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Ted Turner acting more like himself
Just when we thought Ted Turner was finally making sense, he appeared on the Charlie Rose Show, opened his mouth, and removed all doubt of where his head is. Here’s a link to the NewsBusters report, which features these gems from the interview …
On the “catasthropic” effects of global warming: “Most of the people will have died and the rest of us will be cannibals.”
On China’s military buildup: “China just wants to sell us shoes. They’re not building landing craft to attack the United States.”
On Iraqi insurgents: “I think that they’re patriots and that they don’t like us because we’ve invaded their country and occupied it.”
Topic: Newsworthy, WorldMagBlog
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back to top19 Comments to “Ted Turner acting more like himself”
Ted Turner! The guy actually married Jane Fonda, just how much sense would you expect him to have?
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Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.
I guess China’s massive military buildup, exploding population, and gargantuan petroleum consumption has somehow escaped Ted?
And to swallow the Global Warming hype hook line and sinker is just asinine…
And the “insurgents are patriots” line is just priceless in it’s simplistic outlook.
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“Fools and wise folk are alike harmless. It is the half-wise, and the half-foolish, who are most dangerous.” (Goethe) Gore and Turner – now there’s a pair.
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Maybe Gore can enter the Presidential race, and Turner can be his VP.
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Re. Turner Quote No. 2: “China just wants to sell us shoes. They’re not building landing craft to attack the United States.”
By your guffawing, am I to infer that many of you believe that China is building landing craft to invade the United States? If so, why are we not modifying our military doctrine to focus on defense against such an invasion of the United States?
Or, let’s maybe put that shoe on another foot. Just change some of the names: “The United States just wants to give the world democracy. We’re not building nuclear sumarines, Joint Strike Fighters and MOABs to invade anybody.”
Or is it simply that we’re allowed to arm and exercise military intervention to defend our “national interests,” but China is not?
Really? Why?
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jane fonda was pretty hot.
TJ why don’t you find some quote mines from Ted Turner? You’re good at it.
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Ted being Ted. He knows how to deliver the goods when the camera is rolling. Count me as a fan, (but not an Atlanta Braves fan).
I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that he’s the largest private land-owner in the U.S. According to Wiki, he owns more land than Delaware and Rhode Island combined!
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but not an Atlanta Braves fan
Travis, do you remember TT, in the early days as an owner of the Braves, appointing himself as the field manager of the team?!? I believe he managed one game before MLB told him he couldn’t do that any more. Don’t remember if they won or lost.
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TJ – TT is brillant, but he’s no Connie Mack.
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Frank,
See Chas comment #10 about China’s plan in todays Whirled Views:
http://online.worldmag.com/2008/04/03/whirled-views-43-2/
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Ah, Frank, since you are so inordinately fond of Red China, perhaps you could explain (try not to ‘guffaw’ while you are doing it) to the rest of US why China smells so sweet to you – even over the smell of several 100 millions (that is several HUNDRED MILLIONS) butchered and killed in various creative ways by its Maoist government.
Your moral/ethical equivalence of America (whatever the faults you perceive with the United State) with Red China is disgusting or simply ignorant – pick the one that fits.
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drill (11): Ah, Frank, since you are so inordinately fond of Red China, perhaps you could explain (try not to ‘guffaw’ while you are doing it) to the rest of US why China smells so sweet to you …
Frank: [Yawn] Look. It’s the non-sequitur from Hell …
drill (11): … even over the smell of several 100 millions (that is several HUNDRED MILLIONS) butchered and killed in various creative ways by its Maoist government.
Frank: Hmm. And yet we here in the good ol’ US of A still buy all their stuff like it’s going out of style.
Why dat is, drill?
drill (11): Your moral/ethical equivalence of America (whatever the faults you perceive with the United State) with Red China is disgusting or simply ignorant – pick the one that fits.
Frank: I’ve made no assertions about moral equivalence. That is something you have falsely inferred from my remarks. But I want to know why your knickers are all balled up over Turner’s statement.
The US of A spends roughly half of all the military spending in the world. Are you saying that Turner is wrong, and that China is building landing craft to attack the United States?
Do you think China poses a military threat this country?
If so, how?
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Here’s one (conservative) man’s opinion:
The Yellow Horde is coming … Boo!
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#3 Sam
Don’t forget Michael Moore (MM) with alGore and Ted Turner (TT). Things go better and happen in 3’s.
What comes between MM and a TT? Why an alGore of course
Does this mean Ted’s conversion to not hating Christians is suspect? I think he is kooky enough to have just plain forgotten what he said – about anything,
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Do I think that China is a threat to the US? Well, duh, yes. The leadership is committed to the creation of a one-world communist dictatorship, as outlined by Marx, Lenin, and Mao. I take them at their word and take them seriously, as does anyone who knows or cares about history. Incidentally, so do the Tibetians and Koreans and Vietnam. As do Japan, the Phillipines, Australia, etc. Your assumption of their inherent good nature (and our inherent evil nature) is touching, but generally stupid.
No, Frank, I don’t think that Red Chinese soldiers will appear in downtown Salt Lake City anytime soon, as you so sneeringly infer. Who said that? But the interests of the United States stretch (whether you like it or know it) across the planet and into space. One can argue about the wisdom of how we got to that point but that is no longer of interest due to the more pressing needs of the reality of the now.
The manpower, resources, and boots-on-the-ground capability of the Chinese military are enormous, compared to ours, on a per capita basis. The exact amount of military ’spending’ is unknown – as is its war budget – however given the type of society one can essentially assume that the entire GNP is dedicated to both the internal maintainence of power (suppression) and the projection of that power (aggression). They have already shown advanced capability in terms of space-based warfare and their long-range nuke capability is presumed lethal to the continental US.
Militarily, China is a waking giant – and not one that will be our buddy, regardless of all your fond wishes to the contrary. They don’t need us, Frank. Not at all. They already have us in a stranglehold economically – and you say we and our allies have nothing to fear from them militarily? A truly naive view – and one that there is no historical precedent for. They can extort about what they want and they now have the muscle to back it up as well. Your trust that they will not, as I have noted, is touching, but I would rather not bet the future of the country on it.
And, oh yes. You did make a moral/ethical equivalence, whether you admit it or not. You essentially stated or implied that America is an aggressor because we build carriers and that China is or would be no different. The problem with that is that there is a HUGE difference, as I suspect you well know, regardless of your posturing.
For all the foibles and errors and stupidities of the American system with its astoundingly inept interplay of military-civilian-press-public spheres, I would still infinitely more trust our military and our government (even controlled by the Democrat party) with our carriers and missiles than I would the Chinese Politboro and its military lackeys with the same capability. Call me old-fashioned on that. I prefer a Republic, even a dysfunctional one, to a totalitarian and brutal state.
I am not so worried about the Yellow Horde.
It is the Stupid Horde we already have here that worries me.
The Stupid Horde is the real . . . Boo!
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drill (15): I take them at their word and take them seriously, as does anyone who knows or cares about history. Incidentally, so do the Tibetians and Koreans and Vietnam. As do Japan, the Phillipines, Australia, etc.
Frank: Which nations, incidentally …
1. Are within easy striking distance of China’s land forces; and
2. Whose own militaries are dwarfed by China’s.
Neither of those situations are ours. (Or have you been too busy being frightened to notice?)
I notice you left out New Zealand. We went there in August 2006, and they have legitimate reason to be worried about China. Well, Chinese. Seems lots and lots of them are moving in and buying property and businesses there. (Odd habit for a Communist nation to let its people move offshore and to let foreigners move there and open businesses … but I digress … )
drill (15): No, Frank, I don’t think that Red Chinese soldiers will appear in downtown Salt Lake City anytime soon, as you so sneeringly infer.
Frank: Then why all the sneering at Ted Turner’s remark that China isn’t building landing craft to attack the United States? “Well, they’re a threat! Really! Just not that kind of a threat …”
drill (15): … the interests of the United States stretch (whether you like it or know it) across the planet and into space.
Frank: Ah, I see. We’ve gone from the Bush Doctrine to the Buzz Lightyear Doctrine, have we? “America’s interests extend to Infinity and Beyond!”
Whereas we act as if the interests of all other natons extend to whatever trivial concerns they might have regarding the designs of their immediate neighbors.
Maybe.
If we deign it to be so.
drill (15): The manpower, resources, and boots-on-the-ground capability of the Chinese military are enormous, compared to ours, on a per capita basis.
Frank: And just how do you surmise all them boots on the ground would get to us over here in the CONUS?
Oops, forgot. It simply doesn’t matter because [say it with me now] “Our interests stretch across the planet and into space. To Infinity and Beyond …”
But seriously, folks. Why would China even want to invade the US? Or “detsroy us with nukes”?
drill (15): They don’t need us, Frank. Not at all. They already have us in a stranglehold economically …
Frank: Well, I dunno about them “not needing” us. I would wager that we are their largest single MARKET. And if we ever do piss them off royal and they then want to hurt us, all they’d need to do is stop buying our debt. Why all this spooky-talk of the Chinese military threat to Americans in America?
Of course, maybe the threat you really perceive is that they might feasibly respond militarily to our projection of military force into what they believe to be their rightful region of influence? “Oh, we can’t have that kind of arrogance, now! (The Chinese arrogance of wanting to resist our arrogance, that is … )”
drill (15): … the internal maintainence of power (suppression) and the projection of that power (aggression).
Frank: [DISCLAIMER: Your anticipated claims to the contrary, the following statement does NOT constitute an assertion of moral equivalence between China and the US.]
The “internal maintainence of power,” American style: The suppression by the two political parties of any attempts by those outside those parties to have a say in American politics. This occurs when both parties write and control various laws, rules and policies making it virtually impossible for other parties to break in to the political system.
The “projection of that power,” American style: Well, you know. Just turn on the evening news. Or better yet, read a history book. (Start with the history of Hawaii’s relationship with the United States. Now that will make your blood boil. Or it should … )
I suppose the difference is, when we suppress internally and aggress externally, we have pure motives and do it for everybody else’s own good!!
Oops! This is real fun, but I must run … Mrs. Frank needs me … Hang by your thumbs … Write if you get work … And by all means, hold down the fort against those inscrutible orientals …
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Frank: The first part of your post is useless – you ever heard of a satellite, Frank? It is actually in all probability facilitating your attempt at communication on this thread, believe it or not. A satellite, believe it or not, is actually OUTSIDE of the atmosphere – way up there in the blue yonder, Frank. Buzz Lightyear stuff to you, working hardware to some of us. And guess what, Frank? Here is a BIG secret: without satellites, communications would sort of stop and a lot of things would stop and the world you and I inhabit would look . . . a bit different, believe it or not. Probably a little more brutish, nasty and short, I expect. Like it or not, Frank, look around – the world is a bit different than it was 100 years ago.
But ah, yes – there you go with the moral/ethical equivalence argument again toward the end. Because American history is stained with a number of things (Native Americans, slavery, Spanish-American War, etc.) that are not good, you equate the United States to a regime that has brutally murdered hundreds of millions (reaching upward toward a billion) human beings (especially if you count the forced abortions and starvations).
In general, I am pretty much of a libertarian myself. But not in foolishly comparing the United States to Red China or the Soviet Union. There is no comparison at all, at least to a reasonable person. You can gripe all you want to about the two party system (don’t disagree with you) and our tendency to engage in places we maybe shouldn’t and the evils that we have done (which everybody knows about because all we do is talk about them) and the increasingly idiotic TV-lobotimized populace. But if you think there is any meaningful comparison in terms of historical heritage and between this Republic- imperfect as the Republic is – and the butcher regimes of Mao and Stalin, you know less than nothing.
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Frank quoted Doug Bandow. The words that bothered me from that quote were “there is nothing in China’s long history….”
Red China doesn’t have a “long” history, having started only in 1949. While there may be certain traits in the culture that remain from the millenia of Chinese history just as there are remnants of Samurai society in Japan, all bets are off as to what this China wants in the future. They take from us “legally” by lending money and buying into our companies and land. There will come a day when we may have to fight them on a battlefield over Middle East oil or other resources. They won’t hesitate to fight–they have too many men and not enough women, and historically, that means war. Nor are they interested in helping their own peasants with their new-found wealth. They ruthlessly enforce their one-child campaign. The current economic threat from China is enough for me. I don’t trust them, and I do my best — it is hard — not to buy Chinese products. We shouldn’t underestimate what can happen in the future. That’s what we do all the time for the almighty dollar.
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NJLawyer -
Yes, that same phrase caught my attention, as well.
But one cannot deny either that for a Communist country, they don’t seem to be getting it right:
In addition, the Chinese may freely travel outside of — and even emigrate from — China, and westerners are welcome to visit, live and invest there.
My point is that, while China is totalitarian in several respects, in the last 30-odd years they have also undergone remarkable reform for a “Maoist/Stalinist regime.”
Sorry, but it is my impression that much of the hulaballoo about the “Chinese threat” is just the same old neo-con drum-beating about the necessity of maintaining “American greatness” (read “democracy-loving, freedom-spreading, unipolar hegemony”) at all costs.
Or to put it another way, “There ain’t room enough fer two superpowers on this here planet … “
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