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This is a crackling good write-up, TT. Thank you and my compliments.
Actually, when you consider the unlikeliness of electing another Texan to the Presidency anytime soon (I’ll humbly submit we’ll elect another Californian before another Texan, and a Floridian before both of them), this article is…not very good. It relies too much on Heroic Man theory that this nation spent a fair amount of time and treasure getting away from.
Thanks for the kind words.
Are you that kid who goes around with some kind of submit to authority slogan? You sound like him–but maybe I shouldn’t jump to conclusions.
1.Do not let people fool you about the purpose of suspension points. You were looking for a dash.
2.You’re not qualified to tell me what my writing relies on–you’re making a fool of yourself gratis if you try. I recommend asking people what they mean or believe or suppose.
3.You’re not qualified to tell anyone what America has been spending time & treasure doing. You’re long on assertions, short on any sense of how questionable they are while questioning the invisible suppositions of writing you do not address as it is. I think kids these days would call that ironic; previously it was called lack of self-awareness.
4.What in hell has the likelihood of Mr. Perry’s being elected have to do with the goodness of the article, as you might say?
5.’Humbly submit…’ in your statement is just precious.
So, the article is not very good because it doesn’t match your claims which to this point seem mostly opinion?
Mad Libs works well for this: Actually, when you consider the unlikeliness of electing another [Senator, inexperienced executive, Clinton, Bush…] to the Presidency anytime soon…
Unless you describe why it’s unlikely, it’s unlikely this phrase supports your next claim .
Two points: GWB approval ratings are highest since 2005. Certain Heroic Man screen portrayals garnered popular and financial success in pop culture this year.
The time and treasure spent does not get us away from a “Heroic Man theory”, but instead exemplifies it. Despite the politics and strategy overhead for better and for worse, those treasured men and women gave their all in deference to civilian leadership and for our protection. They were not getting away from heroic perceptions, they we’re too busy being heroes.
I look forward to rebuttal and the support of your specious claims in the comments.
Dang, Titus. This is awesome. I’m going to give Perry another look. I’d written him off. I guiltily admit that I didn’t watch the entirety of his speech and feel even worse that those brothers you identified are American heroes. Dang. On breezing past my husband as he was watching this event – I quipped about those two thuggish-looking fellows standing behind him as hopefully not being his sons, but body-guards. Dang. They’re the best – the manliness necessity – that America produces. Dang. Thank you. (Pardon all the “dangs”, but CoC wouldn’t permit anything more poetic ;)
Are you saying that that is a good thing?
Hello–being that we usually talk about poetry, this is a rather unexpected surprise. Dang will have to do until the CoC sees sense.
They do look like bodyguards–mean, ugly looks & a kind of tension in them, as though they were waiting to fight hell. They are not handsome or even well-dressed. I’m sure their manners are unattractive. But you are absolutely right that they are proof that America produces manliness & that it serves a good & just cause.
It is not easy to find something better to say about Mr. Perry than that he, so to speak, adopted Mr. Marcus Luttrell in his time of need. Americans talk about VA or te problems of veterans or PTSD; this man took him into his home.
He is right that deeds matter more than speeches. Without that, people become unable to see heroes, & get pretty boys instead…
You aren’t alone.
I didn’t know what Marcus Luttrell looked like even though I’d seen the movie Lone Survivor (never read the book though).
Apparently, Rick Perry and his wife were there when Luttrell needed someone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGiwOOUlwpY
Wow, that’s a bit surprising for people who are supposed to do political reporting. Otherwise, people would not know–he’s not a public figure–if I did not write about movies, if I did not have a special interest in American war movies, I would not know either.
By the way, it’s a good book–he talks about the training more than Chris Kyle does. Both of them seem to have been quite supportive of Mr. W. Bush. & the story of Operation Red Wing is worth reading, one terrible detail after another. Well, you can listen to the audiobook. This should be a gift for any kid who likes adventure…
Yeah, I’m gonna have to ask if you could just, um, SALUTE THE UNLIKELY, AND HONOR THE HEROIC. That would be greeeeat.
Yeah, I thought it was that kid. People on Ricochet happily do not treat people to imperatives & slogans a lot, so at first I thought it was endearing to see someone issuing orders like my young niece does. Then, it turns out, some people took him seriously, & took offense. I guess I’ll have to make sure my niece learns manners…
Quick shout out to Morgan. Marcus commands most of the attention deservedly. But I imagine, as with most of the special forces, he has quite a few of his own impressive stories not yet to be publicized for various reasons. God Bless the mothers of such men.
Well said. They all have stories–but even the ones who do write about their deeds are reluctant–I suppose most warriors are these days, but this was not always so-
Is there something of a crisis going on with our understanding and/or need of manliness in this nation? I think there is. Pajamaboy could not/would not ever stand before our enemies. This being the likely case, how do you think Perry’s manliness will be received?
When was it not so in America?
I’ve heard stories of WWII veterans being reluctant to talk about war because 1) war is horrific 2) they are modest. In my own extended family, a grandfather died and his war medals were found afterward, yet no one had been told that he had received them.
We had movies made about war heroes like Sergeant York and Audie Murphy, but my impression was that they were made into war heroes reluctantly, finally embracing the role after much convincing.
On the other hand, I have heard that Chris Kyle wasn’t especially reticent or modest. (And we are better for having heard his story. IMO, American Sniper was the Iraq War reporting of Michael Totten, Michael Yon, Bill Roggio, etc. all wrapped into a neat little 2-hour movie for normal people who don’t spend a decade reading blogs about this stuff.)
If someone has a life experience that closely parallels another’s and delivers a speech in which everything he says or touches on would have been how that other would have said those things, how can he not win unqualified support in his quest for the Presidency? Always had him high on my preferred list, but now he stands out.
I think, not well. That is unfortunate & I am frankly only now thinking about what could be done.
My sense is, the newer Americans get, the softer they get. Innovation carries this within it, although people will not confess it. Perhaps the age of heroes is passing away. A lot of that is good–crime rates are going down, there is more understanding & less harshness to all sorts of people who previously faced really ugly stuff, & anyway, civilization depends more on moderation than courage–more on womanly than manly virtue. But now we have people believing that manliness & war are something you can destroy. It is not that heroes will not suffice for civilization–but that civilization requires their doom. That is a disaster.
Mr. Perry is no Washington, but the times are different, too. I think, if he really has learned to stand up for America & talk up the dignity of striving–not Silicon Valley ruthlessness without manliness, but a politically acceptable form of manliness–manliness fit for democracy–then he will make a great impact in this generation. I believe this man should make the effort. I think he owes it to his country. Who else will?
Where are you? Are you not up to extending and defending your point of view?
I agree with this. But remember the prestige of at least famous soldiers–not just Grant & Sherman & their memoirs. But remember the awe in which Washington was held.
I think democracy does this. For example, Mr. Perry says in this speech–his father flew missions over Europe–tail gunner, I think. Then he went back to being a cotton farmer in dry land. Now that’s an astounding move…
There is some truth to that.
Yeah.
Exactly right.
Enough about the article, did anyone notice the rather large and ominous identical twins bookending the governor? Am I wrong?
I think this could be a Bond villain thing…wait a minute… FEMALE twin bodyguards. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
They’re Navy SEALs, the twins.Yes, everyone noticed them. Apparently, no one knows them. Mr. Perry seems to have made quite an effort to help out one of them, Mr. Marcus Luttrell, who seems to have had a very hard time getting back to civilization after he was rescued in Afghanistan, after operation Red Wings went really bad–see Lone Survivor. I believe that’s why the brothers are so close to Mr. Perry.
Good to meet you. Sad to see you are in need of a Texas “man’s man” to run for, and win, the Presidency in an era where this nation’s people (especially its Social Conservatives) can manage just fine without one.
If Marcus Luttrell wants to go into politics, that’s his business, though I think his time is better served in other areas.
I knew who they were but I’m wierd that way. It was extremely funny when liberal reporters on Twitter thought they were being funny by making fun of them during the speech, only to be ridiculed for showing their collective asses. :)
He’ll do.
He isn’t my first choice, but he speaks to people over the gatekeepers.
Wow! I understand your first sentence, after that I’m lost, totally.
You’re not missing anything.
America may have been resilient enough to endure all of the above, but I question whether it is resilient enough to survive Bill Clinton or ObamaCare.
I loved it. That was a great speech, and he hit the values themes. I had settled on Jeb but this is a very strong. It’s now a toss up for me between the two.