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| Sen. McCain advising a young Swift Boat Captain? |
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had six hours of talks Friday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about the impending vote of the Crimean Peninsula to secede from Ukraine. See US, West Brace For Crimea Vote To Leave Ukraine.
That story quotes Senator McCain making a rare philosophical point:
U.S. Sen. John McCain, in Kiev on Friday, pledged to help send an array of armaments, ranging from combat infantry rifles to anti-tank weapons, to Ukraine as quickly as possible. Ukraine's military is largely poorly trained, but McCain pointed to the looming Russian troops as enough reason to help the country defend itself.
"Would you like them to throw rocks?" said McCain, a hawkish Republican from Arizona. "If that's what they're literally begging for, why should we judge whether we give it to them or not?"
I had never before today seen Senator McCain as a postmodernist thinker, but he asks a very postmodern question. What right do we - the United States government - have to judge anyone or anything? In a world without moral certainty, what is there to think about before entering into the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, or any conflict anywhere, if that's what you feel like doing?
Really, who among us would be so judgy as to criticize what some other party wants? To cast the first stone, as it were?
(Turns out, lots of people would. Something about thinking, willing, and responsibility, to put it in philosophical terms that the newly reflective Senator McCain would appreciate.)
At first, I thought McCain might be alluding to Hamlet's speech about indecisiveness - "thus conscience does make cowards of us all" - as a way to criticize the overly analytical SecState Kerry.
But then I realized where I'd heard it before. I realized ... like I was shot ... like I was shot with a diamond ... a diamond bullet right through my forehead. It came out of Colonel Kurtz's monologue from Apocalypse Now!
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| Col. Kurtz, totally not judging |
Fast-forward to the 5 minute mark for the key part of Kurtz's monologue. Or just enjoy the whole freaky thing. I won't judge.
Great post TSB! TWOGLOCKSUP! gwb
ReplyDeleteMcCain being McCain, it was inevitable. Add Ukraine and Russia to the list of countries he has called for arming and/or invading: Georgia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Syria, Mali, Sudan, Libya (both arm and invade, at different times), and North Korea. Not to mention Iraq (twice) and Afghanistan. Am I missing any?
ReplyDeleteI like the Kurtz comparison, but it breaks down when it comes to Kerry. There is no chance whatsoever that John Kerry will ever go upriver and terminate Kurtz's command.
Sir,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great example! It occurred to me there is also horror in the thought of six straight hours of John Kerry. Horror...and moral terror!
Six hours in a tiger cage while Kerry talks on and on? Yes, I take your point.
ReplyDeleteKerry tweeted today that he and the Russian FM had agreed to keep in touch, so I hope the FM has learned to make horror and moral terror his friends.
TSB: McCain's mom is 102 yrs old and pretty healthy. We could be dealing with this guy's militarism for another 20 years. I'm looking for him to run again in 2020.(unless Alexander pulls off a coup.) gwb
ReplyDeleteTSB, JAMES: Happy St. Patricks Day. I wonder who have been our greatest Irish diplomats? Surely Kerry is among them. gwb
ReplyDeleteGWB: Kerry isn't an Irish-American, he just played one on TV during elections in Massachusetts. You can kinda tell, because he most definitely has never kissed the Blarney Stone.
ReplyDeleteMrs. McCain is indeed a remarkable senior citizen. When she and a friend (who was about the same age) vacationed in Europe a few years back, they found they were too old to rent a car due to some lame law they have over there. So she bought a car instead and proceeded to tour all over the place. McCain has a brother, too, who I think is still alive and feisty. Yeah, Senator McCain might be with us for some time yet to come.
TSB: DiFi has announced the shocking details of being stalked by drones in her own home. She spent the weekend drafting regulations for said drones. Apparently one of them was weilding a 7 iron and had a bandaged bloody hand spraying blood all over her window. gwb
ReplyDeletehttp://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/drone-regulation-dianne-feinstein-104718.html
TSB, James: Check out this 1st stupid human trick!Obama is considering sending this girl and a bunch of archery kits to Ukraine to counter the Russkie. gwb *HT to Mongolian Circus Performers*
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=stupid+human+tricks&docid=608024638839196264&mid=723E9C35600E59E87ED5723E9C35600E59E87ED5&view=detail&FORM=VIRE8#view=detail&mid=723E9C35600E59E87ED5723E9C35600E59E87ED5
James: Pete Egoscue, who has fixed a lot of great golfer's bad backs predicted Tiger's current troubles 16 years ago in his book: Pain Free.
ReplyDeleteHe could probably have 'Tigger'back in form in a few weeks. gwb
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/tigerwoods/10707116/Tiger-Woods-faces-Masters-heartbreak.html
TSB: Did you know the security state has it's own advice columnist? Col. Manners (ret.) doesn't go public very often but here he addresses the problems that DiFi has been having recently. gwb
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175820/tomgram%3A_engelhardt%2C_the_inimitable_colonel_manners/#more
Colonel Manners? Well, it's about time someone lectured Washington DC on the etiquette of power.
ReplyDeleteTSB: I'm sorry,James checked his sources and Colonel Manners is a she. He says she was a real babe in the 70's and got her 1st job at CIA thru John McCain. gwb
ReplyDeleteHe, she, so what? I'm just glad someone is teaching us manners.
ReplyDeleteOh, there is an etiquette course being taught as we speak ala Putin. GWB: I think Tiger is done. One of my theories about athletics and elite practitioners who have that confidence of invincibility, states that once that's dented physical decline begins immediately. Somewhere deep inside of him doubt has made a home (he may not realize it consciously, but it's there) and you'll see more physical problems. He'll still win, maybe even a major, but Jack's record is now unattainable for him.
ReplyDeleteTSB: The State press briefings might go a lot smoother if they would just do what the WH does: Get the questions and the answers printed out ahead of time for the preferred reporters. It makes everything so polite! gwb
ReplyDeletehttp://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/reporter-wh-press-secretary-gets-questions-reporters-press-briefing_785607.html
Re: Silver Line Problems. In Ciudad
ReplyDeleteMejico they just added a multi-billion $ subway line. One problem: If the train goes over half speed it derails on the curves. Solution: They have no clue but it's Mexico so what's the hurry? gwb
TSB: Did you know that last parking ticket you got is now in a US Navy database? And anything you said to the meter maid can be used against you! They even know if James cheats on his scorecard! gwb
ReplyDeletehttp://washingtonexaminer.com/navy-database-tracks-civilians-parking-tickets-fender-benders-raising-fears-of-domestic-spying/article/2546038
TSB: my favorite leader, Mujica says
ReplyDelete: "Sure, I'll take some gitmo terrorists. They can work on my farm
and learn to ride horses! gwb
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20140320/DACLMJS03.html
TSB: This lady may not be an aviation 'expert' but I think she knows an airliner when she sees one.
ReplyDeletegwb
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2586013/Malaysian-woman-claims-seen-missing-MH370-water-near-Andaman-Islands-day-disappeared.html
GWB: Good for Mujica! He can make Gitmo Guachos out of those guys.
ReplyDelete"They even know if James cheats on his scorecard! " The implication wounds me sir! Linear Minoan B would be easier to decipher than my score card!
ReplyDeleteTSB: I'd like to see him make gauchos out of Kerry and Biden! Add Obama and you've got a funny movie. gwb
ReplyDeleteRe: FBI shooting deaths: TSB: If we can get around that silly birth certificate problem Putin would be the perfect Republican nominee in 2016 and those silly complaints about FBI shootings would stop. I like his campaign slogan: "I can see Russia from my house!" gwb
ReplyDeleteGWB: That FBI shooting in Orlando came just before the George Zimmerman trial. I don't know why his lawyers didn't cite one of the agent's stated justifications for shooting an unarmed man, which was that his attacker potentially could have snatched the agent's own pistol, and therefore the guy wasn't really truly unarmed.
ReplyDeleteJames: I was just kidding about your scorecard. Everyone knows you are a straight arrow! gwb
ReplyDeleteThe slings and arrows of torment I endure here. First Kerry, then one of the two movies I despise completely, my honor in golf, and now I'm called a straight arrow (boring)!
ReplyDelete