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
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"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
December 30, 2007
Take Up The White Woman's Burden
Yesterday Bernard highlighted this section of Hillary Clinton's recent appearance on CNN about the Bhutto assassination:
BLITZER: I think I understood what you were implying when you said a U.S. investigation probably wouldn’t have credibility...CLINTON: I think it would politicize it...I think it would be much better for it to be independent and impartial and be seen as that. Part of what our challenge here is, is to convince the Pakistani people themselves and particularly the business elite, the feudal elite, the military elite that they are going down a very dangerous path...Therefore we need to help them understand what is in their interest...
That sounds familiar. Where have I heard that kind of language before? Oh yeah:
In March 1960, the Eisenhower administration formally adopted a plan to overthrow Castro in favor of a regime "more devoted to the true interests of the Cuban people"...the secret plan emphasized that Castro must be removed "in such a manner as to avoid any appearance of U.S. involvement."
We've spent so much time trying to help the people of the world understand what's in their interest, while making sure no one sees what we're doing. That's because we're not just good, we're also really modest. And we get so little thanks! You might call it the White Woman's Burden.
—Jonathan Schwarz
Posted at December 30, 2007 11:09 AMMrs. Clinton, it is in our interest that you understand that the American business elite, the feudal elite and the military elite are going down a very dangerous path. When you take some positive action on dangerous American problems, including most definitely imperial over-reach, then you might be in a position to advise others, but not until. Your support for war in three Middle Eastern countries (Iraq, Lebanon and Iran) has not been helpful in this regard.
Posted by: Don Bacon at December 30, 2007 11:59 AMThat white women can be efficient agents of our vicious imperialism should be seen as progress. It's after all a step up from being an excuse to lynch black men.
Posted by: StO at December 30, 2007 12:33 PMI wonder how Ike couched his reasoning when he put the hits out on Patrice Lumumba and on the democratically elected government of Mohammad Mossadegh. Oh, yeah, and Guatemala. I'm sure I must have missed some others.
"We like Ike, and Ike is good on a mike,
We like Ike, but Ike say's he's not running"
etc. (From Call Me Madam)
Posted by: catherine at December 30, 2007 12:41 PMTake up the White Man's burden--
Ye dare not stoop to less--
Nor call too loud on Freedom
To cloke your weariness;
By all ye cry or whisper,
By all ye leave or do,
The silent, sullen peoples
Shall weigh your gods and you.
--Rudyard Kipling (excerpt)
For some reason, the title of William Blum's book, "Freeing the World to Death" kept flashing into my head as I read this.
Posted by: deang at December 30, 2007 04:33 PMI'll just bet Hillary has an empty sack somewhere and quite possibly a loaded pistol.
Posted by: Mike Meyer at December 30, 2007 07:50 PM
