Thursday, April 29, 2004
"The Pendejo Got What He Had Coming"
James Taranto points to a University of Massachusetts graduate student (Rene Gonzalez) who says of Pat Tillman:
"However, in my neighborhood in Puerto Rico, Tillman would have been called a "pendejo," an idiot. Tillman, in the absurd belief that he was defending or serving his all-powerful country from a seventh-rate, Third World nation devastated by the previous conflicts it had endured, decided to give up a comfortable life to place himself in a combat situation that cost him his life. This was not 'Ramon or Tyrone,' who joined the military out of financial necessity, or to have a chance at education. This was a 'G.I. Joe' guy who got what was coming to him."
If you put this together with the immediately preceding post, you really have to wonder about people who think like this. Why are they here? We don't restrain them. Any number of people would cheerfully buy Mr. Gonzalez a one-way ticket to France or Saudi Arabia or Haiti or Burundi or any other place he might like better. How about Cuba? Because of the propaganda value, Castro would welcome with open arms anyone who wanted to leave the U.S. for Cuba. For a while. :-)
Update (4-30-04): Reflecting on this post last night, I realized that I responded viscerally. The word "pendejo," which most people in South Texas are familiar with, and the phrase "got what was coming" set me off. But my statement that you have to wonder about people who think like this stands. I do wonder.
Implicit in Mr. Gonzalez's world view is that there is nothing in this country worth fighting for, that no one would be worse off if we lost the war to the terrorists, that an Islamic theocracy is no more loathesome than our present system. That leaves me speechless. There is nothing about our country that is guaranteed. If enough people think like Mr. Gonzalez, sooner or later we all will get to experience first hand the merits of Third World despotism.
Struggle as I may to understand people like Mr. Gonzalez, all I can come up with is that they are too hate-filled to see that the glass here, while perhaps not full to the brim, is well past half-full. Wanting to correct existing inequities is fine, but inability to see that we have much to cherish is a peculiar form of blindness.
As you might expect, James Lileks has some thoughts on this.
2nd Update (4-30-04): Mr. Gonzalez apparently will apologize to the family of Pat Tillman.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
"However, in my neighborhood in Puerto Rico, Tillman would have been called a "pendejo," an idiot. Tillman, in the absurd belief that he was defending or serving his all-powerful country from a seventh-rate, Third World nation devastated by the previous conflicts it had endured, decided to give up a comfortable life to place himself in a combat situation that cost him his life. This was not 'Ramon or Tyrone,' who joined the military out of financial necessity, or to have a chance at education. This was a 'G.I. Joe' guy who got what was coming to him."
If you put this together with the immediately preceding post, you really have to wonder about people who think like this. Why are they here? We don't restrain them. Any number of people would cheerfully buy Mr. Gonzalez a one-way ticket to France or Saudi Arabia or Haiti or Burundi or any other place he might like better. How about Cuba? Because of the propaganda value, Castro would welcome with open arms anyone who wanted to leave the U.S. for Cuba. For a while. :-)
Update (4-30-04): Reflecting on this post last night, I realized that I responded viscerally. The word "pendejo," which most people in South Texas are familiar with, and the phrase "got what was coming" set me off. But my statement that you have to wonder about people who think like this stands. I do wonder.
Implicit in Mr. Gonzalez's world view is that there is nothing in this country worth fighting for, that no one would be worse off if we lost the war to the terrorists, that an Islamic theocracy is no more loathesome than our present system. That leaves me speechless. There is nothing about our country that is guaranteed. If enough people think like Mr. Gonzalez, sooner or later we all will get to experience first hand the merits of Third World despotism.
Struggle as I may to understand people like Mr. Gonzalez, all I can come up with is that they are too hate-filled to see that the glass here, while perhaps not full to the brim, is well past half-full. Wanting to correct existing inequities is fine, but inability to see that we have much to cherish is a peculiar form of blindness.
As you might expect, James Lileks has some thoughts on this.
2nd Update (4-30-04): Mr. Gonzalez apparently will apologize to the family of Pat Tillman.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
Little Bo Peep
Senator Kerry poured more sherry,
Saying he's a common man.
But common men think Kerry's a fink,
And voting for Dubya's their plan.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
Saying he's a common man.
But common men think Kerry's a fink,
And voting for Dubya's their plan.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
Labels: doggerel
A Cat Came Fiddling Out of a Barn
Kerry keeps talking about his medals,
But the public’s not buying what he peddles.
He says he threw them, but didn’t really.
For a grown man, isn’t this silly?
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
But the public’s not buying what he peddles.
He says he threw them, but didn’t really.
For a grown man, isn’t this silly?
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
Labels: doggerel
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Pop Goes the Weasel
“Round and ‘round Fallujah,
The Marines chase the Baathists.
The Marines will get the SOB’s.
Pop go the Baathists.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
The Marines chase the Baathists.
The Marines will get the SOB’s.
Pop go the Baathists.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
Labels: doggerel
Friday, April 16, 2004
Yankee Doodle
Ms. Gorelick came to town,
Riding on her high horse.
She won’t admit that she shares blame,
Not even if we try force.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
Riding on her high horse.
She won’t admit that she shares blame,
Not even if we try force.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
Labels: doggerel
// posted by Tex the Pontificator @ 4/16/2004 08:01:00 AM 
Thursday, April 08, 2004
How Are the Virgins Holding Out?
You’ve got to wonder about Paradise.
I’m sure things there are still quite nice,
But the matter that gives me doubt,
Is how the virgins are holding out?
There’re more and more martyrs in Sadr City;
Yet more in Fallujah, oh what a pity.
If all the fascists go out in a rout,
How will the virgins be holding out?
The inventory must surely be strained.
Do these chicks have to be trained?
The martyrs could end up all in a pout.
How are the virgins holding out?
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
You’ve got to wonder about Paradise.
I’m sure things there are still quite nice,
But the matter that gives me doubt,
Is how the virgins are holding out?
There’re more and more martyrs in Sadr City;
Yet more in Fallujah, oh what a pity.
If all the fascists go out in a rout,
How will the virgins be holding out?
The inventory must surely be strained.
Do these chicks have to be trained?
The martyrs could end up all in a pout.
How are the virgins holding out?
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
Labels: doggerel
Monday, April 05, 2004
Senator from Nuance
There once was a Senator from Nuance,
Who was in a river boat crew once.
Though his words are a muddle,
It just means he’s subtle,
Or so his supporters mew nonce.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
There once was a Senator from Nuance,
Who was in a river boat crew once.
Though his words are a muddle,
It just means he’s subtle,
Or so his supporters mew nonce.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
Labels: doggerel
Saturday, April 03, 2004
USA Out of North America
That was one of the slogans at the A.N.S.W.E.R. rally in San Diego Saturday, according to a post on Instapundit.
That clears things up. We know where they stand.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
That was one of the slogans at the A.N.S.W.E.R. rally in San Diego Saturday, according to a post on Instapundit.
That clears things up. We know where they stand.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
Friday, April 02, 2004
Don't Ask Why. Why Not?
There once was a man at the zoo,
Who learned to play a kazoo.
Even the monkey
Thought his music was funky,
And his greatest fan was the gnu.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
There once was a man at the zoo,
Who learned to play a kazoo.
Even the monkey
Thought his music was funky,
And his greatest fan was the gnu.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
Labels: doggerel
The Limerick Bug Bit
There once was a bomber named Ali,
Who set off to blow up a trolley,
But scratching an itch,
He flipped the switch,
So his death was nothing but folly.
Postscript: It is my impression that "Ali" is properly pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable. That is certainly the supposition I used with this limerick.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
There once was a bomber named Ali,
Who set off to blow up a trolley,
But scratching an itch,
He flipped the switch,
So his death was nothing but folly.
Postscript: It is my impression that "Ali" is properly pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable. That is certainly the supposition I used with this limerick.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
Labels: doggerel
Thursday, April 01, 2004
Small Victory's Limerick Competition
Small Victory has a limerick competition. The catch is that the first line has to be "There once was a fighter from Palestine." Naturally, I could not resist entering, and here is my effort:
There once was a fighter for Palestine,
Who snuck in, in the night, on a ballast line.
As dawn was emergin’,
He got his virgins,
Or so goes Hezbollah’s palace line.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
Small Victory has a limerick competition. The catch is that the first line has to be "There once was a fighter from Palestine." Naturally, I could not resist entering, and here is my effort:
There once was a fighter for Palestine,
Who snuck in, in the night, on a ballast line.
As dawn was emergin’,
He got his virgins,
Or so goes Hezbollah’s palace line.
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
Labels: doggerel
Doggerel from Tobacco Road Fogey
A good one.
"There once was a fighter for Gaza
Who discovered jihad in madrasa.
But the switch on his vest
Wasn’t one of the best
So he blew prematurely, en casa."
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
A good one.
"There once was a fighter for Gaza
Who discovered jihad in madrasa.
But the switch on his vest
Wasn’t one of the best
So he blew prematurely, en casa."
To reply, email texthepontificator at yahoo.com.
Labels: doggerel
