On Bullshit

In the academic world, one wearies of the hypocrisy. In the real world, ya’ get sick of the bullshit.

Same sentiments, just different ways of putting it. And with apologies to my academic friends of more delicate expression, am I ever sick of the bullshit emanating from the current regime. (My apologies as well to Harry G. Frankfurt, professor emeritus of philosophy at Princeton University, who penned the now-famous treatise, “On Bullshit.”)

Consider merely this week’s cycle of bullshit.

First, we have the president of the United States running around the country defending himself on a matter no one – absolutely no one – is debating. He smirks and grins and proclaims he just can’t understand why his opponents don’t want him ferreting out those nasty terrorists. Shucks, he thinks he should be allowed to do that.

Of course he should, and every critic agrees. But, also of course, the critics have a problem with Bush doing it illegally. That’s the only debate. And until every objective print and broadcast journalist leads his or her story on Bush’s campaign with something to effect of, “The bullshit continued today …,” then Bush will keep half the public believing that his critics are weak on national security and he’s not and that’s the debate. And that’s as much bullshit as the original bullshit.

Then there was the unctuous California Republican David Drier on some cable network within the last week, spouting off about how inclusive his party had been in the House versus how those arrogant Dems used to run things. Why, to hear him tell it, David & Friends hug the opposition every morning and practically beg for their participation.

Bullshit. As though we didn’t already know it was bullshit, there was this in today’s Washington Post confirming the bullshit:

House and Senate GOP negotiators, meeting behind closed doors last month to complete a major budget-cutting bill, agreed on a change to Senate-passed Medicare legislation that would save the health insurance industry $22 billion over the next decade…. That change was made in mid-December during private negotiations involving [members of the Republican House and Senate leadership].

House and Senate Democrats were excluded from the meeting.

Returning for a moment to White House bullshit, there was this in today’s New York Times:

The White House was told in the hours before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans that the city would probably soon be inundated with floodwater, forcing the long-term relocation of hundreds of thousands of people…. A Homeland Security Department report submitted to the White House at 1:47 a.m. on Aug. 29, hours before the storm hit, said, “Any storm rated Category 4 or greater will likely lead to severe flooding and/or levee breaching.”

[This] contradict[s] statements by President Bush and the homeland security secretary, Michael Chertoff, that no one expected the storm protection system in New Orleans to be breached.

“I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees," Mr. Bush said in a television interview on Sept. 1. "Now we're having to deal with it, and will.”

Let’s see, can we think of any other catastrophes that Bush claimed no one could have anticipated – despite repeated, written warnings?

What a puzzler.

Whether from the White House, the House or Senate, these days it’s government of bullshit, government by bullshit, and government for bullshit.

My Webster’s defines “bullshit” as “nonsense;… usu. considered vulgar.” I suggest adding the subdefinition: “the vulgar, early 21st-century government of the United States.”

Comments

[RogerART.com]

Want 2 See Some Bu$h BULLSHIT Images... at

http://www.RogerART.com

PM, Great Work...

U Got Em Peged

NOW JAIL EM ALL

Thank U, Roger Drowne EC
.

[Vic Anderson]

Wir haben scheiss.

[Jay Randal]

All the Republicans in DC are hypocrites! They all claim to be pure and honest, but in fact are liars and corrupt! Bush is a proven pathological liar, so anthing he says is baloney!

[Ernie Spoon]

The "why" of why this nation is eyebrow deep in bullshit is easy:marketing.

We are now a country governed by a clique of marketing executives. Our political candidates are product, ideas trends.

Karl Rove, our own Joseph Goebbles cum Svengali, is a marketeer. His main job, after defining the opposition in as unfavorable light as possible, is to put lip stick on ever pig the White House farrows.

Keeping this short, I conclude by noting the country started on this road to hell when the first Pet Rock was sold during the Nixion administration.

[DillonSOB]

Another great book about the BS subject:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400081033/qid=1138312732/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/103-4701645-5636634?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

It's hilarious, witty, yet maddening that so many BSers get off scott free (and gain riches/power from their BS too).

[metin2 yang]

Keeping this short, I conclude by noting the country started on this road to hell when the first Pet Rock was sold during the Nixion administration.