Thursday, December 21, 2006

Bush and e.e. cummings

ESSENCE OF BUSH SPEECH:

Free societies do not export terror. That is why we are waging war on terror. Nothing will shake my will. I see the anguish in people’s eyes about our youngsters in harm’s way. I understand why people, seeing thousands – I mean, hundreds – of innocent people killed, wonder if we are winning. All these questions are attempts to shake my will – tricks to get me to show my cards.But no-one can force me to negotiate with myself. You know, it’s not all bombs. Life is getting better there. Many small businesses are starting up there. It could be that way here. With social security money borrowed and spent, we need profits from government-established personal savings accounts – a new ownership society: If you own something, your country is better off; you would have a stake in the future, and we would have a stake in you. When it comes to world peace, I’m realistic: We will have to kill a lot of people to achieve it. Don’t think you can make me negotiate with myself about any of this.

e.e. cummings:
“next to of course god america i
love you land of the pilgrims’ and so forth oh
say can you see by the dawn’s early my
country ‘tis of centuries come and go
and are no more what of it we should worry
in every language even deafanddumb
thy sons acclaim your glorious name by gory
by jingo by gee by gosh by gum
why talk of beauty what could be more beaut-
iful than these heroic happy dead
who rushed like lions to the roaring slaughter
they did not stop to think they died instead
then shall the voice of liberty be mute?”

He spoke. And drank rapidly a glass of water

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