Comments on: Trashing Jefferson

By: Rueful Red

Rueful Red — Wed, 03 May 2006 09:56:41 +0000

Oooh that sounds like one I must read. Even its title’s a continuing thread in American public life since about Jefferson. I read Fulbright’s “The Price of Empire” and as far as I can remember he made no mention of his position on Civil Rights, which is odd because otherwise he would have been JFK’s Secretary of State without any doubt at all. It defined his career. To attack Fulbright on his civil rights record is of course in another sense crude anachronism - in the 40s and 50s his record was unremarkable - but since Lefties can’t resist anachronistic attacks on the Right I just thought I’d have a pop at ole’ Halfbright.

By: HalfEmpty

HalfEmpty — Tue, 02 May 2006 21:54:45 +0000

Read or re-read The Natural Superiority of Southern Politicians: A Revisionist Historyitn by Mr. David Leon Chandler out of print - but 1 copy was available at amazon. I'm frantically searching for mine now...

By: HalfEmpty

HalfEmpty — Tue, 02 May 2006 21:46:29 +0000

Senator Fulbright always voted his state ie against Civil Rights, until relieved of the need to do so by LBJ's legislation.

Yes indeedy, don't recall an I only did it for the state masses apology either.

By: Rueful Red

Rueful Red — Tue, 02 May 2006 13:36:31 +0000

Even as the uncle of a Fulbright scholar I have to say that, through his self-promoting Senate hearings, Sen. Fulbright (or “Halfbright” as LBJ used to refer to him) made the most terrific contribution to the communist war effort in Vietnam, thereby helping consign tens of millions to tyranny and the “re-education” camps. As a committed supporter of racial segregation in the South, Senator Fulbright always voted his state ie against Civil Rights, until relieved of the need to do so by LBJ’s legislation. At this distance in time he now looks like the sort of liberal who’d rather feel good about himself by a claiming a spurious moral superiority than to act in the interests of freedom and democracy if it might cost him his seat in the Senate. A political blackguard, as it were.

By: Wilbur Larch

Wilbur Larch — Tue, 02 May 2006 13:03:38 +0000

It all depends on how productive criticism is and whether it is expressed in good faith. I agree with Steyn in the sense that dissent for its own sake is useless and unpatriotic. As a Fulbright Alumnus I like Senator Fulbright's understanding of patriotism. He described criticism as a compliment and a "higher form of patriotism, I believe, than the familiar rituals and national adulation".

Better misquoting Jefferson than misreading intelligence.

By: HalfEmpty

HalfEmpty — Tue, 02 May 2006 11:43:25 +0000

Nice piece of trivia there Mr. Red. There’s been an Enterprise in commission in the US Navy ever since.

By: Rueful Red

Rueful Red — Tue, 02 May 2006 11:38:31 +0000

Blackguards take care not to be where the fighting is, so Greene can’t be. I must say that Benedict Arnold was the most terrifically brave soldier until he, er, wasn’t. Captured the US Navy’s first ever prize, which he named the “Enterprise”.

By: HalfEmpty

HalfEmpty — Mon, 01 May 2006 23:56:22 +0000

I like to think my main man Nathiel Greene wasn’t a blackguard. A failed Quaker, but not a blackguard.

By: ninme

ninme — Mon, 01 May 2006 17:21:32 +0000

Well, I’m in favour of him generally, but I’m rather down on him since for the past 60 years or so the Supreme Court whose job it is to uphold and interpret the Constitution has been busily upholding and interpreting a single phrase from his personal correspondence (since he was in France when the Constitution was written, they had to get the “wall dividing church and state” line from somewhere).

By: dearieme

dearieme — Mon, 01 May 2006 16:46:14 +0000

“Thomas Jefferson would never have said anything half so witless.” Surely it’s because Jefferson espoused so much that was witless, that this false attribution sounds plausible? The Founding Fathers were a mixed bag mainly in the sense of being a bunch of blackguards plus Geo. Washington.