Some Things Never Change

I received the following quotation from a friend and it seemed so appropriate for the times with politicians, business leaders, celebrities and clergy confessing to some sin, bias, crime, etc. and blaming it on someone else or something else, alcohol, a draft in their crib when they were infants which chilled their heads, a fluctuation of bejabber fluid in their brains sloshing over the red line of a cone-shaped brain. I shared the quotation with another friend and it triggered a rant. Rants from this friend are always on target and welcome so I am sharing both with you in this blog. I think you will like the quotation and the rant. Enjoy!

This is the quotation:
"It appears we have appointed our worst generals to command forces, and our most gifted and brilliant to edit newspapers!

In fact, I discovered by reading newspapers that these editor/geniuses plainly saw all my strategic defects from the start, yet failed to inform me until it was too late.

Accordingly, I'm readily willing to yield my command to these obviously superior intellects, and I'll, in turn, do my best for the Cause by writing editorials - after the fact."
-Robert E. Lee, 1863

I shared this with my friend after Senor Gonzales was delivering his apologia at the podium.

This is my friend's rant:
"My corollary: It is far better to hold another responsible, than it is to assume the mantle of responsibility yourself. It's actually the most widely practiced behavior today.

Long ago when the earth was flat and dinosaurs stalked the land, it was admired to stand forth in the face of adversity, to practice what you preached, and to accept the consequences if things went wrong.

Now, we are more sophisticated. We admire the special courage it takes to stand in the background and point fingers, to mouth platitudes in public and mock them in private, and to set up someone else to take the fall if your self-serving plan collapses.

Not for us those antique symbols of yesteryear, when we looked to emulate the strength of the panther, or the vision of the eagle. Today we embrace a new reality, the strength of the weasel, and the vision of the cockroach. Not in vain did our forefathers battle against ignorance, hypocrisy, and superstition. I'm sure they can look down on us from their eternal resting place with.... with....

...well, maybe it's just best to leave it at that.

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