From: Michael M. Butler (butler@comp-lib.org)
Date: Fri Sep 21 2001 - 19:02:09 MDT
Unquestionably true. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. The name did make
my eyebrows go up, even while I was carried on waves of emotion...
I repeat that it is CRITICAL that all civilians speak loudly and insistently
the moment their ideological "ornery, cantankerous individualist" tripwires
go off. Say what you will about David Brin; he is right that we've been being
fed this ideal in our milk, so to speak. Our popular media has suspicion of
authority seething through it. Not the news, true; but action movies speak louder,
Time to walk the walk. Carefully. Thoughtfully. Resolutely. Time to pay attention
to what really counts.
This includes rolling back evil laws, to free up attention for the main event.
Every thinking person has to build a piece inside that is an H. L. Mencken, or
a Gen. Smedley Butler (retired), and check in with that piece often.
My motto: "No Horseshit."
You see, in the vernacular of that part of the Midwest where I grew up.
horseshit means "unacceptably substandard" (in more modern parlance, "cheesy"
comes close to the same meaning). Bullshit, of course, means "that which is not so".
Horseshit, in contrast, is what's so, but shouldn't be.
Time to pick up the shovel and clean out the barn. We don't have time to enforce
horseshit laws. Pick your favorite, and make some noise--along with doing your
other patriotic duties.**
**Or _if it's really important_ and you have the guts,
just ignore stupid laws, and when someone calls you on
it, tell them there's a war on. May we all choose wisely.
We are members of the finest civilization ever to grace the planet. We should
act as if we were--in every sense of the phrase.
MMB
CurtAdams@aol.com wrote:
>
> ( greg burch speaks approvingly of W's speech)
>
> I dunno. Doesn't "Department of Homeland Security" make your skin crawl?
> That and all the fawning from the opposition and the media makes me feel
> like an extra in one of those dystopian stories where fascists take over
> by wrapping themselves in the trappings of democracy under fire.
>
> Although so far the proposals from the gov't have been reasonable (some over-
> reaction, but nothing irreversible or incomprehensible), watching all this
> reminds me that the US gov't is a threat to human life and liberty far
> outweighing
> these terrorists. Their intents aren't as bad (currently), but the capacity
> is far
> greater.
>
> I agree the speech was moving.
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