Republican moral sophistry (a sort-of editorial)

[brentspeak]

As I was reading E.Howard Hunt's comments this week regarding the disclosure of Deep Throat's identity, I couldn't help but notice Hunt's defiant pride in the actions which sent him to jail. He actually regards as "patriotic" his breaking of several federal laws in the Watergate scandal, and appears perplexed that and almost outraged that the public doesn't share his opinion. These are similar sentiments that he expressed when justifying his covert activities in propping up S.American banana republics -- activities which included enabling illegal coups and assasination of political figures.

Hunt's remarks remind me of an individual named Manuel Miranda. Miranda, if you recall, was the Bill Frist staffperson who in 2003 accessed without permission the computer files covering the Democrats' internal strategy memos on opposing Bush's judicial nominees. His response to being caught? Unapologetic defiance: The Democrats' files were unprotected, he argued, and therefore it was the Democrats' fault that the whole event happened. They should have done a better job at securing their internal memos, he said.


Two year prior to Miranda's actions, President Bush took a month-long vacation. He had only been on the job for six months, and no president in modern memory had ever taken such a long respite at ANY time during his presidency. But Bush defended his vacation with what could only be called 'defiance'; he "deserved" the rest, Bush argued, and he wanted to get away from Washington politics. It didn't matter to the president that his 30-day hammock nap, broadcast throughout the world, made it appear as if the United States was a nation whose leader was literally asleep at the wheel; he "deserved" the rest.

And only a few days after he returned from his vacation, America was attacked.

What we see here is a pattern of the Republican's capacity to justify any action they take, no matter how unethical, outrageous, or even illegal it is.

[jimshoes]

1. Here is a link that explains

what and where the "art" of sophistry came into being. It pretty well explains the neocons and their knack at "disassembling". This is a label that suits modern republicans to a tee. We should tatoo it on them at every opportunity.


http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/s/sophists.htm