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Exclusive! Joseph Farah is a Useful Idiot!
September 4, 2003 — 7:30 pm

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An Honest Man Justin M. Stoddard


Shrubbloggers.com Exclusive Commentary


Joseph Farah is a Useful Idiot


Posted: September 4, 2003
7:30 p.m. Central

© 2003 Shrubbloggers.com

Joseph Farah of World Net Daily is at it again.

The last time I read an “exclusive” commentary by Farah, he was singing the praises of convicted murderer Clara Harris:

When David Harris emerged from the hotel and tried to get in Bridges’ truck, Clara Harris hit the gas on her Mercedes and ran over Harris, shearing the passenger door right off the home wrecker’s Navigator. She ran over him a few more times to make sure he was dead.

Then, she apologized to the creep and told him how much she loved him.

Clara Harris is on trial for murder in Houston.

I say: Free Clara Harris. We need more women like her. Live like her.

He then goes on to say:

There is no accountability any more for the kind of wanton irresponsibility David “The Creep” Harris showed toward his wife and his children. There’s no penalty any more for adultery, for abandonment of one’s spouse and children. The state doesn’t get involved except to divide up the property and sort out custody issues. No one is punished.

Do you understand the line of reasoning here? If the state won’t step in and kill these adulterers, any random cuckold or jilted wife should feel free to met out the ultimate punishment. Yup, bury that cheating spouse up to their neck and stone em’ to a bloody pulp. Or, just run over them a few times, whichever is more convenient.

Joseph Farah enlightens us further with this proclamation:

If I were on that jury, I would find Clara Harris not guilty. After she was sprung, I’d give her a medal. She did the world a favor. She may have acted emotionally. She may be sorry for what she has done. But, frankly, she did the right thing. That creep deserved what he got.

After digesting this amazingly muddleheaded “exclusive”, I came to the quick conclusion that Joseph Farah is criminally insane.

I have done a good job of avoiding his column, until today. Wondering if Mr. Farah had weighed in on the current libertarian – WND controversy, I clicked on his “Between the Lines” graphic this morning only to be greeted by this headline:

Bring Back the Hollywood blacklist

Quoting an interview given by Johnny Depp this past weekend, where he expressed the United States is a “dumb puppy that has big teeth”, Farah exclaims:

I say we should make certain this scumbucket never works in America again.

That’s right. I mean it’s time to bring back the Hollywood blacklist.

More on Mr. Farah’s comments later. According to Reuters, Depp’s complete comments are as follows:

“America is dumb, it’s like a dumb puppy that has big teeth that can bite and hurt you, aggressive.”

“My daughter is four, my boy is one. I’d like them to see America as a toy, a broken toy. Investigate it a little, check it out, get this feeling and then get out.”

“I was ecstatic they re-named ‘French Fries’ as ‘Freedom Fries’. Grown men and women in positions of power in the U.S. government showing themselves as idiots.”

Now, I have to tell you, compared to the regular irrationality spewing forth from Hollywood, this actually seems like a well reasoned analogy.

America, duped into accepting an immoral and illegal preemptive war doctrine, supported by overzealous hyper-patriotism, has projected its military might to every corner of the globe. Thanks to Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, the sun does not set on the American Empire.

As for the Freedom Fries comment. Well, like the comedian said, Congress would have a public Bald Eagle Fu#@%ing contest if they thought it would impress you.

Ok, back to Joseph Farah’s proposed blacklist:

Depp may be the latest offender, but he’s such a lightweight on the intellectual scale that he hardly deserves to be first.

The charge of being an intellectual lightweight is striking. Remember, this is coming from a man who not only believes in, but advocates murdering your spouse if he/she is cheating on you.

Harrison Ford also makes the list for this rather tame statement:

I am very disturbed about the direction American foreign policy is going. Something need to be done to help alleviate the conditions which have created a disenfranchised and angry faction in the Middle East. i don’t think that military intervention is the correct solution. I regret what we as a country have done so far.”

WOW! Pretty subversive stuff that! Better call the FBI, we have a real terrorist sympathizer in our midst.

Of course, other celebrities adorn the list as well. Martin Sheen, Mike Farrell, Sheryl Crow, The Dixie Chicks (GO DIXIE CHICKS!), Richard Geere, Sean Penn, Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover, George Looney (Hardy Har Har), and Tim Robbins, among others.

Mr. Farah states:

It’s time to silence these people. It’s time to force them to get real jobs and perform real work and learn the unusual and undeserved blessings America has bestowed upon them.

This execrable statement is so full of crap, it’s mind blowing. Even though Mr. Farah wants to force these entertainers to get “real jobs”, he never offers any suggestions. Is a “real job” writing for the now Neo-Conservative rag World Net Daily? And, what of the entertainers whose views actually agree with Joseph Farah? Are their jobs “real”? Or, is the definition of “real work” dependent upon your political philosophy? Did Ronald Reagan have a “real job” when he was an actor? How about John Wayne? Or Toby Keith?

Furthermore, what are these unusual or undeserved blessings Mr. Farah speaks of? Blessings of wealth? Fame? If so, is it really intellectually honest to claim they are in fact “unusual” or “undeserved”? As far as I know, (and my good friend Eric can correct me if I’m wrong, as he is a genius when it comes to the free market) the free market makes no such distinction.

These entertainers are wealthy and famous because millions of individuals make the conscious and heroic choice to trade their money for the product these entertainers offer.

Again, I’ll ask, are these blessings “unusual” or “undeserved” for entertainers like Toby Keith or Ronald Reagan?

Mr. Farah then reverts to the most pervasive and intellectually lazy argument coming out of the far right these days:

And, as America finds itself beleaguered in the world against – literally surrounded by – enemies who seek to destroy it, we cannot allow traitors privileged status in the entertainment industry.

I’m sorry Mr. Farah, you receive an F. Besides the obvious hyperbole, this tripe reads like a cheap, dime store detective novel. My four year old daughter puts more thought into writing her name than went into this comedic effort.

Scare mongering aside, it is time Mr. Farah and his ilk learn that words have meaning. Think about it. Mr. Farah is suggesting that statements like:

“America is a dumb puppy” – Johnny Depp

I am very disturbed about the direction American foreign policy is taking.” – Harrison Ford

And:

“Just so you know, we’re ashamed President Bush is from Texas.” – The Dixie Chicks (to a live audience during a show in England

should be equated to the actions of real traitors like Aldrich Ames, Alger Hiss or The Rosenbergs.

Mr. Farah offers no distinction. Speak publicly against American foreign policy and you are a traitor, case closed.

Boycott these entertainers if you must but, please, tone down the irresponsible rhetoric.

Mr. Farah concedes, graciously:

I don’t think people should go to jail for their anti-American views. I just think they should never work in the entertainment industry again. If they like it better somewhere else, let them make films and television shows and records in that country.

And finally concludes with:

So, this time, America, the blacklisting is up to you. Make your list, and stop supporting movies, TV shows, TV sponsors, record companies, etc. which hire these louts.

Personally, I’m starting with “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Personally, I’m happy to hear that my chances of bumping into Joseph Farah at the movie theatre has decreased that much more. Now, I’m off to see the excellent “Pirates of the Caribbean” (8 1/2 out of 10 stars) for a second time.


Justin M. Stoddard’s quasi syndicated column originates at shrubbloggers.com, where he serves as a self described guardian of liberty.


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