Jan 18, 2009

Standing Guard on a Cowardly World

“Today is 2,682 days since 9/11, 2001. … I want to thank George Bush for keeping this country safe in the interim seven years. That is an amazing achievement.

…He's willing to be hated for the rest of his life to do the right thing. And I just want to look in the camera. This is the last time I’ll be on this show when he's my President and my Commander-in-Chief and say, ‘Thank you, sir. I feel privileged that you were the President during this time in American history.’”


- Dennis Miller on the O’Reilly Factor, 1/15/09

Our Dear Mr. President,

Your watch is over good sir. Rest well. You have served with honor, courage, and dignity. An ungrateful world is better for your service. We shall miss you; too much we fear.

Kipling proves spot on more and more these days. This is another such occassion.

If

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or, being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two imposters just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run - Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!


-Rudyard Kipling


Thank you, President George Walker Bush.

Cheers,

Charlie

5 comments:

Storm'n Norm'n said...

As usual Charlie, you've done it again! Yes sir! You manage to find the most profound words at just the profound moment...

Kipling says it all so well, but Charlie brings it to us on a silver platter!

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxkpm7bH7j4

The fool is finally gone and not soon enough.

Churchill's Parrot said...

My Dear Anonymous,

We thank you for this most hilarious compilation.

To be sure, Mr. Bush was no Commander of the spoken word, a source of profound anxiety and pain to those of us who, nonetheless, supported his policies.

But he was a man of great character and essential courage who rose to his appointment with history humbly and effectively.

We sincerely pray that Mr. Obama -whose appointment is likely to be no less intense - can do the same.

Cheers,

Charlie

Joanne said...

George Bush's watch is over, and he put the safety of his country first and foremost. He is a man of great character and through the storm, he did not waver or give favour to the enemy. God bless him and keep him and his own safe and sound.

Unknown said...

Why so annoymous Annoymous?

I for one appreciate all that Bush did if safeguarding the world. As a Brit I have always supported him in a country full of public cynical liberalism (though the majority I believe do support him).

I will never forget the awful events of 9/11, a day that should never be forgotten.

He led the world in defending free peoples everywhere.

He brought democracy to a dictatorship and liberated a country run by terrorists.

He secured America and helped secure western Europe in the process.

He has done more for Africa than any other world leader but this gets lost.

There is much more but for me, but simply, he secured our lives.

I genuinely fear what comes now. Before Bush we had our eyes off the ball. I think the world is shutting its eyes once again.