Pedophile Nation . . . by Ben Stein . . . (yup, that Ben Stein) . . .

[OneBlueSky]

http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=10505

Obviously, it's not easy to have a lot of sympathy for Mark Foley. He did some extremely questionable things, and he's being heartily punished for it, with more to come, most likely.

But he has raised an interesting issue long overdue for national discussion. The media and the pundits are acting as if something brand new happened when a grown up discovered the sexuality of teenagers. They're acting as if teenagers are innocent little children who never heard of sex until they got e-mails from a Member of Congress.

The truth is just the opposite. This is a nation that is absolutely drenched in juvenile sex. I am not sure exactly when it happened, but it sure was going on when I was a teenager and that was a long time ago in the days of James Dean. The problem is vastly more prevalent now.

Movies in large part are about teenage sex. Whole TV networks -- I am not going to mention any names -- are largely about teenagers and sex. Music, if you can call it music, is very, very largely about teenagers and sex, and teenagers listen to it incessantly. (I am the father of a teenager, and I promise you, it's true.)

- more . . .

http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=10505

[Bluebear]

1. Stein on Foley: "Not that big a deal, more important things happening"

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/08/sunday/main20...

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. And it all makes Ben very, very...

h4wT.

[Bluebear]

3. Stein on Foley: "He had a ROMANTIC thing for young boys"

http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=10434

[Luna_C_06]

12. Ben Stein is an idiot.

"On the one hand, we have a poor misguided Republican man who had a romantic thing for young boys."



Oh, and this: "Moreover, the stars and bars are a beautiful design and show nothing whatsoever about a person's views about non-whites." Has he ever met anyone who flies or wears the stars and bars???

[Bluebear]

13. LunaC. welcome to DU!

[freeplessinseattle]

16. "a beautiful design"

sure, that's the only reason anyone has one, they are all art afficonados adding to their collection of artfully done fabric.

[Spider Jerusalem]

18. Almost no-one flies the stars and bars.

Most people don't even know what it actually is (Ben Stein probably doesn't, either). It was the first national flag of the Confederacy, and looks like this:


It forms the basis of the current design of the Georgia state flag:



The Confederate navy jack, based on the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia (what most people think of as the "Confederate flag") is a Saint Andrew's Cross, or saltire:

[NMMNG]

4. I get it

Because the movies, literature, music and everything else are full of teen sex, we're supposed to not consider Foley's behavior an issue.

So by that line of logic, because movies, literature, music and everything else are full of adultery and BJs the Republicans should have ignored Bill and Monica.


Teens having sex with each other and flouncing around in skimpy clothing is one thing. Adults propositioning teens for sex (or worse) is another thing entirely.

[Bluebear]

5. Plus. Democrats are "the party of gays" so how DARE we?

http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=10434

'But how the Democrats, the party of gays, can be coming down this hard on a MC who's gay is simply beyond belief. One of my top, favorite congressmen, Barney Frank, is openly gay. Might he say a word in defense of his fellow gay MC right about now? Hmm, I thought not.'

[NMMNG]

11. Still with the gay thing?

The Foley incident is not a gay issue. It is a pederast issue! Much the same way that the Mary Kay LeTorneau incident was not a straight issue, but a pederast issue. (Bold print not for Bluebear, but for ignoramuses who insist that the Foley issue is a gay thing.)

They just don't want to get it, do they?

[HuffleClaw]

6. justifying foley? hilarious to see 'em fumble in their efforts to do so.

if they caught BUSH screwing a DOG, they'd say, 'but everyone loves their pets!'

[oasis]

7. Stein has always been a GOP apologist. He likely fears a few skeletons

will soon come tumbling out of his own closet.

[blogslut]

8. I met Stein once

Total perv.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

9. Uh, no Ben

Grownups have always leched after teenagers. The problem here is that House leadership KNEW is was going on and COVERED IT UP! While the perv was serving as THE FRIGGING HEAD OF MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN!!!!

Asshole.

[DRoseDARs]

10. Sorry Ben, Matt Drudge already played the "Blame the Victim" card. n/t

[Disturbed]

14. "They just don't want to get it, do they?"

Oh but they do get understand. They are desperately trying to shift the issue to soften the vileness of their club members.

[Red Right and BLUE]

15. ah FUCK BEN STEIN.

He takes cheap shots.

[The Wielding Truth]

17. Foley is a predator. They knew and they did nothing.

Denial is the REPUKE coping mechanism. Reality is ignored.Foley was not these pages peer.Ben Stein needs to readjust his glasses.

[Chulanowa]

19. Ben Stein is a douche.

He is what my friends call "wasted meat" - the theory is that all that flesh and bone he's made of would have served the world better if it were instead 218 pounds worth of squirrels or canaries or something.

He's definately diverting blame here, to the victim. Sure he acknowledges that Foley shouldn't have acted on those desires... But hten Ben claims that such dsires are perfectly normal. Apparently "teen sexualization" naturally makes fifty-something year-old men lust after teenagers.

Bullshit. I happen to be a guy. A young one at that, not even halfway through my 20's. And no matter how "sexy" she thinks she's dressing, a sixteen year old girl always looks like a sixteen year old girl. I might notice that she's a pretty girl, and will be attractive... In a few years. Wearing a tube-top and daisy dukes does not send me into a sexual feeding frenzy, as, well, as I suppose it does for Ben Stein.

[sarge43]

20. Goodness, the Foley contortions of the Repug apologists

could get them a job with the Circus du Soleil.

So we are to conclude that sexual predation of teenage boys is just fine, but a stable civil marriage of adult gays would mean the Fall of Western Civilization.

[sandnsea]

21. Human beings are sexual

Gosh, you'd think Ben Stein found his child in the cabbage patch.

Yes, teenagers are exploring their sexuality, which is what they're supposed to do. Children emulate older siblings, which is what they're supposed to do.

Adults are supposed to be the ones to provide the safe environment for them to do that.

Just a big friggin' DUH.

Interestingly, so far the only ones I've heard going down this blame the victim path have been men.

[malaise]

22. BIngo n/t

[Ian David]

23. Should we find Ben Stein's teenage kid and solicit him or her for sex?

Is that what Ben's suggesting?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Bueler?

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. Fuck you, Ben

Your credibility is zero. You drank WAY too much koolaid.

[JHB]

25. Stein's just doing what he does best...

...playing the monotone lecturer who bleeds his subject dry of all meaning.

[NNN0LHI]

26. I think we had better keep a close eye on uncle Ben n/t

[zbdent]

27. Aw, come on, it's not like Foley had a consensual "inappropriate contact"

with a woman of legal consenting age ...

[Cygnusx2112]

28. The answer to this tripe is then...

succintly -

So why then did Republicans go after Clinton?

[goforit]

29. Ben Stein, do step forward and admit our own history.

Another pervert appeaser!!!