It must be a comfort to some that C-Span may never make available the November 18, 2005 House debate on H. Res 571 proposed by House Armed Services Chairman Duncan Hunter (R.-Calif). It’s rare that Congress parades so gregariously its selective memory on matters historical spiced so vividly with prejudices as to dispell any notion that some higher standard is at work in those chambers. As the Republicans say, the world is watching.
Ever since reading Shadia Drury‘s illuminating study Leo Strauss and the American Right, in particular her dissection of the wise, the gentlemen, and the vulgar, I’ve held to a scrap of presumption that most members of Congress are gentlemen. That debate is a testament more are “The third type, the vulgar many, (are) lovers of wealth and pleasure. They are selfish, slothful, and indolent. They can be inspired to rise above their brutish existence only by fear of impending death or catastrophe.” They must be prodded to assume a gentleman’s duties, if such categories exist, and the catastrophe they fear most is the wrath of a displeased party leadership. Drury writes, “The second type, the gentlemen, are lovers of honour and glory. They are the most ingratiating towards the conventions of their society – that is, the illusions of the cave. They are true believers in God, honour, and moral imperatives. They are ready and willing to embark on acts of great courage and self-sacrifice at a moment’s notice.” Enter Murtha.
What I heard Friday evening were statements designed to reassure the most selfish and misinformed people in the world that they are really very generous and ever brilliant so no worries, democracy is blooming in Iraq, and only terrorist-supporting cowards question it. Patriots honour the dead by sending more soldiers to their graves! To shun honour is to truncate glory into a pedestrian event and the chilled bystanders will be unwilling to self-sacrifice in defence of moral imperatives. Whilst one might temporarily shelve honour for even a promise of glory, gentlemen would never banish it to permanent exile, so the red staters may finally glorify dead soldiers. Not long ago, as peace groups held memorials to mark the passing of 2,000 soldiers in Iraq, the order came down from above to call the number insignificant in comparison to those killed in automobile accidents every year. It was carried out enthusiastically by the faithfull despite the strategy failing to register high on the morality metre. As they carry out their new mission to shroud the dead and maimed in blankets of fuzzy red support, they should thank Murtha the crook for making it politically correct to do so.
Democrats should thank fellow Democrat John Rendon for orchestrating the lies that led to the invasion and occupation!!
Small world, isn’t it?
November 21, 2005
Iraqi Factions Call for Timetable for U.S. Withdrawal
By HASSAN M. FATTAH
CAIRO, Nov. 21 – For the first time, Iraq’s political factions collectively called today for a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign forces, in a moment of consensus that comes as the Bush administration battles pressure at home to commit to a pullout schedule.
The announcement, made at the conclusion of a reconciliation conference here backed by the Arab League, was a public reaching out by Shiites, who now dominate Iraq’s government, to Sunni Arabs on the eve of parliamentary elections that have been put on shaky ground by weeks of sectarian violence.
About 100 Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish leaders, many of whom will run in the election in December, signed a closing memorandum on today that “demands a withdrawal of foreign troops on a specified timetable, together with an immediate national program for rebuilding the security forces,” the statement said. “The Iraqi people are looking forward to the day when foreign forces will leave Iraq, when its armed and security forces will be rebuilt and when they can enjoy peace and stability and an end to terrorism.”