Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
One of the most idiotic of all the right wing demagogic memes is the one about it being some evil thing to criticize the United States "on foreign soil." We heard it about Bill Clinton protesting the Vietnam War while at Oxford, as though it was okay to criticize the war in the US but you can't say that once you cross a border. We also heard it with the Dixie Chicks when they criticized Bush during a concert overseas.
In the 1992 campaign, George Bush raised the criticism of Clinton for "demonstrations he led against his country from a foreign soil." In a speech to Republican contributors, Bush said:
"I can't understand someone mobilizing demonstrations in a foreign country when poor kids drafted out of the ghetto are dying in a faraway land," he said in the speech, which was broadcast by satellite to Republican donors around the country. "You can call me old-fashioned, but that just doesn't make sense to me."Bush said he had no objection to protests mounted on American soil. But he seemed to invoke the old dictum that "politics stop at the water's edge."
He wasn't alone. Tom DeLay also ripped into Clinton:
''Here's a flower child with gray hairs doing exactly what he did back in the 60's: he's apologizing for the actions of the United States. Wherever he went. It just offends me that the President of the United States is, directly or indirectly, attacking his own country in a foreign land. It just amazes me.''
This was for Clinton apologizing for America's role in slavery while in Africa. Apparently it's not okay to even mention that America might have done something less than perfect when one is "on foreign soil."
All the more ironic, then, that Sarah Palin goes to Hong Kong and blasts the Obama administration. Which I'm personally fine with. I couldn't care less who criticizes whom and on what "soil" they do it. I only care whether the criticism is accurate or not. But where's the outrage from the right? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Yeah, that's what I thought.
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Man, you just had to go and remind me of that douchebag Stein, didn't you?
Give it time Ed, I'm sure the much vaunted republican 'vaules' will kick in any moment and we'll hear howls of protest from the likes of Beck and Limaugh. These are principled people who take their values seriously and would never compromise them just for a cheap partisan promotion.
Right?? Right??
Posted by: FastLane | September 24, 2009 9:41 AM
Seems the RW kooks are running scared from the MSN these days:
Her performance, which was closed to the media
Maybe the press will realize how bad these kooks are for the future of the world and the kooks know too.
Posted by: theroachman | September 24, 2009 9:48 AM
On "foreign soil", Ed:
Wrong on two counts.
1.) Everybody knows that the brits own Hong Kong. It's the "Twinkie" colony, yellow on the outside, white in the middle. We're all descended from good english yeomanish stock. Therefor, HK is as MerKKKin as can be.
c.) Even if it WAS, technically, another countrinet (like Afroca) she boarded her plane in ALASKA (USA! USA!! USA!!!) and so she never really "left" U.S. Soil.
Oh, yeah, for those of you who say that Hong Kong is no longer part of the British Rajamahoozey, prove it. I want to see the vaulted LF, ORIGINAL of the agreement between the Brits and the Chinese.
Posted by: democommie | September 24, 2009 10:11 AM
Hmm, devil's advocate here, but one could argue that it's merely how much the flow of information has changed since the examples you cited. With the internet the way it is, criticism made at home and abroad both flow everywhere anyway within minutes, so the distinction is now kind of moot.
Not that that's the reason there's been no peep about this, but it might be a reasonable justification.
Posted by: Brian H | September 24, 2009 10:49 AM
Democommie: haha, good dig at the birthers there at the end.
That does make me wonder if there are any extant copies of the laws the brits forced the emperor to establish which gave them Hong Kong and the right to sell Opium everywhere and to anyone.
Posted by: Julian | September 24, 2009 10:52 AM
Kathryn Lopez of National Review expressed exactly this criticism of Palin's speech, but overall your point is a fair one.
Posted by: Matt Springer | September 24, 2009 10:53 AM
Brian H., the devil's advocate, #4: With the internet the way it is, criticism made at home and abroad both flow everywhere anyway within minutes, so the distinction is now kind of moot.
Ha ha ha. Seeing how the Lunatic Right can't even remember basic facts from just a couple of years ago, I can't believe any of them can possibly put together an argument with this much sophistication. If this argument does come up, I hope they give you credit for it.
Anyway, the problem with this argument is that the pre-internet criticisms were still pretty much common knowledge the world over. People in other countries do tend to be much more knowledgeable and sophisticated in their analysis of this knowledge than Americans.
Of course, even if a Right Wing Wackynut is smart enough to copy you argument, I doubt they would be smart enough to understand the rebuttal.
Posted by: Chiroptera | September 24, 2009 10:56 AM
They probably cut her some slack because she just thought she was in Chinatown.
Posted by: rpsms | September 24, 2009 11:09 AM
Chiroptera:
You're right of course, it's a flimsy argument given that in-border criticisms haven't really been "family business" since... well, there's a couple lines you could argue for: tv, radio, telegraph, and air mail come to mind first.
Personally I'm all in favor of Palin going on a whirlwind tour of the world to spout her nonsense. I mean, this recession has really hurt everyone, and I think it's noble of her to take her comedy routine on the road.
Thinking of which, anyone catch the reading of her farewell speech by William Shatner on Conan? Simply inspired.
Posted by: Brian H | September 24, 2009 11:17 AM
Ah yes, but Barack Obama can see HK from his home in the Whitehouse, on TV!
Looks Like Sarah's gonna have to go to the dark side on the moon, or Pluto, or perhaps M31 before she gets out of the President's Foreign Policy Sphere! - DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | September 24, 2009 11:35 AM
Was it just me, or everyone else LOL when reading George the Least complaining about Bill Clinton actions 25 years after the events? Especially considering how much trouble daddy went to, making sure Georgie was safely away from enemy fire. Mr Pot meet Mr Ketttle. - DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | September 24, 2009 11:48 AM
No problem, Ed. After all, Obama isn't an American.
Posted by: D. C. Sessions | September 24, 2009 12:05 PM
demo:
LOL, nice!
Posted by: Johnny Clamboat | September 24, 2009 12:23 PM
Echoing Chiroptera, "That was then, this is now." seems to be the modus operandi for a lot of RW criticism. The only history that exists must serve to bolster their points. If not, it doesn't exist, never existed. In some cases, when history does not provide a real instance of 'liberal guilt', they make it up. Enabling hypocrisy.
Not sure why Paloon was in HK or who invited her but I do hope they stop asking her to speak. She doesn't represent America and is a poorly educated specimen to have speaking on anything but maybe killing moose or speaking in tongues. She's had WAY more than 15 minutes. Damn shame.
Posted by: MikeMa | September 24, 2009 12:25 PM
democommie:
Sorry, that first excuse doesn't work. Hong Kong may have been a British territory... but the Dixie Chicks made their comments in *LONDON*. And somehow, I think London is far more British than Hong Kong.
Just sayin'.
Posted by: Benjamin Geiger | September 24, 2009 1:04 PM
MikeMa, #14: Not sure why Paloon was in HK or who invited her but I do hope they stop asking her to speak. She doesn't represent America and is a poorly educated specimen to have speaking on anything but maybe killing moose or speaking in tongues.
Well, considering that the US has a huge influence in the world, and seeing how politics in the US is becoming more and more like what Palin represents, I should hope that our foreign cousins appreciate the advance warning they're getting.
Posted by: Chiroptera | September 24, 2009 1:11 PM
Chiroptera
That brings to mind one of those great de-motivational posters with, if memory serves, a sinking ship and words near to:
"It may be that your life exists solely as a warning to others."
Palin could absolutely replace the ship.
Posted by: MikeMa | September 24, 2009 1:27 PM
Had Palin had delivered the speech in Hong Kong or a bus stop in Newark, either way I could not care less.
Posted by: CHV | September 24, 2009 1:54 PM
There is a name for this. It's called "IOKIYAR" It's okay if you are Republican.
Posted by: Seer | September 24, 2009 2:57 PM
DingoJack:
Or in the case of Bill "I never inhaled" Clinton and "Incurious George" it might be:
"Mr. Pot, meet Mr. Nosecandy."
Posted by: democommie | September 24, 2009 3:25 PM
I'm more upset that some company, using stock holders money, would pay Sarah Palin for her opinion on anything!
A hemorrhoid is smarter than Palin. Geesh.
Wait 2 years for her to hit 50 and start the old bag/sag of life and see how many "supporters" she has from the right......
Palin falls under the old saying I heard from my Grandmother. "When someone shows you who they are? Believe them"....and Palin showed us she was liar many times over.
Posted by: Lynn McDaniel | September 24, 2009 4:17 PM
Julian, #5:
Here you go, perfectly fair and equitable treaty between equals.
There shall henceforward be peace and friendship between Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and His Majesty the Emperor of China, and between their respective subjects, who shall enjoy full security and protection for their persons and property within the dominions of the other.
It was amended so that those fleeing Chinese justice in British controlled ares would be returned, as would British subjects fleeing into China.
THE TREATY OF NANKING
http://nanking.com/
Plese note that Hong Kong Island was cedded in perpetuity to Great Britain.
However, The New Territories aquisition was only a 99 year lease.
As It wasn't possible to split up Hong Kong the whole lot was handed over to the PRC.
Details here:
http://wapedia.mobi/en/Transfer_of_sovereignty_of_Hong_Kong
As some say, if Murray MacLehose hadn't been an eejit it might still be British.
Posted by: Chris' Wills | September 24, 2009 4:23 PM
Well, I might have, if the George Bush that Ed quoted was in fact George Walker Bush [43] (I assume that's who you mean by "the Least" given the "enemy fire" comment) and not George Herbert Walker Bush [41] (the Elder), given that this was the 1992 presidential election.
Posted by: Mr. B | September 24, 2009 5:20 PM
IOKIYAR. (Translation: It's OK If You Are Republican.)
That is all ye know, and all ye need to know.
Posted by: dguy | September 24, 2009 6:53 PM
Do I want to know why Palin is in Hong Kong? Do I want to know how she managed to get an audience there? Why can't she just drift into obscurity already.
Posted by: deep | September 24, 2009 9:12 PM
"I can't understand someone mobilizing demonstrations in a foreign country when poor kids drafted out of the ghetto are dying in a faraway land."
The second section of that sentence is weird. Why didn't Bush 41 talk about U.S. casualties in Vietnam in general ("...when American soldiers are dying in a faraway land.")? If protesting against a U.S.-led war outside America is truly so horrible, why focus on only one CATEGORY of American troop fatalities?
Posted by: daniel rotter | September 24, 2009 9:30 PM
@ Daniel Rotter #46
Because that would not have helped to stoke racial tension at all, given that Bush I's campaigns were all about creating racial tension to get white voters, I'm pretty sue bush said "ghetto" whenever he could.
Posted by: Galen Evans | September 24, 2009 11:35 PM
Posted by: Modusoperandi | September 25, 2009 12:28 AM
"According to delegates, she said US President Barack Obama's administration worsened an already difficult situation when earlier this month he slapped duties on Chinese tire imports blamed for costing American jobs.
They said she praised the economic policies of former US President Ronald Reagan and criticised the current administration for intervening too much during the recent financial crisis."
Back in 1983, Reagan imposed a 45% import charge on foreign motorcycles to protect Harley Davidson. The Japanese weren't accused of dumping, like the Chinese tire exporters, they were just making good motorcyles at a fair price during a recession and Harley Davidson couldn't sell enough to stay in business.
But I guess Sarah isn't criticising that portion of Reagan's policies.
P.S. It worked, too. Harley got through the recession, the import duties were lifted and Harley is still in business. Darn that socialist Reagan!
Posted by: djmullen | September 25, 2009 2:05 AM
I am not going to say much except isn't there someway we can send the moose bitch to a planet 400 light years away
Posted by: Ex Partiot | September 26, 2009 9:57 AM
I guess those right wing nut jobs jefferson,madison,adams,washington et al may have said a few things slamming king george on French soil.The nerve of those guys,true mobsters those right wing wing nuts!
Posted by: Tiko Van Lima | September 27, 2009 8:58 AM
LEt me see on the "obama being an american " thing.
Dad is an african and under british law at the time no matter where he is.
Mother is having a baby and is under 18 and then lives abroad for 10 yrs or something,has Obama adopted by an Indonesia father so he can attend a muslim school and practive that faith.
So therefore Obama is ...yes of course,he bound to be a US citizen since he went to harvard or yale or some place and worked for aires and Acorn.
Posted by: Tiko Van Lima | September 27, 2009 9:02 AM
On the "she probably thought she was in china town",
Obama insists there are 57 states in a speech.Somewhat rusty on his US geography,needed to be talking about Lenin's speeches perhaps to have total familiarity.
Brian Williams goes on national TV and says something to the effect that Palin banned some books in AK that hadnt been yet written... so we beleive the smears on Palin,that the idea?
Cool.
Posted by: Tiko Van Lima | September 27, 2009 9:07 AM
Now Obama was an lawyer for Acorn and Acorn obviously gives out tax advice on how to set up child prostitution businesses under US tax law.
What kind of a rocket scientist puts on his resume that he worked for a criminal organization...cant imagine he wants his children going into that kind of occupation.
Posted by: Tiko Van Lima | September 27, 2009 9:12 AM
Tiko Van Lima, #31-34:
Wow. You've had quite a busy morning. Judging from the quality of your posts, this much effort at writing must have been pretty painful for you.
-
I guess those right wing nut jobs jefferson,madison,adams,washington et al may have said a few things slamming king george on French soil.
No one is criticizing Palin for slamming the President in Hong Kong. What people are doing is criticizing the right for hypocrisy, saying that it's wrong liberals (or alleged liberals in the case of Clinton) criticize US policy on foreign soil, but then doing it themselves.
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So therefore Obama is ...yes of course,he bound to be a US citizen since he went to harvard or yale or some place and worked for aires and Acorn.
Obama is a US citizen because he was born in Hawaii in 1961. That is all that it takes. Nothing else is relevant.
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Brian Williams goes on national TV and says something to the effect that Palin banned some books in AK that hadnt been yet written... so we beleive the smears on Palin,that the idea?
No. The idea is that the librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, reported a discussion with then Mayor Palin where the possibility of banning books was raised.
I could be wrong, but I doubt you'll find an article on this blog repeating rumors of actual banned books as fact.
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What kind of a rocket scientist puts on his resume that he worked for a criminal organization...cant imagine he wants his children going into that kind of occupation.
Oh, have we moved on to discuss the war criminals in the Bush Administration?
Posted by: Chiroptera | September 27, 2009 10:54 AM
So the we the quality police here,that it?Im certain there is nothing but quality in the profoundly lazy brain you demonstrate that consumes oxygen better suited to some aborted fetus.
How's your congestive heart failure,must he getting a good exercise with Acorn getting busted ,your boy's old alma mater which
You have to love that.Put a darkie in the white house who promotes central american child prostitution rings with tax payer money.And who actually votes for garbage like this,no me ,Bubba.
Posted by: Tiko Van Lima | September 27, 2009 11:49 AM
Tiko Van Lima, #36: Put a darkie in the white house....
Okay, you just gave yourself away with that one. You had me going, too.
Posted by: Chiroptera | September 27, 2009 11:53 AM
You are actually concerned that Palin gives a speech in HK to pay some legal bills forced on her by numbnuts such as yourself?thats rich.
I love that.
Country is preparing to enter the dark ages with a socialist bozo academic egocentric in the oval office and you are concerned about a speech you couldnt afford to attend in Hong Kong by the former governor of the american state of AK.
Pretty weighty ,bubba.
Posted by: Tiko Van Lima | September 27, 2009 11:55 AM
Obama I beleive referred to his grandma as a "typical" white person,so might be an idea to "grow the fuck up", kilroy.
And he is quite dark ,and seems to hate cops,doctors,for profit anything ,whites...
Posted by: Tiko Van Lima | September 27, 2009 11:58 AM
"the right for hyprocracy"
Lets see ,boy wonder,that is written into the Constitution someplace,right?
Jesus Christ.we have the right to murder written in there someplace according to the 9th Circus Crt in California,so you stack the dead babies a million high each year and now you have your right to hypocracy.
Please come soon 2010 and an Iranian financed US bombing so some adults can return to the scene "at long last".
;)
Blog needs to be named Constipated assholes,Inc.
Posted by: Tiko Van Lima | September 27, 2009 12:04 PM
War criminals?
Lets see we are not going to pursue that "going forward" and now we are going to pursue that?Do I have that straight?Its not Obama,its Justice?
Who runs the WH,anybody know?Axelrod,right?MOther wrote for PM for 8 years; a little ,never made a profit communist rag?
You should start a red rag.You seems to possess that sort of profound intellectual depth.;)
Posted by: Tiko Van Lima | September 27, 2009 12:11 PM
I didnt catch the name of that hospital in HA that Obama was born in.
I'll fill you end.They cant seem to keep straight which hospital he was born in.
Why is that exactly?
well,maybe there's some sort of problem on the actual certificate...lets see...do they ask for religion or residence or...well you can figure this out...except well,you already know every thing ,you and Obama..you have never done a damn thing,but ,you know,you obviously know everything....bubba.
Posted by: Tiko Van Lima | September 27, 2009 12:16 PM
CHV could care less about Palin giving a speech other than to make a blog entry about it.
yeah that makes sense.
I beleive that,absolutely.
No question.going forward...
Change we can beleive in...
yes this really with it ...
Posted by: Tiko Van Lima | September 27, 2009 12:23 PM
You guys must know who to contact at the WH to get Acorn supplied tax advice for felony grade business ventures.
Sounds uptown to me alright...
going forward...that is...you know
Posted by: Tiko Van Lima | September 27, 2009 12:25 PM
I love this Obama saying "Iran breaking rules"...
as if financing 8 years of rocket barrages into Israel is somehow not worthy enough of note...guy's a piece of work...
Posted by: Tiko Van Lima | September 27, 2009 1:08 PM
Yeah, Mr. Van Lima is going bye bye now.
Posted by: Ed Brayton | September 27, 2009 1:15 PM
Face it, Ed, you need an exterminator. The site is lousy with them today.
Posted by: kehrsam | September 27, 2009 2:52 PM
I know what to get Ed for christmas-
Troll-B-Gone.
Posted by: Rick R | September 27, 2009 3:14 PM
Those four sockpuppets have been deleted as well. And the IP address is now prevented from commenting.
Posted by: Ed Brayton | September 27, 2009 3:38 PM
You know, Mr (or Mrs) prolific motherfucking troll, you do have options besides dropping comment after comment here, only to have them deleted or not go through at all...
Posted by: DuWayne | September 27, 2009 7:40 PM
DuWayne:
Yes he has options, but he's probably yanked his pecker to the point where it's bloody.
Posted by: democommie | September 27, 2009 9:11 PM
" but he's probably yanked his pecker to the point where it's bloody."
I never thought I'd see a theme from early Steven King novels on this blog.
Posted by: dean | September 27, 2009 9:51 PM
Meh. I never found The Peckeryankers all that scary. (spoiler: it turns out to be aliens)
Posted by: Modusoperandi | September 28, 2009 2:14 AM