School Testing

Lies, Damn Lies and Singing Points: Turn the Radio On

"Can Parents Trust These Nice Conservative Brothers?"
Full post at Snook today -This is about a young couple who. . .make up a story to tell Susie's parents.

For their (shuddering as I notice this for the first time) millennium collection!

It's not just the internet tubes that make my life of the mind so rich. Without my radio, I wouldn't have nearly as much off-the-wall selective-perception stuff to think about . . .turn the radio on, turn the radio on now, no, that was the Chemical Brothers I think. .. but I digress, did you know that the dynastic Governing Brothers both have the exact same favorite song?? (WHAT ARE THE ODDS??)

Yes, it's a highly rated crowd pleaser of a song that has stood the test of time, its power of story about lying to parents and pleasing the country-western crowd, but they are so gosh-darn earnest and church-going and clean-cut about it . . .

So JEB (says my radio) has doffed his official state title and reclaimed his personal three letter nickname. Subliminally this is very presidential, like FDR, JFK, LBJ -- hmmm, are there any famous Republican prez initials, can't think of any known by three letters except Ike, which weren't his initials -- and like another music-message-muddled, big-and-tall candidate-man (Dem, and four-lettered when three would do, Gore) my ex-governor reportedly has slimmed down since leaving office. Getting into shape for the next run? Maybe he needs a musical makeover too . . .

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Words to live by

In the Post article, Maryscott says at least one thing that is both true and wise, which is that her rage and her blogging are both "born of powerlessness." The problem is that Lord Acton's maxim is equally true in reverse: If power corrupts, so does powerlessness. It can lead to fatalism, apathy and irresponsibility %u2013 or to paranoia, rage and a willingness to believe evey loopy conspiracy theory that comes down the pike.

The difference, I think, between left and right is that the right has no rational justification to feel any of these things, and yet many, if not most, conservatives continue to wallow in the mindset of a besieged minority.

Liberals, much less radical progressives, really are a besieged minority in this country. So why is it suddenly considered front-page news that they're acting like one?

The answer, of course, is that if the Maryscotts of Left Blogistan are evidence of the corruption of powerlessness, the Washington Post is proof positive of Lord Acton's original argument. Given everything that's going on around us, it's hard to imagine that anyone would believe the former is more of a threat to the republic than the latter. But I guess that's what the corruption of power is all about.

— Billmon, blog publisher
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