Friday, April 28, 2006
When Men have Honor
Normally, I like to write my blogs with the open style of writing that uses 'one' and 'their' versus 'him' and 'his.' It's a minor concession to the viewpoint that women are our equals. I've always had a tendency to try to get on the good side with Feminism. More pragmatically, as a fisherman for love, it pays to throw the widest net possible. No point pissing off a percentage of my potential 'friends' right from the get go. Besides, women who have the common sense and self-esteem to stand up for their gender are the only ones I can tolerate for extended periods.
Honor, however, has a long tradition within the male-dominated 99.99% of human history. Can chicks posses it? Sure, but today I'm blogging testosteronesque.
Chivalry, Bushido, the rugged individualism of our archetype Cowboy; our societies have benefited from and cultivated a meme in our culture where personal honor is paramount. A samurai would rather commit seppuku - a ritual means of cutting open his own stomach that during some periods would require hours to die - than take an action which would dishonor himself, his lord, or his family name. Troubadors sang poems of noble kings who would release a dangerous enemy from prison because of a technical obligation to his word to a woman under chivalry. Over and over, novels, television, and films present us with heros who refuse to do some dastardly deed even under the direst of duress. "No," says spiderman, "I will never join the Dark Side!"
I could easily get sidetracked here on the many differences between morality and honor. In tribal regions all over this planet a rape victim will be killed by her own family over honor. I want to stay focused on the concept of a man who belives in a code of conduct that is greater than himself and his own ego. A concept where a man stands up and fights, too often giving his life, because he refuses to be intimidated or conjoled.
As one great man put it, "We're all going to die. The only question is, do you want it on your feet, or on your fucking knees?"
One man with honor is formor chief consul to President Richard Nixon, John Dean. During the insanely chaotic era of Vietnam, watergate, and Henry Kissinger, a man named Daniel Ellsberg acted on his own demands of honor, and leaked to the media about 8000 pages of information on Vietnam and the military's assessment of this war that became known as 'the Pentagon Papers.' At first, Nixon didn't care too much, he thought the leaked information made the dems look worse, but then Mr. Kissinger whispered into his ear that such a leak would make him look weak. Tables were pounded upon, federal charges were leveled, and the plumbers were dispatched.
Soon, Mr. Ellsberg was in court facing a prison term that he would still be serving today, when John Dean came forward with information to support him. For him, it came down to the President of the United States of America asking him to lie - and he was not going to do that. He was not going to perjure himself for anybody. Mr. Dean served prison time for his participation in that illegal cover up. He choose not to protect himself, but to stand up for his personal honor.
Many of the fundies in this country hold on to this pleasant little myth that 'the Truth will always rise up in the end.' The Weaver of Lies can only obscure the Pure Light of Truth for so long - and more shit like that, it plugs into their need to constantly reinforce the belief that their dogma is right, and it's super for keeping them receptive to authority figures. Yet this is not the case.
I have no doubt that Nixon would have survived watergate if Mr. Dean towed the line and merely said nothing as they ground Ellsberg into the ground. A President who lied to the American People about the expansion of a war into Laos and Cambodia. A President who kept and 'enemies list' and spied on everyone. He could have drifted right on through it.
Take Reagan for example. 29 of his officials were convicted, including his national security advisor and chief of staff, in a series of scandals from Iran-Contra to HUD loot machine. But loyal soldiers like Oliver North jumped on those grenades, choose to lie to congress, and far too many of our fellow citizens have no Idea what Iran-Contra was all about. (Hint: it might be important for a citizen to know about this in relation to our war in the Middle East, the problems with immigration, or the War on Drugs.)
The neo-cons in Washington learned a lot of lessons from watergate. They learned to vet their minions by the standards of personal loyalty over a loyalty to the country, the constitution, or their own personal honor.
Men who don't have honor, who won't stand up for what they believe in are shit.
Honor, however, has a long tradition within the male-dominated 99.99% of human history. Can chicks posses it? Sure, but today I'm blogging testosteronesque.
Chivalry, Bushido, the rugged individualism of our archetype Cowboy; our societies have benefited from and cultivated a meme in our culture where personal honor is paramount. A samurai would rather commit seppuku - a ritual means of cutting open his own stomach that during some periods would require hours to die - than take an action which would dishonor himself, his lord, or his family name. Troubadors sang poems of noble kings who would release a dangerous enemy from prison because of a technical obligation to his word to a woman under chivalry. Over and over, novels, television, and films present us with heros who refuse to do some dastardly deed even under the direst of duress. "No," says spiderman, "I will never join the Dark Side!"
I could easily get sidetracked here on the many differences between morality and honor. In tribal regions all over this planet a rape victim will be killed by her own family over honor. I want to stay focused on the concept of a man who belives in a code of conduct that is greater than himself and his own ego. A concept where a man stands up and fights, too often giving his life, because he refuses to be intimidated or conjoled.
As one great man put it, "We're all going to die. The only question is, do you want it on your feet, or on your fucking knees?"
One man with honor is formor chief consul to President Richard Nixon, John Dean. During the insanely chaotic era of Vietnam, watergate, and Henry Kissinger, a man named Daniel Ellsberg acted on his own demands of honor, and leaked to the media about 8000 pages of information on Vietnam and the military's assessment of this war that became known as 'the Pentagon Papers.' At first, Nixon didn't care too much, he thought the leaked information made the dems look worse, but then Mr. Kissinger whispered into his ear that such a leak would make him look weak. Tables were pounded upon, federal charges were leveled, and the plumbers were dispatched.
Soon, Mr. Ellsberg was in court facing a prison term that he would still be serving today, when John Dean came forward with information to support him. For him, it came down to the President of the United States of America asking him to lie - and he was not going to do that. He was not going to perjure himself for anybody. Mr. Dean served prison time for his participation in that illegal cover up. He choose not to protect himself, but to stand up for his personal honor.
Many of the fundies in this country hold on to this pleasant little myth that 'the Truth will always rise up in the end.' The Weaver of Lies can only obscure the Pure Light of Truth for so long - and more shit like that, it plugs into their need to constantly reinforce the belief that their dogma is right, and it's super for keeping them receptive to authority figures. Yet this is not the case.
I have no doubt that Nixon would have survived watergate if Mr. Dean towed the line and merely said nothing as they ground Ellsberg into the ground. A President who lied to the American People about the expansion of a war into Laos and Cambodia. A President who kept and 'enemies list' and spied on everyone. He could have drifted right on through it.
Take Reagan for example. 29 of his officials were convicted, including his national security advisor and chief of staff, in a series of scandals from Iran-Contra to HUD loot machine. But loyal soldiers like Oliver North jumped on those grenades, choose to lie to congress, and far too many of our fellow citizens have no Idea what Iran-Contra was all about. (Hint: it might be important for a citizen to know about this in relation to our war in the Middle East, the problems with immigration, or the War on Drugs.)
The neo-cons in Washington learned a lot of lessons from watergate. They learned to vet their minions by the standards of personal loyalty over a loyalty to the country, the constitution, or their own personal honor.
Men who don't have honor, who won't stand up for what they believe in are shit.
Comments:
<< Home
"Men who don't have honor, who won't stand up for what they believe in are shit."
I guess Hitler could have said something like that, as he was trying to motivate the dregs of army to lay down their lives in a futile bid to save his "evil" kingdom.
I guess Hitler could have said something like that, as he was trying to motivate the dregs of army to lay down their lives in a futile bid to save his "evil" kingdom.
NO ONE ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE MORE TO DISHONOR OUR COUNTRY THAT THE ONE WE ARE STUCK WITH NOW...ALL DISHONEST MEN..NOT ONE WILL STAND UP AND SAY IT IS WRONG. FUCKERS...
Simon-
Even after I left that final line I knew that it should not stand without some qualifications.
Blogger was having access problems this morning so I could not upload my follow up on 'Faith vs. Blind Faith.'
Madame Yellowdog-
I feel ya, sista. 'Not one will stand up and say it is wrong.'
Even after I left that final line I knew that it should not stand without some qualifications.
Blogger was having access problems this morning so I could not upload my follow up on 'Faith vs. Blind Faith.'
Madame Yellowdog-
I feel ya, sista. 'Not one will stand up and say it is wrong.'
The emperor truly has no clothes, and more and more people are realizing it. Perhaps in the original version of that fable, the emperor dismissed rumors of his nakedness as being liberal media bias.
Excellent, love it! Photos femmes baiss voyeurs http://www.vinylpants.info/horseracingapos.html 1999 vw beatle replacement grill Click manage pay per Tenuate subaff 1 Free roulette play Topamax and jasmin charles h baker owner of lexus car company Laptop lcd pinout Ppc pdf file conversion Www sportsbook com afsrc 1 kia of des moines unfinished corner bookcase for youth bbc interactive horse racing Digital image projector Poker sighnup no deposit stationery How do i predict lotto winning numbers license plate frames
Post a Comment
# posted by 
: Thursday, February 22, 2007 8:52:00 PM
: Thursday, February 22, 2007 8:52:00 PM<< Home
