Think Tank Fires Fellow For Criticizing Bush

[ProSense]

Think Tank Fires Fellow For Criticizing Bush

Last month the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank, fired John Hulsman. Heritage refuses to say exactly why they let him go, but the New Republic reports the “reasons for Hulsman’s departure” are “perfectly evident”; he criticized the Bush administration’s foreign policy. Hulsman previously had kept his dissent to himself, but “years of insurgency, civil war, and general chaos” in Iraq led him to speak out.

In an essay last year for The National Interest, Hulsman took issue with Bush’s policy in Iraq:

(N)eoconservatives, through their policies of expending blood and treasure for problematic gains such as Iraq, are significantly retarding America’s ability to act against the true barbarians at the gate - Al-Qaeda and Islamist extremists.

And Hulsman criticized the Bush administration’s refusal to talk to regimes it dislikes, specifically Iran:

America, on the other hand, having determined the mullahs in Iran were evil, disdained to engage them. But we cannot only conduct diplomatic relations with Canada; I have always naively thought a major reason for diplomacy was talking to those one didn’t agree with, in an effort to modify their behavior to suit one’s own national interests.

These critiques may seem mild, but as Chris Preble of the Cato Institute explains: “At Heritage, anything that smacks of criticism of Bush will not be tolerated.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/08/07/heritage-fellow

[thepurpose]

1. But left is intolerant for going after Joe. Right.

[tanyev]

2. No thinking allowed in conservative think tank.

[loves_dulcinea]

3. grrrrrrrrrrr.

i am so pissed off. how can these people ignore such blatant truths? just continue to mouth the lies or be banished from your comfy job!

[ShockediSay]

4. there's a ton in google about think tank connections b/n

the Abramoff lobbyist types and the funding they pay these "think tanks"

think about it a minute

who's going to pay a bunch of people a bunch of money
to sit around, think, and issue glorified term papers

unless they are using these 'front organizations' for
the distribution of propaganda profitable to the funders???

[tex-wyo-dem]

Bingo!

I suspect most of the time think tanks already know the ends, they are paid to figure out how to justify the means to the masses. Tactics of spinning, lies, deception, talking points, etc., etc. -- basically mind control of the masses -- are not off limits. Where do you think all of these nifty talking points that seem to be echoed by every politician, pundit and media outlet in unison come from anyway?

[tex-wyo-dem]

15. Bingo!

I suspect most of the time think tanks already know the ends, they are paid to figure out how to justify the means to the masses. Tactics of spinning, lies, deception, talking points, etc., etc. -- basically mind control of the masses -- are not off limits. Where do you think all of these nifty talking points that seem to be echoed by every politician, pundit and media outlet in unison come from anyway?

[Missy M]

5. How can you have any use as a 'think tank' if you refuse......

to discuss what a failure Bush and his policies have become. Everything Hulsman was advocating is mere common sense (you really don't need a 'think tank' to figure it out) and the refusal by Heritage to consider it shows the narrow views of the supposed neocon great thinkers. In my opinion the 'think tanks' and 'political pundits' should all be sent to the basement. They are totally useless.

[w4rma]

7. Because all they 'think' about is how to trick people into helping them.nt

[Bucky]

6. "Think Tank Fires Fellow For Thinking" -- Beee-yuuu-tiful!!

When we brought you into this think tank, we didn't mean for you to actually think.

[JuniperLea]

8. Think tank renders self useless

When a think tank limits thinking, it is no longer a think tank.

In this particular instance, I think it was a misnomer to begin with.

[AlamoDemoc]

9. Think Tank groups like The Heritage Foundation should loose

their tax-exempt status. We now have the IRS going after churches because when they spoke out of death and destruction in Iraq, while groups like the HF enjoy free and unfettered tax-exempt status voicing their support of this immoral war. This double standard by the IRS is completely unacceptable.

[northzax]

11. you can certainly have non-profit advocacy groups

and Heritage falls under that category. Without that regulation, there'd be no Sierra Club, National Organization for Women, NAACP, or any of the thousand other advocacy organizations. It is a different regulation from the one covering religious groups.

[Miss Chybil]

10. So much for thinking... nt

[Speck Tater]

12. Shouldn't that be a "don't-think tank"? (nt)

[bloom]

14. That sounds about right. nt

[samsingh]

13. great strategy for encouraging thinking

[kiki]

16. Suck it up, beeyotch

You hang around with a group of proud-to-be-backstabbing fuckheads, and then you're surprised when they stab you in the back?

Welcome to the ultimate karmic destination of every right-winger.