The folly of mistaking a paradox for a discovery, a metaphor for a proof, a torrent of verbiage for a spring of capital truths, and oneself for an oracle, is inborn in us. -Paul Valery, poet and philosopher (1871-1945)
There is a funny e-mail making the rounds comparing the recent suicidal co-pilot crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 to the Obama administration. The notion is that, like the crash scenario, the American public is locked out of the governing cockpit as Obama, the pilot, does his evil work. Vaguely the idea is that through executive action and treaty negotiations Obama has hijacked the political system. A close examination, of course, shows the analogy--as so many analogies--is a bit of a reach. The pilot is hired, Obama is elected; the co-pilot is nuts, Obama is not; the locked out pilot is in no way like the American electorate in an indirect republic nor is the passive passenger. Nonetheless the notion is a funny one and hangs together enough to be coherent, amusing and suggestive--which was its only intent.
But, of course, vituperative debate over the specifics has emerged proving once again the unwritten constitutional requirement that every single wacko notion be taken deadly seriously. Angry letters have gone back and forth accusing one side and the other over the analogy's accuracy, as if Burns really had some agricultural lust for his love as "a red, red rose."
Anyone outraged over inaccuracies might be better served staying away from literary devices all together and focusing instead on totally fictitious handling of non-fiction accounts that have been enhanced or changed to fit a political narrative.
This culture really needs a satirist like Swift or Mencken but he would probably stimulate the first and only merger of the two political extremes in the culture for the purpose of lynching him. Then they could quickly pass a constitutional amendment against humor before returning to their furious and combative high-minded fervor.
There is a funny e-mail making the rounds comparing the recent suicidal co-pilot crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 to the Obama administration. The notion is that, like the crash scenario, the American public is locked out of the governing cockpit as Obama, the pilot, does his evil work. Vaguely the idea is that through executive action and treaty negotiations Obama has hijacked the political system. A close examination, of course, shows the analogy--as so many analogies--is a bit of a reach. The pilot is hired, Obama is elected; the co-pilot is nuts, Obama is not; the locked out pilot is in no way like the American electorate in an indirect republic nor is the passive passenger. Nonetheless the notion is a funny one and hangs together enough to be coherent, amusing and suggestive--which was its only intent.
But, of course, vituperative debate over the specifics has emerged proving once again the unwritten constitutional requirement that every single wacko notion be taken deadly seriously. Angry letters have gone back and forth accusing one side and the other over the analogy's accuracy, as if Burns really had some agricultural lust for his love as "a red, red rose."
Anyone outraged over inaccuracies might be better served staying away from literary devices all together and focusing instead on totally fictitious handling of non-fiction accounts that have been enhanced or changed to fit a political narrative.
This culture really needs a satirist like Swift or Mencken but he would probably stimulate the first and only merger of the two political extremes in the culture for the purpose of lynching him. Then they could quickly pass a constitutional amendment against humor before returning to their furious and combative high-minded fervor.
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