George Soros Slams War on Terror, Compares White House to Nazis
By Monisha Bansal
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
September 15, 2006
(CNSNews.com) - Billionaire philanthropist George Soros compared the Bush administration to socialist and communist regimes Thursday while criticizing America's war on terror.
The liberal political activist said the U.S. strategy of fighting a "war" against terrorism is "false" and a "dismal and disheartening situation." Critics say Soros is only trying to hurt Republicans' chances in the November elections and warn that he is undermining efforts to protect Americans from terrorists.
Soros told an audience at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, "We are working with a very false frame when we talk about a 'war on terror,' and yet it is universally accepted.
"Everybody now recognizes that invasion of Iraq was a real blunder, but the war on terror is still the frame that is accepted by Democrats and Republicans alike," Soros claimed. "It is a false, misleading, counterproductive, destructive frame."
By using the word "war," he argued, the Bush administration is invoking military terminology in response to a situation that, Soros believes, should be dealt with diplomatically. He also said the "war on terror" is "counterproductive," because there are "innocent victims," which "breeds rage and resentments and feeds into the terrorist case."
"It is a war that cannot be won without lots of adverse consequences," he added.
Soros also accused the president of using the war on terror for political gain and compared the Bush White House to the most murderous regimes in human history.
"President Bush is exploiting it even further ahead of these elections," Soros said. "I would voice my concerns about the similarities between this administration and the Nazis and communist regimes."
In 2004, Soros gave more than $23 million to political advocacy groups known as "527s" to defeat Bush, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Matthew Vadum, an analyst with Capital Research Center, said Soros has apparently decided to try a different strategy to influence the upcoming midterm elections.
"Instead of vigorously contesting the election this November," Vadum told Cybercast News Service, "George Soros has apparently opted to attack President Bush and the Republican Party by undermining America's war on terror."
Vadum urged Americans to examine the claims Soros is making from another perspective.
"Soros argues that it is a phony war, an empty advertising slogan that Bush is using to pull the wool over gullible Americans' eyes," Vadum said. "But U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan who put their lives on the line every day beg to differ."
George Soros, a Hungarian-born Jew who escaped the Holocaust by fleeing to London as a child, is ranked the 28th richest person in the United States (with a fortune valued at $7 billion) by Forbes magazine.
In November 2003, for the first time ever, the billionaire spoke to a Jewish audience at the conference of the Jewish Funders Network. Many people were dismayed by his call for “regime change” in the United States, his talk of funding projects in “Palestine" and the Geneva Accord, and his ideas about the cause of anti-Semitism.
Soros said European anti-Semitism is the result of the policies of Israel and the United States. “There is a resurgence of anti-Semitism in Europe. The policies of the Bush administration and the Sharon administration contribute to that,” Soros said. “If we change that direction, then anti-Semitism also will diminish,” he said. “I can’t see how one could confront it directly.”
Soros also said that he has personally contributed to anti-Semitism. Soros believes that Malaysian prime minister, Mahathir Mohammad, was referring to people like Soros when he said, “Jews rule the world by proxy.” Soros' projects and funding have influenced governments and promoted various political causes around the world.
Soros' comments were called “absolutely obscene" by Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League.
“Let’s understand things clearly: Anti-Semitism is not caused by Jews; it’s caused by anti-Semites,” said Elan Steinberg, senior advisor at the World Jewish Congress. “One can certainly be critical of Bush policy or Sharon policy, but any deviation from the understanding of the real cause of anti-Semitism is not merely a disservice, but a historic lie.”
In addition to his unhelpful ideas, Soros has given scant money to Jewish causes. Soros said he has not given much to Jewish or Israel-related causes because Jews take care of their own, so that his financial clout is better directed elsewhere.
Re: George Soros Slams War on Terror, Compares White House to Nazis
On Black Wednesday (September 16, 1992), Soros became immediately famous when he sold short more than $10bn worth of pounds, profiting from the Bank of England's reluctance to either raise its interest rates to levels comparable to those of other European Exchange Rate Mechanism countries or to float its currency. Finally, the Bank of England was forced to withdraw the currency out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism and to devalue the pound sterling, and Soros earned an estimated US$ 1.1 billion in the process. He was dubbed "the man who broke the Bank of England."
The Times October 26, 1992, Monday quoted Soros as saying: "Our total position by Black Wednesday had to be worth almost $10 billion. We planned to sell more than that. In fact, when Norman Lamont said just before the devaluation that he would borrow nearly $15 billion to defend sterling, we were amused because that was about how much we wanted to sell."
According to a recent book by Steven Drobny. Inside the House of Money, it was Stanley Druckenmiller, who traded under Soros, who actually perceived the weakness in the pound. "Soros' contribution was pushing him to take a gigantic position," in accord with Druckenmiller's own research and instincts.
In 1997, during the Asian financial crisis, then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad accused Soros of using the wealth under his control to punish ASEAN for welcoming Myanmar as a member. Later, he called Soros a moron. [3] Thai extremists have called Soros "an economic war criminal" who "sucks the blood from the people". [4]
Critics claim that Soros has an undue influence on currency markets through Quantum Fund, his privately-owned investment fund. Like many large hedge funds, it is registered in an offshore tax haven, specifically Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles.
In an August 2004 appearance on Chris Wallace's FOX News Sunday, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Dennis Hastert (Republican), stated, "We don't know where George Soros's money comes from. We don't know where it comes from, from the left, and you don't know where it comes in the right. You know, Soros's money, some of that is coming from overseas. It could be drug money. We don't know where it comes from." Soros responded to Hastert by saying, "by smearing me with false charges and mischaracterizations you are attempting to stifle critical debate and intimidate those who believe this administration is leading the country in a ruinous direction. Now that I have called you on your false accusation, you are using additional smear tactics." [10] Soros filed an official complaint with the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. Soros claimed that Hastert's comments "strongly suggests a deliberate effort to use smear tactics, intimidation and falsehoods to silence criticism."
Hey there! Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.
When you create an account, we remember exactly what you've read, so you always come right back where you left off. You also get notifications, here and via email, whenever new posts are made. And you can like posts and share your thoughts. Sign Up
George Soros Slams War on Terror, Compares White House to Nazis
Hide
Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks