When They Say “Do It For The Children”

…they’re talking about themselves:

Those unentranced by the magic flute have an obligation to remember what happened; to keep the history books free of revisionism so that by shame and memory those pied pipers who led a generation astray can never return unchallenged to sound their witching tune again. But for the children already lost to the dark we can only wish that wherever they have gone, they’ve found what they were looking for.

It’s unlikely. What they’re looking for doesn’t exist, and never will.

13 thoughts on “When They Say “Do It For The Children””

  1. I think the rationale is that the burden on the producers (the “greedy”) will remain light, no matter how great it becomes. So they will continue to produce.

  2. If parents are not teaching their children self-reliance, they are doing them a great disservice. Get them in Scouts, sports, anything where they have to rely on themselves. Those listening to that “It takes a Village” crap had better realize the State is NOT your family or even your neighbor.

  3. Yeah, well Peggy Noonan is part of the problem, with her “Sarah Palin is icky!” elitist (for all the wrong reasons) shtick. It’s pretty amusing to see her complaining about “children” not getting it. What did she expect after people like her preached status and cocktail party invites above all?

  4. I’m with you Andrea.

    For Ms. Noonan to take a “…THEY are the problem..” approach to the country’s problems seems incredible. But doesn’t this article prove just how clueless the “non-icky” people are?

    And to me now. non-icky means either outside the Beltway for Republicans in D.C., or the flyover people for liberals. Because NEITHER party seems to be finding America with there plans for the future.

    I told a friend the other day that it’s like the HS Student Council (the popular, smart, rich kids) from a an old school with a new modernized wing, are running the country. And all we need to do to fix the schools problems, is to move some chairs (dollars) from the really nicer classrooms (homes), to the old classrooms (homes).

    The kids that had control of the Student Council last year, have their own plan.

    But, instead of just pointing out that the school doesn’t need more chairs, or different colored chairs and that the Student Council doesn’t have the authority to move school equipment, they come up with an alternative (screwy) plan.

    I wish I’d remembered that “icky” quote, if that’s not a HS sounding statement I’ll eat my hacky sack!!

    Ultimately, both student council groups forget that moving chairs from one room to another, or alternately moving fewer, newer or taller chairs, isn’t really doing what needs to be done, CREATING any new chairs. Or removing the need for some chairs. Or creating opportunities for students in the ‘school” to acquire their own chairs. (this line of goofy analogies could go on forever, so I won’t)

    And the ultimate idea by the new student council, that stealing from the mom’s pocket book and dad’s wallet, to buy new chairs that the student council issues to each student regardless of their current need, or want, to sit down, is just as crazy and doesn’t seem to bother ANY of them at all.

    “…cause, like, mom and like dad, have plenty of like money…and they should TOTALLY give us like MORE, for US like, instead of spending like on themselves…”

    But, then again I could be totally wrong. Maybe somebody can come up with an alternate comment, based obliquely, on mine, that ill make the masses happier, and make the other commenter look smarter and more in tune.

  5. You wingnuts are a laughingstock among enlightened, compassionate people. If history–especially modern history–teaches us anything, it’s that we have absolutely no reason to distrust government.

  6. You wingnuts are a laughingstock among enlightened, compassionate people. If history–especially modern history–teaches us anything, it’s that we have absolutely no reason to distrust government.

    Indeed. It also teaches us that the people who laugh last are sometimes the only ones left.

  7. Children are invoked by people on various parts of the ideological spectrum. I’m in Maine this week, and the airwaves are full of TV ads about the ballot initiative to repeal the legalization of gay marriage. The anti-gay marriage ads are all of the “what about the children?” variety, raising the nightmare scenario that if gay marriage is legal then schoolchildren might learn of its existence.

  8. The anti-gay marriage ads are all of the “what about the children?” variety, raising the nightmare scenario that if gay marriage is legal then schoolchildren might learn of its existence.

    That actually is a legitimate concern for impressionable children, if they are unsure about their sexuality. The straw man argument that gay marriage would dissolve existing heterosexual ones was, of course, always stupid (which is why no one ever actually made it), but it could cause bisexual kids to go gay, when it would be better for them to stay straight, given that they can. The solution, of course, is to get government out of the marriage business, and return it to the church.

  9. The solution, of course, is to get government out of the marriage business, and return it to the church.

    Civil marriage is deeply involved in questions of property ownership, taxation, inheritance, standing to file suit, medical decision making, etc. As long as that’s the case, the government has to be in the marriage business.

  10. Re “Gay marriage,” wouldn’t our kids be just as warped by observing “liberalism” as they would Gay marriage? I mean, “liberals” like to do with the taxpayer what Gays would do to each other on their honeymoon. If you catch my drift.

  11. Civil marriage is deeply involved in questions of property ownership, taxation, inheritance, standing to file suit, medical decision making, etc.

    It needn’t be. Those things could be taken care of by civil unions for everyone. Leave the word “marriage” to the church. No need to undermine its ancient meaning.

  12. Just for the tally books, I did NOT write that blurb above.

    It was an overzealous, 15 y/o, nephew, who is on the cutting edge of the HS conservatism movement.

    He comes from a crazy house, with a 90% absentee father and no mother, mom is dead. His 17 y/o sister recently left to live with other relatives, so she could get through her senior year in some peace.

    Given that, he is rebelling by being a conservative. Dad is a Democrat because, grand-dad was, and great-grandpa was, all the way back to Lincoln being a Republican. This IS still the south in some ways. And it keeps them from having to know anything I guess.

    Anyway, it’s like the anti-60’s at their house, I avoided the word home here on purpose. He’s a big, 21st century, redneck, Alex P. Keaton, in a truck with a gun rack.

    The kid reads voraciously, remembers it all, listens when we all talk politics and reads this blog when he’s at my house. But he’s still just 15. He thought I was a “member” so he just “borrowed’ my “member ID” to comment.

    While I generally applaud his thinking, and opinions, and I’m willing to let him use my laptop, I threatened him with a lack of oxygen for a few hours if he EVER pulled a stunt like this again.

    My apologies to anyone who tried to decipher some of that, to or anyone who thought I’d taken up huffing paint.

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