Oh God, Book II

Lest I be mistaken for a booster of religion-drenched politics, let me register precisely how creeped out I am by Dick "Elwood" Cheney's Christmas card. The centerpiece is a quotation from Benjamin Franklin:

And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?

Not especially freaky in the original conext, but disturbing as all get-out on the Cheney family stationery.

Comments

[Madog]

"Tuez-les tous; Dieu reconnaitra les siens."
("Kill them all; for the Lord knoweth them that are His.")

[Arnaud-Amaury, Abbot of Citeaux, 1209, when asked by the Crusaders what to do with the citizens of Beziers who were a mixture of Catholics and Cathars]

[Madog]

"Tuez-les tous; Dieu reconnaitra les siens."
("Kill them all; for the Lord knoweth them that are His.")

[Arnaud-Amaury, Abbot of Citeaux, 1209, when asked by the Crusaders what to do with the citizens of Beziers who were a mixture of Catholics and Cathars]

[Dan]

Nothing says Christmas to me like a meditation on empire. What was he thinking?

He was probably thinking something along the lines of "it is God that preserves the United States of America". You know -- the same thing Franklin was thinking when he said the quote?

It wouldn't physically kill you people to learn something about history once in a while.

[Tom from Texas]

The knee-jerkism in response to virtually everything that touches on the spiritual around here is quite amusing. How do you folks keep your kids in line? "The Boogey God will get you if you don't watch out!"?

[AJMB]

Cheney's Christmas card provides NO context for the quote whatsoever. Maybe he just liked the quote, who knows? One does not have to be a tin hatter to see the dark humor in spoofing on something like this. As 'becca might say, have a doughnut.

[Jason]

While I'm not going to descend to name calling, like 80sfan, I do have to say that I think you're a little too worried about this. What is it that scares you so much about somebody sending out CHRISTmas cards that express a vaguely religious, almost-but-not-quite-Christian theme? Seems a bit paranoid...

[AJMB]

To remove doubt, and my tongue from my cheek, the 'yoiks' was meant to be sarcasm. Sheesh . . . you people need to cut back on your caffeine.

[Warren]

I find the original context fairly creepy as well. A bit surprising because in general I find ole Ben to be exemplary and well grounded. The embodiment of the Enlightenment.

As for the card, the picture creeps me out even more than the quote. Is that supposed to be the Cheney's house? Why aren't there any people in it? Their "house is like a museum, It's very cold, and very beautiful, and you're not allowed to touch anything." Very creepy.

[joe]

Thanks, Dan. Yeah, the four years I spent studying American History most certainly did not kill me. Maybe you should learn something about English, so you'd understand that the connotation of the word "empire" has changed in the past 200 years. Or maybe Cheney should (granting him the benefit of the doubt that he doesn't actually intend for America to become an empire, as the word is currently understood).

[Eeeeww!]

T from T
"How do you folks keep your kids in line?"

Abortion.

[Andrew]

I guess the word "empire" is the cause for shudders, like Bush and "crusade". Or almost any Bible quote pertinent to politics, which might be about a King or a Kingdom. Big deal.

[Jon H]

Warren writes: "I find the original context fairly creepy as well. A bit surprising because in general I find ole Ben to be exemplary and well grounded. The embodiment of the Enlightenment."

Ben was probably swept up in the significance of the events.

The rest of the people evidently kept their feet on the ground, and didn't see it as that big of a deal.

[Andrew]

Joe

Tell us what connotations the word "empire" has acquired since Mr. Franklin and his colleauges decided to rebel against-- like, you know-- the British empire?

[Neil]

Speaking of xmas cards:

Nicholas was?
older than sin, and his beard could grow no whiter. He wanted to die.
the dwarfish natives of the arctic caverns did not speak his language, but conversed in their own, twittering tongue, conducted incomprehensible rituals, when they were not actually working in the factories.
Once every year they forced him, sobbing and protesting, into Endless Night. During the journey he would stand near every child in the world, leave one of the dwarves? invisible gifts by its bedside. The children slept, frozen in time.
He envied Prometheus and Loki, Sisyphus and Judas. His punishment was harsher.
Ho.
Ho.
Ho.

[John Avelis Jr.]

As an inveterate addict of quotes, I can only add that the motive for using the Franklin citation must be Mr. Cheney's, and alone can shed light on the intent here, which is all-important. Too often while blog-browsing I encounter the tendency to clip a line or two out of context and move instantly to some cosmic ad hominem assumption concerning the poster. Meanwhile, in light of some other suggestions: take a pill.

[Jon H]

Let's not forget the original context, where Franklin's proposal of a daily session-opening prayer, where this talk of empire arose, was voted down.

We seem to have done okay without it.

[Jon H]

"was voted down"

Or rather, not really voted on at all.

[Jon H]

The disturbing part is the implication that Cheney thinks he's building an empire with God's help.

[ed]

O, come let us ignore Him.

[Madog]

I have a feeling that an equal number people would be upset if a vice president sent out a card with this quote instead:

"God created Man in his own image, and Man, being a gentleman, returned the compliment."

[joe]

Good for Dick - none of that pussy "peace" and "joy" stuff for him. Nothing says Christmas to me like a meditation on empire.

What was he thinking?

[R. C. Dean]

The disturbing part is the implication that Cheney thinks he's building an empire with God's help.

Wow - another mind-reader.

[Todd Fletcher]

I like Cheney, for the same reason I like Rumsfeld - for the people he drives crazy.

Short trip for some 'em, too.

[Jon H]

I hear the card used was Dick's second choice. The first choice, discarded after advice from political advisors, said "Kill em all, let God sort them out".

[Morris Dees]

I like Janet Reno for the people she drives crazy.

Short trip for some of 'em, too.

[AJMB]

Yoiks!

[80sfan]

Uh, Cheney used it in the same context as Franklin. Only a black-helicopter-fearing nutbag like you would see it as a code-phrase for divine commands of any form

[AJMB]

"God sustains the United States?" I always thought it was your megalithic economy and your ability to militarily kick the shit out of all comers. Oh well.

[joe]

If your daddy finds out you're using the computer, Obvious, he's not going to let you go the Sum 41 concert with your buddies.

[Jason Clouse]

1. What do you think Franklin meant by "empire"? Yes, you leftists, I'm sure he mean torturing people to death and sending them to work in slave camps. And yes, that's exactly how you view the US. Don't bother trying to hide your ridiculous fantasies.

2. What's Cheney going to do? MANGLE a QUOTE on his CHRISTMAS CARDS to keep some religio-phobes from FREAKING OUT on a comment board? As Dr. Phil would say: "Get. Real."

3. Yes, many people do actually believe that God is in complete and sovereign control over the universe and over human actions. Seeing the situation as such, it's entirely reasonable for those people to trust in God for preservation of our nation over and above military and economic means.

4. AMJB: My reponse was to Julian Sanchez, not you. Sorry for the confusion.

[jon b.]

AJMB,

Now why do you think God would have given us all that money and all those guns if he didn't want us to rule the world?

Silly people can't understand the plainest things;-)

[Obvious]

Joe is a dickus

[Takahashi Retsu]

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DATE: 05/20/2004 10:40:22
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