Thursday, September 01, 2011

"A handful of soldiers...

...is better than a mouthful of arguments."

                                   - Stephen Harper, Trapani, Italy, 1 September 2011


Sometimes a little more argument makes all the difference.

10 comments:

sunsin said...

To quote Winston Churchill, who was not most people's idea of a pacifist, "To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war." Guess it just doesn't give Harpy the same tingle, though.

Edstock said...

Especially when you consider that every nation that started a war since 1870, when the French got spanked by the Prussians after starting that conflict — lost.

Jason said...

This should include a link to Morton's Musings:
http://jmortonmusings.blogspot.com/2011/09/never-attribute-to-malice-what-can-be.html

"Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity."

Mind you, I don't see why it can't be both.

Karla said...

"The voice of protest, of warning, of appeal is never more needed than when the clamor of fife and drum, echoed by the press and too often by the pulpit, is bidding all men fall in step and obey in silence the tyrannous word of command. Then, more than ever, it is the duty of the good citizen not to be silent."

--Charles Eliot Norton

Anonymous said...

Sunsin
That's the thing though, Churchill wore a uniform and saw what really happens in conflict, first as a soldier then as a war correspondent.
26th of January 1899: 'Our victory was disgraced by the inhuman slaughter of the wounded and Lord Kitchener was responsible for this.'

Harper and McKay have their moist, little fantasies about being a warrior, but like all spineless weasels would never dream of actually walking the walk.

Beijing York said...

Harper and McKay have their moist, little fantasies about being a warrior, but like all spineless weasels would never dream of actually walking the walk.

This describes them perfectly. McKay was practically moaning as he welcomed back the HMCS Charlottetown in Halifax after their 6-month stint (where they were shot at twice by pro-Ghadafi military).

w/v = spnfic (spin doctored fiction?)

ThinkingManNeil said...

Shorter Stephen Fucking Harper, gleefully clapping his bloodstained hands: "I get to play Army! I get to play Army!"

How I despise him.

Rev.Paperboy said...

Easy for Steverino to say, he isn't one of the handful getting sent off to get shot at just because someone in an office in Ottawa couldn't be bothered to think of a better way or thought this was a good way to look like a "strong leader"

Edstock said...

Jason —

"Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity."

Mind you, I don't see why it can't be both.

Great observation. With Stevie, we get stereo. Malice and stupidity in one package: how efficient.

Mark, Ottawa said...

Edstock: Wars won by those starting:

Japanese defeat of China, 1894-5

Japanese defeat of Russia, 1904-5

Italian defeat of Turkey, 1911-12

Soviet victory over Finland, 1939-40

Chinese defeat of India, 1962

Tanzanian defeat of Uganda, 1978-79

Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia, 1978-79.

Must be a few others.

Mark
Ottawa