Interlude: RoboMcCain: I'm Pandering As Fast As I Can
Today is Friday, 5 September 2008.
More Karl Kraus:
In the fourth year of the war.
[This war … opps, this was … originally written in 1917. ]
We are war-weary.
Surely that is the most foolish phrase of our time.
(And the competition is immense!)
We’re weary of extermination, robbing, lies, hunger, filth, and chaos.
Remind me: When were we un-weary of that?
Would not it be a good idea to be weary of war, before one started same, than after?
Perhaps nations, in the fourth year ... damn, in the sixth year (2003 to 2008 and counting) ... perhaps nations, in the sixth year of waging a war of aggression, deserve the fate of suffering?
[Not Kraus, but HH: alas, it is leaders, misleaders and their dupes, who deserve suffering, not the millions and millions who blindly stumble behind.]
More Karl Kraus:
In the fourth year of the war.
[This war … opps, this was … originally written in 1917. ]
We are war-weary.
Surely that is the most foolish phrase of our time.
(And the competition is immense!)
We’re weary of extermination, robbing, lies, hunger, filth, and chaos.
Remind me: When were we un-weary of that?
Would not it be a good idea to be weary of war, before one started same, than after?
Perhaps nations, in the fourth year ... damn, in the sixth year (2003 to 2008 and counting) ... perhaps nations, in the sixth year of waging a war of aggression, deserve the fate of suffering?
[Not Kraus, but HH: alas, it is leaders, misleaders and their dupes, who deserve suffering, not the millions and millions who blindly stumble behind.]
posted by HH at 12:27 AM
2 Comments:
YES – we get it that you abhor war. Just get on with it. Most of us do abhor it, including John McCain. I presume you DID listen to his speach last night. And if you say you didn't because it would have been a waste of your time, I question how you put your time to productive use. One must listen to all sides.
Dear get on with it,
If most of us do abhor war, why do we continue to wage war? I don't think it is as simple as you would have us think. Perhaps we are not yet ready to "get on with it."
I agree that it is laudable to listen to different points of view, but surely you don't think all views are equally valid. Sadly, there are those with hate and prejudice in their hearts, and I can't justify their points of view just because they were "raised that way" or they have a "right to their own opinions."
I think the more we empathize, the more likely we will be to treat one another with kindness and compassion. Isn't that what HH was saying when he said we should try to imagine the deaths of millions by imagining the deaths of our own families?
Lots of anger out there, and I admit to my share. It's easy to be impatient or sarcastic when we are annoyed by unknown writers. But I think just because we are anonymous on a blog doesn't mean we can't be civil. Maybe particularly because we can't really be called to task, we should endeavor to treat each other's opinions with courtesy.
I know, HH is full of righteous anger; but I've never noticed him being hateful to one of his commenters. I appreciate him for that.
And I hope "get on with it" doesn't take this as personal criticism. It is an observation of blog writers and commenters in general. It has applied to me. I just think maybe it needs to be said from time to time.
Peace.
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