Rumsfeld vs Reality
The Infinite Echo
B. Thomas Cooper
Does a lampoon of Donald Rumsfeld and a wounded soldier go too far?
Such is is the question on the lips of many, following a recent political cartoon drawn by Tom Toles and published by the Washington Post, depicting Donald Rumsfeld with a legless serviceman.
The answer to the question is of course, subjective at best. Satire is protected by the US Constitution, even when deemed distasteful. As for the lampoon of Rumsfeld, humor is seldom pretty, and is at it's ugliest when confronting the truth. Donald Rumsfeld has demonstrated a propensity for disregarding the truth when the truth was inconvenient. From the very outset, he has failed to grasp the realities of the situation in Iraq. Like the story of the emperor and his new clothes, denial of the truth does not make it less true.
Mark Twain, an American literary icon wrote the following on the subject:
“Next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation which is attacked, and every man will be glad for those conscience- soothing falsities, and will study them, and will refuse to examine any refutations of them, and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self deception.”
"Grotesque self deception?"
Sound familiar?
He also said:
“Our country, right or wrong. Have you not perceived that that phrase is an insult to the nation?”
Or as George Washington, father of our country put it:
"Loyalty to your country always...
Loyalty to your government when they deserve it"
It has also been said that If one were to throw a rock over a high fence into a yard full of dogs, one can safely assume the dog that yelps is the dog struck by the rock.
You'll know a man by his deeds.
His name is Donald Rumsfeld.
The Infinite Echo 2006
B. Thomas Cooper
Does a lampoon of Donald Rumsfeld and a wounded soldier go too far?
Such is is the question on the lips of many, following a recent political cartoon drawn by Tom Toles and published by the Washington Post, depicting Donald Rumsfeld with a legless serviceman.
The answer to the question is of course, subjective at best. Satire is protected by the US Constitution, even when deemed distasteful. As for the lampoon of Rumsfeld, humor is seldom pretty, and is at it's ugliest when confronting the truth. Donald Rumsfeld has demonstrated a propensity for disregarding the truth when the truth was inconvenient. From the very outset, he has failed to grasp the realities of the situation in Iraq. Like the story of the emperor and his new clothes, denial of the truth does not make it less true.
Mark Twain, an American literary icon wrote the following on the subject:
“Next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation which is attacked, and every man will be glad for those conscience- soothing falsities, and will study them, and will refuse to examine any refutations of them, and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self deception.”
"Grotesque self deception?"
Sound familiar?
He also said:
“Our country, right or wrong. Have you not perceived that that phrase is an insult to the nation?”
Or as George Washington, father of our country put it:
"Loyalty to your country always...
Loyalty to your government when they deserve it"
It has also been said that If one were to throw a rock over a high fence into a yard full of dogs, one can safely assume the dog that yelps is the dog struck by the rock.
You'll know a man by his deeds.
His name is Donald Rumsfeld.
The Infinite Echo 2006
posted by B. Thomas Cooper | 3:57 PM
|
1 comments
