If it is not false analogies that pollute this debate, it is false
populism. The people are opposed. John Boehner, the House minority
leader, says so, and so does Rep. Peter King, the Long Island Loud
Mouth who is clearly running for something. They are right — but so
what? Would they have liked Lincoln to have deferred to popular
sentiment in the South regarding slavery? Would they have liked Truman
to have polled the Army about desegregation?
YES ACTUALLY THEY WOULD HAVE.
I know this offends your cocktail parties sensitivities, Richie, but these are the assholes who actually would have liked that quite a bit. These are exactly those people. They would have loved Lincoln to have deferred to popular sentiment regarding slavery. They would have rejoiced if Truman had polled the Army about desegregation and then, finding that lots of people are ignorant-ass necks in this country, refused to desegregate it.
In both cases, they would have applauded the wisdom of the president listening to the people. And then they would have turned right around and nailed him as a n*gger-lover for considering the question at all. For raising the issue. For making us think about basic human dignity at a time when people are dying. As if people aren’t always dying, as if they gave enough of a damn to stop it, but nevertheless, how could the president even think we needed to think about this? Let’s just get back to owning and subjugating human beings and not worry so damn much about stupid American shit like freedom and justice.
These are those people. They would have wanted those polls — provided, of course, that the polls gave them the results they needed to keep themselves in power by making others afraid. That’s who they are. It’s who they’ve been for some time now.
Schmucks.
A.