"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel." -- Samuel Johnson
Johnson was purported to have been referring to those who use patriotism falsely or as a crutch. Patriotism in and of itself isn't necessarily bad. It may be silly, though, since none of us really own anything. We're just temporary stewards. In a thousand years, will it really matter whether we were patriotic? How we cared for our planet and each other will end up being a lot more important than whether we cared about some arbitrary border.
To be sure, Johnson's quote is an often misused one. But I thought it fitting to describe the ridiculous posturing of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld this past week. Anyone that criticizes our administration's handling of the Iraq or Afghanistan wars are "self-defeating pessimists". Rumsfeld compared the Iraqi war to the war against Nazi Germany. Those that would critize now are just like those that appeased Germany, he intimates.
In an unintentional bit of candor, he complained of the "real problem" being that the media tells "lies" and "myths" when reporting the war. Now that's not very nice, Donald ... criticizing FOX News like that.
Some other tasty nuggets:
"What bothers me the most is how clever the enemy is ... "
"They are actively manipulating the media in this country ..."
"They can lie with impunity ..."
"The enemy lies constantly — almost totally without consequence ..."
"Actively manipulating the media", "lie with impunity", "lies constantly ... without consequence" -- Wow. If that is not the pot calling the kettle black, then I don't know what is. I think those three are the first three chapters of Karl Rove's political playbook.
Rumsfeld complains ...
The secretary's ghastly speech ...
7 comments:
Katha Pollitt has a good article in the Nation about the new rhetoric shift of this administration, using the word Islamo-fascist. It's quite interesting
Rumsfeld is quite a piece of work isn't he..........?
He's a piece of something.
I like to refer to him as D-Rum.
That's my intelligent contribution to this post.
If I wasn't so lazy I would find the link to a recording of Rumsfeld (then just a minor character) and Nixon talking in the Oval Office. Nixon is pretty much saying that those damn, lazy negroes are a real pain in the ass and Rumsfeld - D-Rum as I'm now going to think of him - is heard making grunts of agreement.
This is a guy who not only can't keep his lies straight, but realizes that he doesn't really even need to bother.
Anyone who calls him on his lies is just playing into the hands of the vast network of terror bent on destroying 'Merica, Mom (not single moms but the real ones who stay at home and raise their children like good women should) and Apple Pie.
Only them evil Muslems would want to destroy Apple Pie...man do I hate those Apple Pie haters.
D-Rum as I'm now going to think of him
And when it becomes a national phenomenom I will rule the world!
Mwu-ha-ha-ha-ha! Mwu-haha-haha-ha!
And when it becomes a national phenomenom I will rule the world!
Well...as long as you keep your government small and unintrusive, I'm okay with you ruling the world.
Of course, I've secretly been Emperor of the Universe for quite some time. So far the only benefit has been that I get good parking spots and hang out with all the cool people.
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