"Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice." - Barry Goldwater
This is a quote I have been hearing a lot lately. The right wing, in particular the Tea Partiers, have been throwing it around as a response (somehow?) to the healt care bill that recently passed. It's a fine quote, in that is apparently justifies the acts of domestic terrorism being perpetrated by the Partiers, such as attacking the homes of Comgressmen who voted for the bill. (This of course, only applies in defense of liberty. I don't really see how increasing the availability of healthcare among lower-income Americans is an attack on liberty, but I digress).
Of course, this quote can also be used to justify the motives of Al Qaeda for the September 11 attacks. They, I'm sure, will tell you that their liberties are being attacked, specifically their religiuos freedom, which, I'm sure they would agree, includes their claim to the Holy Land over the nation of Isreal, and therefore America's alliance with Isreal makes us tyrants. By the Tea Partier's standards, therefore, the World Trade Center attacks were "no vice" on the part of Al Qaeda. (It seems to me a curious tactic, then, for the teapartiers to respond to increasred healthcare for Americans by indirectly declaring their support for Al Qaeda. But again, I digress.)
These arguments aside, I wanted to applaud the choice of Barry Goldwater as the new mouthpiece of the Tea Party movement. He's certainly a fascinating historical figure. Let's take a look at some of his other quotes. Really get to know the man behind the idea.
"You don't have to be straight to be in the military; you just have to be able to shoot straight." -Barry Goldwater
Yikes. Could Mr. Goldwater have been a subscriber to the church of social justice?
"...sometimes I think this country would be better off if we could just saw off the Eastern Seaboard and let it float out to sea." -Barry Goldwater
Another daring Al Qaeda commonality.
"If everybody in this town connected with politics had to leave town because of chasing women and drinking, you would have no government." - Barry Goldwater
I'm sure Mr. Goldwater and the Tea Partiers would have backed up Bill Clinton too.
"I think every good Christian ought to kick Falwell right in the ass." -Barry Goldwater
This doesn't actually have anything to do with my argument, I just happen to think it's a good quote. I agree with this one, actually.
"If you don't mind smelling like peanut butter for two or three days, peanut butter is darn good shaving cream." -Barry Goldwater
The sort of helpful tip you might expect from Martha Stewart wearing one shoe and a tinfoil helmet. Adn speaking of tinfoil helmets:
"I think some highly secret government UFO investigations are going on that we don't know about..." - Barry Goldwater
Clearly, a man who led by example, and an example few coudl replicate. Thank you, Barry, for giving this country, both in your time and in ours, the direction it so badly needs.
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