Posted on 07/15/2008 2:35:52 AM PDT by Kaslin
"Nation of whiners"? I don't know how you flesh out with mathematical exactitude ex-Sen. Phil Gramm's famous assertion of last week concerning how we talk about the economy.
I'll say this: There's a lot of whining go on, and if, as Phil avers, he was "talking about our leaders," not our people in general, he makes a serious point with something of the blunt force requisite to the task. Alas for him!
The glory of the First Amendment to the Constitution is that it lets you say practically anything about practically everything. The fly in the buttermilk is you can't keep people from trying to shovel your remarks back down your throat.
"Nation of whiners" sounds like a general indictment. Phil's firmest fans would agree, well, that wasn't, you know, maybe the most prudent way of putting things -- especially for one speaking on behalf of his friend John McCain. The Democrats are in stitches over the plight of an old enemy in line, reportedly, to become McCain's Treasury secretary.
Formerly, my former senator knew his way around a sound bite. "Nation of whiners" is the kind of thing you say when, like Gramm, you've been out of elective politics for a long stretch. Your inner reflexes relax. Like Jesse Jackson's on the subject of Barack Obama? I leave the thought to hang there. A more fitting subject is the temper of the times -- badly, badly out of joint and in dire need of expert attention.
Here's Gramm's day-after explanation: "I'm talking about our leaders. I'm not talking about our people. We've got every kind of excuse in the world about oil prices -- we've got speculators, the oil companies, to blame. But too many people don't have a program to get on with producing [oil]. If you listen to our leaders, we can't compete against Mexico, for God's sake. If they don't think we can compete against Mexico, who can we compete against?"
If you like, call it covering a trail. Or a tail. Whatever the original activity, there's broken crockery everywhere. We might as well look.
What we see going on is indeed a lot of whining, with an end-of-the-worldish lilt. The loudest voices have the least hope in them. We've lost the war. We're running out of oil. The banks are ruined. The glaciers are melting. Civil liberties are kaput. Everyone hates us.
It's gone on in this vein ever since the homicidal maniacs of Iraq obliged us to go on fighting longer than we'd thought we had to. Of all the calumnies, the worst is that we've lost a "disastrous" war. We've lost no such thing. If we had, Saddam Hussein would be preening himself in Baghdad, a mustachioed peacock.
Free speech permits distortions and misrepresentations aplenty. Unfortunately, the First Amendment doesn't answer for their baneful consequences. The widespread feeling we've somehow lost the war in Iraq makes many see as disaster and folly everything else to which the Bush touch can be ascribed: gasoline prices and the economy included.
The senator protests that we're not in a recession. We might be one day, he says, but we're not right now. What he omits to say is that you can talk yourself into a recession by imagining the worst even when it's not happening, just as people sometimes talk themselves into dying.
"Whining," to use the senator's word, isn't the characteristic American activity. Generally, when injured or anxious, Americans swear a little, possibly sling a chair around, then commence doing whatever needs doing. We don't normally say, "help, we're all washed up, we need a savior." (Any first-term Midwestern senator want to volunteer?)
What a foul and vicious mood we're in: One that could bring swift punishment of the political variety down upon the extraordinarily gifted Phil Gramm. We'll just have to see. There's an urgent matter to address in the meantime: What did Phil Gramm have to tell us that we truly -- no kidding or cheap shots -- need to be hearing about?
I wish people would stop doing that, especially on our side. The Bill of Rights does not let us do anything, that's God's job. You know, that whole thing about our Creator endowing us with inalienable rights. The Bill of Rights tells the government what it can't and must do in relation to those rights—can't abridge, can't infringe, must inform, etc. I don't know why people can't get this.
“The glory of the First Amendment to the Constitution is that it lets you say practically anything about practically everything.”
Well, Ole Phil certainly has a history of making good use of his 1st Amendment rights. Back when he ran for President he made several gaffs such as the one he made a few days ago. Also, sadly, he is butt-ugly which makes it hurtful for folks to look at him on TV. McCain is being smart to “officially” drop him from his staff and utilize him as an advisor in the background, way, way in the background...
phil gramm’s speaking the truth. liberal-socialism is a whining-feel-sorry-for-me malaise.
liberal-socialism wants to control every aspect of your life and the whining people will allow them.
It is amazing how many will say it is true, but he should not have said it. Whatever happended to the truth?
the media lets chucky schumer get by with creating runs on banks.
i don’t either.
gramm has a ph.d. in economics and has more brains than dozens of the media combined.
I don’t see Gramm’s statement as a gaffe either. The rugged individual is going the way of the dinosaur.
There's something called tact. Just cuz someone's ugly doesn't mean it's in your best interest to tell em so.
That is why I asked if anyone had seen the actual comments. It is being taken out of context.
And how much attention is THAT getting?????
When Kennedy set the goal of reaching the Moon with manned space flight, we the people got busy getting it done. Time to bring the same American resolve to the issue of energy independence, and focus ALL manner of energy generation to the task, wind, solar, oil, coal, natural gas, AND American ingenuity!
Oh, to be sure, it won't shoosh the democrap party professional naysayers, they gain empowerfemnt with a significant segment of voters by voicing the negative on every issue. BUT it will focus the attention of the real adults in America, and when that happens We The People 'git er dun', to borrow a phrase from the Cable Guy.
I am looking forward to the week in the not so distant future when the punditocracy reflects upon our energy independence and the effect it is having on killing off our 'debtor status' and notes with passing sigh how the democrat party was again absolutely wrong and anti-American in their naysaying. Oh god how I hate liberalism, the disease killing our Republic. The antidote is taking responsibility for our situation and doing the things which will cure the malady/malaise. With the current outflow of our treasure to the wrong corners of the world, we can no longer afford the democrap approach to the issue of energy. PAST TIME FOR THEM TO GO!
It makes no difference when he's dead wrong about the Bill of Rights itself! You need to read closely what I wrote. When you do, you'll see the problem has nothing to with whether practically is included or not.
And for what it's worth, I quoted him directly and the practically was included in the quote. But again, practically has nothing to do with what I wrote. It's far more fundamental.
Ronald Reagan would have made the line work but even then it would have been a gaffe. Phil Gramm saying it makes you want to pugilize his nose. He’s that F-ing annoying, milqtoast, whiny as a texas one balled rooster guy you want to say STFU to. Bad reflection on McCain if this is the kind of old crony he’s got in mind. Go get some business guys like Reagan. Don’t give us these re-treads!
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