Since BooMan asked, I suppose I should provide something in the way of an answer. If you’ve ever heard Barack Obama’s standard stump speech, you’ve heard him say something about ending the mindset that took us to war. One could be forgiven if today’s statement from Obama on the Fisa bill made one question whether or not he really knows what that mindset looks like.
I know what that mindset looks like. It looks like this
The negotiations underscored the political calculation made by many Democrats who were fearful that Republicans would cast them as soft on terrorism during an election year.
Fascinating. What is the thinking here? That if we break down and give them everything they want, this one last time, that they will finally be satisfied? Strength through capitulation? That worked out so well in 2002.
Back to BooMan’s question. He’s right, I’m not in the mood for pandas. I think a better meditation on the slack jawed horror that so many of us are feeling tonight might come from the words of Lincoln’s Cooper Union Address.
The question recurs, what will satisfy them? Simply this: We must not only let them alone, but we must somehow, convince them that we do let them alone. This, we know by experience, is no easy task. We have been so trying to convince them from the very beginning of our organization, but with no success. In all our platforms and speeches we have constantly protested our purpose to let them alone; but this has had no tendency to convince them. Alike unavailing to convince them, is the fact that they have never detected a man of us in any attempt to disturb them.
These natural, and apparently adequate means all failing, what will convince them? This, and this only: cease to call slavery wrong, and join them in calling it right. And this must be done thoroughly – done in acts as well as in words. Silence will not be tolerated – we must place ourselves avowedly with them. Senator Douglas’ new sedition law must be enacted and enforced, suppressing all declarations that slavery is wrong, whether made in politics, in presses, in pulpits, or in private. We must arrest and return their fugitive slaves with greedy pleasure. We must pull down our Free State constitutions. The whole atmosphere must be disinfected from all taint of opposition to slavery, before they will cease to believe that all their troubles proceed from us.
Behave like Republicans. Vote to legitimize tyranny and lawlessness. Capitulate to every demand, no matter how unreasonable, and they will not be satisfied. They will never be satisfied. Not until the whole atmosphere is disinfected from the taint of liberty, justice and equality. Dipshits.
Well, that was fun. Back to my multi year hiatus.
