Yesterday over at big Orange Eric Massa had a diary that introduced a powerful meme: They were warned and they did nothing.
Here’s my letter to the editor on that theme:
They were warned and they did nothing
That is going to be the epitaph of the current Republican control of the national government. They were warned about Bin Laden in August of 2001 in the Presidential Daily Brief and they did nothing. They were warned about the disaster Iraq was likely to become without sufficient troops or planning and they did nothing. They were warned that Hurricane Katrina was likely to drown New Orleans and they did nothing. They were warned that their tax cuts for the rich would create record deficits and they did nothing. They were warned about one of their own, Rep. Mark Foley (R) Florida, and the dangers he presented to the House pages and they did nothing. They were warned that their isolation strategy for North Korea would lead to the nuclearization of the Korean peninsula and they did nothing. The evidence is overwhelming. They were warned and did nothing time and again. This is the Republican record. This is what happens when you hand control of government to people who believe government is the problem. It’s time to vote them out.
[Update]
Tampopo’s note below reminded me that I hadn’t said this explicitly. Please feel free to steal, borrow, adapt…whatever any portion of this or the whole thing for your own LTEs or whatever.
Right on point, Kelly. They were warned and they did not one thing to correct the problem….not one thing! Just like everything else, they are lazy and not truthful…they are just like that…..They thought they could get by with it and they got caught. YOu you play you must pay to play is their moto. Just remember that foley was still onthe ballot to run for reelection till this took hold. They just never thought it would come out. but it did and boy did it take hold. Plus this was done to kids. NOt adults. kids. Shame on them. They are digging their hole deeper each and every time they try to make excuses and seemingly cover-up the shame of it all. It is just like the Iraqi war..the lies and the cover-up is the shame of it all. It is about everything this congress and administration has done that is the shame of it all.
for a while because of RL distubances. But when I saw Massa’s diary, I knew I had to write this. It was a flashbulb moment. I didn’t even read his diary before composing the letter because I wanted to come at it fresh. Now that I’ve composed my version and read his, I’m even more certain that this is a killer meme for the simple reason that it’s true. They were warned so many times on so many fronts and never once took the warning seriously. Thanks for the comment, Brenda.
We need a new theory. They Let it Happen because they didn’t believe anything they were told because they are nuts.
This is one that mostly baffles me.
My best guess has to do with the core ideologies of liberal and conservative thinking.
Liberal thinking has at its heart an open-mindedness, the idea that the thinker doesn’t necessarily know the right answer and a willingness to say: what if I’m wrong?
Whereas a substantial thread of conservative thought is about the certainty of being right and another is that authority figures are authority figures because they’re right.
Now, admitadly, neo-cons are not true conservative thinkers, but they did grow out of the conservative tradition. I feel like they took the worst of coservative thinking and built their house on those foundations, ejecting things like a traditional conservative pragmatic streak and the desire to preserve the best of the old. Neo-cons actually remind me a lot of the Roman senators who opposed Gaius Marius.
This is excellent!
Do you mind if we use your letter?
Please feel free to borrow, steal, crib, adapt, either in portions or in toto. Whatever suits your fancy.
Oh, and thanks. Glad you liked it.
Excellent letter that should be widely distributed and read by all, but…
If you are going to send a LTE, please rewrite it and include your own thoughts in your own words.
Many editorial page editors have learned to watch for astroturf letters and when they get burned by one, they will print retractions or derogatory comments to discredit the writer and their position. Especially if the paper normally slants to the right.
This technique originated with the RW’ers and many in the reality based community worked hard to alert editors about those letters. Don’t let our own vigilance come back to bite our own buts.
BTW, I’m not a concern troll.
JB
Stolen..
Also they’ve been warned about the environment and healthcare.
That’s why I had the flashbulb go off when I read Massa’s diary. So much of what the Republicans have done wrong can be slotted into this frame. It’s brilliant.
Thanks!…consider it “stolen”
You’re welcome. My pleasure.
Outstanding and stealing as soon as I get home so I can send to all local papers. Thanks dear!
You’re welcome.
…and cheat….
…and steal from our children.
An excellent statement, Kelly — deserving of front-page status everywhere.
Let’s not forget, though, that for this particular band of criminals, what we understand as ‘warning’ translates to ‘opportunity’.
One benefit of the type of power now weilded by the GOP is the ability to actually create these ‘opportunities’.
I do believe it’s that simple.
Thank you Kelly. This is perfect. I’m gonna use it.