Mr.Piffka's Quotes

I was thinking about Powell this morning and happened to run into this quote:
--- (Corruption of the best is the worst of all)

That is, sadly, so true in terms of Powell.

Well said dys.

I feel the same way about Powell. I don't think history will treat him well.
He allowed his good name and reputation to be exploited in service of a shameful deception.

..... "O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle - be Thou near them! With them, in spirit, we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe.
..... O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it - for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet!
..... We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen."

"War Prayer"
- Mark Twain (1835-1910)

<nodding>

Good quote, Dys. I will pass that on to Mr.P. -- very apt, scarily apt for Powell.
(He says you have a higher opinion of Powell than he does.)

were the truth be known, I have never held Mr Powell with much esteem.

Max Nordau (1849 - 1923)
America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between.

With hindsight, we can see that it was only to be expected that fundamentalism should first make itself known in the United States, the showcase of modernity, and only appear in other parts of the world at a later date.

Islam: a Short History
Karen Armstrong (1945- )

I'm the commander - see, I don't need to explain - I do not need to explain why I say things.

That's the interesting part about being the president. Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they say something, but I don't feel like I owe anybody an explanation.

George W. Bush (1946- )

Piffka, do you know which speech that quote came from? It is one of the most frightening quotes of anything he has ever said.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/11/17/60minutes/main529657.shtml

It was during an interview with Mike Wallace in 2002.

Woodward says the president told him that when he chairs a meeting he often tries to be provocative. When Woodward asked him if he tells his staff that he is purposely being provocative, Mr. Bush answered: "Of course not. I am the commander, see?"

The impression somehow prevails that the true believer, particularly the religious individual, is a humble person. The truth is that the surrendering and humbling of the self breeds pride and arrogance.

Eric Hoffer (1902-1983)

<thanks BBB.>

Friday Double Quote Special!
When great changes occur in history, when great principles are involved, as a rule the majority are wrong. The minority are right.

Eugene V. Debs

'The only tyrant I accept in this world is the still voice within.'
-Mahatma Ghandi

Beautiful, Jjorge.


"Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit,
that I may go to her, and inquire of her.

And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.

And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went,
and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night:

and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit,
and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.

And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest
what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those
that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land:

wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying,
As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.
Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee?

And he said, Bring me up Samuel."

- I Samuel 28:7-11

Thanks Piffka and BBB. Dubya's fascist persona makes Mussolini look like an earthworm in comparison.


We all have our good defects and our bad defects. Dys's grandfather.

That's a precious, Diane

I love it. Am now pondering all my good defects -- .