Right-wing Moral Clarity

Right-wing Moral Clarity (posted 9 September 2002, 11pm)

Here's a pretty old legacy post from the blog archives of Geekery Today; it was written about 23 years ago, in 2002, on the World Wide Web.

All you Fifth Column Leftists and pantywaist liberals fess up. You thought that all this sabre-rattling against Iraq was just a cynical political maneuver by the Bush administration for an October surprise to undermine Democratic prospects in the upcoming Congressional races, didn’t you? Well, you’re just going to have to give up your sorry little paranoid delusions. It turns out that political maneuvering is only a fringe benefit. Sen. Bob Smith (R-NH) has shone the light of good old conservative moral and strategic clarity on why we need to bomb Baghdad as soon as possible:

MANCHESTER, N.H. — The United States should no longer buy oil from Iraq, but steal it, U.S. Sen. Bob Smith, R-Wolfeboro, told hundreds of New Hampshire Republicans gathered last night at a party fund-raiser.

Why don’t we just take his oil? Smith bellowed to the crowd during a fiery 13-minute speech, referring to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Why buy it? Take it!

Thanks, Bob, for clearing that one up for us. The oppressed petrochemicals of Iraq must be liberated from Saddam Hussein’s iron fist as soon as possible.

4 replies to Right-wing Moral Clarity

Follow replies to this article

Martin Striz /# 5pm • 10 Sep 2002

Whatever happened to the good old conservative value of property rights? Ah, if someone comes to own property by illegitimate means, such as claiming it by fiat or taking it by coup or war, then one doesn’t have legitimate property. Wait, didn’t European settlers claim land by fiat? Didn’t they take more land in a war with Spain? And does “just taking it” from someone who may have acquired it illegitimately make it legitimately yours? Aren’t you ALSO taking it through war? And who gets to decide what is legitimate anyway. My head reels.

Follow Up

· November 2002 ·

emil d'onofrio /# 2pm • 11 Nov 2002

I think all this prattling about “moral clarity” is a bunch of sanctimonious bullshit. According to these self-righteous prigs, moral clarity is this; it’s morally clear that we’re right and anyone disagrees is wrong. That’s not moral clarity, it’s moral tyranny.

Follow Up

— 2004 —

Discussed at www.radgeek.com /# 2pm • 8 Feb 2004

Geekery Today:

What you mean “We”?

Here are the facts as we know them. George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Tony Blair, Donald Rumsfeld, and several other senior government officials in the U.S. and U.K. told us that Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq had large stockpiles of…

Follow Up

Malinda Smith /# 8am • 12 Oct 2004

In regard to “moral clarity”, please let me state that while I consider myself a strong conservative, I don’t think I am ALWAYS right and others ALWAYS wrong – I simply believe that there is a higher standard by which we must define “morality.” Otherwise anything goes and there is NO standard of morality. Truth is truth and no matter how much you ignore it, or rale or rebel against it,it is still truth. The only people it is currently “correct” to bash are christians and moral conservatives and the only reason this is so is because people who hold NO beliefs will NOT tolerate those who do because the stance is indefensible and the only defense is to rale against those who hold to a higher standard. In the end, we can all only answer for ourselves, but as long as I have breath I will do all I can to try to prevent our nation from going to hell in a handbasket as it were due to moral depravity. You can rest assured that God will eventually judge this nation for its immorality and refusal to honor Him. He loves each and every one of us, but our continued rebellion against Him saddens Him and the concept that anything goes will eventually lead to our downfall.

Follow Up

4 replies to Right-wing Moral Clarity Follow replies to this article

Martin Striz /# 5pm • 10 Sep 2002

Whatever happened to the good old conservative value of property rights? Ah, if someone comes to own property by illegitimate means, such as claiming it by fiat or taking it by coup or war, then one doesn’t have legitimate property. Wait, didn’t European settlers claim land by fiat? Didn’t they take more land in a war with Spain? And does “just taking it” from someone who may have acquired it illegitimately make it legitimately yours? Aren’t you ALSO taking it through war? And who gets to decide what is legitimate anyway. My head reels.

Follow Up

emil d'onofrio /# 2pm • 11 Nov 2002

I think all this prattling about “moral clarity” is a bunch of sanctimonious bullshit. According to these self-righteous prigs, moral clarity is this; it’s morally clear that we’re right and anyone disagrees is wrong. That’s not moral clarity, it’s moral tyranny.

Follow Up

Discussed at www.radgeek.com /# 2pm • 8 Feb 2004

Geekery Today:
What you mean “We”?

Here are the facts as we know them. George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Tony Blair, Donald Rumsfeld, and several other senior government officials in the U.S. and U.K. told us that Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq had large stockpiles of…

Follow Up
Malinda Smith /# 8am • 12 Oct 2004

In regard to “moral clarity”, please let me state that while I consider myself a strong conservative, I don’t think I am ALWAYS right and others ALWAYS wrong – I simply believe that there is a higher standard by which we must define “morality.” Otherwise anything goes and there is NO standard of morality. Truth is truth and no matter how much you ignore it, or rale or rebel against it,it is still truth. The only people it is currently “correct” to bash are christians and moral conservatives and the only reason this is so is because people who hold NO beliefs will NOT tolerate those who do because the stance is indefensible and the only defense is to rale against those who hold to a higher standard. In the end, we can all only answer for ourselves, but as long as I have breath I will do all I can to try to prevent our nation from going to hell in a handbasket as it were due to moral depravity. You can rest assured that God will eventually judge this nation for its immorality and refusal to honor Him. He loves each and every one of us, but our continued rebellion against Him saddens Him and the concept that anything goes will eventually lead to our downfall.

Follow Up

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