COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Thomas Sowell on Lindsey Graham

Tolerance has been one of the virtues of western civilization. But virtues can be carried to extremes that turn them into vices. Toleration of intolerance is a particularly dangerous vice to which western nations are succumbing, both within their own countries and internationally.

Double standards are being wrapped in the mantle of morality. The drive to extend Geneva convention protection to terrorists who are not covered under the Geneva convention is one of a number of dangerous self-indulgences by people who seem to think that being morally one-up is the ultimate and survival is secondary.

Senator Lindsey Graham's comment that we are going to win in our struggle with terrorists "because we are better" was all too typical of this mindset.

It would be hard to know which would be worse -- if he said it as just some offhand political rhetoric or whether he is really fatuous enough to believe it and irresponsible enough to gamble American lives rather than extract murderous secrets from captured cutthroats. Thomas Sowell

20 comments:

  1. The Bar is open, back in business. I suspect we had Blogger problems or "operator malfunctions" ;) (If you know what I mean)

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  2. Sen, Lindsey Graham's remark "because we are better" is right out of "Gone With the Wind" where Charles Hamilton is explaining to Rhett Butler that the South would win because any Southerner was worth ten Yankees.
    Well, poor Charles died of pneumonia early on so he never saw the outcome but the South lost that one.
    With Sen. Grahams' arrogance awash in his Southern drawl it would serve him well to realize the dimensions of Islams aggression and determination to get a new worldwide Caliphate.
    ...and you know, like the Eagles said,years before 9-11...

    "Everything can change
    In a new york minute
    Things can get pretty strange
    In a new york minute
    Everything can change
    In a new york minute"....and the world did.

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  3. I think one of the better minds of America just publically ripped JAG Graham a new one!

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  4. Whit and 2164,

    I personally don't care if you guys make an occasional mistake. I hope we weren't hacked.

    But returning to the compliment. You two stepped up and provided an absolutely wonderful forum for the needs of the entire human and marsupial species'.
    I extend my most sincere nad heartfelt thanks that you have done so. I know it is a labor, but hopefully with our core we will grow and a renumeration will ensue in the form of sponsorship.

    If you will tell me where, I will send a donation of $100.00 US dollars. I would encourage those who can to go ahead and send me, Habu, your donations. I will make sure they get to the Cayman Islands for safe keeping.
    Bravo Gentlemen.

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  5. The Washington Times is reporting that Senate Democrats are trying to block key Republican legislation including the border fence. At the same time, they are saying that Congress has "acheived little" Jeez, with Democrat obstructionists active since the mid '90's, I'm not surprised. Frankly though, I would like to see less legislation coming out of Washington. They screw things up more often than not.

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  6. Habu,
    Thank you sir. But, no tipping please. However if you would like to step up to the plate, your contributions as a poster would be more than welcome.

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  7. Maybe some of you have seen this site, Logic Times

    Has an Iraq Survival Count done in the style of the infamous Iraq Body Count counter. Might be something to consider adding to the site...

    More On Topic:

    The Logic Times feature an article on the Path to 9/11. The author describes the state of pre 9/11 America. It's difficult to differentiate this from Sowell's description of Graham and the culture associated with Graham:

    "The first stems from the recognition that pre-9/11 American society was structurally vulnerable; that the people of that society – petulant, prosperous, and deluded by soft years of a pseudo-peace – would never permit the measures necessary to stop a determined, suicidal enemy. Perhaps the September 11th plot of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed could have been foiled, but the mixture of Islamofascism, Western freedom and technology was destined to violently explode on American soil. Recognizing this, it is clear that neither the Clinton Administration nor the Bush Administration was responsible for 9/11, debunking once and for all the hysterical attempt by the Left to blame Bush on the heels of Richard Clarke's duplicitous 9/11 Commission testimony."

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  8. OT:

    How would EB patrons feel about taking a book from Chester and either participating in his book club through posting here or there or creating our own?

    Anyone have any suggestions of worthwhile books to read for, say, October?

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  9. Mr. Graham sees us in a boxing match with Queensberry rules, refs, rounds, and him seated ringside, even knowing that Mohammed believes we're in a no-rules death match. The important thing is for the Yankee boxer to be sworn to a fair fight and remain in the ring, awaiting challengers to present themselves in a sporting manner or at least to present themselves openly. Brave Lindsey doesn't mind a slightly bloody fight between us and them, because he can use the NYT to shield his civilized sensibilities from any spatter. Still, he's either not noticed how opponents keep jumping the ropes and lunging at spectators with boxcutters and daggers or believes a newspaper can save his pretty face even then.

    Meanwhile outside the arena, lucky fans around the world are treated to the diversion of exploding trains, planes and automobiles.

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  10. "... Aside from the debate between the largest Shi’a and Sunni parties over the desirability of the federal autonomy plan, the most heated element in the debate was a charge by a member of Iyad Allawi’s National Iraqi List, Usama al-Najaifi, that Kurdish militias were engaging in ethnic cleansing in Mosul, attempting to change the demographics of the city, which is the capital of the Ninawa Province in northern Iraq. Kurdish members rejected the charge and demanded an apology, and the List’s parliamentary leader, Hamid Najid Musa, apologized saying that the Najaifi did not represent the party, and that the accusations were wrong. ... "

    @ Threatswatch.org

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  11. Catherine:
    In fairness to Graham, I think most of the JAG corp feel the same way he does.

    That's scary to me.

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  12. Rat:
    The Threatswatch article made me think that there is hope for Iraq. Look at those politicians over there. They all want to win something and in order for everyone to feel like a winner there must be compromise.

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  13. Always remember that we have a market economy..
    Alternative Energy

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  14. I think the "Tee" says; "Tolerance is a virtue of a man with no conviction"

    ... darn it, just spilt my beer!

    ... huh! Cats fly pretty well!

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  15. If you mention beer around here, Rufus will show up looking for a free one.

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  16. Thank you for the indulgence during the almost TKO at the Elephant. All better now.

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  17. In fairness to Graham, I think most of the JAG corp feel the same way he does.

    Whit, JAG and also my Air Force COL sis-in-law who thinks Bush is all wrong to project hard power, anyway. It's too war-like. Says the CIA should do Peace Corps type initiatives in Africa to stave off terrorism.

    Don't bother asking. She's university educated and a complete Demwit, but a nice person.

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  18. Malcolm Muggeridge said "We are educating ourselves into imbecility."

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  19. Habu, thank you for your kind words and support, but I thought you got rid of all those C-notes made by the Norks. Tell that potossum to stop by some time.

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