Saturday, August 30, 2014

Somewhere, Edward Gibbon is making notes

JEFFERSON (1776): We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

LINCOLN (1863): It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

FDR (1933): The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

JFK (1961): Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.

REAGAN (1981): In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.

REAGAN (1987): Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.

CLINTON (1998): I did not have sexual relations with that woman.

OBAMA (2014): I don’t want to put the cart before the horse. We don’t have a strategy yet.

4 comments:

  1. A great series of quotes but could I enquire as a Brit? Are you to the hanging and flogging or locking them up with a TV as we do.

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  2. “You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig.”
    ― Barack Obama
    The quote you used to denigrate President Obama belies the fact that the situation in Iraq/Syria is fluid and uncertain. When there is such volatility it would be foolish to make a strategy just for the sake of it. President Obama is one of the wisest and most gifted presidents your country has known. I rank him alongside Abraham Lincoln.

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  3. Don't forget Obama's words that seemed to reflect a disillusionment with the bi-partisanship that he promised: "So, let them sue me."

    "The quote you used to denigrate President Obama..."

    I think you like Obama better than we do. Rhymes is surely more conservative than liberal just as I'm more liberal than conservative, but we both eagerly await his departure. If course, if Romney turns out to be out next president, I, for one, will no doubt wax nostalgic of Obama.

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<b>Always true to you, darlin’, in my fashion</b>

We are bombarded daily by abbreviations in everyday life, abbreviations that are never explained, only assumed to be understood by everyone...