or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
•
"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
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"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
May 31, 2007
Richard Nixon, Supporting The Troops
As surely as the sun rises in the east, those who shriek the loudest about how much they Luv America have contempt for other Americans. Here's more from The Final Days:
Almost from the beginning, Kissinger had secretly had all his telephone calls, including those with the President, monitored and transcribed...Nixon was often on the phone with Kissinger for fifteen minutes or longer. The President was repetitive, sometimes taking minutes to come to a point, or he might suddenly shift to another topic...
During one call, the President drunkenly related to Dr. Kissinger the Vietnam policy of his friend Bebe Robozo...
During another call, Kissinger mentioned the number of American casualties in a major battle in Vietnam. "Oh, screw 'em," said Nixon.
An interesting thing about this is that if it were about a Democratic president, it would be famous. Every schoolchild would learn about the hatred that Democrats secretly harbor in their hearts for our Brave Men In Uniform. In every presidential debate the Democrat would be asked how they could possibly convince the country they weren't like their damnable predecessor. But since Nixon was a Republican, it's dropped out of history entirely. (I can find only one reference to it online.)
AND: This appears later in the book:
In Haig's presence, Kissinger referred pointedly to military men as "dumb, stupid animals to be used" as pawns for foreign policy.
Again, imagine a Democratic administration was getting frequent advice from a former Democratic Secretary of State who'd said this. You'd be able to hear the screaming from cable news on Neptune.
Posted at May 31, 2007 11:08 AM | TrackBackYes, I weep for the democratic party. Truly I do.
Posted by: AlanSmithee at May 31, 2007 11:14 AMMr. Smithee,
No one is more aware than I am how much fun it is to ride your favorite hobbyhorses. But the point here isn't as much about Democrats per se as about the right wing's complete control of America's historical narrative. This is a problem for everyone, whether they pine for a Hillary Clinton presidency or not.
Posted by: Jonathan Schwarz at May 31, 2007 12:07 PMWhile I don't doubt Nixon was a bastard, what is the context of the conversation? Better yet, what is the flow of the conversation. Who is the 'em that Nixon wants screwed?
If it's political protesters or other legislators, that's one thing. However, I don't believe that Nixon was that much of a bastard, that I know of, to utter that statement in reference to actual soldiers.
Posted by: Keith Sader at May 31, 2007 02:07 PMNo, no, no.
This comment refers to the famous joke (several versions exist)--Nixon, Carter + JFK are on a cruise ship when it hits an iceberg and starts to sink. As the crew prepares the lifeboats,
Carter says: "Women and children first."
Nixon: "Aw, screw 'em."
JFK: "Do you think we have time?"
As most everything else in our culture, it's a joke. Mostly, on us.
A good illustration of the immense hypocrisy of the much used and abused “Support the troops” cry which of course today means keeping them in Iraq so that they can be used for target practice by “Insurgents” even though with a only a moment of thought it is difficult to understand how keeping them in harms way is actually supporting them. But that is one of the benefits of living in country where the majority of people are fringe.
Posted by: rob payne at May 31, 2007 04:05 PMmullah cimoc say blog man him so brainwash. him spend too much him time for watch jack bauer tv show.
question: who recruit rush limbugh? A. Roger Ailes. where roger ailes work? A. Fox news. who own the fox tv? A. rupert murdoch. Who own william kristol magaizne always never make the profit just the brainwasher for masters in tel aviv? A. rupert murdoch. Who with limbaugh when catching him with sex pill coming back from sex slave country? A. Producers of jack bauer fantasy torture tv show. who owning network putting out jack bauer tv fantasy torture show? A. Rupert Murdoch.
Who recruit hannity radio show? A. Rogers Ailes. Where work roger ailes? A. Rupert Murdoch.
for this usa media so control and not free. them call it the perversion.
all world knowing him neocon start irak war. him neocon spy for israeli and israeli agent in usa. but usa media afraid mention him word "neocon". ending up like the imus? This called the terror.
in true usa man having good mutual trading benefit with him muslim for more than 150 years. for 60 years usa and saudi both making the so much money and the good trade relation.
now israeli spy and agent control media making dumbest 20% ameriki thinking must kill all the muslim. this so stupid. this like want kill all catholic because most meth distributor in usa him catholic and mexico. only idiot then to blame all catholic for meth dealer problem in usa.
most ameriki now hating the masters in tel aviv and want regain freedom and independence from foreign domination. this him good sign. soon him braveheart ameriki stand up. this them call him "rising".
Posted by: mullah cimoc at May 31, 2007 04:40 PMInteresting comments. Very ...eh... eclectic. I like that.
Posted by: abb1 at May 31, 2007 05:04 PMaw, most amerkuns no want to kill all muslims, only muslims blow up thing and people an want behead cartoonists or uppity wimmen
amerikun masters in tel aviv, or Riyadh?
Peace upon those who love peace
Posted by: donescobar at May 31, 2007 05:39 PMI am almost certain the word is "wuv." I need to be as cutesy as possible if I am ever to win Oprah back from you.
Posted by: StO at June 1, 2007 01:05 AMDoney, I ask you, Tel Aviv/Riyadh, what's the difference anymore?
Because in today's world that comparison/contrast has long lost it's shelf-life, bub.
Thousands if not millions are dying on all sides because of it. Come to think of it, the whole thing has lost it's shelf-life.
Tel Aviv/Riyadh: Peace is made into a joke in both houses. The trouble is, neither of them will admit it; to themselves or anyone else.
And that will be their last shame. Not the controlling of land, which currently they see as being all important.
Posted by: at June 1, 2007 09:53 AMSader: " Better yet, what is the flow of the conversation. Who is the 'em that Nixon wants screwed?"
that would be right there in the sentence preceding Nixon's remark, sir. quote again?
"During another call, Kissinger mentioned the number of American casualties in a major battle in Vietnam. "Oh, screw 'em," said Nixon"
reading helps understanding....
this is in a book about Nixon and Kissinger--a NON FICTION book.
yes, donescobar, I've heard that joke in many different forms, with different subjects, but like the joke about the guy getting caught having sex with a pumpkin, and saying "Is it midnight already?"--the joke is based upon fact; i.e., a *real* occurance. (check news of the weird for the pumpkin story)
Is it that hard for you to believe that our leaders, especially the more conservative type, have thinly veiled contempt for us? Think back to 1994 or 95, when Newt Gingrich was "cock of the walk". There was a short blowup regarding a recorded (illegally) phone call between Gingrich and some lobbyist type in which the lobbyist/whoever said something like "what will the people think about this proposal?" and Gingrich launched into a tirade about how STUPID we are, screw us we don't deserve anything, and how much he hates us, etc.
That it was illegal to record the phone call is really secondary to the attitude of Gingrich that's revealed in the call.
plus, let's remember that the true intentions of a politician is revealed in the RESULTS OF THEIR ACTIONS, not their carefully scripted rhetoric that the news faithfully regurgitates.
what's been the result of the actions taken by our conservative leaders?
compare teenage pregnancy rates in areas of the country that teach abstinence-only health classes with areas of the country that teaches proper condom use-- (you see the political connection, right?) places that teach abstinence-only have WAY higher teen pregnancy rates! result? more misery and poverty, despite the rhetoric.
Compare GAS prices! under Clinton, gas was around 1.00 a gallon. Bush came in, said a war would make gas cheap, but what resulted? 3.50 a gallon!
almost like, uhhhhh, he was full of shit from the get go.
this post is long enough, but I'm sure anyone could find examples of politicians in both parties revealing their true contempt for the people thru their actions and the results thereof.
It's like Americans are abused spouses--
we hate that our leaders beat us, but then they say the SWEETEST things to make up for it! sometimes they even give us gifts!
besides we don't DESERVE any better, do we?
I MUST CONFESS in Al Haig's case KISSINGER IS RIGHT.
Posted by: Mike Meyer at June 1, 2007 03:02 PMAh, Tricky Dicky. My generation's Gold Standard for sleaze and ignorance. I'd never have guessed his like would not only be seen again but surpassed. Living in interesting times is really a bitch.
Posted by: Sam Thornton at June 2, 2007 01:13 AM
