Special Lileks/Condi bump!
The Rice of yore was viewed as a steely brainiac with a cold gaze capable of freezing warts off a stone toad at 30 pages.
Posted on 01/18/2007 7:57:44 PM PST by Incorrigible
By JAMES LILEKS
When people say they're "speaking truth to power,'' you can assume they haven't had an original thought since the Beatles broke up. But that was how Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., characterized her interrogation of Condi Rice.
While chastising the Bush administration for its plan to send more helpless American waifs into Iraq, Boxer said: "Who pays the price? I'm not going to pay a personal price. My kids are too old, and my grandchild is too young.''
These are pertinent details; ever since 9/11, analysts have insisted that the fight against militant global Islamic jihadis hinges on the demographic nature of Barbara Boxer's offspring.
But then she addressed Rice in a personal fashion:
"You're not going to pay a particular price, as I understand it, with an immediate family.''
Meow! Zing! Oh, you had a good laugh, but then the doubts crept in. Attacking a career women for being childless — for not having gut soldat boys fur das Vaterland, in other words — doesn't seem very progressive. Is there any possible defense? Of course. It's really quite simple.
Reason No. 1: Rice is a chickenhawk. No one has the right to an opinion about the war unless she's serving or has a close relative in the armed forces — preferably a child conscripted by the roving press-gangs that stalk the malls and haul off the poor to die in the trenches.
This might seem like an attack on free speech, but free speech has its limits. You don't have the right to shout fire in a theater unless you're a fireman, or have a close relative who has a dalmatian. When Condi Rice has children and forces them to enlist, then she can have an opinion. (Note: She can have an opinion about abortion, as long as it's the right one.)
Reason No. 2: She deserves it because she's a hard-line wingnut. Granted, neocons might disagree. Rice's recent visit to Israel put pressure on Prime Minister Olmert to deal with Palestinian President Abbas, for example. Just a few days ago Abbas made a nice little speech at Arafat's grave, urging some good ol' fashioned Jew-shooting. "We will not give up our principles and we have said that rifles should be directed against the occupation,'' he said. "We have a legitimate right to direct our guns against Israeli occupation.''
That's what it takes to be a Palestinian moderate: talk about "directing'' the guns without explicitly demanding they be fired.
The Bush administration wants Congress to cough up $86 million in "military aid'' for Abbas to shore up his side against Hamas. Huh? The Rice of yore was viewed as a steely brainiac with a cold gaze capable of freezing warts off a stone toad at 30 pages. John Bolton plus electrolysis. What happened? Neocons wonder if the oafish trolls at the State Department replaced the original Rice with a pod-person version who talks about the need to talk about talking. Keffiyeh-clad college students who love the Che vibe that rolls off the Hamas leaders should adore the new Condi. You'd think she'd be praised as a Realist, as we now call the people who roll over and show our throat.
But that would be simplistic. She's a single woman (nudge, nudge) who plays classical piano (snob) and likes Bush (creepy secret love-crush) so she's one of THEM, and hence has richly earned a Boxer smackdown about her fallow womb.
Reason No. 3: No one has dared criticize her before, because she's black. This was the nuanced approach taken by Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii. He called Rice "the most overrated, underperforming individual in executive authority that I have ever seen.'' Abercrombie went on to say: "She constantly gets a pass. Who knows if the whole question of race and gender come into it, but ... I can't account for it, except to say she isn't up to the mark.''
Since he's a Democrat, he can't be making a racist or sexist remark. So what did he mean? Simple: Ms. Rice was elevated solely as ethnic window dressing to mouth the agenda of the doughy pale death-ghouls who manipulate Bush. No other explanation is possible, so it's fair to blame her success on the concentration of melanin in her flesh. It may seem harsh, but it's necessary. When it comes to the opponents of the progressive dream, the normal parameters of decency should not apply.
If they ever did.
(James Lileks can be contacted at newhouse@lileks.com)
Not for commercial use. For educational and discussion purposes only.
The leftist commies make shockingly racist comments about Condi and don't even recognize the hypocrisy.
Special Lileks/Condi bump!
The Rice of yore was viewed as a steely brainiac with a cold gaze capable of freezing warts off a stone toad at 30 pages.
Sheets Byrd D.-W.VaKKK, Slick Willy former president.
Just two examples of racist/sexist democrats, there are many more, yet they get a pass.
When it comes to anyone who disagrees with them, progressives suspend normal decency.
Condi has nothing to do with it.
I live in Sarasota, FL. Not so long ago, I was driving along a major road in south Sarasota, home to a lot of the way left lib's in town. On the back of my car, I have a magnetic "Condi in 08" sign.
A male SUV driver passed me displaying "the" one finger salute. Such tolerant people, these libs.
Boxer can't hold a candle to Rice. In a battle of wits with Rice she has little choice but to go for the ad hominem. What else is she going to do, try and debate her?
Thats like a ukelele going up against a Stratocaster.
Bump!
That picture would scare me if I were Babs Boxer.
Oh, thank you, thank you! Bump for later reading (and comment, LOL).
Have you read Lilek's book yet? I haven't gotten it, but plan to, and I can hardly wait!
It's on my "to buy" list, but no, I haven't seen it.
Still working through books I got for Christmas!
Hope you're doing well.
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