Letters to the Editor
-
Humpty Dumpty: "When I use a word'", Humpty Dumpty said in a scornful tone "it means
just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less". This character from "The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland" just about sums it up. Alice's eyes widened in amazement when a world turned upside down from normal expectation was revealed to her and, in a way this site reflects a "Through the Looking Glass" experience. A short time ago, people were going bananas over the word "fairytale" and now it's another semantic storm that's bringing the thunder(ing) and forked lightning. When I saw what was going on among Democratic Party supporters, I put a bet on John MCain, even before he won Florida. Not one of your candidates would represent my views but that's of no importance but I do want the next President of the US to show some understanding and respect for the lives of non-Americans as well as for those of Americans. I appreciate much about America - particularly free speech which allows someone like me to post comments about the US which are displeasing. Your poet, Emily Dickinson, wrote about "the wiles of words" so that words are important unless empty and false. In the end, there's only one American I really wish I could claim as Irish and that's Jack Nicholson. I'll be looking at "About Schmidt" later for the third time. You could have Bono instead - I can't stand preachy millionaires who hide their money in "tax havens" while pursuing a do-ggoder career. His latest gig was to turn up at the funeral of Senator Lantos of California, and sing a few screechy lines of "All you need is love" in honour of Mrs. Lantos. There are plenty Bono critics her, I'm telling you, who can spot a phoney a mile away. I'll keep supporting Hillary anyway because I'm deeply suspicious of the mainstream American media which, not that long ago, grovelled to George W. Bush.
-
@Asher Steinberg
Asher Steinberg: "I have to say I find it pretty ironic that in a speech in which Obama was defending the value of his words, he had to steal someone else's."
What else do you find ironic? Do you find it ironic that Hillary Clinton is focusing on a non-issue like plagiarism on a day that might make or break her campaign? (I'm not sure if that's literally ironic -- I'm speaking more in an Alanis Morrisette kinda way.) Do you find it ironic that Hillary Clinton is claiming plagiarism when it turns out she has done the same thing in her speeches? Or when it turns out she attempted to have the name of the ghost writer for her book "It Takes a Village" removed from the credits? There's plenty of irony to go around! Step up and ladle yourself a big old gulp of cool, refreshing irony.... Ahhh....
Asher Steinberg: "It's not the biggest crime in the world but there's no defense for it, especially not saying, "oh, Mr. Patrick doesn't care so why should we?""
But Obama did not say that. Some of his supporters have said it here, but what Obama did was to apologize for the omission and say something to the effect that it was inappropriate. Then there was further explanation that the phrase came from a colleague and they had discussed it. Knowing the full situation, one can't help but think that Obama handled it reasonably well and did not make much of a gaffe.
"Asher Steinberg: "I doubt many historians really care when undergrads plagiarize from their work for term papers, but that doesn't somehow make it okay."
Would that include the historians who wrote all that wacky stuff about Hillary Clinton authorizing the war in Iraq that has led to millions of deaths? Just curious.
-
Peter Hassett: Cultural Literacy, Allusion
(And I am just a lowly English prof. MLA-style rocks.)
Your two examples are familiar enough that they require no citation. No literate person is likely to think that you have come up with "better angels" if you quote Lincoln and Shakespeare's neologisms, like a gazillion others you could name, have entered into the general vocabulary.
I'd mention also that "Where's the beef?" (among other pop culture tags) required no citation because no one would have thought that Mondale had thought up the phrase himself. If you start a speech with a snarky look and a snotty "Mission accomplished?!," you needn't cite.
Immature politicians borrow; mature politicians steal--now there's a principle I could stand beside.
-
Obama
Re: "Do you find it ironic that Hillary Clinton is claiming plagiarism when it turns out she has done the same thing in her speeches? "
No she hasn't. Don't drag Hillary down to that level.
Obama stole from Deval Patrick and even from Spike Lee's Malcolm X: "You've been hoodwinked, you've been bamboozled, you've been given the okey doke."
We've been bamboozled all right.
-
Xrandadu Hutman
What do you do for a living such that you can compose these sentence-by-sentence refutations of anti-Obama comments all day (which by the way are not particularly endearing to your cause)?
-
Politicians and Writers
I'm confused. Obama has been accused of stealing words from someone who freely admits he gave them to Obama. It's as if you gave me your television, and I took your television, and then my neighbor came over and said, "why did you steal that guy's television?" And I'd say, "no, he gave it to me," and you'd say, "no, I gave it to him," and my neighbor would say, "I'm going to alert the media."
Also: it is a very well-hidden secret that politicians often hire people to help them write their speeches. I know, I was surprised the first time I heard this information, too. These "speech writers" (as they're called) have a fairly limited range of topics which they are required to address ... "inspire hope(TM 2007 Barack Obama Ltd.)", "Get out the vote (C. 1999 Sean John Enterprises (I know, I was surprised by that one, too!)). For the most part, these "speech writers" are human beings who have not yet had the "encyclopedic catalog of all language utilized in the history of political speeches" chip installed in their brain-drives. From time to time, they may very well repeat a sentiment that has been offered before in one of the many thousands of political races that have taken place in our history. Yes, it is alarming, and I hope the Bush administration will manage to enact severe penalties for this sort of unconscionable act before the McCain/Lieberman administration takes over. Please visit www.installencyclopedicknowledgeofpoliticalspeecheschipinspeechwritersbrains.com if you are interested in contributing to this noble cause.