Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Maureen Dowd, "Turning Brass Into Gold": To Hell With Jane Austen

In her latest New York Times op-ed entitled "Turning Brass Into Gold" (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/21/opinion/dowd-turning-brass-into-gold.html), Maureen Dowd pokes fun at the spinmasters, who are now busy doctoring the appearances of those embroiled in the Petraeus-Broadwell-Kelley-Allen imbroglio. Dowd writes:

"The military might want to have its future stars read Jane Austen as well as Grant and Rommel. 'Pride and Prejudice' is full of warnings about the dangers of young ladies with exuberant, flirtatious, 'unguarded and imprudent' manners visiting military regiments and preening in 'all the glories of the camp.'

Such folly and vanity, the ever wise Elizabeth Bennet cautioned, can lead to censure and disgrace."

I am not amused. To hell with Jane Austen.

How often I try to sleep and suddenly remember friends who lost their faces in combat. Visiting one of them in the hospital soon after the fiery attack, I almost fainted while attempting to voice optimism regarding the miracles of modern medicine.

More than 2,000 US soldiers have lost their lives in a senseless ground war in Afghanistan. Another 17,000 US soldiers have been wounded in this debacle, including many who have lost limbs, have suffered genital wounds, and have been disfigured by burns over much of their bodies.

A press conference for Natalie Khawam, Kelley’s twin sister? What a shame that these journalists, including Dowd, don't visit US army medical centers and talk with true heroes in actual need of appearance doctoring and much additional assistance.

5 comments:

  1. Well, our journalists are like like our President.
    Der Neue Stuermer has the title on its front page: "Obama, visiting Cambodia, sidesteps ghosts of history."
    Typical Obama - elegant, empty of emotions, narcissistic, gliding through life, spewing his international/New Age demagoguery and sloganeering.
    The worst president the world of erupted conflicts (partly provoked/encouraged by him) could have.

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  2. I'd like to add to my precious comment.
    When you vote for the guy who spent 20 years in the church of Reverend Wright, you get the President who wants to spend 8 years in the church of salafists and khmer rouge. Totally irresponsible and idiotic.

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  3. OK, I did it again. Sorry, Jeffrey. I clearly need a personal proof reader.
    Personally, I have no doubt that all my comments are precious. But did mean "previous" in my last comment.

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  4. It's nice, behind the attacks on Israel are salafists and Occupy Wall Street Anonymous and there is a united front of neo-Nazis and some weird so called "left" in support of salafists and Anonymous.
    Really, really, really nice.

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  5. I just finished a brief conversation with relatives. This time they didn't have to say "We have an alarm" - I heard it.
    The ladies and gentlemen of Der Stuermer continue babbling. I remember standing in front of a newsstand after 9/11 - naked ladies, naked gentlemen. The following week was equally absurd - half naked, half tragic. A week later it was tragic - for a week. Then naked ladies and gentlemen came back.

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