Lewis Lapham is the first “mainstream’ media editor, to call for George w. Bush’s political head. It’s about time. His editorial in the latest issue of Harper’s is outstanding. For me, this is his best line.
We have before us in the White House a thief who steals the country’s good name and reputation for his private interest and personal use; a liar who seeks to instill in the American people a state of fear; a televangelist who engages the United States in a never-ending crusade against all the world’s evil, a wastrel who squanders a vast sum of the nation’s wealth on what turns out to be a recruiting drive certain to multiply the host of our enemies. In a word, a criminal–known to be armed and shown to be dangerous. Under the three-strike rule available to the courts in California, judges sentence people to life in jail for having stolen from Wal-Mart a set of golf clubs or a child’s tricycle. Who then calls strikes on President Bush, and how many more does he get before being sent down on waivers to one of the Texas Prison Leagues?
Damn you Lewis. I wish I had written that: so succinct, almost poetic in its controlled rage and agony over what this fool has done to our country, so speaking Truth to Power, something that has been missing in the media for too long.
Dear Phronesis- equally eloquent work is published on the Booman Tribune, but without the needed audience.
We should curse the fact that our corporate-owned media control public discourse, and be grateful for the courage that some are beginning to show. Few dare to cross an administration famous for revenge. I know I wouldn’t.
It really is beautiful – thanks for posting.
Thanks.. No kidding. I’ve been writing and dreamoing about throwing this guy out of his stolen office for several years.
Alice, with all due respect this
is a bit of a stretch.
Lapham is an incredibly developed professional writer. I have yet to read a single piece of his that has not sent me to the dictionary at least once. His writing is incredibly tight–and while there are a number of highly professional and developed writers on this site, I’m sorry, but I have seen no evidence of any writers in possession of the technical skills and extremely rich vocabulary that characterize Lapham’s writing–consistently.
Even in this paragraph, geez, maybe I’m just illiterate or something, but I must admit, this is the first time I’ve ever seen the term “wastrel” in print, for example.
Any author whose work does not send me to the dictionary (if possible, repeatedly and consistently) frankly does not qualify as one of the “greats”.
So call me a snob. I just think it’s rather arrogant for us to attempt to compare the quality of ANY writing on this site with the masterful, masterful work of a Lewis Lapham.
Ha!!! Right before I read your comment, I looked up “wastrel”. Point taken.
My only hope is that I get a chance to use it in a sentence sometime in my lifetime. 😉
nice word, aint it?
Thanks again, Lewis, you are a great vocabulary builder! 😉
Hah,
Just back from early lunch. Read suskind’s diary on Sunday. I had picked up the latest issue of Harper’s this morning and had a hard time stopping reading that article – but the rest must wait till after work.
Noted for NYC Tribbers: both Lapham & John Dean will be taking part in a Town Hall lecture on Thursday evening. I’ll see if I can’t gather more info. Should be fascinating.