Re: FWD: Saddam Hussein Found Guilty & Sentenced to Hang!



Rand Simberg wrote:


Using the internal reasoning behind the Chickenhawk argument means you
cannot comment on, speak about or even hold an opinion on any subject
that is not part of your paying day job. It is simple-minded and
profoundly anti-democratic, which is why it so deeply appeals to those
who sling it around the most."


Know who wrote that argument? Bill Whittle.
Now Bill's pro-Iraq war, and Bill's a private pilot.
So what's this Bill Whittle like?
Well, here's someone's take on him: http://isteve.blogspot.com/2005/09/bill-whittle-dangerous-loon-or.html
Here's someone else's: http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/001750.html
And...well, I'll be!
Here's someone _else's_ take on him!: http://www.samizdata.net/blog/archives/2003/05/bill_whittle_fires_up_his_jets.html
It's Samizdata! The crew with the guns, books, and Lagrange colonies!
The crew that had you at their party, Rand!
The:
"varied group made up of social individualists, classical liberals, libertarians, extropians, futurists, 'Porcupines', Karl Popper fetishists, recovering neo-conservatives, crazed Ayn Rand worshipers, over-caffeinated Virginia Postrel devotees, witty Frédéric Bastiat wannabes, cypherpunks, minarchists, kritarchists and wild-eyed anarcho-capitalists from Britain, North America, Australia and Europe."
Those guys.
They like him too.
What a surprise.
Bill's argument is interesting, and would be even more interesting if I could get any information on his military background, which I'm sure was heroic.
To me though, it all sounds more like this:

Dad: "Son, that yellowjacket nest in the tree is a huge threat, I nearly get stung every time I go over and shake that tree."
Junior: "Jeeze dad! I didn't realize they were that much of a threat...are you going to get rid of them?"
Dad: "Yes, son I am. In fact we're going to get rid of them and that whole tree they're living in."
Junior: "The whole tree? Can't we just get rid of the nest? The tree is okay, isn't it?"
Dad: "No son, the whole tree must go. Just this morning one of those yellowjackets stung your mother. Next year there will be more of them, and they may sting the whole family to death."
Junior: "How are we going to get rid of the tree, dad?"
Dad: "We're going to burn it down. We're going to burn it down with a blowtorch."
Junior: "Wouldn't it be smarter to throw gasoline on it, so it burns down faster? It's going to take a long time using just a blowtorch."
Dad: "Yes son, it could take days to burn it down with the blowtorch, but if we were to throw gasoline on it your mother might think we had gone too far, and besides, gasoline is expensive. So get the blowtorch and burn down that tree."
Junior: "I thought you said you were going to burn down the tree."
Dad: "I said _we're_ going to burn down the tree. It was my idea, but you are young and inexperienced at tree burning, and this will be a good chance for you to learn something useful. Besides, mom well be so happy that her little man is brave enough to burn down a yellowjacket infested tree. Don't worry, dad will be only around 100 feet away while you're doing it, and I'll yell advice in case you get into trouble."
Junior: "What kind of trouble could I get in?"
Dad: "Well, the yellowjackets aren't going to like it at all when they realize their tree is on fire, so I think you may get stung a few times; Also, burning branches could fall on you, or the blowtorch explode. That's why I'm staying quite a ways away while you do this."
Junior: "Can't we just leave their nest alone?
Dad: "BE A MAN, SON! When I was your age we had a yellowjacket nest in our tree, and we did something about it! I went and stood by the house with a hose in case the fire from the tree spread to the house."
Junior: "Who burnt down the tree?"
Dad: "Jimmy Smith, a kid from down the block. We told him we'd have him arrested if he didn't burn down the tree."
Junior: "Did he burn it down?"
Dad: "He got it burning pretty good, I'll say that for him! But the yellowjackets stung him to death. I still go and look at his grave now and then; it's really beautiful, black granite headstone on it. We bought that for him, thought we owed him something for trying to burn the tree down."
Junior: "What about the yellowjackets?"
Dad: "Took the whole damn yard over. Fire nearly burned the house down too. That's why we must stop this batch here."
Junior: "These ones will take the whole damn yard over also?"
Dad: "Yes, as soon as they realize their tree is on fire they'll start flying to other ones in the yard, and before you know it, every tree will have a yellowjacket nest in it. And watch your language, swearing isn't Christian. Now get going; you've a job to do."
Junior: "What if these ones sting me too? What if they sting me to death?"
Dad: "Then we'll get you a nice headstone, just like Jimmy's."
Junior: "What if the fire spreads to the house?"
Dad: "We're smarter now than back then...remember why you always wondered why I built the house out of concrete without windows? Because of this threat... the threat of being surrounded by yellowjacket infested trees. As long as we stay in the house and almost never look outside, we'll be safe. You wondered why I took the door off of your bedroom... the reason I did that is so I could make sure no yellowjackets had snuck in there during the night.
Junior: "But other people have nice houses with windows."
Dad: "What other people? Are you saying other people's houses are better than ours? Maybe you should just move out."
Junior: "Mom said it would be nice to have windows."
Dad: "Your mother? She said that? Your mother knows nothing of the threat that yellowjackets pose. If she had here way, we'd be getting stung every day or two!" ;-)

Pat






.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: post sunday school ride report
    ... please Dad can ... ... shirts and run about giggling, well like, ya know girls do... ... after lunch & some silliness in the basement they go out to the tree house ...
    (rec.motorcycles.dirt)
  • Re: red cat in tree ...
    ... Poor Bono was freaked of course - he was unfortunately scared by a visiting dog some 5 years ago and is *very* wary of them ever since. ... Anyway, he made straight for the front door but Dad didn't manage to open it for him quick enough and Bono, in panic mode, got across to the neighbours and up a tree. ... Dad, aware of the redirected aggression thing with cats, left him for a while. ...
    (rec.pets.cats.anecdotes)
  • Re: Childhood holiday memories
    ... What wonderful memories. ... were special to all of us that are hanging on my mom's tree to this day. ... every Eve if the grandparents were in early my Pappap and dad told us kids ... blue lights reflected nicely on all that white snow. ...
    (sci.med.transcription)
  • Re: red cat in tree ...
    ... he made straight for the front door but Dad ... > didn't manage to open it for him quick enough and Bono, ... got across to the neighbours and up a tree. ... > for Dad to get changed and to make it to the baptism ... ...
    (rec.pets.cats.anecdotes)
  • Re: red cat in tree ...
    ... >Poor Bono was freaked of course - he was unfortunately scared by a visiting ... Dad, aware of the redirected aggression thing ... >cats, ... >some time, and went up another, higher tree. ...
    (rec.pets.cats.anecdotes)