Simon Harak: Off The Reservation
Written by Brian on March 30, 2007 – 2:42 pm - Welcome, if you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed or subscribe to our email newsletter. Thanks for visiting!
Daniel Suhr has been documenting (see here and here) the arrival of Simon Harak to Marquette University as a lecturer and Director of a new “Center for Peacemaking.”
I guess Marquette has been saving its biggest disaster in my four years at this excuse of a Catholic University for the final months of undergraduate.
I saw Mr. Harak speak at that September, 2003 propaganda meeting where Harak discussed his invented lies about American corporations and American politicians fulfilling their blood lust with Iraqi children from the Persian Gulf war up to today.
Harak, briefly put, is a possessed man.
I took detailed notes of the event, though unfortunately I do not have them with me here in Milwaukee. I will find them soon.
After four years of public relations disasters by Marquette University, including the Adopt a Sniper scandal, one would think that Marquette might be a little more cautious about its public stance towards America’s armed forces and the war in Iraq.
Harak certainly won’t help them in this regard. It’s hard to characterize Harak as anything less than an apologist for a dictator. Harak visited Iraq multiple times before the invasion in 2003, and I believe the invasion in 1991, to act as a human shield for the international media.
Thus, he is a propagandist. A propagandist for a genocidal maniac. “Peacemaker” indeed.
Just before a class this afternoon in Wehr Physics, I discovered his blog titled, “Unite and De-Militarize!”. I couldn’t blog on it until now, so I passed the information to Professor McAdams while in the building.
I have never seen so much propaganda outside of Communist propaganda. It is hysterical in its awfulness.
Harak is an individual who has a history of wraping religious rhetoric around his history of cozy relatonships with genocidal maniacs and his leadership in the anti-American movement. It is one thing to believe America or capitalism has its flaws, it’s another to go hang out with a mass murderer.
I wonder what Harak thinks about all the suicide bombers that his friend Saddam financed to the tune of $25,000 per bomber to each family to slaughter the Jews. I wonder what Brigid Miller thinks. I’m sure soon enough we’ll have enough alumni and media sources asking Marquette these kinds of questions.
Last 5 posts by Brian- Simon Harak's September 2003 Speech at Marquette -- And My Official Introduction to Jesuits - June 12th, 2008
- "How Al Gore is Getting Fat off of a Starving World" - June 1st, 2008
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- So in other words, you have no leads or suspects at this time? - May 30th, 2008
- RITA GAHAGAN - May 24th, 2008
Posted in Marquette Golden Chickens |
March 31st, 2007 at 2:02 pm
Must stop laughing. Harak’s blog is truly an entertaining piece of fiction.
April 1st, 2007 at 5:17 pm
[...] discussed, we have been looking at Marquette University’s, and specifically the “Theology” [...]
April 8th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Your description of Harak is poorly written; it seems you have fundamental issues– but they are lost in the goofy constructs. For example, you’ve strongly asserted that Harak is a propagandist for Saddam, that he is “possessed”, an apologist for a dictator…. even that he is not a peace maker.
The guy is a catholic priest for 30 years and a sincere anough peace activist. Why do you need to question his bonafides? The guy has 30 years of reputation, you’re all alone- do some research for christs sake. I’m just trying to help you.
Your real goal, obviously is in the public policy arena, and thats fine– pickup a microphone, a pen, a keyboard and argue your points on logic and reason. Don’t chase after every butterfly or annoyance that flutters in front of you, like Harak. I think you need to think more deeply, exactly what your policy goal is. Saddam is gone, what is YOUR PROBLEM?
Todd - kirkland wa 425 827 3107 anytime
April 8th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Todd,
Loved your conspiracy site. Check out Dr. McAdams site: http://www.mu-warrior.blogspot.com for more about conspiracies, especially about the JFK assassination. Good luck with that military-industrial complex stuff — you might want to ask Harak about joining his website/blog.
The priesthood can be a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, like many things, it can also be corrupted by self-serving individuals like Mr. Harak. Harak actively supported a genocidal maniac by going to Iraq and ignoring the atrocities committed there.
In my opinion, that, and having witnessed his shtick firsthand, I believe he is possessed. I do not say this lightly. It takes a genuinely deranged human being to ignore the brutality of someone like Saddam Hussein in order to score political points for your domestic agenda.
By the way - please do not take the Lord’s name in vain on my website.
Also, congratulations on the last gubernatorial race in Washington State. Your friends in Seattle put the efforts of the hardworkers from the Democrat Party et al here in Milwaukee to shame!
Brian
April 8th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
You’re still on Saddam’s case. With guys like you on duty, America is safe, for sure. Why don’t you join? They need more trigger men in Iraq.
Incidentally there is an economy, and it is observed to have sectors— an agricultural sector, education sector and so forth. Why does it stick in your craw to say “military complex”? First you might consider that there actually is a military, with 1.5 million active duty drawing a paycheck, and so forth, and a $600 billion budget. Only then can you start defending it.
You just disqualify yourself from the discussion when you shoot a rubber band at the guy at the podium, calling him a conspiracy theorist since YOU have not said one substantial thing YET on this blog.
Todd
April 8th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Todd,
It’s a truism to say that the military is deeply involved in domestic industrial sectors and the domestic industrial sectors are deeply involved in the military. I have yet to hear exactly why this is such a problem, beyond the fact that it exists. The usual rhetoric is all conspiratorial, such as your website: big scary Venn diagrams and back room deals with cigars, etc.
What many Democrats refuse to discuss are other intricate networks between their political clientele and government actors, such as the education bureaucracy of America. I’m much less concerned about businesses that produce equipment to defend America abroad than about national unions such as the NEA that would rather have American kids learn less, thanks to lax hiring/firing policies compared with a serious education establishment.
Brian
April 9th, 2007 at 10:42 am
Then, it seems, you’re aware of “intricate networks” among Democratic interests, and the general problem of concentrated benefit and dispersed costs. It seems to me, this problem afflicts all large collaborations, business as well as political, whenever there is money or power at stake, and centralized decisionmaking.
The fact that you’re less concerned about corruption by “businesses that produce equipment to defend America abroad than about national unions such as the NEA” seems unprincipled to me. That is characteristic of militarists, of course– the exercise of power by whatever means most expedient, to physically change the facts on the ground— but without the wisdom to adhere to the rule of law or a consistent set of principles.
The principles we need to abide by are that elected officials and government employees not personally benefit by any act or exercise of power in government, and the mirror image of this– that no business in the private sector (or NGOs such as unions) should ever pay or contribute money or resources to influence lawmakers or government employees.
There are already numerous laws against various types of corruption; after 20 years’ as a CPA I can tell you that closing tax loopholes is like whackamole, and so are the efforts to codify public misconduct. But don’t tell me you’re unaware of corruption in military procurement. There are more useful questions, such as how extensive it is, the nature of the problems, and, the degree to which the MICC actually causes wars. Even military fans like yourself are highly focused on these problems. For example Chuck Spinney testimony. http://www.d-n-i.net/fcs/spinney_testimony_060402.htm See “Inside the Pentagon”, a 1-hour emmy-award winning video. The treasury being looted for weapons we don’t need, weakens the military. THis is exactly what Eisenhower was referring to in his “military industrial complex” speech— the weapons makers driving procurement decisions. Do you really think there’s no problem? or just that it’s a good kind of problem?
April 9th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Brian,
Interesting rant regarding Harak, SJ, but where are your facts?
First, do you support the invasion and occupation of Iraq? As a Catholic, surely, you must recognize that it is not a just war. I believe that Benedict XVI has said so.
Second, you seem to misunderstand that Christ-ianity is about Christ, not about social mores. Do you think Christ would have supported the US invasion of Iraq? Indeed, would Christ have supported any use of military force anywhere? find that possibility hard to fathom.
Third, you also seriously misunderstand the role of corporations in US warmaking. Corporations (I have taught courses in corporate law and practiced corporate law for a large law firm, BTW) have one goal, which in fact is a legal duty under most states’ corporate codes: to maximize profits. If management does not maximize profits, shareholders can sue the board of directors/management. Shareholders are the owners. The only limit to maximizing profits is that the corporation cannot do anything illegal. Now, Brian, put your college thinking cap on for a moment. How does Lockheed maximize profits? What about Halliburton, which provides many services for US troops? L3? Dynacorp? Blackwater? Do you think they are even PERMITTED not to support US warmaking? And, gee, do you think that they might use their powers and influence to lobby for US military action? You might be interested that in 2003, of the 30 advisors to the Pentagon on the “Defense Policy Board,” at least 9 had ties to weapons companies. What do you think they advised, Brian?
Don’t take off that thinking cap that you or your parents are paying for until you have answered these questions.
Fourth, you seem to be the victim of propaganda. Open your eyes. The US invasion of Iraq violated international law. It violated the just war tradition. It has killed thousands of innocent people. Practically no one outside of America supports it. Yet you do. That’s because you are a victim of thinking that God and Country are one in the same.
Last but not least, and I am serious about this, if you really believe in the war, please go join the Army and take the place of some less-privileged person than yourself who is there but who does not want to be there. Otherwise, your rant lacks all credibility. Simon Harak is out there fighting for what he believes in. He is a real man, and he has honor, and he speaks the truth. You are, I am sad to say, a simple weasel. Take a hard look in the mirror. You are a cheerleader for war, a pom-pom boy. At the very least, put your money, your body, and your mind where your mouth is.
- Brian
April 9th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Brian,
In case you don’t believe that your body is needed in Iraq (I say “needed” but mean it only in the sense that you believe the war is necessary), check out this article:
Injured Troops Sent Back Into Battle
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/04/09/injured_soldiers/index_np.html
- Brian
February 1st, 2008 at 12:30 pm
[...] I would like to highlight that despite past protests from hippies on campus and the new “Center for Peacemaking“, our university is showing it’s support for our Marines. It’s very encouraging [...]