- Winston Churchill on Stanley Baldwin -
This isn't intended as a direct refutation of DC's point about how death should neutralize the villainy or herosim of our rulers. They are, after all, just people. The last breath should end any argument about their private lives. Whatever lessons we take away should concern the bigger morals of political power rather than the little morals of the man. But there is something more, for me, to take away from fifty years of Ted Kennedy. He wasn't my deceased contentious neighbor, fussing about the property line the very day the EMT's showed up to carry him away. Edward Kennedy was much more.
Besides the people themselves, the Kennedy myth was so massive and gravitational that it distorted everything that passed by it. So much of it simply wasn't true, beginning with JFK. You and I don't have that advantage, assuming we would even want it. Free societies are corrupted in big and little ways by prolonged adoration of ruling classes of any kind, proletarian or elite. Liberals, for instance, denied themselves in the range of things they were willing to overlook in Edward as long as his orthodoxies remained intact.In his ways, Edward corroded the truth of many liberal decencies, and he slandered his conservative opponents in ways so vile and ludicrous that you wondered what lay in his heart and in his head. Some wag correctly described Ted as a "distillery of meanness". In this way he amplified all the worst qualities attributed to easy privilege and wealth, and made even his honest, practical, disputes with opponents into matters of the soul. The only ammunition he had on that field came from his infatuated troops on the left, and he dragged them down to his level. Nobody came out better for having fought with, or for, Edward Kennedy. As for his political victories, only time will tell if the price was right.
17 comments:
Huh?
Wadda mean Huh?
Look, lets look at it this way.. Barack Obama’s poll numbers will really plummet if he decides “to take off the gloves.” and push his heathcare plan down our mouths. The American middle-of-the-road voters are not interested in seeing Obama become more aggressive and mean spirited. They are instead staring to worry that he lacks the intellectual competence to handle the responsibilities of the presidency. Many of us have long known that Obama is an empty suit. The rest of the country is now realizing it.
Yeah, but I suppose I expected something about Edward Kennedy, and was a little puzzled by "equality of religion".
No offense.
Well said, Rhod. No need to explain. Always, always good to hear your perspective. All of what you say is true, except ... one thing.
You mention those affected by his style and tactics, and Robert Bork comes to mind. Kennedy single-handedly destroyed much of a magnificent reputation and, even worse, forever changed (and, of course, in true leftist form, hyper-politicized) the way we approach S.C. nominations. There are so many other examples. As I mentioned in my post, the country is far better off without him in the Senate. That is clear.
Only one thing I quibble with you on. We know now ... and I suspect Kennedy does, too ... that the price he paid was way too high and what he purchased we did not particularly need.
My real thought/concern was that we not appear to be dancing on his grave, and particularly not at this moment. I certainly don't think you are ... I saw some in other spots that were, and that's their business. I understand the emotion. But there are decent human beings who cared about Ted Kennedy.
With the foregoing said, the Left may not dance on his grave, but they will dig the corpse up and tango with it all the way across the Senate chamber to get the public option passed. Meanwhile, I am digging my fighting hole and standing watch for that time.
I'm fighting the temptation to get all wee-weed up about the murderer's death.
I'm sure the backroom boys have been meeting for months coming up with ways to benefit from the romanticization of The Swimmer.
I have never understood why most Americans looked up to the Kennedy family so much. They were not how they appeared to the public that loves them. It's a joke.
The image presented by the media, Tricia, made soft-headed Americans FEEL good. End of story!
The Camelot imagery was invented by Jaqueline Kennedy and Theodore White.
Along with it the suspicion that a right-wing Texas cabal was responsible for the murder of JFK and other reactionaries killed RFK.
JFK was murdered by a misfit commie nutbag and RFK by a Palestinian nutjob.
I hope he was kinder to his family than he was to his peers. Kennedy was a foul and loathsome individual.
MoveOn is asking people to light a candle for him. I say, let's light a candle--a blue one for the waters of the Chappaquiddick--for Mary Jo Kopechne. May she rest in peace.
Right-wing Texas Cabal ... sounds like a good blog name. Hold it. Copyright in progress.
BTW, notice how O'Goomba has a huge stash of Kennedy memorabilia laying around to just slap on these posts? Scary. I think he's a closet Kennedyphile.
Okay, last night one comment I saw that I got a kick out of ... One guy said that he thought we should treat Kennedy's passing as a good Irish wake with lots of drinking, after such we should approach our "Democrat cousins" for a good brawl. That's the Kennedy spirit, alright.
I'm fighting the temptation to get all wee-weed up about the murderer's death. ..ha good one bro..me too!
Excellent post, Rhod. I especially love you bringing in: "the distillery of meanness" ; such a designation therefore deserves a mean send off: Good friggin' riddance, Teddy Boy.
I hope hell burns.
Right Wing Texas Cabal?? Is that Fox News on Comcast?
Thanks, Dave. I think the description was Buckley's.
Rhod - JFK was murdered by a misfit commie nutbag and RFK by a Palestinian nutjob - and an American hero, Mary Jo Kopechne, was murdered by EMK.
Had he not left poor Mary Jo in that car underwater, we'd probably have had President Teddy K.
BTW - great writings, you're a welcome addition to the GNN.
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