their dollars and their presence so that all countries seem more like american suburbs.
That's not IMPERIALISM Mr. Steves?
I forgot, it's only OK if you make a buck off it under the guise of "travel writing."
Posted by: dan on March 3, 2006 01:49 PMNever been to Europe, huh?
American media have had a greater influence on European culture than American tourist dollars..your comment is just silly
Posted by: wanderer on March 3, 2006 02:05 PMQuestion asked...question answered.
Posted by: Danny on March 3, 2006 02:14 PMIt's not the bluebird of happiness, but marijuanna is not the "assissin of youth", the black death either. It's an intoxicating substance that adults should have the right to enjoy responsibly. I think my fellow Libertarians would agree with me on these points.
Posted by: Libertarian on March 3, 2006 02:23 PMHis idea that we should cut back so that others could fund their militaries is amusing - sure, let's rely on everyone else to help defend us in a crunch! I just wonder what he'll say when our French "allies" brought over to defend us raise the white flag within the hour and the Canadians desert their posts as soon as they realize the bad guys have guns.
Posted by: Darth Dogbert on March 3, 2006 02:28 PMNever been to Europe before the age of "tourism of the masses" huh?
I'm not saying it's bad, I'm saying that's the way the world is changing and Mr Steves practiced as much imperialism in his small way as the imperialistic US military did that he despises.
Posted by: dan on March 3, 2006 02:30 PMAll that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke
Posted by: RBW on March 3, 2006 02:46 PMBut I do think we waste alot of that $400 billion a year on failed programs like SDI. I would like to see some performance audits on our defense spending, and after that reallocate a few billion of that for putting up a fence along the Mexican border and stationing troops there.
Posted by: Palouse on March 3, 2006 03:06 PMI, for one say, bill the nations for our past services. And if people continue to say we are the bad men, then let's be bad. Demand pillage. Start with oil and end with gold. Measure by the shipload. There is a lot of oil in Iraq and Iran. Let's get it. Who's to stop us?
Let's be the meanest dog in the junkyard.
Posted by: Snuffy on March 3, 2006 03:19 PMTo me, it started in the mid 60's when ocean liners weren't the only way to get there and airfare got cheap. Europe got popular as a place to go "on $1
a day"
"Is there anyone out there who would actually want to — or, more importantly, be able to — invade the United States?"
Apparently, he doesn't consider 9/11 an 'invasion'. I do, and he's wrong.
"Isn't it ironic that this planet's most overtly "Christian" nation is feverishly pounding plowshares into swords?"
I know he's been to Poland - 98% Catholic - I've seen the show. And the USA, with the ACLU and their extreme interpretation of 'separation of church and state', is the most overtly Christian nation? Whatever.
This article could be easily fisked by anyone with a high-school education.
wanderer,
"THC isn't an hallucinatory agent"
It's not classified as a hallucinogen, but it most certainly can cause hallucinations. Ever had the really good stuff from Humboldt County, CA or Boulder County, CO? You might see something that surprises even you.
Following his line of reasoning, he probably praises Neville Chamberlain, which is really sick.
Posted by: KS on March 3, 2006 04:36 PMMedved asked him whether there was anything about the US he preferred to Europe and he could only come up with the freedom he has had to make a lot of money. Come on, Rick, the hamburgers are much better here, among many, many other things. (Or if you want something bigger try house prices here , or job growth here, or research here.) I can think of ways in which various European countries have advantages over the US easily; that Steves couldn't do the reverse is quite strange.
Second, there is the odd incident of the American flags. A caller to the Monson show claimed that Steves, unhappy about a public display of American flags in Edmonds, confiscated a bunch of them. Monson, to his credit was dubious about the story but found documentation in, as I recall, a PI story,
Third, there is the ethical problem of his PBS show. It acts as a powerful advertisement for his books and his travel agency, but, as I understand it, PBS pays him to do it, rather than the reverse. It would be interesting to know what his competitors in the travel business think of that,
Fourth, there is his hypocrisy on global warming. He is, or at least says he is, greatly concerned about global warming. But his business contributes heavily to the fossil fuel use. His customers do not get to Europe on sailing ships, but on jets that burn fossil fuel. If he really wants to reduce the use of fossil fuels, he should close down his travel agency.
(By the way, if any of you want to pass on these thoughts, or any others, it is not hard to find the email address of his travel agency. Just remember that the emails will be read, at least first, by an innocent assistant, not Steves. I'll probably send him a note suggesting he read Lomborg's book before he says another thing about global warming.)
Posted by: Jim Miller on March 3, 2006 04:40 PM"The people who use that term (Islamfacism) to scare us".
What about people who just use the term to acknowledge that there IS an attempt to create a world-wide Islamofacist movement honk-bent on telling people they can't print certain cartoons or they'll face beheading, etc. I suspect he just doesn't like the term period. Too bad. Has Steves even listened to the agenda of Iran's president/whatever his offical title is?
"We should invest our money in kids". I learned on the Michael Medved show that far more money is spent in this country on education than the military. Now add in all the money spent on welfare and medicaid you have even more. And somehow Steves isn't satisfied?
Lastly, I had to snicker a bit when he said today on John Carlson's show that we had to respect our differences in working through all these issues.
---In spite of that claim, he had actually convinced himself a few years back that his viewpoint was so superior to everyone else's that it was therefore okay for him to go around Edmonds pulling up American flags that other people liked and wanted to keep up.
my my
A bunch of BS. Steves is a pollyanna for one thing. He's incredibly naive and overly optimistic. He's also a fool. This is just plain bad for business because it doesn't make me want to go back to Europe when he paints the European world view as distrusting and disrespectful of the US. And it certainly makes me very keen to avoid Rick Steves travel business for any future trips. Rick you just lost another customer. Moreover, if you've ever been on one of Steve's trips, it's all about creating the illusion that you are going to be the American Columbus of Europe. I've got news for any one using Steve's guides. He should rename them to Europe Through the Front Door, because he's generated more traffic for certain areas than any one else in the world.
But the larger point is that what Steves is saying is simply wrong. I've got numerous friends who migrated from Europe just after the wall fell. Several from the Czech Republic. When I ask them how they view the US, they are far more ecstatic and supportive than most Americans. They realize the real value of our country and it's possibilities. They are glad to be hear. Same is true for my Mexican friends. They love the US, they all want to be a part of the American dream, and I know many who have legitimately immigrated to the US.
Even if we give Osama everything he ever wanted, which is frankly impossible given the scope of US commerce and relations with the rest of the world, you can bet that there would still be Islamic radicals upset with the US if only for our un-Sharia lifestyle. There will always be plenty of Islamic nutters willing to conduct terror campaigns against us. The Koran preaches that all Infidels must be killed or converted to Islam. They've got a long way to go to reach their goal.
I think Rick has had one too many glasses of wine in Cinque Terra.
Posted by: Jeff B. on March 3, 2006 05:44 PMhmmmm---didn't we hear the childhood tale of killing the golden goose? where were the lib kids for those story book hours? does he have a branch travel office in Cuba or Iran or Saudi? I wonder why...how about a simple "thank you, America" from his successful lips?
Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on March 3, 2006 07:39 PM"It's (THC) not classified as a hallucinogen, but it most certainly can cause hallucinations. Ever had the really good stuff from Humboldt County, CA or Boulder County, CO? You might see something that surprises even you."
Whatever you're talking about wasn't the result of the THC...maybe it was laced with something else...Yeah, I've had the good stuff...I'm too old for anymore of those kind of "suprises", but thanks anyway.
To Jim Miller,
Four connected thoughts,
Come on, Jim...I agree the guy is naive, but evil?
1. So what if he likes Europe..that doesn't make him anti-american
2. I don't agree with his stance on the flags...but again, his role doesn't make him evil or un-american
Here is URL to the Enterprise article...read for yourself, he didn't confiscate them..
http://www.enterprisenewspapers.com/archive/2003/5/2/2003511584415.cfm
3. PBS pays for all its programming...why wouldn't he push his books/tapes...Not sure what competitors think, but I assume his program is shown nationwide and generates interest in travel...that can't be bad for them
4. In order to be philosophically consistent, he needs to shut his business down? That's a tough standard.
I agree the guy should stick to travel...
Posted by: wanderer on March 3, 2006 09:13 PM(esp the tours of the churches most arab countries won't allow)
Posted by: righton on March 3, 2006 09:57 PMMaybe that's what he means by the "Back Door."
Posted by: Clean House on March 3, 2006 11:36 PMAs for my excuse, well picking up idiots, like Steves, who decided that they could "walk towards the lights" while working as an EMT.
The problem was there was usually a cliff, road or something in between them and their destination. That pretty much made up my mind on the effects of "recreational" Marijuanna.
Posted by: Mike P on March 4, 2006 08:58 AM(But feel free to delude yourself into any notion that makes you feeeeeel good ;'}
Posted by: alphabet soup on March 4, 2006 09:14 AMhttp://www.ricksteves.com/about/contact_form.cfm?recipient=main
Rick didn;t have the guts to ask his Turkish hosts about the Armenian Genocide in which Turkish muslims slaughtered 1.5 million Christians. But he was quite amused at the sight of half naked prepubescent boys wrestling for his entertainment.
After listening to his effeminate voice, who here is surprised by that?
Posted by: pbj on March 4, 2006 12:52 PM"Come on now, you've seen the same results in your freinds when they have been toking too much."
No can't say that I have..again THC is not a hallucegin..we can agree to disagree
"As for my excuse, well picking up idiots, like Steves, who decided that they could "walk towards the lights" while working as an EMT.
The problem was there was usually a cliff, road or something in between them and their destination. That pretty much made up my mind on the effects of "recreational" Marijuanna."
Bet you picked up more alcohol-related idiots..just as long as you're consistent about the nanny laws
Chickenshit soup whines
"(But feel free to delude yourself into any notion that makes you feeeeeel good ;'}"
You might think of coming out of your mommie's basement sometime
And in all the incidents/accidents I handled no Alcohol-related incidents involving a supsension of reality like marijuanna did. The problem with your arguements is that they are not based on facts, but your own beliefs.
About laws and the nanny state, get over it. If you can not see that most of the laws exist because it was proven to be a problem.
Remember both Coke and Pepsi's original formulas contained substances that have since been banned.
And as for me coming out of my mom's basement.
What a lame come back. I have and do live in the real world, I have and do make a tangable difference in peoples lives. And meet many who really don't care about their own life.
But then again maybe you were describing yourself.
Posted by: Mike P on March 4, 2006 06:04 PMRick did the same anti-American flag thing in his own home town streets of WA in the very shadow of his own place of business; removing American flags? notice he does not base his corporate HQ op's (or home) in Malaysia, Europe, Africa or a host of other "loved" destinations?!
ask him why--no stability? no freedoms? different business climates? and he wants to slam the very system that gave his family great wealth and exciting travel rights to deduct as a "business" on the 'ol tax returns? hmmm....double standard here? or just plain street smart ignorance? I guess in his mind America is lacking until it's time to protect HIS business safety nest, eh?! then he's a U.S. flag-waver;
sorry, Rick--can't have it both ways; military people are on duty as we speak protecting your right to travel and enjoy wealth--how about a thanks or a free trip to some wanting, hurting veteran's or military family? walk the talk, Son---
Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on March 4, 2006 08:26 PMDo you suppose his momma was bringing him milk & cookies as he struggled to find an insult?
And Jimmie-howya-doin, you definitely have Rick's number. He truly typifies the notion of "The ugly American"...
Posted by: alphabet soup on March 5, 2006 07:32 AMFour connected thoughts,Come on, Jim...I agree the guy is naive, but evil?
1. So what if he likes Europe..that doesn't make him anti-american
2. I don't agree with his stance on the flags...but again, his role doesn't make him evil or un-american
Wanderer, my first comment is that your questions may be connected to each other, but they all seem to be disconnected from your brain. Too bad.
Secondly, you have listened to Steves blasting America, both at home and abroad. Let me ask you, what would Mr. Steves have to do that you would consider un-American? Can you give an example of your threshold?
Big surprise.
Most liberals don't need dope to be incoherent.
Posted by: Amused by liberal bong hitters on March 6, 2006 08:30 AMLike you I work as a Fire Fighter.
If people are so foolish to need drugs. Yes even drinkings themselfs to death or Mary Jane. Be my guess.
But go somewhere that you can't harm your kids. (hope you don't have any but)
Stay off the roads and have at it.
That way you won't waste my time on people who really need my help.
PS... make sure your life insurance is set up right.
You're kidding right?
Posted by: Amused by liberals on March 6, 2006 01:24 PM