[Assam] A Joe Barton of Our Own?

[kamal deka]

>>>> But as the ancient proverb
goes," I can only lead the camel to the water, but if he does not
drink ----"  :-).<<<<

I am assailed by a question in like manner.Can I take a horse to the
water and make him drink if he does not want to?
K



On Wed, Jun 23, 2010 at 3:53 PM, Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at gmail.com> wrote:
> My apologies for the delay in replying. Out on a short vacation, I have been
> out of internet service.
>
> **** Thanks for the explanation below. I suspected something like that might
> have been the
> case, but wanted to make sure, before I returned to the issue's closure:
>
>
>>My second mail expresses my deep sympathy to the family of an innocent
>>
>> victim,who was murdered, rather brutally.
>> My real concern for those people,who fell a victim to the barbaric
>> acts of ULFA, can be gauged by the fact that a barrage of letters in
>> protest were written by me,even though I had special reason to be
>> concerned with respect to the safety of my kith and kin,I left behind.
>> KO
>
> **** Is that  a crystal clear demonstration of dedication to humanism,
> beyond
> the call of duty or what? It also sets one apart from the double-talking,
> selective-humanism-promoting lot.  If I had the power to bestow a Monusyo
> Rotno-like award, recognizing the high valor and selfless dedication, I
> would have,
> had I not been confused by the unceremonious and unseemly declaration
>
>                "As a normal human being,who DEEPLY BELIEVES IN HUMANITY --"
>
> that prefaced the expression of sympathy to the family of the victim.
>
>
> **** We all have had the misfortune of knowing or running into some of those
> lovely people, who wear their piety on their shirt-sleeves and who never
> fail to
> make sure that their  acts of charity, kindness or other commendable acts go
> unnoticed
> by their peers, if not the world. Like cheap politicians for example.
>
> But KJD?  I don't think so!
>
> # So, how did that happen?
>
> For only one and only one reason: From a need for damage control :-)!
>
> # What damage?
>
> For declaring earlier, that
>
> "All these drivels  ( sic) with respect to human/humanity/humanism
>>>>
>>>> are nothing but hackneyed
>>>> slogans. "
>
>
> # But that was in the context of  CM recommending the human ID as the
> primary ID for Anurag.
>
>
> **** Now we come to another interesting part  here.
>
> # Does it therefore mean, that HUMANISM is bogus, because it came from a man
> of soiled reputation, this Odhom?
>
> # If so, KJD's Humanism as an idea, can be made to be 'sua', soiled, merely
> by the touch
> of an unclean one.
>
> **** Nice one that would be, wouldn't it?
>
> OR try this:
>
> #Did we hear someone sneering from the sidelines about this Odhom's
> "selective-humanism" ?
>
> Oh yes, that was from the jeer-leading section. And it held that this
> Odhom's
> expression of  humanism is phony, because THEY never heard a
> word of denouncement from him about the Bihari Killing perpetrated
> by ULFA.
>
> Obviously it means, to KJD and his jeer-leading section, that UNLESS
> one wears his piety on his shirtsleeves, like themselves, particularly in
> instances
> of ULFA's violence, for all to see and which they had to witness THEMSELVES,
> they
> could not be trusted to value humanism.
>
> **** Is THAT enlightenment or what?
>
>
> **** The truth however is that neither KJD nor his jeer-leading section is
> that
> intellectually challenged. They just got caught up in a politically spun web
> of their own making, and while attempting to extricate from it, got even
> more
> mired in the muck.
>
>
> **** The moral of the story here is that when allows one's judgement  to be
> guided by
> one's politics, it may end up in doing a Joe Barton. Not a pretty sight.
>
> **** Under the circumstances, being the nice guy I am, I still leave the
> option for KJD
> to accept the escape hatch I offered with "----It is a sign of maturity to
> correct oneself, even
> after making a spectacular blunder. ---".  The least I could do. But as the
> ancient proverb
> goes," I can only lead the camel to the water, but if he does not drink
> ----"  :-).
>
>
> cm
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Jun 19, 2010, at 9:33 PM, kamal deka wrote:
>
>>>>> That I did. But I still don't get it. From the assertive tone here, I
>>>>> have to conclude
>>
>> you are sure I missed something relevant<<<
>>
>> Sorry,part of my response did not get through,somehow.
>> I write on stuff that tickles me at the precise point of writing and
>> that yokes me to the issue of ' context '.
>> You played devil's advocate by spouting the pious thought of '
>> humanity ' in connection with Rudra's write-up = Do not seem to
>> practice what you preach in the light of ULFA's short-circuiting their
>> killing machines on innocent Biharis = Double-talk = this leads to the
>> humbug/baloney of humanity/humanism et al.Geddit!!!
>> My second mail expresses my deep sympathy to the family of an innocent
>> victim,who was murdered, rather brutally.
>> My real concern for those people,who fell a victim to the barbaric
>> acts of ULFA, can be gauged by the fact that a barrage of letters in
>> protest were written by me,even though I had special reason to be
>> concerned with respect to the safety of my kith and kin,I left behind.
>> KO
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Jun 18, 2010 at 10:32 PM, Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> On Jun 18, 2010, at 5:57 PM, kamal deka wrote:
>>>
>>>>>>> "As a normal human being,who DEEPLY BELIEVES IN HUMANITY ,my heart
>>>>>>> goes
>>>>>>> out to the family of the victim of this terrible tragedy."<<<
>>>>
>>>> This one really tops my hilarity chart and hence I laugh my gut
>>>> out.
>>>
>>> *** Careful now! While I envy all those who are so blessed to be able to
>>> laugh
>>> all the way to one's grave, I wouldn't want to see you  head that way so
>>> early in life :-).
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> How come the context of those remarks sank without a trace? I
>>>> hope,you made an attempt to slip a bit of levity into the discussion
>>>> since rank absurdity as this one cannot be expected to emerge from an
>>>> experienced netter like you,even though I am fully aware of the idiom
>>>> ( you see, how dam idioms torment me often) that goes '" many a true
>>>> word is spoken in jest" ( let me give you the meaning before it gets
>>>> your nerve.It means,witty remark that contains serious statement.)
>>>
>>> *** Thanks much. That was so very thoughtful.  I didn't have to go search
>>> for the
>>> idiom's meaning in the internet.
>>>
>>>
>>> Tell us more about what I might have missed contextually.  Trust Me, I am
>>> not
>>> infallible. While I may be old, it does not necessarily make me wise, as
>>> you
>>> must have
>>> heard me say so many times. So lay bare what I missed. I am serious. I
>>> would
>>> want to know
>>> what nuance did not register in this Odhom's decrepit mind. And if  I am
>>> so
>>> blessed as to
>>> be enlightened, I will express my gratitude in no uncertain terms, for
>>> all
>>> here to see .
>>>
>>>
>>>> Now,I must admit, your's is truly an example of peerless writing
>>>> skill!!!.
>>>
>>>
>>> **** Really?  Is this some kind of a 'leng-mora' compliment, overly
>>> exaggerated ,
>>> just to make the tripping more pronounced?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> Now if you just could have gotten the facts straight!
>>>
>>>
>>> **** I told you, I am not only not infallible, I am not all that literate
>>> either. Sometimes the
>>> meanings of the written word, particularly of the hyperbole laden and
>>> verbose, do elude me.
>>> So don't hesitate to say it like it is--I won't at all mind being exposed
>>> to
>>> netters' disparagement.
>>>
>>>
>>>> It seems,you got your wires crossed and printed some laughable "facts."
>>>
>>> **** While it could entirely be possible for me to get my wires crossed,
>>>  I
>>> am not sure what
>>> I reported or referred to as "fact" that is so laughable.  Please help.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> I hope you'll do some checking into this matter by revisiting my earier
>>>> mails to see the context ---
>>>
>>> **** That I did. But I still don't get it. From the assertive tone here,
>>> I
>>> have to conclude
>>> you are sure I missed something relevant. Since I still don't get it,
>>> will I
>>> be asking too much
>>> to explain what it was that was so obvious but my thick head did not get
>>> it?
>>> An extension of a
>>> helping hand to the comprehensionally challenged  ( you heard it here
>>> first)
>>> will be an act
>>> of kindness that a humanitarian would not refuse. Can I count on it?
>>>
>>>
>>>> and if it turns out that I'm right (which I
>>>> am), run a correction, an apology, a plea for mercy, or something
>>>> contrite. You can thank me later.
>>>
>>> **** Absolutely! The least I could do.
>>>
>>> A word of of advice here: Do consult your fan club before you respond,
>>> lest
>>> they  get thrown
>>> under the bus :-).
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>> KO
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, Jun 18, 2010 at 8:44 AM, Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Words of extraordinary significance, duplicity, retraction etc. often
>>>>> finds
>>>>> its
>>>>> way into the American lexicon as phrases on their own, namely:
>>>>>
>>>>> *** To be Borked  came from Reagan's Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork
>>>>> who
>>>>> was rejected
>>>>> by the Senate after a highly charged hearing.
>>>>>
>>>>> *** To be doing a Cheney came from exaggerated fear-mongering to
>>>>> political
>>>>> ends.
>>>>>
>>>>> *** So on and so forth.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Yesterday,  Congressman Joe Barton ( R-Tex) , an ex Oil Co. Executive
>>>>> and
>>>>> the one Congressman
>>>>> who has received the highest amount of money ( campaign donations) from
>>>>> oil
>>>>> companies,
>>>>> who was the ranking minority representative in the Congressional
>>>>> hearing
>>>>> that took testimony from
>>>>> BP CEO, Tony Howard made an unprecedented apology to BP, for his
>>>>> perceived
>>>>> crime of the US Govt.
>>>>> and President Obama in 'shaking down BP' ( in his words) for the $ 20
>>>>> Billion to be kept aside in trust
>>>>> for compensation to people and companies who are hurt by the oil spill.
>>>>> Among other things he said that
>>>>> he does not want to live in a country that does such things.
>>>>>
>>>>> The same Joe Barton made a complete about face, later in the day, after
>>>>> a
>>>>> national outcry and having
>>>>> been taken to task by his own party leaders and apologized to the
>>>>> American
>>>>> people for his apology
>>>>> to BP earlier in the day.
>>>>>
>>>>> This has the potential to find a way into the American lexicon as well,
>>>>> as
>>>>> "To do a Joe Barton", meaning doing an
>>>>> ignominious about face shortly after making a seriously controversial
>>>>> statement.
>>>>>
>>>>> Did our distinguished netter KJD of Texas do a Joe Barton in the last
>>>>> couple
>>>>> of days, right here in assamnet
>>>>> by making the following two statements, one shortly after the other?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>     "All these drivels  ( sic) with respect to human/humanity/humanism
>>>>> are nothing but hackneyed
>>>>>     slogans. "
>>>>>
>>>>> Followed by:
>>>>>
>>>>>     "As a normal human being,who DEEPLY BELIEVES IN HUMANITY ,my heart
>>>>> goes out to the family of the victim of this terrible tragedy."
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> You decide :-).
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> **** Personally, I  never taunt people who change their minds after
>>>>> seeing
>>>>> reason. It is a sign of maturity
>>>>> to correct oneself, even after making a spectacular blunder.  If that
>>>>> was
>>>>> so
>>>>> in KJD's case, instead of making him a target
>>>>> of public ridicule, I would commend him for his courage to stand
>>>>> corrected.
>>>>>
>>>>> Was it?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> cm
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> assam mailing list
>>>>> assam at assamnet.org
>>>>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
>>>>>
>>>>
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