"Considering, therefore, why it is that in ancient times the people were greater lovers of liberty than in our own times, I believe [it is] based upon the difference between our religion [Christianity] and ancient religion. In our sacrifices there is some ceremony ... but no act that is fierce or brave. Theirs lacked neither pomp nor ceremonial magnificence...[but were also] full of blood and ferocity, involving the killing of a multitude of animals--this spectacle was awesome, and produced similarly awesome men.
"If it is true that our religion also requires strength, it is the kind of strength that makes you willing to suffer rather than to undertake bold deeds. So this way of living, then, seems to have rendered the world weak and handed it over as prey to wicked men, who can safely manage it when they see that most men think more of going to Heaven by enduring their injuries than by avenging them."
-Niccoló Machiavelli, The Discourses Book II, chapter 2
_______________________________________
"This is insulting to Christian America. It's insulting. This is driven by secular progressives ...Secular progressives which are driving this movement, OK, don't want Christmas. They don't want it as a federal holiday, they don't want any message of spirituality or Judeo-Christian tradition because that stands in the way of gay marriage, legalized drugs, euthanasia, all of the greatest hits on the secular progressive play card."
-Bill O'Reilly - 11/30/05
"Happy Holidays" is fine. Just don't ban "Merry Christmas," that's all we're saying.
-Bill O'Reilly - 12/20/05
_______________________________________
"Gimme that Old Time Religion!"
-Bruno Machiavelli, Impresario
Il Teatro Machiavelli
_______________________________________
"God bless us, every one.
Tiny Tim, impoverished crippled boy
A Christmas Carol
http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/war_on_christmas
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/12/2/151252/389
25 dicembre 2005
28 aprile 2005
Cruelties, timing of
"Well committed may be called those [cruelties], which are perpetrated once for the need of securing oneself, and which afterwards are not persisted in[...]. Cruelties ill committed are those which, although at first few, increase rather than diminish with time. [...] The conqueror must arrange to commit all his cruelties at once so as not to have them recur...every day, and so as to be able, by not making fresh changes, to reassure people and win them over by benefitting them."
-Niccoló Machiavelli,
The Prince, chapter 8
"The Attorney General is charged by statute with interpreting the law for the Executive Branch. This interpretive authority extends to both domestic and international law. [...] As you have said, the war against terrorism is a new kind of war...this new paradigm renders obsolete Geneva's strict limitation on questioning of enemy prisoners and renders quaint some of its provisions..."
-Alberto Gonzales, Attorney General of the United States of America
Re: Decision Re Application of the Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War to the Conflict with Al Qaeda and the Taliban
Writing as White House Chief Counsel
January 25, 2002
"This is no different than what happens at the Skull and Bones initiation, and we're going to ruin people's lives over it, and we're going to hamper our military effort, and then we are going to really hammer them because they had a good time. You know, these people are being fired at every day. I'm talking about people having a good time, these people, you ever heard of emotional release? You [ever] heard of need to blow some steam off?"
-Rush Limbaugh, May 2004
"That is a great question. What kind of gift to give Democrats here on the anniversary of Abu Ghraib. I’m glad you called, Christopher.
"We’ll think of more as they, as they come up. You know, you might give them a little pyramid game, something that is in the shape of a pyramid. Wire tap kit. Could borrow that. ... Jumper cables. A pair of jumper cables...[A]nd these are things we all have lying around the house, folks. Just get rid of it. It is junk. Give them a German shepherd. Oh, yeah, a German shepherd dog, little German shepherd puppy. You can train yourself.
"It is Abu Ghraib Day. Senator Kennedy issued a statement, Democrats celebrating the one year anniversary of the Abu Ghraib scandal. I don’t know how I forgot this. Obviously, at the top of the gift list has to be women’s underwear. Remember, women’s underwear was put on the heads of Islamic prisoners to humiliate them. Democrats found this totally objectionable, can’t believe it. Another thing, remember all of the pictures of Abu Ghraib prisoners with bags on their heads, with eye holes cut out. Give them some of those. Those are cheap. Go to the grocery store, get groceries, then give them the empty bags with the eye holes cut out favorite liberal Democrat, that as well as handcuffs. The bag for the head has a series of uses for liberal Democrats as well. Then, of course, there is a leash. A leash can be found at any pet store and it goes along with the German Shepherd that you are going to give away to a democrat here as they celebrate the one year anniversary of Abu Ghraib Day.
..."You know, the Democrats today celebrating the one year anniversary of Abu Ghraib. Now you have to be very careful about how far they take this. I mean, it is one thing to start giving them gifts. We forgot, a water board would be a great gift. For some libs, if you could find a naked Iraqi inflatable insurgent doll that would be a thrill."
-Rush Limbaugh
26 April 2005
"Saddam Hussein on line one, Mr. President, he wants to hire your lawyers."
-Bruno Machiavelli, Impresario
Il Teatro Machiavelli
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25239-2005Mar10.html
http://lawofwar.org/Torture_Memos_analysis.htm
http://coldfury.com/reason/?p=424
http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=79532
-Niccoló Machiavelli,
The Prince, chapter 8
"The Attorney General is charged by statute with interpreting the law for the Executive Branch. This interpretive authority extends to both domestic and international law. [...] As you have said, the war against terrorism is a new kind of war...this new paradigm renders obsolete Geneva's strict limitation on questioning of enemy prisoners and renders quaint some of its provisions..."
-Alberto Gonzales, Attorney General of the United States of America
Re: Decision Re Application of the Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War to the Conflict with Al Qaeda and the Taliban
Writing as White House Chief Counsel
January 25, 2002
"This is no different than what happens at the Skull and Bones initiation, and we're going to ruin people's lives over it, and we're going to hamper our military effort, and then we are going to really hammer them because they had a good time. You know, these people are being fired at every day. I'm talking about people having a good time, these people, you ever heard of emotional release? You [ever] heard of need to blow some steam off?"
-Rush Limbaugh, May 2004
"That is a great question. What kind of gift to give Democrats here on the anniversary of Abu Ghraib. I’m glad you called, Christopher.
"We’ll think of more as they, as they come up. You know, you might give them a little pyramid game, something that is in the shape of a pyramid. Wire tap kit. Could borrow that. ... Jumper cables. A pair of jumper cables...[A]nd these are things we all have lying around the house, folks. Just get rid of it. It is junk. Give them a German shepherd. Oh, yeah, a German shepherd dog, little German shepherd puppy. You can train yourself.
"It is Abu Ghraib Day. Senator Kennedy issued a statement, Democrats celebrating the one year anniversary of the Abu Ghraib scandal. I don’t know how I forgot this. Obviously, at the top of the gift list has to be women’s underwear. Remember, women’s underwear was put on the heads of Islamic prisoners to humiliate them. Democrats found this totally objectionable, can’t believe it. Another thing, remember all of the pictures of Abu Ghraib prisoners with bags on their heads, with eye holes cut out. Give them some of those. Those are cheap. Go to the grocery store, get groceries, then give them the empty bags with the eye holes cut out favorite liberal Democrat, that as well as handcuffs. The bag for the head has a series of uses for liberal Democrats as well. Then, of course, there is a leash. A leash can be found at any pet store and it goes along with the German Shepherd that you are going to give away to a democrat here as they celebrate the one year anniversary of Abu Ghraib Day.
..."You know, the Democrats today celebrating the one year anniversary of Abu Ghraib. Now you have to be very careful about how far they take this. I mean, it is one thing to start giving them gifts. We forgot, a water board would be a great gift. For some libs, if you could find a naked Iraqi inflatable insurgent doll that would be a thrill."
-Rush Limbaugh
26 April 2005
"Saddam Hussein on line one, Mr. President, he wants to hire your lawyers."
-Bruno Machiavelli, Impresario
Il Teatro Machiavelli
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25239-2005Mar10.html
http://lawofwar.org/Torture_Memos_analysis.htm
http://coldfury.com/reason/?p=424
http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=79532
14 febbraio 2005
Fortune is a Woman
"I certainly think it is better to be impetuous than cautious, for Fortune is a woman, and it is necessary, if you wish to conquer her, to take her by force; and it can be seen that she lets herself be overcome by the bold rather than by those who proceed coldly. And therefore, like a woman, she is always a friend to the young, because they are less cautious, fiercer, and master her with greater audacity."
-Niccoló Machiavelli,
The Prince, chapter 25
"As I was telling my husb--...As I was telling President Bush..."
-Condoleeza Rice
November 2004
"...sexual orgies eliminate social tensions and ought to be encouraged."
- Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, speaking at Harvard
"Ahh, traditional values. Happy Valentine's Day, young lovers!"
-Bruno Machiavelli, Impresario
Il Teatro Machiavelli
-Niccoló Machiavelli,
The Prince, chapter 25
"As I was telling my husb--...As I was telling President Bush..."
-Condoleeza Rice
November 2004
"...sexual orgies eliminate social tensions and ought to be encouraged."
- Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, speaking at Harvard
"Ahh, traditional values. Happy Valentine's Day, young lovers!"
-Bruno Machiavelli, Impresario
Il Teatro Machiavelli
19 gennaio 2005
Liberality vs. Miserliness
"Either a prince spends that which is his own or his subjects' or else that of others. In the first case he ought to be sparing, in the second he ought not to neglect any opportunity for liberality. And to the prince who goes forth with his army, supporting it by plunder, sack, and extortion [...] this liberality is necessary, otherwise he would not be followed by soldiers. And of that which is neither yours nor your subjects' you can be a ready giver [...] because it does not take away your reputation if you squander that of others, but adds to it; it is only squandering your own that injures you."
-Niccoló Machiavelli,
The Prince, chapter 16
"You can be equally concerned about our troops in Iraq and those who suffered at the tsunamis with celebrating democracy."
-George W. Bush, on the $40M inauguration tab, excluding unprecedented taxpayer-funded security costs)
January 2005
http://www.inaugural05.com/
"Yes, your majesty, you are a fine violinist...umm...is it getting warm in here?"
-Bruno Machiavelli, Impresario
Il Teatro Machiavelli
-Niccoló Machiavelli,
The Prince, chapter 16
"You can be equally concerned about our troops in Iraq and those who suffered at the tsunamis with celebrating democracy."
-George W. Bush, on the $40M inauguration tab, excluding unprecedented taxpayer-funded security costs)
January 2005
http://www.inaugural05.com/
"Yes, your majesty, you are a fine violinist...umm...is it getting warm in here?"
-Bruno Machiavelli, Impresario
Il Teatro Machiavelli
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