Alllieblog

The Republicans are skilled at framing debates, at defining the terms even Democrats use. Rove is a genius at it. He used to send out daily talking points for the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. When he resigned from the White House I expected him to stop. Maybe he has. Maybe someone else has taken over that task but I think I he’s still doing it - but from another address.

The new Republican word is “honor.” It seems a strange choice since lies and perversions are the hallmark of the Republican Party. Still, the Republican candidates and the right wing echo chambers on Fox and talk radio are using the word a lot, trying to catapult the propaganda. On September 10 Stephen Colbert showed a video montage of Republican candidates repeating the word like a mantra. Like it meant something to them.

But what is “honor” to a Republican?

Honor can refer to many things. When I think of honor I think “virtue, integrity and a keen sense of ethical conduct: integrity or one’s word given as a guarantee of performance ”. This cannot be what Republicans are talking about. They have no integrity and their word means nothing. They are all forsworn. Forsworn means “to make a liar of oneself under or as if under oath”. If you break your oath you are forsworn. If you never meant to keep it in the first place, you are forsworn. The Republicans have all sworn to defend and protect the constitution, even Bush. (“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”) Despite this he calls the constitution “just a goddamn piece of paper.” He has undermined the constitution with almost every action. He is forsworn. By their actions most Republicans have shown themselves foresworn as well. They have made no effort to defend the constitution. Their oaths mean nothing to them. They are without honor.

Honor can also refer to the respect and admiration we feel toward those with integrity and strict ethical conduct. Again this could not be what the Republicans are talking about since they seem only to admire individuals with money and power. They show contempt for individuals of integrity. Again and again Bush has appointed corrupt cronies to public office, not honorable men and women. Bush and the Republicans show contempt for anyone too stupid to sell out.

Now they talk about honor. Well, they don’t really talk about it as much as they just utter the word repeately. It’s their new catchword.

When Republicans speak of “honor” they don’t mean integrity, they don’t mean any character trait. Since they don’t mean living up to their oaths either, what do they mean by “honor”?

They mean something external. They mean recognition and privilege. When Bush gave former CIA director George Tenent the Medal of Freedom after firing him, he was giving him an honor in the sense of an evidence or symbol of distinction, as an exalted title or rank, a badge or decoration or a ceremonial rite or observance. Tenent got a medal and the ceremonial rite in the White House, but not for his integrity and ethics. But for his lack of them.

The Bush Administration’s actions in Iraq, from kidnapping and torture to funding death squads, have been without honor. Yet now they claim we cannot leave Iraq with honor. They are right. If you don’t bring honor with you, you cannot take it with you when you leave. They have dishonored our nation, our soldiers and our constitution. They have brought only shame to them all. For them honor is just a word they use to obscure the fact that they have none. Honor is in their mouths but not their actions.

© Alllie 2007

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This entry was posted on Monday, September 17th, 2007 at 6:12 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site. Edit this entry.