March 08, 2009
OK This Crap Needs to End NOW
As anyone who has perused this blog at any length is aware, as a citizen I am NOT an advocate, fan or booster for the current President.
However....
He IS the President and he is damned well due the respect, even in disagreement, that Americans who are not hyperpartisan douchebag putzes accord a holder of that august office. (Just as Bush was.)
I was going to do a normal below the fold politics post on the cacophony of fail currently emanating from the oval office when I discovered that this piece of excrement had arrived in my inbox.
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However....
He IS the President and he is damned well due the respect, even in disagreement, that Americans who are not hyperpartisan douchebag putzes accord a holder of that august office. (Just as Bush was.)
I was going to do a normal below the fold politics post on the cacophony of fail currently emanating from the oval office when I discovered that this piece of excrement had arrived in my inbox.
The video is short (2:28 ) and purports to show the different level of regard the USMC has for the previous and current Commander in chief.
Two points:
One....It is quite probable that these were cherry picked speeches. No indication is given of what sort of ceremony the two speeches were for, they may have had different solemnity levels and the different commands may have had different standing orders for their troops.
Two...The United States Armed Forces, while in uniform, do NOT, must NOT play politics. That leads down a trail which ends in blood. Happily, we have a pretty damned professional officer corps whose oath is to uphold the constitution, not any party, so I don't actually see this happening short of an actual suspension of the constitution.
While it is perfectly OK (and IHMO right now necessary) to criticize our President. This video manages at a stroke to disrespect the office, disrespect a man who has taken the weight of the world on his shoulders on our behalf AND dishonor the Marines of Camp Lejune by painting them as disloyal.
This line of attack is libelous, seditious crap and Brickmuppet Blog unequivocally and without reservation condemns it.
UPDATE: I sent this to several Milbloggers a few others.Sent it to some of the Volokh conspirators because I wonder if the video would constitute a violation of the Hatch Act.
UPDATE 2: I'm behind the curve on this one, Greyhawk comments
UPDATE 3: I am off base, this doesn't even come close to a Hatch Act violation. To clarify, I wasn't concerned that the Marines in the vid were violating the Hatch act in any way, but I failed to make that clear. I thought that the vid might have been produced by a servicemember, but even if it was it is merely in poor taste, not any violation of the Hatch Act. Thanks to all those who responded and set me straight.
My opinion of the merits of the video still stands.
One....It is quite probable that these were cherry picked speeches. No indication is given of what sort of ceremony the two speeches were for, they may have had different solemnity levels and the different commands may have had different standing orders for their troops.
Two...The United States Armed Forces, while in uniform, do NOT, must NOT play politics. That leads down a trail which ends in blood. Happily, we have a pretty damned professional officer corps whose oath is to uphold the constitution, not any party, so I don't actually see this happening short of an actual suspension of the constitution.
While it is perfectly OK (and IHMO right now necessary) to criticize our President. This video manages at a stroke to disrespect the office, disrespect a man who has taken the weight of the world on his shoulders on our behalf AND dishonor the Marines of Camp Lejune by painting them as disloyal.
This line of attack is libelous, seditious crap and Brickmuppet Blog unequivocally and without reservation condemns it.
UPDATE: I sent this to several Milbloggers a few others.Sent it to some of the Volokh conspirators because I wonder if the video would constitute a violation of the Hatch Act.
UPDATE 2: I'm behind the curve on this one, Greyhawk comments
UPDATE 3: I am off base, this doesn't even come close to a Hatch Act violation. To clarify, I wasn't concerned that the Marines in the vid were violating the Hatch act in any way, but I failed to make that clear. I thought that the vid might have been produced by a servicemember, but even if it was it is merely in poor taste, not any violation of the Hatch Act. Thanks to all those who responded and set me straight.
My opinion of the merits of the video still stands.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
09:01 PM
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