Bill Maher tells the Republicans that there is no shame in apologizing
In my mind, Bill Maher is consistently smart and sharp-edged in his presentations. Consider this post, in which he clearly explains (for the benefit of Republicans) that there is no shame in apologizing when one should apologize. But the Republicans see apologizing as a weakness, always:
One of the things that makes Republicans furious about our current president is their idea that Obama is always apologizing for America’s biggest mistakes. Unlike President Bush. Who was one of America’s biggest mistakes.
In his first week as president, Obama did an interview with Arab TV in which he said, “We sometimes make mistakes. We have not been perfect.” Thought crime! And then he went to Cairo and violated one of those absolute eternal rules the Right Wing is always making up out of thin air: “The president must never apologize on foreign soil. Lest our allies begin to doubt that we’re assholes. “
For awhile I was waiting for the GOP to update their list of family values to include arrogance. I’m still uncertain why so many conservatives have this need for macho self image, almost as if you are not effective if you do not have a bully mentality.
Here’s a case in point: “A long-suppressed report by the Central Intelligence Agency’s inspector general to be released next week reveals that CIA interrogators staged mock executions as part of the agency’s post-9/11 program to detain and question terror suspects, NEWSWEEK has learned.” The report reveals that one suspect “was threatened with a gun and a power drill during the course of CIA interrogation.”
We are one hell of a messed up country if we can’t admit and feel great remorse for despicable government behavior like this. And I’d bet that we still don’t know 99% of the terrible things that were done in the name of the People of the United States to prisoners. It’s easier, certainly more expeditious, even under Barack Obama, to keep these things secret.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/213188
“Love of country means never having to say you’re sorry”
Joseph Goebbels
Tim: I almost didn’t understand your reference and nearly began a ‘bumper stickers are not philosophy’ rant, very clever sir.