Dick Cheney Is French (Algiers Style)...two very good essays...

[carpe diem]

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2005_06_19_digbysblog_archive.html#111954927078723417

Hesiod does an admirable job of addressing the shame, impotence and anger many of us feel every time one of these faux outrage fests on the right result in a Democrat giving a teary eyed apology for something he didn't actually do. This has become a political form of ritual humiliation and it is one of the main reasons why we are having so much trouble politically in this macho era.

Indeed, these ritual humiliations actually serve as proxies for a political war in which it is not only required that a Democrat grovel, but that he grovel insincerely --- it's important that he be seen by his own party to be rejecting reality and embracing the Republican (also insincere) alternate version of the truth. It is an exercise of purer power in which the cackling courtiers of the media also hold the Democrat's metaphorical feet to the fire as a measure of their own fealty to the established order.

The ritual also requires that one Democrat, if not more, join the chorus of condemnation. He or she is publicly acclaimed for "courage" and "integrity" for agreeing that the truth is not the truth. But their real function is to serve as as living examples of disloyalty and weakness to both sides. They are humiliated as well, although they often don't know it, and many times they continue to serve as universally loathed sycophants to be trotted out as "the good Democrat" whenever the Republicans wish to congratulate themselves on their broadmindedness.

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http://www.reachm.com/amstreet/archives/2005/06/22/the-faith-of-our-fathers/

Kos nicley sums up my feelings on Dick Durbin’s cave-in. He “fucked up.”


But I don’t really blame Durbin, so much, as I blame the cowardly D.C. Pussy-crats who didn’t stand up for him.


But as bad as the “run for the hills” crowd in D.C. was, the coup de grace was delivered by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. Once Daley repeated the completely bullshit, manufactured GOP propaganda that Durbin was talking about “our troops,” then Durbin really had no choice, politically, other than to cave.


And then, Daley actually one-upped the rightwing Republican lie machine, and all but accused Durbin of being a “holocaust denier.”


What the fuck?!?

[Wetzelbill]

1. yeah, WTF? is right

Pussy-crats? Haha.

Total lack of balls.

[Dr.Phool]

2. You hit the nail squarely on the head!