[lbo-talk] Frank Rich, scourge of MoveOn childishness, seeks Dem 'leadership' on Iraq

Carl Remick carlremick at gmail.com
Sun Sep 16 21:53:11 PDT 2007


On 9/16/07, Andy F <andy274 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 9/16/07, Carl Remick <carlremick at gmail.com> wrote:
> > [I see a noteworthy new criterion has been added to liberals'
> > definition of success regarding Iraq -- i.e. pounding the shit out of
> > MoveOn. Yes, Frank Rich indeed presents a Profile in Courage and
> > stands as the very embodiment of a responsible grown-up.]
>
> I noticed this too. It seemed to start with the interminable
> denouncements by Reps before the testimony, followed by disavowals by
> Dems, followed by great concern on NPR that the general's feelings may
> had been hurt. A stupid cheap shot it may have been, but Jesus H.,
> you'd think Petraeus was some sensitive 8 year old on the playground
> from the concern you hear.

The more cheap shots, the better. During the Vietnam era, public discourse was thick with the acrid odor of cheap shots at the military, and a good thing it was. The aim was to ridicule the military as savage and inept, strip away its pretenses of public service and honor, and express utter contempt for it as an institution. Vietnam protests wasted no time expressing the slightest degree of respect for the nation's armed forces.

Today, public discourse is positively constipated with veneration for the military. Even the media's bolder voices of dissent, like Chris Matthews or Keith Olbermann, feel the need ritualistically to genuflect when they interview some four-star blowhard: "Thank you, sir, for your service to our country!" Wrong. All officer-corps personnel should feel no doubt that public sentiment increasingly sees them as war criminals, connivers and dolts.

Four years years ago, the US military strutted on the world stage with "shock and awe." Today, using the faux ingenuousness of Gen. Pretentious (Mister Rogers' evil nephew) the military is trying to slink off that stage and evade all responsibility for the Iraq fiasco with shuck and jive. They should be hooted and jeered at as they go, not saluted.

Carl



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