Desiderata

Random before-coffee thoughts:

What James C. Dobson, Bill O’Reilly, Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter want is Afghanistan under the Taliban.

What William Kristol, Charles Krauthammer (foreign policy) and Pat Buchanan (domestic policy) want is Germany under Hitler.

What the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers and the Federal Reserve want is England under the Stuarts.

What the Democratic Party and foreign policy establishments want is Rome under Augustus.

Since we’re not even certain that it still exists, except at the annual reunions of a shrinking handful of octogenarians, what the Republican Party establishment wants is unknown.

What they all say they want is Athens under Pericles. What we’re most likely to get, if we continue on our present path, is Spain under Philip II, and that only if we’re very, very lucky.

4 thoughts on “Desiderata

  1. bystander June 13, 2009 / 7:57 pm

    With a real economy of words, you’ve said a great deal.
    And, what you’ve said makes me uneasy.

  2. Karen M June 16, 2009 / 6:14 pm

    Wow… now, William, I’ll have to read up on Spain under Phillip II.

    bystander is exactly right. What an economy of words. Too bad that no one with influence took the time to ask you “What do you think about these bailouts?”

    • William Timberman June 16, 2009 / 6:38 pm

      Well, let’s see…. A Global War on Terror, unspeakably bad fiscal and monetary policies, and the systematic oppression of illegal immigrants. Then he decided to take on Elizabeth as well as Islam, and in a matter of decades Spain was no longer a major power, and hasn’t been one since.

      That about covers it, I think.

  3. cocktailhag June 17, 2009 / 3:18 pm

    I’m thinking Spain under Franco, but that’s just me….

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