Evil. Eeeeeeeevil
Oct. 20th, 2001 12:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
robotech_masterYou know, I think there ought to be a quota on some words in presidential speeches.
In particular, the word "evil." I'd like to see a Presidential speechwriter come up to George W. and Dick Cheney and say, "I'm sorry, but you can't use the word 'evil' anymore in your speeches or press conferences. You've used it up; we'll have to wait 'til next year for another shipment. Say something like 'very naughty' instead--here's a thesaurus to help you out."
George W. Bush ("the shrub" as many folks I know call him) is not a great public speaker--though he does reasonably well with prepared material. But as his press conference showed, he's an even worse impromptu speaker. In particular, he was incapable of referring to Afghanistan, Al Queda, or Bin Ladeen without using the word "evil," usually at least two or three times. At one point, he even refused to call Bin Ladeen by name, choosing instead to refer to him as "the Evil One." (I couldn't help thinking of those versions of the Lord's Prayer that say "and deliver us from the Evil One" instead of "and deliver us from evil" at that point.) I mean, come on. We got the point the first half dozen times you said it.
It's kind of interesting, though. I can't really think of many times that the word "evil" has been used so openly in politics in the last...well, for as long as I've been watching the news. I don't think that the arms for hostages scandal, or White Water, or even Bill "Would You Buy a Used Car From This Man?" Clinton's dictionary-thumping denials of "hav[ing] sex with that woman" elicited the word "evil," even from the most staunch conservative. I don't even think many people here would necessarily call the Israelis or the Palestinians "evil," though we might recognize there is a lot of bad behavior on both sides of the fence. I think that as people grow older, they become more accepting of moral relativism, and think, "Well, just because I don't agree doesn't mean it's 'evil'--I'm sure he has what he thinks is a good reason."
It's interesting, as I say--if President Bush had called something of any less magnitude than this "evil," he would have been laughed out of the Oval Office. "Evil" is a thing for little kiddie show cartoon villains, not something to be taken seriously in the real world, detractors might have said. There is no "evil" in this world, only politics. But this just transcends anything that we've seen before. Even those who cry out for peace don't seem to be taking any issues with the word "evil" that I can see. Heck, even I'm not taking issue with it as such--just noting that it seems to be a little overused at the moment, and that dilutes its impact.
Enough of my tired ramblings. My bed awaits me.
In particular, the word "evil." I'd like to see a Presidential speechwriter come up to George W. and Dick Cheney and say, "I'm sorry, but you can't use the word 'evil' anymore in your speeches or press conferences. You've used it up; we'll have to wait 'til next year for another shipment. Say something like 'very naughty' instead--here's a thesaurus to help you out."
George W. Bush ("the shrub" as many folks I know call him) is not a great public speaker--though he does reasonably well with prepared material. But as his press conference showed, he's an even worse impromptu speaker. In particular, he was incapable of referring to Afghanistan, Al Queda, or Bin Ladeen without using the word "evil," usually at least two or three times. At one point, he even refused to call Bin Ladeen by name, choosing instead to refer to him as "the Evil One." (I couldn't help thinking of those versions of the Lord's Prayer that say "and deliver us from the Evil One" instead of "and deliver us from evil" at that point.) I mean, come on. We got the point the first half dozen times you said it.
It's kind of interesting, though. I can't really think of many times that the word "evil" has been used so openly in politics in the last...well, for as long as I've been watching the news. I don't think that the arms for hostages scandal, or White Water, or even Bill "Would You Buy a Used Car From This Man?" Clinton's dictionary-thumping denials of "hav[ing] sex with that woman" elicited the word "evil," even from the most staunch conservative. I don't even think many people here would necessarily call the Israelis or the Palestinians "evil," though we might recognize there is a lot of bad behavior on both sides of the fence. I think that as people grow older, they become more accepting of moral relativism, and think, "Well, just because I don't agree doesn't mean it's 'evil'--I'm sure he has what he thinks is a good reason."
It's interesting, as I say--if President Bush had called something of any less magnitude than this "evil," he would have been laughed out of the Oval Office. "Evil" is a thing for little kiddie show cartoon villains, not something to be taken seriously in the real world, detractors might have said. There is no "evil" in this world, only politics. But this just transcends anything that we've seen before. Even those who cry out for peace don't seem to be taking any issues with the word "evil" that I can see. Heck, even I'm not taking issue with it as such--just noting that it seems to be a little overused at the moment, and that dilutes its impact.
Enough of my tired ramblings. My bed awaits me.
