If there’s anything that Fox News loves more than hating on people of color, it’s war. For other people to do the fighting and dying in, of course.
Today, President Obama gave a thoughtful press conference about the Paris attacks and the U.S. war on terror. But since President Obama didn’t announce that we’re going to go kick some Arab ass and shout “America, f*** yeah!” Fox’s Bill Hemmer and Bret Baier were sorely disappointed.
Hemmer, not a top tier Fox anchor, was reporting from Paris. Why would Fox send Hemmer to Paris instead of, say, Shepard Smith? I think it’s quite likely that Fox wanted someone more willing to promote Fox News orthodoxy. If so, the suits must have been pleased with Hemmer today.
Hemmer discussed Obama’s press conference mostly by complaining about what he didn’t say – and spent very little time talking about what he did.
HEMMER: If you were waiting to hear a U.S. president say, “I feel your pain,” or if you were waiting to hear a U.S. president say “It’s them or us,” that is not what you just heard.
“Them or us?” Really, Mr. Hemmer?
HEMMER: President Obama has made it quite clear in that Q&A that lasted more than 45 minutes that he has accepted there are evils in this world and evils in places like Paris, France and this is something that we all must face today… If you’re at home wondering with your own set of anger and your own set of fears about what could happen next, you are not alone, because that is precisely what you feel here in Paris, France. And if you were awaiting for clarification on your feelings through that Q&A, you weren’t gonna get it. The president’s strategy, as stated over the weekend, continues as is.
Hemmer turned to Fox anchor Bret Baier, back home, for further complaints about Obama’s lack of war fever.
BAIER: This was striking. This was truly striking. …The problem was he never conceded that there was any misjudgment by his administration. The big passion that you heard from the president was about refugees and how the U.S. has to continue to realize that there are men and women and children escaping terrorism.
And suddenly, the French, whom Fox has spent years hating, are the guys Obama should be just like. Of course, nobody mentioned that their new hero, President Francois Hollande is a socialist.
BAIER: Meantime, across town, you have French President Francois Hollande talking to his congress. Starting with, “France is at war. ISIS cannot be contained. ISIS has to be destroyed.” Asking his congress to establish three more weeks of an emergency session, emergency declaration of power to enable him to go after ISIS in every way, shape and form. So the contrast in those two speeches… the contrast in tone and urgency was striking, Bill.
One of the reasons President Obama cited today for not just upping our war footing was the cost:
JIM ACOSTA: … I guess the question is—and if you’ll forgive the language—is why can’t we take out these bastards?
OBAMA:This is not, as I said, a traditional military opponent. We can retake territory. And as long as we leave our troops there, we can hold it, but that does not solve the underlying problem of eliminating the dynamics that are producing these kinds of violent extremist groups.
And so we are going to continue to pursue the strategy that has the best chance of working, even though it does not offer the satisfaction, I guess, of a neat headline or an immediate resolution. And part of the reason, as I said, Jim, is because there are costs to the other side. I just want to remind people, this is not an abstraction. When we send troops in, those troops get injured, they get killed; they’re away from their families; our country spends hundreds of billions of dollars. And so given the fact that there are enormous sacrifices involved in any military action, it’s best that we don’t shoot first and aim later. It’s important for us to get the strategy right. And the strategy that we are pursuing is the right one.
But blood and treasure are just minor details, apparently, to Hemmer and Baier, neither of whom ever endangered their own selves to serve their country.
“Men and women in the U.S. military are ready and willing to pick up this fight,” Hemmer said pointedly. “And that, Bret, as you well know, is an extraordinary thing on behalf of our country.”
“It is, Baier agreed. He said he has talked to a “special ops commander who’s engaged currently.” According to Baier, “There is this palpable frustration. ‘Unleash them. Make them go after this threat.’ The president talks about the cost and the treasure that we’ve spent both in blood and treasure. But arguably, there is a sense that something else has to be done.”
Hang on, folks. This election is about to get much uglier – and the Fox News political machine is more than willing to lose some (other peoples’) lives to improve their chances in 2016.
Meanwhile, watch the war mongering below, from the November 16 America’s Newsroom.
“I also want to speak tonight directly to Muslims throughout the world.
We respect your faith. It’s practiced freely by many millions of Americans and by millions more in countries that America counts as friends. Its teachings are good and peaceful, and those who commit evil in the name of Allah blaspheme the name of Allah.
The terrorists are traitors to their own faith, trying, in effect, to hijack Islam itself.
The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends.
It is not our many Arab friends.
Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them.”
“The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That’s not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don’t represent peace. They represent evil and war.
When we think of Islam we think of a faith that brings comfort to a billion people around the world. Billions of people find comfort and solace and peace. And that’s made brothers and sisters out of every race — out of every race.
America counts millions of Muslims amongst our citizens, and Muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country. Muslims are doctors, lawyers, law professors, members of the military, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, moms and dads. And they need to be treated with respect. In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect.
Women who cover their heads in this country must feel comfortable going outside their homes. Moms who wear cover must be not intimidated in America. That’s not the America I know. That’s not the America I value.
I’ve been told that some fear to leave; some don’t want to go shopping for their families; some don’t want to go about their ordinary daily routines because, by wearing cover, they’re afraid they’ll be intimidated. That should not and that will not stand in America.
Those who feel like they can intimidate our fellow citizens to take out their anger don’t represent the best of America, they represent the worst of humankind, and they should be ashamed of that kind of behavior. “
How DARE President Obama speak up for American Muslims!!! How outrageous!!!
Oh, I forgot….These AREN’T the words of Barack Obama. They belong to George W. Bush. The first remark was made when he addressed Congress on September 20, 2001. The second was made by him at the Islamic Center of Washington D.C. on September 17th. 2001.
So…Where was the conservative “outrage” then? Why were there no calls for his Bush’s immediate impeachment? Obviously this Muslim living apologist was a traitor….right?
Once again we see that the entire right-wing hate machine has a convenient case of Romnesia.
[sarcasm]
;^)
Really? Really!!??
How bout invading a country based on lies? How bout Paul Bremer pushing the debaathification that fed right into the ranks of ISIS?
If the Russians and French are motivated to send troops into Syria and N.Iraq, they have my blessing.
But thank God we have a President who doesn’t have the burning itch to needlessly send American kids into an unnecessary war.