Ted Turner says Iraq war among history's "dumbest"

[kurth]

Ted Turner says Iraq war among history's "dumbest"
Tue Sep 19, 2006 7:33 PM ET
By Daniel Trotta

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. invasion of Iraq was among the "dumbest moves of all time" that ranks with the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor and the German invasion of Russia, billionaire philanthropist Ted Turner said on Tuesday. The founder of CNN and unabashed internationalist also defended the right of Iran to have nuclear weapons and the effectiveness of the United Nations and, in a jocular mood, advocated banning men from elective office worldwide in a Reuters Newsmaker appearance...

The U.S. invasion of Iraq has caused "incalculable damage" that will take 20 years to overcome "if we just act reasonably intelligently." "It will go down in history, it is already being seen in history, as one of the dumbest moves that was ever made by anybody. A couple of others that come to mind were the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor and the German invasion of Russia," Turner told the forum. "It literally broke my heart. You don't start wars just because you don't like somebody. ... I wouldn't even start a war with Rupert Murdoch," Turner said, referring to his onetime cable network rival.

Often contrarian, Turner called it a "joke" that Bush demanded that Iran abandon any ambitions for nuclear weapons while at the same time hoping to ban all such bombs. "They're a sovereign state," Turner said of Iran. "We have 28,000. Why can't they have 10? We don't say anything about Israel -- they've got 100 of them approximately -- or India or Pakistan or Russia. And really, nobody should have them. "They aren't usable by any sane person."

One way to reduce such dangers in the world would be to leave women in charge, said the former husband of Jane Fonda. "Men should be barred from public office for 100 years in every part of the world. ... It would be a much kinder, gentler, more intelligently run world. The men have had millions of years where we've been running things. We've screwed it up hopelessly. Let's give it to the women." In the meantime, the United Nations represents the best hope, Turner said... Turner offered what was then one-third of his net worth to the world body nine years ago...

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-09-19T233340Z_01_N19440176_RTRUKOC_0_US-TURNER.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsArt-L3-U.S.+NewsNews-4

[babylonsister]

1. This just fries my shorts. Seriously. Who THE FUCK voted

for the asshole? Ted Turner gets a helluva lot more face time than anyone. I'd K&R this!

[aquart]

6. A billionaire isn't allowed an opinion? In America?

Come now.

[Pacifist Patriot]

8. That's not how I read this at all.

I'm puzzled by your response.

[devilgrrl]

2. Couldn't selling CNN to Time/Warner be regarded as "dumbest"?

:shrug:

[MadMaddie]

3. Ouch...yea that ranks up there....

[MoJoWorkin]

7. If I remember correctly, there was a sort of hostile takeover---

Ted had overextended himself, and he did not "voluntarily" sell.

Anyway, why so venomous to a man who gave so much personal wealth to the UN, and has always been a voice for liberal causes. In the article he says Gore should be president. Sure, he is not perfect(very eccentric), but he is better than most of the super rich.

[Pacifist Patriot]

9. I believe that was a hostile takeover.

Ted was backed into a corner on that one. Now that could certainly be interpreted as the result of dumb business practices, maybe even among the "dumbest." But I wouldn't equate it to his message of the invasion of Iraq being among the dumbest wars in history.

[Bozita]

4. Would things be different if Ted never sold CNN?

[Pacifist Patriot]

11. Excellent question!

[aquart]

5. Unfortunately, Ted, there are women like Condi Rice.

So no hope in that direction.

[Pacifist Patriot]

10. I was wondering about that. Nice idea, but...

it's not gender that conveys sound judgement and human compassion.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

15. correct. there are rumors that she is female.

But the dumb face of evil would still be my first guess.

[Pacifist Patriot]

12. Not much I can disagree with, except for the idea that...

women could solve the world's problems (even though I'm a woman). For every Barbara Boxer there might be a Condi Rice.

What I'm wondering is how visible and loud he was BEFORE now. And does he fund a progressive think tank / policy center like the right wing extremists have?

Atlantan by birth and I have to admit I have not followed the Ted exploits in quite a number of years.

[DarkTirade]

13. Add to the german invasion of russia

just about every other attempt to invade russia that's happened in the last 200 years or so. None of them have gone particularly well. :)

[malmapus]

17. haha yeah, French and Japanese learned that one =)

Trying to think who else made a pass at good ole "Mother Russia" just to get slapped down.

[eppur_se_muova]

19. British and Americans "intervened" on the side of the "White" Armys vs

Reds. Largely forgotten history. Yes, US soldiers fought on Russian territory, beside other "Western" allies (including Japan).

[indepat]

14. Very dumb for America, but the heart of extreme RW PNAC dream

of a different kind of world there, a theocratic corporatist totalitarian police-type state here. And tens of millions of Amerikans eat it up, lock, stock and barrel.

[Raster]

16. I agree, Ted. Invading Iraq was one of the dumbest moves IF you had the

best interests of the United States and its citizens at heart. But since bushco* had the best interests of their masters at heart, it makes perfect sense. bushco*'s masters? The Texas Petroleum Mafia and the Military/Industrial complex.

[samsingh]

18. evil actually

[TheFarseer]

20. German invasion of Russia!!!

He just called the president a Nazi!!!! :sarcasm: but expect that on some RW hate radio show tomorrow.

[vireo]

21. Ted on CNBC now

Big Idea with Donny Deutsch.