Obama Official Claims MLK Would Support The War on Terror

[ronpaulhawaii]

Disgusting attempt at revisionism

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/01/pentagon-official-martin-luther-king-support-iraq-afghan-wars/


"I believe that if Dr. King were alive today, he would recognize that we live in a complicated world, and that our nation's military should not and cannot lay down its arms and leave the American people vulnerable to terrorist attack," Johnson said.

Johnson claimed US service members are helping the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, noting that Dr. King spoke out in favor of acts of kindness.

"I draw the parallel to our own servicemen and women deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, away from the comfort of conventional jobs, their families and their homes," Johnson said, adding that the "dangerous unselfishness" of the troops would make Dr. King proud.

more at link

[sailingaway]

I seem to remember a famous speech of his where he said "America should not be the policemen of the WHOLE world....." very expressively.

Being dead, of course, he can't weigh in on the issue....

[TheDriver]

I seem to remember a famous speech of his where he said "America should not be the policemen of the WHOLE world....." very expressively.

Being dead, of course, he can't weigh in on the issue....

From my understanding of MLK's philosophy, the only way he would have said the above, would be, if he was making the case that foreign involvements cost money, money that could be spent on social betterment (welfare).

[Aratus]

we know MLK aptly took LBJ to task over 'nam.

[Kludge]

"Dr. Martin Luther King’s outspoken opposition to the war in Vietnam put him neatly in the milieu of modern Christian non-violence that started with the religious writings of Leo Tolstoy, and which had impacts well beyond Christendom (Gandhi’s interest in non-violence, for instance, was heavily influenced by Tolstoy). The answer, then, to who would MLK bomb is pretty clearly “no one.”

But he’s been dead for quite awhile, and people may be a little vague on who exactly the fellow was and what he stood for. To that end, Pentagon officials are now making it clear, they’re pretty sure Dr. King was a hawk.

Jeh Johnson, the Pentagon’s general council, has informed the public that he is pretty sure, were Dr. King alive today he would be strongly in favor of the US occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, because “he would recognize that we live in a complicated world.”

Johnson’s argument begins and ends with Dr. King’s fondness for the parable of the “Good Samaritan,” and his (Johnson’s) assumption that no one is a better Samaritan than US occupation forces.

In case you’re not thoroughly confused, Johnson closed by announcing “every day, our servicemen and women practice the dangerousness – the dangerous unselfishness Dr. King preached.” So there you have it, the Pentagon’s history has MLK as a danger junkie, and nobody rocks the danger like occupation forces."

http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2011/01/14/who-would-mlk-bomb/

[kah13176]

“Don’t let anybody make you think that God chose America as his divine, messianic force to be - a sort of policeman of the whole world. God has a way of standing before the nations with justice and it seems I can hear God saying to America 'You are too arrogant!'”
-MLK

[Fozz]

I don't even think Ronald Reagan would have supported the Iraq War.

[kah13176]

I don't even think Ronald Reagan would have supported the Iraq War.

He wouldn't have. He wrote in his memoirs that one of his greatest regrets was getting involved in Lebanon. In one of RP's books, RP says Reagan spoke to him of the importance of nonintervention.

[Dark_Horse_Rider]

“Don’t let anybody make you think that God chose America as his divine, messianic force to be - a sort of policeman of the whole world. God has a way of standing before the nations with justice and it seems I can hear God saying to America 'You are too arrogant!'”
-MLK

Watch all of his speeches and you will see some where that man is on fire.

The official that made that idiotic statement brings to mind that after the 08 election at holiday time, not once did I hear Stevie Wonder's song " One Day At Christmas " on the radio. In all previous years, that had been one that was played several times a day for more than a month. A coincidence ? A little too close to home ?