Dunn Conundrum

Well, Glenn Beck continues to score points against Obama Administration apparatchiks, if only because the later seem to go about pointing to the big red targets on their chests. In case anyone doesn't know it, White House Communications Director Anita Dunn, who has taken point in one war the Obama Administration isn't conflicted about, against Fox News, said some interesting things about Mao Tse-tung. Apparently giving some kind of pep talk earlier this year, she said this:

The third lesson and tip actually comes from two of my favorite political philosophers: Mao Tse-tung and Mother Theresa -- not often coupled with each other, but the two people I turn to most to basically deliver a simple point which is 'you're going to make choices; you're going to challenge; you're going to say why not; you're going to figure out how to do things that have never been done before.

And this:

In 1947, when Mao Tse Tung was being challenged within his own party on his plan to basically take China over, Chiang Kai‑shek and the Nationalist Chinese held the cities, they had the army, they had the air force, they had everything on their side. And people said, "How can you win? How can you do this? How can you do this against all of the odds against you?" And Mao Tse Tung said, you know, "You fight your war, and I'll fight mine."

Now I think it is silly to suggest that Ms. Dunn ought to resign over this. Saying something painfully stupid, especially when she didn't seem to be acting in her official capacity, is not usually a firing offense. Give enough speeches, write enough blog posts, and sooner or later you will discover that you have done it.

But it was painfully stupid. To begin with, whatever Mother Theresa and Mao were, they weren't political philosophers. I remember when George W. was asked to name his favorite political philosopher, and he named Jesus. Christ wasn't a political philosopher either. Bush didn't escape criticism, and neither should Ms. Dunn.

And it doesn't help to claim that she got the comparison from Bush 41 advisor Lee Atwater or to say, as some of her defenders have said, that a strategist for Barry Goldwater once claimed to follow Mao's guidance. It was a dumb thing for anyone on either side to do.

Mao Tse-tung was the most prolific and monstrous mass murderer in the history of prolific and monstrous mass murderers. In raw numbers, neither Hitler nor Stalin can compete. He was probably responsible for the death of almost, and perhaps more than, a hundred million people. During the "Great Leap Forward," he caused the starvation of tens of millions. His personal physician recounted that Mao would eat turtle soup and listen to glowing reports of economic progress, while just outside his window the streets were lined with corpses. During the "Cultural Revolution" he set virtually every one of his subjects against every other, creating a horror such as the world may never have known before or since.

Now it's true that Mao was effectively ambitious, and it's logically possible to admire his ambition and some of his talents apart from the fact that he was a monster. But for purposes of rhetoric, this is a very bad idea. Imagine if George W. Bush had spoken admirably of the executive efficiency and fiscal management of Francisco Franco! This just isn't the best way to go about inspiring people. Besides, it risks sending some very bad messages.

Ms. Dunn spoke the way she did because she suffers from the common blindness of the Left when it comes to "progressives" like Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. But that's okay. She only the White House Communications Director.

Comments

[Jake Knudsen]

Ms Dunn reflects poorly upon President Obama as do so many of his cronies that his severe character flaw is revealed. He is a rabid socialist with an abiding hate for white people analogous to Hitler's hate for Jews. His agenda is to enslave the wealth producers and transfer their wealth to his chosen people. Karl Marx would be proud. President Obama is a sick puppy.

[TR]

If you watch the video of Ms. Dunn giving these comments, it appears as if she is high on amphetamines. Unless she has a speech impediment, her lack of control of keeping her tongue in her mouth is a side effect of too much amphetamine or other psychoactive substance.

[Wyatt]

"Che Guevara is an inspiration for every human being who loves freedom, we will always honor his memory." --- NELSON MANDELA

[Chamberlain]

Replace the name Mao Tse Tung with Gung Ho, and Beck's attacks have no meaning or purpose other than to attack an administration that is on an "unfinished mission" to clean up the spoiled left overs gifted to our nation from GW Bush. The Fox News Network is shameful in the manner of what they claim to be legitimate reporting. It's hateful, and it smells bad. Nevertheless, I thank Fox News Network for showing Americans how not to behave, at their (Fox News) expense.

[Why-Att?]

Give me a break Wyatt. Your premise is filled with innuendo -- give us some facts.

Here are some facts. Dunn did say, PAINFULLY STUPIDLY, that Mao was a favorite political philospher of hers.

Then, the Obama administration uses their governmental power to ATTACK it's CITIZENS (a news organization). Is that the type of government you want? Maybe Dunn and Obama are favorites of Mao!

[KB]

Chamberlain (fitting name for you!): you are right. Replace Mao with Gung Ho and there is no story. Replace Mao with Adolph, and Anita Dunn with Karl Rove, and all the other networks would carry it. But stories in alternative universes don't change the story in this one.

As for Fox, what is shameful about reporting stories? And how can you say that this is at Fox's expense? They are running circles around all the other cable news outlets in ratings. I add that Fox's audience does not consist solely of conservatives. A lot of independents watch the network. I am sure you are content with the major networks and their sheltering of favored causes, but the independents are not content with that.

Besides, adversarial journalism is an essential part of a free republic. It's not just a good idea when a Republican is in the White House.

[Judy]

Chamberlain, you are shameful for not understanding history, and not caring for what Chinese had suffered under Mao. Replace Mao with Gung Ho everything would be OK? Give me a break! The man in the picture that was beat to death was an intellectual, and he was beating to death for no other reason than he was an intellectual. That man could have been my father. My father was put in the same position by his student during Mao days. Anita Dunn calls Mao a philosopher; please!!! Mao never was a philosopher but a dictator. Where did Dunn go to school? Harvard for dummies?! I say, a good one for Fox News, now we know what kind of idiots and insane people are running around in the White House. Shame on them, and shame on you, Chamberlain!

[Judy]

You know, Chamberlain, I don't know how you want American people behave...like Chinese people behave under the Mao, perhaps? Or Jewish people behave under Hitler? I cannot get over this. Mao killed more people than Hitler. If Dunn said Hitler is her faverite philosopher, would you be OK with it, too?