The impetus for this paper -- and what will likely become a series of papers -- came out of my Sept. 6th, 2008 preface to my 1979 Honors Thesis in psychology called -- 'Evaluation and Health'.
Here is the particular paragraph of my preface yesterday that stimulated what is about to develop here:
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In particular, Evaluation and Health provides a good introductory study of General Semantics through these two classic General Semantic books: Korzybski, Science and Sanity, 1933; and H.I. Hayakawa, Language in Thought and Action, 1949, updated and republished about 6 times).
The General Semantics of Korzybski and Hayakawa provide the main philosophical grounding for DGB Epistemology and much of what would, or what has, developed into DGB Dialectic Philosophy as a whole. Wrote Hayakawa, regarding his classic introductory book to General Semantics:
"The original version of this book, Language in Action, published in 1941, was in many respects a response to the dangers of propaganda, especially as exemplified in Adolf Hitler's success in persuading millions to share his maniacal and destructive views. It was the writer's conviction then, as it remains now, that everyone needs to have a habitually critical attitude towards language — his own as well as that of others — both for the sake of his personal well-being and for his adequate functioning as a citizen. Hitler is gone, but if the majority of our fellow-citizens are more susceptible to the slogans of fear and race hatred than to those of peaceful accommodation and mutual respect among human beings, our political liberties remain at the mercy of any eloquent and unscrupulous demagogue."
See my article on the American Politics blogsite called, Faceoff: DGB Philosophy vs. The American Republican Party. It should be finished by lunch tomorrow, Sunday September 7th, 2008, unless I get carried away with it.
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Faceoff: DGB Philosophy vs. The American Republican Party
Madonna may have been strongly criticized for her visual political connections between Nazism and The Republican Party but sometimes I too can start to see some scary parallels between Republican right-wing extremism, nationalism, and patriotism on the one hand -- and the same type of German right wing extremism, Nationalism and Patriotism that led Hitler, Germany, and half the world off the deep end, and into destruction and self-destruction, in World War 11.
We all have to be very careful how we use the word 'nationalism' and 'patriotism' because these words can be used pathologically such as in the Hitler regime -- and in the McCarthy era -- to negatively stereotype anyone who doesn't look the same as us and/or anyone who doesn't believe the same as us -- or anyone who doesn't believe the same as the American Republican Party (even though there is 'differential unity' -- or 'faked unity' or 'masked disunity' -- within the confines of The American Republican Party itself. There are differences in the degree of 'right wing extremism vs. moderation' as well as on many of the separate national issues such as 'pro-life' vs. 'pro-choice').
Once a word is 'negatively stereotyped' -- like 'communist' or 'socialist' or 'left wing' or 'terrorist' or 'insurgent' -- then anyone so labelled in a context/environment of fear and paranoia -- can become the subject of a civil and/or political witch hunt including degradation, humiliation, condemnation, punishment, imprisonment, torture, execution...
Unfortunately, this type of negative stereotyping and discrimination represents a number of sad chapters in American history -- slavery, The Civil War... -- but we as both individual and collective members of the human race -- and what is meant to be a 'civilian' -- must be extremely careful that we don't go back in history and repeat ourselves. This type of phenomena is based on a combination of ignorance, fear, anxiety, paranoia often masked as 'righteous intolerance' and a 'righteous superiority complex'.
In times of war -- or fear of war -- political divisionism can easily explode into more and more spiralling negative stereotypes, discrimination, hatred -- and violence.
It is easy to be 'nationalistic' and 'patriotic' -- until your son (or daughter) comes home in a box.
And then people might finally start taking a closer look at the 'nationalistic' and 'patriotic' leaders who are using nationalistic and patriotic rhetoric to the rhythm of 'war drums' to stir us up into an angry, discriminatory, hateful frenzy. 'Yes! We can and will defeat all evil in the world that is unwilling to march to the American drum...'
It is a 'Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry'/Wild West approach to justice. You are either with me or you are against me. And if you are against me, then you are evil. Or you are weak. You have no onions. No courage. No testosterone. You're a wus, a weakling, a wimp...unwilling or unable to stand up to the evil in this world. And you are a part of this evil because you are too weak and unwilling to confront evil when it confronts you...When the going gets tough, the tough get going...'
This is a tried and true formula for The Republican Party. It works like a charm. Emasculate your opponent. It worked for Bush, and now just recently, after the Democrats got rousing speeches, ovations, and energy at their own convention from Jackson Junior, both Clintons, Biden, Michelle Obama, and Barack Obama himself...and their was the danger of again falling behind in the polls to the Democrats after McCain had just caught up...it was obviously time to bring out the 'attack dogs' again...You thought Biden was good...this is what the Republicans do best -- humiliate their Democrat opponent with 'negative campaign ads and speeches'...
If you were watching and listening to the Republican speeches this week, they lined up the attack dogs...and let them loose...Bush on video talked about 'angry left'...but this was nothing compared to what was coming...
Mitt Romney gave an 'Adam Smith' type speech -- and I admire Adam Smith but, personally, I think Adam Smith would be embarrassed and disgusted with The Republican rendition of 'free market Capitalism'...Adam Smith distrusted rich business owners...and with good reason...they can manipulate and exploit the 'free market'. Washington during the Bush-Republican Administration is only the latest, most blatant example of this fact... We will talk more about Mitt Romney later...I have mixed thoughts and feelings on Mitt Romney which I wish to explore in another essay...Right now, I do believe he is probably the best economist in America -- the one with the most likelihood of turning the American economy around -- but probably not in an overall Republican 'GOP' context of corrupt politics, business, and lobbyism...
Then came the real 'Rottweillers', 'Dobermans', 'pitbulls' -- and shall we say 'barracudas'...
Rudolph Giuliani: After a brief introduction, he went straight for Obama's jugular vein...in prototypical good attack dog fashion... I can't remember all the blows and bites...but they all seemed orchestrated around the idea of having 'two resumes in front of his face: McCain's and Obama's...
Giuliani made his point -- the usual Republican point -- Obama's too inexperienced, he does not have enough intestinal fortitude to make the really hard political and business decisions to be an American Commander-in-Chief, he 'flipflops', he says what is 'politically expedient', he wavers when he gets into trouble, he doesn't have one firm, stable point of view, he's only been a community worker...how many Bills has he put through as a Senator?...and so on...Palin would pick up all of these same themes and run them out there again for The American people to hear again...in her own fresh, 'new-to-the-American-people-who-don't-live-in-Alaska'-barracuda' style...But I'm getting ahead of myself...
Regarding Giuliani, time will tell Mr. Giuliani whether you are right or you are wrong, and before that even perhaps, time will tell whether you rained enough negative blows and bites on Obama to scare away the American people from voting for him...The crucial question: Is Obama too weak and too indecisive, particularly in a time of war and/or the threats of new pending wars due to countries like Russia, Iran, and North Korea beating their war drums on anywhere from a semi-regular to regular basis?...That's what the Republican Party is asking the American people -- quite sarcastically I might add: Does Obama basically have enough Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry testosterone in him? And you know how the Republican Party would love for the American people to answer that question: Vote Republican -- 'for the real men' -- and 'the barracuda woman'.
And again, before we leave Giuliani, let me say this: You may or may not be right in some, or all, of your criticisms of Obama but there are some obvious differences between you and Obama that you did not focus on -- and I will, in the name of, shall we say, 'political transparency and a debater's give and take'. Remember, there are no 'counterpunches' and 'counterbites' at Republican Convention...You are only immue from criticism yourself while you are in the friendly confines of the Arena...Once you leave the arena, you too are fair -- and foul -- political game. I don't have to tell you, Mr. Giuliani that 'What goes around comes around.' So stand or sit wherever you may be and take some -- shall we say -- 'return volleys':
Obama knows how to inspire hope and optimism in people where it is obvious from your speech, Mr. Giuliani, that you are much better at ridiculing and demeaning people than you are at inspiring people with hope and optimism. In these bleak American economic and war-infested times -- and excuse me if I forgot anything you may or may not have said, Mr. Giuliani, about the economy and about ending the war -- anyways, regarding Obama's obviously superior strength over you and everyone else in the Republican Party that is not wearing a dress at inspiring people with hope and optimism -- maybe that is why you are no longer a Republican candidate. Was your speech one of 'sour grapes', Mr. Giuliani?
When I hear Barack Obama speak, I am inspired -- inspired even to vote and to politically participate in what a 'democracy' should be, and can be, in the hands of the right people with the right spirit, the right intent, the right goals, the right dream. And with Obama, that dream, in these bleak economic, war-infested, energy challenged, environmentally polluted, global-warming times, inspires even something more than can be captured in the dream of 'the pursuit of health, happiness, and prosperity'.
When Obama talks, I have visions of Martin Luther King streaming through my brain -- and that is something I will never, never say about you and your 'attack dog mentality and ridicule your opponent' speech there, Mr. Giuliani. Did you inspire any new and fresh hope of what The Republican Party can be? Or did you just offer up more Republican poison and 'macho bullcrap' to the American people which we have seen and heard from the Bush-led Republican Party and Administration over the last eight years -- and what got the American people to the bleak and dreary hole that they are now trying desperately to climb their way back out of -- in the first place.
Yes, Mr. Giuliani -- for a political party that is trying desperately to separate itself with as much distance as possible from the soon to be departing Bush Administration -- you just offered up more of the same. Political and economic narissism and sophism. Idealistic 'macho' mysticism hiding the sorry, corrupted, and poisonous truth of what really happens in The Republican regime: The party aims to divide and conquer people -- which is what it is trying to do between the American people and Obama, right now.
My question is this: How can The Republican Party control and reverse the evil abroad when they don't even know how to control and reverse it at home -- in their own party. 'Imperialism is good' to the GOP Republican. Or should I say: 'Good for the GOP Republican? So too is lobbyism. And political-corporate narcissism -- anything that is good for the top economic layer of American society is good for The GOP Republican Party. Then hide it with 'mysticism' and 'sophism'. Hide it with GOP Republican -- Adam Smith -- Idealism. And then blame anything else that is left over -- anything that people may actually want to disagree on relative to the teeterng, hypocritical, and self-destructive ideology of The GOP Republican Party -- on 'the angry left'.
Bush still doesn't get it. And neither, obviously, does Giuliani. Maybe they can both start up a GOP 'oldtimers' Republican Party and talk about 'GOD' -- that's a DGB acronym for -- 'Good Old Days'.
Should McCain be included in the 'new' Republican Party? Or the 'old' one? That is the 50 million dollar question.
It's amazing how The Republican Party all of a sudden 'changed campaign horses right in midstream'. Actually, not in midstream -- rather, almost at the end of their stream. Their Republican horse was starting to run out of energy, losing the power and thrust in its legs -- so right in the middle of The Republican Convention, towards the end of the stream (as we are finally getting pretty close to the election now) -- the Republicans jump off their Republican horse and jump onto a Democratic horse! What's with this? What happened?
I will tell you what happened. When I first heard Obama speak - and it was probably about a year or so ago now, that I first heard him speak on 'The Larry King Show' -- I was impressed. Not for any other reason than the fact that he was talking about getting rid of the 'special interest lobbyists' in Washington -- or at least derailing their power of influence.
I know I was left thinking, 'Wow, this guy got some onions, some serious testosterone. (Well, maybe not in those words, but you get the idea of what I'm starting to come at here...)
I remember thinking, 'Never, never do I remember an American politician -- or a Canadian politician for that matter -- talk about addressing and getting rid of the special interest lobbyism problem in Washington (or Ottawa). Maybe this 'Obama' guy -- who I had never seen or heard before that day -- really is interested in addressing a serious type of political change in America. A politics of 'differential unity' and a 'democracy for the middle and lower class -- as well as the upper class'. It is one thing for a politician to talk about the 'American Dream'. It is another thing for a politician to seriously talk about the types of democratic changes that need to be made in order to make the American Dream accessible to all Americans regardless of class or color or religion; not just for that elite section of society that has 'networking contacts and power strings that they can pull at a moment's notice' in Washington.
So anyway, yes indeed, this 'anti-special-interest-lobbyism-in-Washington' factor did start to become a major thrust in the Obama-Democratic campaign. I don't even think it was a part of the Clinton campaign, let alone any one of GOP Republican campaigns...If you go back and check the records of about a year or so ago, I don't think you will hear any Republican -- not McCain, not Romney, not Huckabee, not Giuliani, not anyone -- making a peep about 'getting rid of lobbyism and lobbyists in Washington'.
But Obama was making great headway with this and other parts of his Democratic campaign. He had a fresh, energetic horse crossing the stream -- and it was still fresh and energetic as it started to close in on the final end of the stream.
So what do The Republicans do? A year or so later...
They say...'Hmmm, I like that 'breed' of campaign horse. Are there any others of this 'Obama' breed around?
And someone else in the Republican Party chirped up, 'Yeah, sure, I can find you one of that kind, that breed. I hear they breed them up in Alaska! Part barracuda, part attack dog, part pitull -- and part, sleek race horse too. Even better still -- she's partly a woman too! And a fine looking one at that. Just what a fading GOP -- or is it 'GOB' -- that's a DGB acronym for 'Good Old Boys' -- just what a fast fading Republican Party needs for a strong finishing kick before the election: A beautiful woman with a radiating smile -- perhaps she can be marketed as a female rendition of Obama? -- yes a female rendition of Obama who can almost speak like him but with the underlying jaws of a barracuda beneath that perfectly sexy, womanly smile -- or is it a Rottweiler? A Doberman? A pitbull? A racehorse? Did I miss anything?
Oh yes, a woman who won't sit down when you tell her to sit down. That's nice. Does that mean she doesn't know how to listen? Does that mean she is so narcissistic that she does not know how to see beyond her own face? Does that mean that any other opinion, especially among the men she will be mainly debating with, is an opinion that needs to be connected to its masculine owner and then, well the owner of the opinion needs to be -- emasculated?
Well, Ms. - or is it Mrs., or Governor -- Sarah Palin, I think I might have said this earlier: 'What goes around comes around'. 'What's good for the goose is good for the gander'. 'What's fair is fair'. Or is it, 'All's fair in love and war.' That actually may be more appropriate to this circumstance, this context. 'Ms. Palin, you have set yourself up with a Republican bullseye on your heart.
I remember reading a book on Canadian history (Will Ferguson, Canadian History for Dummies, 2000). According to Ferguson, they used to call the early feminists in the early 1900s 'hyenas in petticoats'.
I have all the respect in the world for these ladies -- and I mean that seriously -- Nellie McClung in particular.
'Never retract, never explain, never apologize -- just get the job done and let them howl.' -- personal motto of activist Nellie McClung
I can certainly see some of the spirit of Nellie McClung in you, Ms. Palin. 'Just get the job done and let them howl'.
DGB Philosophy -- and for better or for worse, through fair and foul weather, I am the one and only founder of DGB Philosophy -- believes in equal rights for both sexes, all religions, all colors...
But with equal rights -- and often we all forget this, particularly the equal rights special interests groups and every politician and citizen who hangs on to the concept and practise of 'political correctness' for dear life -- with equal rights -- comes equal responsibility and accountability.
My point here, Ms. Palin, is that Mr. Obama I think has tried for the most part to debate political issues 'above the belt' in a spirit of fairness, respect, and integrity -- without delving seriously into the area of 'character assasinations', 'negative stereotyping' and/or trying to 'emasculate his opponent' -- or in your case, that might mean 'masculating you'.
It's like Obama wants to conduct a boxing match with boxing gloves on while you Ms. Palin -- and the rest of your Republican Party -- seem intent on packing 'steel' inside your boxing gloves. Okay, let's have a little boxing match here -- steel for steel, wit for wit. I agree, it's kind of fun when your'e on the top end delivering the blow, not on the bottom end receiving it.
DGB Deconstructionism seeks to reverse the direction of flight of all negative stereotypes and critcisms so that they land back in the face of the person and/or the party that initially threw the first 'punch of steel', the first serious negative stereotype and/or character assination, and/or hyocritical statement.
Such as: McCain and The Republican Party riding a Republican horse (not a peep or sound about 'anti-lobbyism' until their convention). But then they saw that Obama was riding a faster, stronger, more energized campaign horse, so then they went out and got one too -- a Democratic racehorse with Alaskan barracuda jaws -- one that is going to shake up Washinton and derail all the 'GOB' ('Good Old Boy') lobbyists who will now die with the Bush regime, not move on to the McCain regime. Funny, but I never heard a word about 'anti-lobbyism' earlier in your campaign, Mr. McCain. Isn't that what you -- and Giuliani and Ms. Palin -- would call 'flipflopping'. Not having the intestinal fortitude -- or the 'onions' -- of sticking with what you believed, or rather, didn't believe -- through all the earlier parts of your campaign. I do believe that you flip-flopped -- exactly what you complained of most about Obama at your campaign convention. I think that is what you would call -- 'hypocrisy'. And it certainly isn't very 'macho-like', very 'Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry/Wild West' like.
That was very sneaky, Mr. McCain. Was that the work of you or your chief Republican strategist?
or was it you, Mr. McCain, who wanted the one and only, the beautiful and sexy, the charasmatic, Ms. Sarah Palin, the female rendition of Obama with a much sharper bite -- i.e., 'The Alaskan Barracuda -- with a Republican jock strap on.'
Are you ready for some more, Ms. Palin. Can you take a punch or a bite as well as you can give it? ..
Ms. Palin; No abortions on your watch...but you have no problem sending any American 18, 19, and 20 year old son off to Iraq, including it almost would seem, your own son or sons. How do you explain that one? Isn't that a little hypocritical? Personally, I would be eating myself alive -- or someone at the top of the Republican Party, like you -- if it was my son going to Iraq to fight a war based on Repubican 'false epistemology' -- that is Republican narcissism, sophism and -- propoganda. Maybe you can tell me Ms. Palin, seeing as Mr. Bush doesn't seem to have done too well on this account:
Just where are those 'weapons of mass destruction in Iraq' again?
On that one television show -- I forget who chaired it, some religious person who did a very good job at interviewing both Obama and McCain -- and both were asked the same questions, on the spot improvisation in the case of Obama since he started first, and assumedly unrehearsed on McCain's part even though he arrived a little late at the forum -- and I don't think his private limo was exactly 'the cone of silence' that the interviewer and the American people were expecting.
Anyway, both were asked a question something along the lines of: 'What would you do as American President about evil?
And Senator McCain, the fighter pilot, John McCain -- gave just the answer the American people wanted to hear: Don't quote me exactly, but basically he said: 'Defeat it!' -- in strong Republican, Clint Eastwood (Is Clint Eastwood a Republican or a Democrat?), Dirty Harry, Wild West fashion.
Yes, that's what the American people wanted to hear. No wavering. No equivocation. No hesitation. No hemming and hawing. No 'boundary straddling' or 'fence hopping'. Just -- 'GOF' (that's a DGB anacronym for 'Good Old Fashioned') 'We're the good guys and we kick the butts of the bad guys!'
'Either/or'. 'Good or bad'. 'Good and evil.' 'Black and white'. That's the philosophy -- the ideology -- of The 'GOB' (Good Old Boy) Republican Party, and don't you ever forget it. Macho, macho man. I wanna be a Republican macho man!
America, hang with us. We will save you! We may send all our young adults to war and some of them --many of them -- might not come back again, or they might come back beaten up and/or disfigured. We may stand by while the banks foreclose your homes. We may stand by while the oil companies rob you blind. We may even stand by while all our manufacturing companies move to China, or Mexico, or basically anywhere where they can find cheap, cheap labor. You know, its the priciple of 'free trade'. In order to 'compete' with countries who have cheap, cheap labor, we need to move our manufacturing plants out of America and over to these same countries with the cheap labor. Then we can sell our goods back to you at a very cheap price! You can find them at your local department store! Beware of the Chinese and Mexican goods however. They may not be entirely safe. You know, these countries don't have quite the same safety measures and standards as we do. But that's why their goods are cheap. Watch the Mexican Jalapeno peppers. And the Chinese toys. Other than that the Republican lesson here regarding 'free trade' is simply this: 'If you can't beat them -- if you can't outcompete their cheap labor in China or Mexico or wherever -- then join them! Send our manufacturing firms there so they can take advantage of the cheap, cheap labor -- and the 'free trade' laws -- as well!
Tell me what a 'sweat shop' is again. Oh, America doesn't have to lose all their manufacturing plants and/or farms. Rather, here's a good idea for you manufacturing owners out there who are going out of business because of cheap imported goods. Just move your plants close to the border of Mexico -- and just wait til the Mexican 'sweat shops' come to you!
I think we were talking about 'evil' before I started to get distracted and carried away in a different direction. Or was/is it a different direction. I would call all of the above 'evil' to the American people.
But then there was Obama and he equivocated a little longer. Took a little longer to answer the question, from what I remember hearing about his reply. His answer -- and I don't remember it except in the gist of what I think he was trying to say -- was a little more convoluted, which was not quite the 'Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry/Wild West/Shoot From The Hip/Republican Type answer that the American people for the most part wanted to hear. Obama's ratings slipped, I do believe, a bit after this 'double header' interview.
I believe Obama was basically trying to say this, and if this is what he meant, then DGB Philosophy -- meaning I -- fully support this line of reasoning and argumentation. Paraphasing from what I believe he meant: 'It usually takes two to tango' -- and directly or indirectly, not always, but usually -- it takes two to start a war.
Worded otherwise, it's not only a matter of looking for 'evil' in other parts of the world, of chasing down and killing bad dictators, 'terrorists' and/or 'insurgents'. Even if America wanted to, they don't have the manpower and the money to fight all the different kinds of evil and unfreedom and narcissism that there is in the world. And more than this, there is another part of the problem -- and this is the part of the problem that I think Obama was trying to get at.
We also -- everyone of us, politician and citizen alike -- need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves bluntly and honestly and directly: How do we ourselves contribute to the 'evil' that there is in the world? Do our American politicians 'pamper' some countries, while punishing, and/or denying others? Does America sell nuclear arms -- or have they in the past -- to some countries while not to others? Does America torture? Why are so many American female soldiers coming back -- raped -- by America's own men. How can America expect other countries like Iran and North Korea be expected to 'disarm their nuclear weapons' when they are being pointed out by The American Bush-led Republican Party as being a 'part of the axis of evil' when the Bush-led Republican Party just happens to be in control of the largest asenal of nuclear weapons in the world? Not only that, but then all of Iran and North Korea and Russia see America invade Iraq with an 'epistemological justification' (remember again: Iraq was supposed to have 'weapons of mass destruction') -- that turned out to be totally phony propoganda and narcissistic sophistry. What is this, if it is not evil?
What's that quote from the Bible? Again, I can't remember exactly but it's something like this, and I am paraphrasing: 'Let no person throw the first stone that has committed a sin him or herself.'
What, Ms. Palin, did you say you were -- a 'pro-lifer'? How about 'hunting'? Aren't you a hunter -- for sport, or for survival and necessity? Is 'hunting for sport' being 'pro-life'? Isn't there something hypocritical about a hunter who hunts for sport saying that he or she is 'pro-life'. My dad took my brother and sister and me hunting for groundhogs once. He was a good shot. He hit the groundhog right between the eyes. We never went hunting again.
I say that refraining from hunting for sport, and refraining from turning war into an Olympic sports competition is being 'pro-life'. War is not about 'winning and losing'. In war, everyone loses.
So Ms. Palin, you're proud of the man who would sooner win a war than win an election. How about when the stakes are not an election -- but a life, a son, many lives, many sons, and even daughters now? Do you still feel the same?
I watched and listened to your speech -- and much of it was good -- a good Republican speech. You said you are going to shake up Washington -- presumably notably distinguish yourself from the Bush administration -- and stand up to special interests groups which you've already done in Alaska, in ways that no recent Republican administration has done before you...
But there was something about your speech that made me cringe...perhaps your barracuda bites that seemed at least partly -- if not more than partly -- aimed at Obama's 'manhood' -- or shall we say -- his courage, his decision-making, and his credibility to lead America'; his 'integrative, differential unity politics' which you called 'flip-flopping'. But as I've already demonstrated, Ms. Palin -- McCain and the whole Republican Party -- can 'flipflop' too -- and in fact, just did.
In this regard, you, Ms. Palin, have been annointed as the new Republican 'Alaskan barracuda with a jock strap on'. A Washington 'lobbyist buster'. Before you came upon the scene, Ms. Palin, it's funny, but that just happened to be a very, very large Republican 'middle class, public relations void'. We will see how long you can or will last playing that role, Ms. Palin. Playing the role of the mighty Greek Goddess -- Athena. Sister of the her Greek brother-God -- Ares. Both were into 'war'.
Anyways, Ms. Palin, enjoy your pedestal while you can: your moment of greater modesty and humility, and hopefully, compassion, will come; it will perhaps take a trip to the bottom of the Republican and/or American abyss in contrast to the top of the mountain -- before you get there.
Time will tell.
The impetus for this paper -- and what will likely become a series of papers -- came out of my Sept. 6th, 2008 preface to my 1979 Honors Thesis in psychology called -- 'Evaluation and Health'.
Here is the particular paragraph of my preface yesterday that stimulated what is about to develop here:
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In particular, Evaluation and Health provides a good introductory study of General Semantics through these two classic General Semantic books: Korzybski, Science and Sanity, 1933; and H.I. Hayakawa, Language in Thought and Action, 1949, updated and republished about 6 times).
The General Semantics of Korzybski and Hayakawa provide the main philosophical grounding for DGB Epistemology and much of what would, or what has, developed into DGB Dialectic Philosophy as a whole. Wrote Hayakawa, regarding his classic introductory book to General Semantics:
"The original version of this book, Language in Action, published in 1941, was in many respects a response to the dangers of propaganda, especially as exemplified in Adolf Hitler's success in persuading millions to share his maniacal and destructive views. It was the writer's conviction then, as it remains now, that everyone needs to have a habitually critical attitude towards language — his own as well as that of others — both for the sake of his personal well-being and for his adequate functioning as a citizen. Hitler is gone, but if the majority of our fellow-citizens are more susceptible to the slogans of fear and race hatred than to those of peaceful accommodation and mutual respect among human beings, our political liberties remain at the mercy of any eloquent and unscrupulous demagogue."
See my article on the American Politics blogsite called, Faceoff: DGB Philosophy vs. The American Republican Party. It should be finished by lunch tomorrow, Sunday September 7th, 2008, unless I get carried away with it.
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Faceoff: DGB Philosophy vs. The American Republican Party
Madonna may have been strongly criticized for her visual political connections between Nazism and The Republican Party but sometimes I too can start to see some scary parallels between Republican right-wing extremism, nationalism, and patriotism on the one hand -- and the same type of German right wing extremism, Nationalism and Patriotism that led Hitler, Germany, and half the world off the deep end, and into destruction and self-destruction, in World War 11.
We all have to be very careful how we use the word 'nationalism' and 'patriotism' because these words can be used pathologically such as in the Hitler regime -- and in the McCarthy era -- to negatively stereotype anyone who doesn't look the same as us and/or anyone who doesn't believe the same as us -- or anyone who doesn't believe the same as the American Republican Party (even though there is 'differential unity' -- or 'faked unity' or 'masked disunity' -- within the confines of The American Republican Party itself. There are differences in the degree of 'right wing extremism vs. moderation' as well as on many of the separate national issues such as 'pro-life' vs. 'pro-choice').
Once a word is 'negatively stereotyped' -- like 'communist' or 'socialist' or 'left wing' or 'terrorist' or 'insurgent' -- then anyone so labelled in a context/environment of fear and paranoia -- can become the subject of a civil and/or political witch hunt including degradation, humiliation, condemnation, punishment, imprisonment, torture, execution...
Unfortunately, this type of negative stereotyping and discrimination represents a number of sad chapters in American history -- slavery, The Civil War... -- but we as both individual and collective members of the human race -- and what is meant to be a 'civilian' -- must be extremely careful that we don't go back in history and repeat ourselves. This type of phenomena is based on a combination of ignorance, fear, anxiety, paranoia often masked as 'righteous intolerance' and a 'righteous superiority complex'.
In times of war -- or fear of war -- political divisionism can easily explode into more and more spiralling negative stereotypes, discrimination, hatred -- and violence.
It is easy to be 'nationalistic' and 'patriotic' -- until your son (or daughter) comes home in a box.
And then people might finally start taking a closer look at the 'nationalistic' and 'patriotic' leaders who are using nationalistic and patriotic rhetoric to the rhythm of 'war drums' to stir us up into an angry, discriminatory, hateful frenzy. 'Yes! We can and will defeat all evil in the world that is unwilling to march to the American drum...'
It is a 'Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry'/Wild West approach to justice. You are either with me or you are against me. And if you are against me, then you are evil. Or you are weak. You have no onions. No courage. No testosterone. You're a wus, a weakling, a wimp...unwilling or unable to stand up to the evil in this world. And you are a part of this evil because you are too weak and unwilling to confront evil when it confronts you...When the going gets tough, the tough get going...'
This is a tried and true formula for The Republican Party. It works like a charm. Emasculate your opponent. It worked for Bush, and now just recently, after the Democrats got rousing speeches, ovations, and energy at their own convention from Jackson Junior, both Clintons, Biden, Michelle Obama, and Barack Obama himself...and their was the danger of again falling behind in the polls to the Democrats after McCain had just caught up...it was obviously time to bring out the 'attack dogs' again...You thought Biden was good...this is what the Republicans do best -- humiliate their Democrat opponent with 'negative campaign ads and speeches'...
If you were watching and listening to the Republican speeches this week, they lined up the attack dogs...and let them loose...Bush on video talked about 'angry left'...but this was nothing compared to what was coming...
Mitt Romney gave an 'Adam Smith' type speech -- and I admire Adam Smith but, personally, I think Adam Smith would be embarrassed and disgusted with The Republican rendition of 'free market Capitalism'...Adam Smith distrusted rich business owners...and with good reason...they can manipulate and exploit the 'free market'. Washington during the Bush-Republican Administration is only the latest, most blatant example of this fact... We will talk more about Mitt Romney later...I have mixed thoughts and feelings on Mitt Romney which I wish to explore in another essay...Right now, I do believe he is probably the best economist in America -- the one with the most likelihood of turning the American economy around -- but probably not in an overall Republican 'GOP' context of corrupt politics, business, and lobbyism...
Then came the real 'Rottweillers', 'Dobermans', 'pitbulls' -- and shall we say 'barracudas'...
Rudolph Giuliani: After a brief introduction, he went straight for Obama's jugular vein...in prototypical good attack dog fashion... I can't remember all the blows and bites...but they all seemed orchestrated around the idea of having 'two resumes in front of his face: McCain's and Obama's...
Giuliani made his point -- the usual Republican point -- Obama's too inexperienced, he does not have enough intestinal fortitude to make the really hard political and business decisions to be an American Commander-in-Chief, he 'flipflops', he says what is 'politically expedient', he wavers when he gets into trouble, he doesn't have one firm, stable point of view, he's only been a community worker...how many Bills has he put through as a Senator?...and so on...Palin would pick up all of these same themes and run them out there again for The American people to hear again...in her own fresh, 'new-to-the-American-people-who-don't-live-in-Alaska'-barracuda' style...But I'm getting ahead of myself...
Regarding Giuliani, time will tell Mr. Giuliani whether you are right or you are wrong, and before that even perhaps, time will tell whether you rained enough negative blows and bites on Obama to scare away the American people from voting for him...The crucial question: Is Obama too weak and too indecisive, particularly in a time of war and/or the threats of new pending wars due to countries like Russia, Iran, and North Korea beating their war drums on anywhere from a semi-regular to regular basis?...That's what the Republican Party is asking the American people -- quite sarcastically I might add: Does Obama basically have enough Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry testosterone in him? And you know how the Republican Party would love for the American people to answer that question: Vote Republican -- 'for the real men' -- and 'the barracuda woman'.
And again, before we leave Giuliani, let me say this: You may or may not be right in some, or all, of your criticisms of Obama but there are some obvious differences between you and Obama that you did not focus on -- and I will, in the name of, shall we say, 'political transparency and a debater's give and take'. Remember, there are no 'counterpunches' and 'counterbites' at Republican Convention...You are only immue from criticism yourself while you are in the friendly confines of the Arena...Once you leave the arena, you too are fair -- and foul -- political game. I don't have to tell you, Mr. Giuliani that 'What goes around comes around.' So stand or sit wherever you may be and take some -- shall we say -- 'return volleys':
Obama knows how to inspire hope and optimism in people where it is obvious from your speech, Mr. Giuliani, that you are much better at ridiculing and demeaning people than you are at inspiring people with hope and optimism. In these bleak American economic and war-infested times -- and excuse me if I forgot anything you may or may not have said, Mr. Giuliani, about the economy and about ending the war -- anyways, regarding Obama's obviously superior strength over you and everyone else in the Republican Party that is not wearing a dress at inspiring people with hope and optimism -- maybe that is why you are no longer a Republican candidate. Was your speech one of 'sour grapes', Mr. Giuliani?
When I hear Barack Obama speak, I am inspired -- inspired even to vote and to politically participate in what a 'democracy' should be, and can be, in the hands of the right people with the right spirit, the right intent, the right goals, the right dream. And with Obama, that dream, in these bleak economic, war-infested, energy challenged, environmentally polluted, global-warming times, inspires even something more than can be captured in the dream of 'the pursuit of health, happiness, and prosperity'.
When Obama talks, I have visions of Martin Luther King streaming through my brain -- and that is something I will never, never say about you and your 'attack dog mentality and ridicule your opponent' speech there, Mr. Giuliani. Did you inspire any new and fresh hope of what The Republican Party can be? Or did you just offer up more Republican poison and 'macho bullcrap' to the American people which we have seen and heard from the Bush-led Republican Party and Administration over the last eight years -- and what got the American people to the bleak and dreary hole that they are now trying desperately to climb their way back out of -- in the first place.
Yes, Mr. Giuliani -- for a political party that is trying desperately to separate itself with as much distance as possible from the soon to be departing Bush Administration -- you just offered up more of the same. Political and economic narissism and sophism. Idealistic 'macho' mysticism hiding the sorry, corrupted, and poisonous truth of what really happens in The Republican regime: The party aims to divide and conquer people -- which is what it is trying to do between the American people and Obama, right now.
My question is this: How can The Republican Party control and reverse the evil abroad when they don't even know how to control and reverse it at home -- in their own party. 'Imperialism is good' to the GOP Republican. Or should I say: 'Good for the GOP Republican? So too is lobbyism. And political-corporate narcissism -- anything that is good for the top economic layer of American society is good for The GOP Republican Party. Then hide it with 'mysticism' and 'sophism'. Hide it with GOP Republican -- Adam Smith -- Idealism. And then blame anything else that is left over -- anything that people may actually want to disagree on relative to the teeterng, hypocritical, and self-destructive ideology of The GOP Republican Party -- on 'the angry left'.
Bush still doesn't get it. And neither, obviously, does Giuliani. Maybe they can both start up a GOP 'oldtimers' Republican Party and talk about 'GOD' -- that's a DGB acronym for -- 'Good Old Days'.
Should McCain be included in the 'new' Republican Party? Or the 'old' one? That is the 50 million dollar question.
It's amazing how The Republican Party all of a sudden 'changed campaign horses right in midstream'. Actually, not in midstream -- rather, almost at the end of their stream. Their Republican horse was starting to run out of energy, losing the power and thrust in its legs -- so right in the middle of The Republican Convention, towards the end of the stream (as we are finally getting pretty close to the election now) -- the Republicans jump off their Republican horse and jump onto a Democratic horse! What's with this? What happened?
I will tell you what happened. When I first heard Obama speak - and it was probably about a year or so ago now, that I first heard him speak on 'The Larry King Show' -- I was impressed. Not for any other reason than the fact that he was talking about getting rid of the 'special interest lobbyists' in Washington -- or at least derailing their power of influence.
I know I was left thinking, 'Wow, this guy got some onions, some serious testosterone. (Well, maybe not in those words, but you get the idea of what I'm starting to come at here...)
I remember thinking, 'Never, never do I remember an American politician -- or a Canadian politician for that matter -- talk about addressing and getting rid of the special interest lobbyism problem in Washington (or Ottawa). Maybe this 'Obama' guy -- who I had never seen or heard before that day -- really is interested in addressing a serious type of political change in America. A politics of 'differential unity' and a 'democracy for the middle and lower class -- as well as the upper class'. It is one thing for a politician to talk about the 'American Dream'. It is another thing for a politician to seriously talk about the types of democratic changes that need to be made in order to make the American Dream accessible to all Americans regardless of class or color or religion; not just for that elite section of society that has 'networking contacts and power strings that they can pull at a moment's notice' in Washington.
So anyway, yes indeed, this 'anti-special-interest-lobbyism-in-Washington' factor did start to become a major thrust in the Obama-Democratic campaign. I don't even think it was a part of the Clinton campaign, let alone any one of GOP Republican campaigns...If you go back and check the records of about a year or so ago, I don't think you will hear any Republican -- not McCain, not Romney, not Huckabee, not Giuliani, not anyone -- making a peep about 'getting rid of lobbyism and lobbyists in Washington'.
But Obama was making great headway with this and other parts of his Democratic campaign. He had a fresh, energetic horse crossing the stream -- and it was still fresh and energetic as it started to close in on the final end of the stream.
So what do The Republicans do? A year or so later...
They say...'Hmmm, I like that 'breed' of campaign horse. Are there any others of this 'Obama' breed around?
And someone else in the Republican Party chirped up, 'Yeah, sure, I can find you one of that kind, that breed. I hear they breed them up in Alaska! Part barracuda, part attack dog, part pitull -- and part, sleek race horse too. Even better still -- she's partly a woman too! And a fine looking one at that. Just what a fading GOP -- or is it 'GOB' -- that's a DGB acronym for 'Good Old Boys' -- just what a fast fading Republican Party needs for a strong finishing kick before the election: A beautiful woman with a radiating smile -- perhaps she can be marketed as a female rendition of Obama? -- yes a female rendition of Obama who can almost speak like him but with the underlying jaws of a barracuda beneath that perfectly sexy, womanly smile -- or is it a Rottweiler? A Doberman? A pitbull? A racehorse? Did I miss anything?
Oh yes, a woman who won't sit down when you tell her to sit down. That's nice. Does that mean she doesn't know how to listen? Does that mean she is so narcissistic that she does not know how to see beyond her own face? Does that mean that any other opinion, especially among the men she will be mainly debating with, is an opinion that needs to be connected to its masculine owner and then, well the owner of the opinion needs to be -- emasculated?
Well, Ms. - or is it Mrs., or Governor -- Sarah Palin, I think I might have said this earlier: 'What goes around comes around'. 'What's good for the goose is good for the gander'. 'What's fair is fair'. Or is it, 'All's fair in love and war.' That actually may be more appropriate to this circumstance, this context. 'Ms. Palin, you have set yourself up with a Republican bullseye on your heart.
I remember reading a book on Canadian history (Will Ferguson, Canadian History for Dummies, 2000). According to Ferguson, they used to call the early feminists in the early 1900s 'hyenas in petticoats'.
I have all the respect in the world for these ladies -- and I mean that seriously, not sarcastically. Nellie McClung in particular.
'Never retract, never explain, never apologize -- just get the job done and let them howl.' -- personal motto of activist Nellie McClung
I can certainly see some of the spirit of Nellie McClung in you, Ms. Palin. 'Just get the job done and let them howl'.
DGB Philosophy -- and for better or for worse, through fair and foul weather, I am the one and only founder of DGB Philosophy -- believes in equal rights for both sexes, all religions, all colors...
But with equal rights -- and often we all forget this, particularly the equal rights special interests groups and every politician and citizen who hangs on to the concept and practise of 'political correctness' for dear life -- with equal rights -- comes equal responsibility and accountability.
My point here, Ms. Palin, is that Mr. Obama I think has tried for the most part to debate political issues 'above the belt' in a spirit of fairness, respect, and integrity -- without delving seriously into the area of 'character assasinations', 'negative stereotyping' and/or trying to 'emasculate his opponent' -- or in your case, that might mean 'masculating you'.
It's like Obama wants to conduct a boxing match with boxing gloves on while you Ms. Palin -- and the rest of your Republican Party -- seem intent on packing 'steel' inside your boxing gloves. Okay, let's have a little boxing match here -- steel for steel, wit for wit. I agree, it's kind of fun when your'e on the top end delivering the blow, not on the bottom end receiving it.
DGB Deconstructionism seeks to reverse the direction of flight of all negative stereotypes and critcisms so that they land back in the face of the person and/or the party that initially threw the first 'punch of steel', the first serious negative stereotype and/or character assination, and/or hyocritical statement.
Such as: McCain and The Republican Party riding a Republican horse (not a peep or sound about 'anti-lobbyism' until their convention). But then they saw that Obama was riding a faster, stronger, more energized campaign horse, so then they went out and got one too -- a Democratic racehorse with Alaskan barracuda jaws -- one that is going to shake up Washinton and derail all the 'GOB' ('Good Old Boy') lobbyists who will now die with the Bush regime, not move on to the McCain regime. Funny, but I never heard a word about 'anti-lobbyism' earlier in your campaign, Mr. McCain. Isn't that what you -- and Giuliani and Ms. Palin -- would call 'flipflopping'. Not having the intestinal fortitude -- or the 'onions' -- of sticking with what you believed, or rather, didn't believe -- through all the earlier parts of your campaign. I do believe that you flip-flopped -- exactly what you complained of most about Obama at your campaign convention. I think that is what you would call -- 'hypocrisy'. And it certainly isn't very 'macho-like', very 'Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry/Wild West' like.
That was very sneaky, Mr. McCain. Was that the work of you or your chief Republican strategist?
or was it you, Mr. McCain, who wanted the one and only, the beautiful and sexy, the charasmatic, Ms. Sarah Palin, the female rendition of Obama with a much sharper bite -- i.e., 'The Alaskan Barracuda -- with a Republican jock strap on.'
Are you ready for some more, Ms. Palin. Can you take a punch or a bite as well as you can give it? ..
Ms. Palin; No abortions on your watch...but you have no problem sending any American 18, 19, and 20 year old son off to Iraq, including it almost would seem, your own son or sons. How do you explain that one? Isn't that a little hypocritical? Personally, I would be eating myself alive -- or someone at the top of the Republican Party, like you -- if it was my son going to Iraq to fight a war based on Repubican 'false epistemology' -- that is Republican narcissism, sophism and -- propoganda. Maybe you can tell me Ms. Palin, seeing as Mr. Bush doesn't seem to have done too well on this account:
Just where are those 'weapons of mass destruction in Iraq' again?
On that one television show -- I forget who chaired it, some religious person who did a very good job at interviewing both Obama and McCain -- and both were asked the same questions, on the spot improvisation in the case of Obama since he started first, and assumedly unrehearsed on McCain's part even though he arrived a little late at the forum -- and I don't think his private limo was exactly 'the cone of silence' that the interviewer and the American people were expecting.
Anyway, both were asked a question something along the lines of: 'What would you do as American President about evil?
And Senator McCain, the fighter pilot, John McCain -- gave just the answer the American people wanted to hear: Don't quote me exactly, but basically he said: 'Defeat it!' -- in strong Republican, Clint Eastwood (Is Clint Eastwood a Republican or a Democrat?), Dirty Harry, Wild West fashion.
Yes, that's what the American people wanted to hear. No wavering. No equivocation. No hesitation. No hemming and hawing. No 'boundary straddling' or 'fence hopping'. Just -- 'GOF' (that's a DGB anacronym for 'Good Old Fashioned') 'We're the good guys and we kick the butts of the bad guys!'
'Either/or'. 'Good or bad'. 'Good and evil.' 'Black and white'. That's the philosophy -- the ideology -- of The 'GOB' (Good Old Boy) Republican Party, and don't you ever forget it. Macho, macho man. I wanna be a Republican macho man!
America, hang with us. We will save you! We may send all our young adults to war and some of them --many of them -- might not come back again, or they might come back beaten up and/or disfigured. We may stand by while the banks foreclose your homes. We may stand by while the oil companies rob you blind. We may even stand by while all our manufacturing companies move to China, or Mexico, or basically anywhere where they can find cheap, cheap labor. You know, its the priciple of 'free trade'. In order to 'compete' with countries who have cheap, cheap labor, we need to move our manufacturing plants out of America and over to these same countries with the cheap labor. Then we can sell our goods back to you at a very cheap price! You can find them at your local department store! Beware of the Chinese and Mexican goods however. They may not be entirely safe. You know, these countries don't have quite the same safety measures and standards as we do. But that's why their goods are cheap. Watch the Mexican Jalapeno peppers. And the Chinese toys. Other than that the Republican lesson here regarding 'free trade' is simply this: 'If you can't beat them -- if you can't outcompete their cheap labor in China or Mexico or wherever -- then join them! Send our manufacturing firms there so they can take advantage of the cheap, cheap labor -- and the 'free trade' laws -- as well!
Tell me what a 'sweat shop' is again. Oh, America doesn't have to lose all their manufacturing plants and/or farms. Rather, here's a good idea for you manufacturing owners out there who are going out of business because of cheap imported goods. Just move your plants close to the border of Mexico -- and just wait til the Mexican 'sweat shops' come to you!
I think we were talking about 'evil' before I started to get distracted and carried away in a different direction. Or was/is it a different direction. I would call all of the above 'evil' to the American people.
But then there was Obama and he equivocated a little longer. Took a little longer to answer the question, from what I remember hearing about his reply. His answer -- and I don't remember it except in the gist of what I think he was trying to say -- was a little more convoluted, which was not quite the 'Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry/Wild West/Shoot From The Hip/Republican Type answer that the American people for the most part wanted to hear. Obama's ratings slipped, I do believe, a bit after this 'double header' interview.
I believe Obama was basically trying to say this, and if this is what he meant, then DGB Philosophy -- meaning I -- fully support this line of reasoning and argumentation. Paraphasing from what I believe he meant: 'It usually takes two to tango' -- and directly or indirectly, not always, but usually -- it takes two to start a war.
Worded otherwise, it's not only a matter of looking for 'evil' in other parts of the world, of chasing down and killing bad dictators, 'terrorists' and/or 'insurgents'. Even if America wanted to, they don't have the manpower and the money to fight all the different kinds of evil and unfreedom and narcissism that there is in the world. And more than this, there is another part of the problem -- and this is the part of the problem that I think Obama was trying to get at.
We also -- everyone of us, politician and citizen alike -- need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves bluntly and honestly and directly: How do we ourselves contribute to the 'evil' that there is in the world? Do our American politicians 'pamper' some countries, while punishing, and/or denying others? Does America sell nuclear arms -- or have they in the past -- to some countries while not to others? Does America torture? Why are so many American female soldiers coming back -- raped -- by America's own men. How can America expect other countries like Iran and North Korea be expected to 'disarm their nuclear weapons' when they are being pointed out by The American Bush-led Republican Party as being a 'part of the axis of evil' when the Bush-led Republican Party just happens to be in control of the largest asenal of nuclear weapons in the world? Not only that, but then all of Iran and North Korea and Russia see America invade Iraq with an 'epistemological justification' (remember again: Iraq was supposed to have 'weapons of mass destruction') -- that turned out to be totally phony propoganda and narcissistic sophistry. What is this, if it is not evil?
What's that quote from the Bible? Again, I can't remember exactly but it's something like this, and I am paraphrasing: 'Let no person throw the first stone that has committed a sin him or herself.'
What, Ms. Palin, did you say you were -- a 'pro-lifer'? How about 'hunting'? Aren't you a hunter -- for sport, or for survival and necessity? Is 'hunting for sport' being 'pro-life'? Isn't there something hypocritical about a hunter who hunts for sport saying that he or she is 'pro-life'. My dad took my brother and sister and me hunting for groundhogs once. He was a good shot. He hit the groundhog right between the eyes. We never went hunting again.
So Ms. Palin, you're proud of the man who would sooner win a war than win an election. How about when the stakes are not an election -- but a life, a son, many lives, many sons, and even daughters now? Do you still feel the same?
I watched and listened to your speech -- and much of it was good -- a good Republican speech. You said you are going to shake up Washington -- presumably notably distinguish yourself from the Bush administration -- and stand up to special interests groups which you've already done in Alaska, in ways that no recent Republican administration has done before you...
But there was something about your speech that made me cringe...perhaps your barracuda bites that seemed at least partly -- if not more than partly -- aimed at Obama's 'manhood' -- or shall we say -- his courage, his decision-making, and his credibility to lead America'; his 'integrative, differential unity politics' which you called 'flip-flopping'. But as I've already demonstrated, Ms. Palin -- McCain and the whole Republican Party -- can 'flipflop' too -- and in fact, just did.
In this regard, you, Ms. Palin, have been annointed as the new Republican 'Alaskan barracuda with a jock strap on'. A Washington 'lobbyist buster'. Before you came upon the scene, Ms. Palin, it's funny, but that just happened to be a very, very large Republican 'middle class, public relations void'. We will see how long you can or will last playing that role, Ms. Palin. Playing the role of the mighty Greek Goddess -- Athena. Sister of the her Greek brother-God -- Ares. Both were into 'war'.
Anyways, Ms. Palin, enjoy your pedestal while you can: your moment of greater modesty and humility, and hopefully, compassion, will come; it will perhaps take a trip to the bottom of the Republican and/or American abyss in contrast to the top of the mountain -- before you get there.
Time will tell.
-- dgb, September 7th, 2008, 5:48pm.
This essay took a little longer than 'til lunch' to finish. It also took a lot out of me. Time to get some dinner and a drink.
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John Brown went off to war to fight on a foreign shore.
His mama sure was proud of him!
He stood straight and tall in his uniform and all.
His mama's face broke out all in a grin.
"Oh son, you look so fine, I'm glad you're a son of mine,
You make me proud to know you hold a gun.
Do what the captain says, lots of medals you will get,
And we'll put them on the wall when you come home."
As that old train pulled out, John's ma began to shout,
Tellin' ev'ryone in the neighborhood:
"That's my son that's about to go, he's a soldier now, you know."
She made well sure her neighbors understood.
She got a letter once in a while and her face broke into a smile
As she showed them to the people from next door.
And she bragged about her son with his uniform and gun,
And these things you called a good old-fashioned war.
Oh! Good old-fashioned war!
Then the letters ceased to come, for a long time they did not come.
They ceased to come for about ten months or more.
Then a letter finally came saying, "Go down and meet the train.
Your son's a-coming home from the war."
She smiled and went right down, she looked everywhere around
But she could not see her soldier son in sight.
But as all the people passed, she saw her son at last,
When she did she could hardly believe her eyes.
Oh his face was all shot up and his hand was all blown off
And he wore a metal brace around his waist.
He whispered kind of slow, in a voice she did not know,
While she couldn't even recognize his face!
Oh! Lord! Not even recognize his face.
"Oh tell me, my darling son, pray tell me what they done.
How is it you come to be this way?"
He tried his best to talk but his mouth could hardly move
And the mother had to turn her face away.
"Don't you remember, Ma, when I went off to war
You thought it was the best thing I could do?
I was on the battleground, you were home . . . acting proud.
You wasn't there standing in my shoes."
"Oh, and I thought when I was there, God, what am I doing here?
I'm a-tryin' to kill somebody or die tryin'.
But the thing that scared me most was when my enemy came close
And I saw that his face looked just like mine."
Oh! Lord! Just like mine!
"And I couldn't help but think, through the thunder rolling and stink,
That I was just a puppet in a play.
And through the roar and smoke, this string is finally broke,
And a cannon ball blew my eyes away."
As he turned away to walk, his Ma was still in shock
At seein' the metal brace that helped him stand.
But as he turned to go, he called his mother close
And he dropped his medals down into her hand.
-- Bob Dylan
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