His Lips Are Moving

Today is Tuesday, 16 October 2012.

On this date in 1962, the “Cuban” Missile Crisis began, as President John F. Kennedy was shown the U-2 photographs which confirmed the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba.

This is column number 1,401.

I made my stage debut in 1960 at the age of 8 in 2^nd grade, winning the lead in the all—school play over 6^th graders, playing the Native American (still “Indian” in those ancient days) lad who invented moccasins.  To this day, I retain my love of all the theatrical and public speaking arts, with the single exception of formal debate, to which I have two objections.

First, chance decided which side of a proposition one argued, and I objected to arguing a position I opposed.  Second, victory went not necessarily to the side which was in the just and right, but often the side willing to stoop to sophistry, the evil art of making the worse appear the better.

It is as a sophist that Romney “won” the first Presidential debate.  He was so frisky I speculated that he was on meth, and lied through his teeth with gay (as it were) abandon.  E.g., if elected, he will make portability of health insurance after leaving a job the law.  Well, it’s already the law.

Romney refuses to detail his taxation plans (which obviously will favour “makers, not takers”).  He plans for a ruinous increase in the already-bloated war budget, for which even the military hasn’t asked.

As they said of Nixon:  “How do you know when he’s lying?  His lips are moving”.

Mitt’s lips are moving.