NationStates Jolt Archive

The following are remarks by Ron Silver
as prepared for delivery at the 2004 Republican National Convention:

I want to thank the President and the Republican Party for holding this
event in my hometown, my father's hometown, my grandfather's and great
grandfather's birthplace.
Just over 1,000 days ago, 2,605 of my neighbors were murdered at the World
Trade Center -- men, women and children -- as they began their day on a
brilliantly clear New York autumn morning, less than four miles from where I
am now standing.
We will never forgive. Never forget. Never excuse!
At the end of World War II, General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Allied
Commander of the South Pacific, said:
"It is my earnest hope - indeed the hope of all mankind - that from this
solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of
the past, a world found upon faith and understanding, a world dedicated to the
dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom,
tolerance and justice."
The hope he expressed then remains relevant today.
We are again engaged in a war that will define the future of humankind.
Responding to attacks on our soil, America has led a coalition of countries
against extremists who want to destroy our way of life and our values.
This is a war we did not seek.
This is a war waged against us.
This is a war to which we had to respond.
History shows that we are not imperialists . . .
but we are fighters for freedom and democracy.
Even though I am a well-recognized liberal on many issues confronting our
society today, I find it ironic that many human rights advocates and outspoken
members of my own entertainment community are often on the front lines to
protest repression, for which I applaud them but they are usually the first
ones to oppose any use of force to take care of these horrors that they
catalogue repeatedly.
Under the unwavering leadership of President Bush, the cause of freedom
and democracy is being advanced by the courageous men and women serving in our
Armed Services.
The President is doing exactly the right thing.
That is why we need this President at this time!
I am grateful for the chance to speak tonight to express my support for
our Commander-in-Chief, for our brave troops, and for the vital cause which
they have undertaken.
General Dwight Eisenhower's statement of 60 years ago is true today . . .
"United in this determination and with unshakable faith in the cause for
which we fight, we will, with God's help, go forward to our greatest victory."
Thank you.




and the passion was increadible

This is a war we did not seek.
This is a war waged against us.
This is a war to which we had to respond.
History shows that we are not imperialists . . .
but we are fighters for freedom and democracy.

This is an absolute fallacy.

Does NOBODY remember the Oklahoma City bombing? Not all terroists are muslims from Arabic countries.

This is an absolute fallacy.
I must agree on that one.

History shows that we are not imperialists . . .

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... *gasp*HAHHAHA

OK... whew... we may not be imperialists in the traditional sense of the world(pillage & rape), but there has NEVER been a more successful empire than ours. We may be individualistic imperialists, who cherish the idea of personal liberty beyond anything else, but we are imperialists no less.

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... *gasp*HAHHAHA

OK... whew... we may not be imperialists in the traditional sense of the world(pillage & rape), but there has NEVER been a more successful empire than ours. We may be individualistic imperialists, who cherish the idea of personal liberty beyond anything else, but we are imperialists no less.

actually the fact that we don't have an empire and release our dominions with out a fight would indicate that we're not imperislists

This is an absolute fallacy.

what part exactly?

Does NOBODY remember the Oklahoma City bombing? Not all terroists are muslims from Arabic countries.

did they ever say that they are?

While some thing like 9/11 is never justified, to say "we did nothing wrong to have this done to us" is pure and simple bullshit. Yes, it was bad and never will be forgot as a horrible event in our history. Lest we forget, the USA has done far worse to other nations with far more deaths of innocents. To believe for one second the people who should of seen this coming based on US foreign policy and didn't is either stupidity or incompetence. Republican and Democrat a like. It doesn't matter. To say this was people hating freedom is utter bullshit. The United States need to get it's foreign policy in check. That is what will in the end win the war on international terrorism. My opinion may not be popular, but it doesn't negate the facts. The United States will not change the entire world, it's a pipe dream. If we listen to New York's ex mayor say it maybe idealistic is an understatement. It's not going to happen. Have all the false resolve you wish. Bush said it best himself today, the war on terror can't be won. I agree with that, the United States will never stop terror, what they can do is change their foreign policy that caused all this to begin with. That is the only hope of ending this conflict. Because if you truly believe the United States has more resolve then fundamentalist Islamics, you haven't been paying attention.

what part exactly?
ummmmm..... the parts that I quoted.

Eh...this sounds just like everything else that's been said at the RNC.

While some thing like 9/11 is never justified, to say "we did nothing wrong to have this done to us" is pure and simple bullshit. Yes, it was bad and never will be forgot as a horrible event in our history. Lest we forget, the USA has done far worse to other nations with far more deaths of innocents. To believe for one second the people who should of seen this coming based on US foreign policy and didn't is either stupidity or incompetence. Republican and Democrat a like. It doesn't matter. To say this was people hating freedom is utter bullshit. The United States need to get it's foreign policy in check. That is what will in the end win the war on international terrorism. My opinion may not be popular, but it doesn't negate the facts. The United States will not change the entire world, it's a pipe dream. If we listen to New York's ex mayor say it maybe idealistic is an understatement. It's not going to happen. Have all the false resolve you wish. Bush said it best himself today, the war on terror can't be won. I agree with that, the United States will never stop terror, what they can do is change their foreign policy that caused all this to begin with. That is the only hope of ending this conflict. Because if you truly believe the United States has more resolve then fundamentalist Islamics, you haven't been paying attention.

I'm not sure what a middle-class New Yorker could do to thousands of innocents...

actually the fact that we don't have an empire and release our dominions with out a fight would indicate that we're not imperislists

The USA is not only an empire, it is the LARGEST empire the world has ever seen. We broke away from isolationist policies(rather sharply, too), once the Bull-Moose Party took the White House. At first, our new policies under Theodore Roosevely were obviously imperialist -later on, we wisened up and realized we could exert a lot more control by having what people want, instead of controlling through fear(a sort of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World instead of George Orwell's 1984). Our empire is more successful than those of eras past because we conquer through consumerism, not military take-over. We bring in other national markets into our own, feed them til they're fat, and make sure we always leave them wanting more. The entire planet has been affected by American capitalist, consumerist culture. There's maybe 100 square miles on the planet now that can truly claim to not be Western. If you think we're not imperialists, you should re-read history. We're not particularly agressive imperialists(militarily speaking), but we ARE imperialists.

Errrrr you people are confusing me with one thing...

Why the hell is imperialism bad?

Anyways, stirring speech, I was working throughout the opening thingy of the RNC, so I didn't get to watch it on T.V....

Edit: Oh by the way, I don't imagine there's somewhere one could download a video clip of most of the RNC that was played on T.V tonight? (last night technically, since it's past midnight, but Monday... you know what I mean)

It's not. It's just a method -can be used for good or evil, like anything else.