The Last Refuge of Scoundrels: The "You Hate America" Defense

[BurtWorm]

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2006/03/30/you_hate_america/index.html?source=war_room.rss

As he crashed and burned last week, the momentary Washington Post blogger Ben Domenech gave a halfhearted pseudo apology for the plagiarism that had occurred under his byline. Then he dropped this zinger:

"To my enemies: I take enormous solace in the fact that you spent this week bashing me, instead of America."

Yesterday, Howard Kaloogian, the Republican candidate for Duke Cunningham's disgraced seat in Congress, admitted to posting a picture of Istanbul that he falsely claimed showed Baghdad as a peaceful place where love birds freely walk the streets holding hands. Then he channeled Domenech:

"I will not apologize for supporting the mission of our troops … I will not allow Francine Busby , her 'Blame America First' friends, and the anti-military contingent to undermine America's support for our military men and women and their mission in Iraq."

So much for a new era of "personal responsibility."

...

[meegbear]

1. But why do YOU hate America BurtWorm?

Are you jealous of our freedoms perhaps?

[BurtWorm]

8. Only an America-hater like you would ask such an America-hating

question.

:patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot:

[Trevelyan]

2. Excellent response to the FReepers on AOL messageboards, cut and pasted it

to use. The FReepers might not get it but people on AOL who are looking for answers will.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. But we do hate America

The America that the freepers wish to fashion. Of course, it has no relation to the America we do love, which follows the rule of law and the Constitution.

[RufusEarl]

4. I believe americans are starting to see through this BS,

that repughs can not or will not take responsibility for their actions. I hope the average voting american doesn't get worn down by all this, we need them to show up in November.

[tanyev]

5. "To my enemies"

Pretty inflated sense of self-worth, right there.

[LondonReign2]

6. Freeptards want America = Bush

We hate *Bush* for a good reason. But if they can make America = Bush, then we are criticizing a country.

Sorry Freeptards, but nice try.

[underpants]

7. Falwell and Robertson Sept. 13, 2001

Then Falwell said, "What we saw on Tuesday, as terrible as it is, could be miniscule if, in fact, God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve."

Robertson replied, "Well, Jerry, that's my feeling. I think we've just seen the antechamber to terror, we haven't begun to see what they can do to the major population."

Falwell said, "The ACLU has got to take a lot of blame for this. And I know I'll hear from them for this, but throwing God...successfully with the help of the federal court system...throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools, the abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked and when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad...I really believe that the pagans and the abortionists and the feminists and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way, all of them who try to secularize America...I point the thing in their face and say you helped this happen."

Robertson said, "I totally concur, and the problem is we've adopted that agenda at the highest levels of our government, and so we're responsible as a free society for what the top people do, and the top people, of course, is the court system."

Falwell added, "Pat, did you notice yesterday that the ACLU and all the Christ-haters, the People for the American Way, NOW, etc., were totally disregarded by the Democrats and the Republicans in both houses of Congress, as they went out on the steps and and called out to God in prayer and sang 'God bless America' and said, let the ACLU be hanged. In other words, when the nation is on its knees, the only normal and natural and spiritual thing to do is what we ought to be doing all the time, calling on God."

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/f/falwell-robertson-wtc.htm

[Donald Ian Rankin]

9. Speaking as an Englishman,

I'm always amazed by the reverence with which Americans hold their country. Patriotism/nationalism is a curse all nations have to deal with, but I think America has it worse than many.

An awful lot of Americans seem to use "American" and "unAmerican" as synonyms for "good" and "bad". This strikes me as a worrying trend. No, wrong word, because it anything it's less true than it has been in the recent past, but a worrying fact.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BurtWorm]

11. Isn't it the same sort of reverence Gilbert mocked in the English

in HMS Pinafore (and others) when you guys had an empire?

The US is in its awkward teen years. It needs to feel good about itself or the floor falls out from under it. Some day--sooner rather than later, one hopes--the nation will mature and put away that toy. Of course by then there really may not be any floor under it. It will just be sea water from all the former ice caps melted during the Bush years.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

15. Very, very possibly.

There are very strong parallels indeed between America now and Britain 120 years ago, I think, and I think that "English" or "British" or "Not British" were used in exactly the same way by the English then.

[BurtWorm]

18. It's also more accurate to say it was a certain class of Brits then

that exhibited that chauvenism, and it's a certain type (if not class) of American today that exhibits our version of it. In the US, it's really just these dopes who wanted Bill Clinton impeached, who would vote Bush to become Emperor if they could (unless he allows more Mexicans in), who are afraid of "red" China, who want to outlaw homosexuality, who want to help the Apocalypse along by writing a line for it in the Department of Defense budget...

And this is, thankfully, not a majority. Unfortunately, this is the "lie, cheat, steal, and kill to get into power" class, which explains why, very unfortunately, they are in power.

[Odin2005]

12. Some wingnut on another forum told me once.

That socialists like me are anti-american by definition because we care about all poor people, not just poor americans. :crazy:

[gatorboy]

13. So they're saying only real Amercians would plagiarize and lie?

:shrug:

[BurtWorm]

14. Logic is un-American.

We're watchin' you, gatorboy...

:hide:

[gatorboy]

16. Dayum!

There go my flying privileges! :P

[Strawman]

17. and that's a defense which warrants...

the ol' "fuck you" retort.

I'm so sick of these assholes. How do you file for an electoral divorce with these idiots?