October 24, 2006

Jabberwocky

'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone,' it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.'

'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things.'

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master - that's all.'

From Through The Looking Glass
by Lewis Carroll

One wonders what Lewis Carroll would make of White House Press Secretary Tony Snow’s remarks given out the other day, complaining that the MSM is misinterpreting the phrase ‘stay the course.’ Now, that phrase has been used repeatedly as a mantra in speeches given by the president and the Neocon Dumpties in his cabinet, for the last three years. It’s supposed to show the president’s resolve on Iraq. At least that’s how most Americans looked at it.

Now, however, according to both the president and Mr Snow, the phrase ‘stay the course’ doesn’t mean what most Americans thought it meant. Which is puzzling. Most people who’ve taken the time to listen to Mr Bush’s speeches believed (at least for the last three years or so) that the term ‘stay the course’ meant that Mr Bush would keep on doing the same things in Iraq.  And that he would keep on doing so , notwithstanding any criticism,  any suggestions for change and despite the fact that whatever it is the US is doing there, isn’t working.

So, what exactly does the term ‘stay the course’ mean now? Well, according to Mr Bush and Mr Snow ‘stay the course’  means,  well, change course. But of course the US won’t really stop staying the course, it will simply change course.

All of which amounts to a load of confusing contradictory nonsense of the kind Lewis Carroll would immediately recognize. He’d call it jabberwocky.

Which is what it is.

Basically the administration is jabberwocking about the meaning of words, trying to have it both ways, while the casualty count in an unwinnable war continues to increase.

Is it any wonder that GOP stands to lose both the House and perhaps the Senate as well?

Posted  11:00 AM

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