Good Movies and Music, But Bad Politics 1.2

Last June, I wrote a blog called "Good Movies and Music, But Bad Politics," which chronicled the stupid things musicians and movie stars say when it comes to politics.  Well, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to add two more stars to the list.

Unfortunately, they are two of my favorites:  actor Morgan Freeman and singer Tony Bennett.  Let's take a look at Morgan Freeman, who was on CNN tonight talking to Piers Morgan about President Obama.

Piers Morgan -- "Has Obama helped the process of eradicating racism, or has he... made it worse?"
Morgan Freeman -- "Made it worse.  Look at, look, the Tea Partiers, who are controlling the Republican Party, stated (that their policy) is to do whatever it takes to see to it that Obama only serves one term.  What's what does that, what underlines that?  Screw the country.  We're going to do whatever we do to get this black man, we can, we're going to do whatever we can to get this black man outta here."
Morgan -- "But its that necessarily a racist thing?"
Freeman -- "It is a racist thing."
Morgan -- Does it unnerve you that the Tea Party are gaining such traction?"
Freeman -- "Yes.  It just shows the weak, dark, underside of America.  We're supposed to be better than that.  We really are.  That's why all those people were in tears when Obama was elected President.  Ah, look at what we are.  Look at how, this is America."

For someone like Morgan Freeman, who is such a good actor, and comes across as such an intelligent man, to say something like that just blows my mind.  Wanting President Obama to lose the next election is no different than any other Democrat who's ever been in office.  One term is more than enough.

Freeman's reaction is like most liberals who think we need to apologize for our standing in the world, and who think America is where they are today because they threw the poor, homeless and unfortunate aside.  Rather than being a country of opportunity, dreams and hope, America is weak, dark and unforgiving.

As I've mentioned before, Obama is destroying this country with his socialistic policies, his hatred for America's rise to the top, and his wish to tax the rich.  And did I mention we're over 15% in real unemployment, and almost $14 trillion in debt?

Mr. Freeman, are you kidding me?  Not once have I mentioned Obama's race.  I've always believed that the people who look at someone's color are those who are so obsessed with race that they are constantly bringing it up.  And that's the Democrats, not Republicans.  White, black, red or green -- it doesn't matter.  Anyone who is causing this much damage to America and our future needs to go.

And go now.

It really hurts me to bring up Tony Bennett, because the guy is one of my favorite singers, in fact I was just about to download some of his "Duets 2" album from ITunes.  "Steppin' Out With My Baby,""Body and Soul," "The Lady is a Tramp," and "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" are some of my favorite songs from his era.  On a show with Howard Sterns (what's a classy guy like Bennett doing on Sterns' show anyway?) he had the following conversation:

Stern -- "You gotta eliminate war, but what do you do with these terrorists who blew up the World Trade Center?"

Bennett -- "Who are the terrorists?  Are we the terrorists, or are they the terrorists?  Two wrongs don't make a right."  He continued that we didn't agree with the common knowledge that those who attacked started the conflict.  "They flew the plane into the building, but we caused it.  We were bombing them, and they told us to stop."

Later, Bennett added -- To start a war in Iraq was a tremendous, tremendous mistake internationally."

Bennett has said that he is a pacifist, and believes that violence begets more violence.  I can appreciate his sentiments about war, and having never been to war myself, maybe I'm in no position to argue -- but his views on avoiding conflict has nothing to do with blaming the United States for causing the terrorists to fly into the World Trade Center buildings.

Who are the real terrorists?  Don't ask Tony Bennett.

Our foreign policy with the Middle East -- supporting the apostate regimes of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Jordan and the Gulf States -- surely made enemies with al Qaeda.  As did our support of Israel, a military presence in Saudi Arabia and sanctions against Iraq.

But taking the jump from opposition to our foreign policy to condoning the death of almost 3,000 innocent lives is a distinction that is lost on Mr. Bennett.  I can disagree with someone without killing him or her.  Apparently Osama bin Laden and his holy jihadist cannot, because prior to the attacks on 9/11 numerous bombing attempts were made including:

1993 bombing of World Trade Center
1995 attempts to take over Bosnia
1996 Khobar Towers are bombed
1996 marines are sent to guard US embassy in Albania
1997 bombing of Holland and Lincoln tunnels thwarted
1998 embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Kenya are bombed
2000 USS Cole is attacked in Yemeni port of Aden

Pacifists seem to think that if we can avoid conflict the world will be utopian and wonderful.  "Just don't make them mad," "Give them what they want," and "Turn the other cheek," have been uttered as ways of appeasing the terrorists.  Until the more aggressive side takes more and more, at which point singers like Bennett and actors like Freeman will be the first to be denied their freedoms, rights and eventually their very lives.

And the jump in logic from Bennett is truly stupefying.  Disagreements never justify violence, but it does happen.  Blaming us for the death of 3,000 people on 9/11 is like justifying the actions of every madman throughout history who was eventually stopped by someone (or country) who got in their way.

Since his original comments, Tony Bennett has since posted a statement on Facebook to clarify the comments he made on Stern's show, and to apologize if they were misconstrued.

I wonder if his apology has anything to do with trying to sell his new album.